2020 Harvey Mudd College Leadership Awards

Harvey Mudd recognized outstanding examples of leadership at its eighth annual Leadership Awards. Community members gathered via Zoom Meeting for this year’s awards ceremony celebrating students, faculty and staff for their contributions on campus and beyond.

A selection committee of students, staff and faculty reviewed nominations from the campus community and made selections for the following awards:

Outstanding Faculty Member

Awarded to a faculty member who has gone above and beyond their job role to serve as a mentor for students and/or student organizations and embody Mudd values, such as collaboration and care for the campus community.

Colleen Lewis, McGregor-Girand Associate Professor of Computer Science

A nominator writes, “Professor Lewis is all about community, care and collaboration. Her research, teaching, professional development, mentoring and contributions to the College and consortium consistently embody an open and inclusive vision of science and education; a clear-eyed view of the positive and negative interactions between society and science; and persistent and effective leadership of humane, just and equitable teaching and professional practices.”

Outstanding Staff Member

Recognizes a member or members of the staff for their positive contributions to the campus, their leadership and willingness to make a difference in the lives of students.

BJ Haddad, laboratory and stockroom manager, Department of Physics

“BJ’s passion for learning is infectious,” writes one nominator. “His love of physics and of helping others learn fundamental and advanced aspects of science is so much fun, and he is always thinking of ways to make lab sessions more engaging, experiments more fun and lessons more accessible.”

Gigi Límon, building attendant, Department of Facilities and Maintenance

“Gigi always goes above and beyond to help all members of the HMC community,” one nomination reads. “Gigi is always more than willing to help at any given time and always with a positive, kind and cheerful attitude. She is always kind and respectful to all. Gigi is a great example of how all of us should strive to be among our peers.”

Dean Sundberg Prize

Established by Dana Seaton ’06, and with support from Warren Kazenstein ’04 and Nate Yoder ’06, the Dean Chris Sundberg Prize ($500) recognizes a rising junior who demonstrates exceptional leadership and a positive impact on the College community.

Mariesa Teo ’22

A nominator writes, “Mariesa has been class president for the past two years and co-chair of the Student Philanthropy Campaign, all while maintaining an on-campus job, a full courseload and strong friendships. Mariesa works tirelessly to engage with the community around her and does so with a smile. She has given so much back to the sophomore class and this school as a whole by putting the needs of everyone else before herself on numerous occasions. She will go out of her way whenever possible to make the lives of those around her better.”

Outstanding Student Organization

Given to a recognized student organization that makes a positive impact in the campus or wider community and demonstrates integrity, leadership and teamwork.

The Muddraker

“The Muddraker started as a two-page publication that was issued once each semester and was run by just three students,” one nominator writes. “The current leadership team has dramatically increased the quality, number of pages, and the frequency of publication, as well as growing the staff exponentially. In true Mudd fashion, Muddraker staff saw an opportunity to make an existing structure more effective and efficient, and that is exactly what they have done. Their most recent digital issue with a dedication page to seniors was especially appreciated.”

Outstanding Emerging Leader

Recognizes a first-year student or sophomore who exhibits great potential as a campus and/or community leader.

Tona Gonzalez ’22

A nomination for Tona reads, “Tona embodies the Mudd values of collaboration, integrity, respect and support. He is consistently looking for ways to be involved and make sure others are included. As a mentor, he has excelled in his leadership of his frosh and ensured they have the support and guidance they need. Tona is also helpful, positive and kind and has participated in leadership development opportunities to grow as a person. Tona is a great role model around campus, consistently goes above and beyond and is extremely deserving of this award.”

Sidhant Rastogi ’23

“Sid embodies what it is to be a Mudder,” one nominator writes. “Sid combines his passions across the social sciences and STEM to make an impact on the community. He is involved with Homework Hotline, Wellness Peers, CAP and probably much more. Sid thinks outside the box to come up with ways to bring Mudders together and is always inclusive in his efforts. He organized and executed a 3-C basketball game as a member of the CAP committee. Since social distancing began, Sid has been working on creative ways to engage students through wellness. He launched a YouTube initiative that encourages students to share things they’re doing during this time or fun videos they have come across. Sid deserves this award because of his demonstrated passion and commitment to the Mudd Community.”

