John Barton is the director of Stanford's Architectural Design Program. His practice spanned nearly 30 years, and he has received numerous design awards, including an AIACC Honor Award in Urban Design for collaborative work on high-speed rail options in Palo Alto. He also combines teaching and professional practice with significant community service, including one term on the Palo Alto City Council and two terms on the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education. He earned his B.A. and M.A in architecture from UC Berkeley and hopes to finish a doctoral degree at Carnegie Mellon this year.