Ingrid Tsang ’22

A nomination for Tsang reads, “Ingrid is both passionate and altruistic. As a sustainability director, she makes it her mission to implement new initiatives that make Mudd more sustainable, even if that means gathering hundreds of red solo cups to recycle or staying up cleaning reusable boba straws. She also engages sustainability reps in projects and is both great at delegation and inclusion. Her care [for] the community and her collaborative and inclusive approach to solving collective issues in the community really embodies Mudd values. Ingrid deserves this award as a recognition of the hard work she puts in for the school community. I know I speak for many people when I say that her presence on campus is a source of positivity and light.”

Outstanding Mudder Award

Recognizes students who contribute to the community and demonstrate creativity, leadership, teamwork, ethics, inclusion, community engagement, wellness and communication in curricular and co-curricular endeavors.

Adam Grobman ’21

“Adam embodies Mudd values through his leadership, engagement with community and commitment to inclusivity,” a nominator writes. “He has been highly involved in all facets of campus since his first year and has shown impeccable leadership through roles in PRISM, Science Bus and as an Orientation Leader and a member of senate, among others. He has shown commitment to his own personal growth and that of the College. Adam deserves this award because of his consistent leadership and always making sure he is an advocate for students within OID, senate and beyond.”

Dorman Student Altruism Prize

Established by the Dorman Family foundation, the $250 award recognizes a graduating senior student who is selected by their peers as the one who has done the most for their fellow students.

Priyanka Agarwal ’20

One nominator writes, “Priyanka embodies what it means to be a Mudder. Not only does she excel academically, but she always makes sure to help her peers. As junior and senior class president and as CAP chair, she has ensured that students have sufficient opportunities to bond, meet alumni and professors, get off campus and network. By starting Desi Crew and serving as a mentor for the 5C South Asian community and SWE, she increases this welcoming presence on campus. As head grutor and a LAC staff member, she ensured that Mudd was running smoothly. Finally, outside of campus, she is a student council member and leader for an international women in tech organization, through which she has helped students at Mudd as well. Through all of her positions on campus, she is a leader and approachable figure. She is ready to tackle what society has to throw at her and make a strong, positive impact!”

During the Leadership Awards, students were also recognized for participation in a new leadership program and for their interest in community service.

IMPACT Leadership Program

Through experiential learning, the IMPACT Leadership Program seeks to develop skills in participants that build inclusive communities, develop their leadership potential, and contribute to their holistic development. These students earned leadership certificates by participating in a cohort-based program focused on developing leadership skills aligned with values, strengths and ethics, with an emphasis on individual, group and societal values.

Sydney Cornell ’23, Nico Espinosa Dice ’22, Mariah Ewing ’20, Skylar Gering ’22, Tona Gonzalez ’22, Maurice Landers ’21, Linda Li ’23, Sidhat Rastogi ’23, Varun Singh ’21, Ingrid Tsang ’22, Kevin Wan ’23 and Sean Wu ’23

Community Engagement Internships and Scholarships

The Ben Huppe Class of ’14 Memorial Internship for a Sustainable World

Established by Maggie Lewis and Bob Huppe in honor and memory of their son, Ben, to honor his passion for science and technology and the role it plays in improving the environment and/or bringing technical solutions to underserved populations both domestically and internationally.

Anna Krutsinger ’22 and Tim Player ’20

The New Millennium Experiential Learning Fund

Established by Aaron Archer ’98 and Gregory Rae ’00 to engender in participating students a significant and deep commitment to a lifetime of service activities with national or international non-profit organizations.

Tom Fu ’22

Shirlynn Spacapan Memorial Scholarship

Established by family and friends in memory of HMC humanities professor Shirlynn Spacapan, the scholarship recognizes students for their community service.

Jorge Canedo ’22 and Sophia Cheng ’21