Harvey Mudd Lauds Student Leaders

The inclusive, collaborative learning atmosphere for which Harvey Mudd College is known is due in large part to its students, who demonstrate integrity, compassion and accountability. During the College’s second annual Leadership Awards celebration April 11, awards were given to those demonstrating these beneficial traits and applying them to on-campus and community service activities. Honorees included scholarship and internship recipients, residential support staff and members of student government. In addition, faculty and staff were lauded for providing support to student leaders.

“The Harvey Mudd College mission statement enjoins us to educate ethical leaders that are committed to the well being of society and the planet,” said Maggie Browning, dean of students and vice president for student affairs. This year’s student awardees, Browning continued, represent examples of “remarkable academic achievement, creativity and commitment to social justice.”

Leadership Awards

Several seniors received Leadership Awards for their contributions to the Harvey Mudd community, from working with the Honor Board and Science Bus to external charity work and mentoring. This year’s recipients were Sam Gutekunst, Katie Shepherd, Christian Stevens, Miranda Parker, Becca Thomas, Beverly Yeh, Travis Athougies and Jennifer Sharma.

The Outstanding Group Student Leadership Award recognized the Asian Pacific Islander Sponsor Program at Mudd (API-SPAM) for its dedication to relationship building within the Harvey Mudd community and for sustaining a culturally conscious mentoring program for students who identify as API. In addition to its yearlong sponsorship program, the organization plans an annual student retreat and hosts film screenings, discussions and educational workshops to bring the student community closer and to foster cultural understanding. API-SPAM head sponsors Ginah Han ’14 and Bruce Yan ’15 accepted the award (they are shown above with presenter Angelica Ibarra, assistant dean for institutional diversity).

Spacapan Memorial Scholarship

Established by family and friends in memory of Harvey Mudd Professor of Psychology Shirlynn Spacapan, this scholarship recognizes a deserving sophomore, junior or senior who has been highly involved in community service during his or her time at the College. This year’s recipient, Brittany Borg ’15, volunteered at Uncommon Good, a community organization seeking to build healthy families, healthy communities and a healthy planet. Borg helped create energy modeling for their Whole Earth Building Project and was active in Science Bus, among other projects.

Diversity, Community and Wellness

Several students were honored for their work in the realms of social justice, community engagement and personal wellness, above and beyond the rigors of academic achievement. The Office of Institutional Diversity honored students Chris Zazueta ’14 (SPLS, Uncommon Good) and Morgan Mastrovich ’16 (South Dorm mentor, Privilege Walk) with the Outstanding Commitment to Diversity award for leadership in promoting the understanding of diversity and social justice. A new award from the Office of Community Engagement recognized Science Bus President Allison Lim ’16 and FIRST Robotics mentor Sean Messenger ’15 for providing students with opportunities to better understand and be involved in their communities. Qutayba Abdullatif, associate dean for student health and wellness, honored Huy Nguyen ’15 and Cassie Meyer ’15 for consistent efforts to work through personal challenges, which he said exemplifies the “ultimate wisdom” of achieving a well-balanced lifestyle through self-improvement.

Dean Sundberg Prize

Engineering major Paul Jolly ’16 is the recipient of this year’s Dean Chris Sundberg Prize. Established in 2009 to honor Dean Sundberg and to encourage student involvement in campus life, the $500 award recognizes a rising junior who demonstrates exceptional leadership and has a positive impact on the Harvey Mudd College community. “The prize winner is an ambassador of Harvey Mudd’s mission statement and Honor Code,” remarked Dean Browning, recognizing Jolly’s contributions to an enhanced college experience for other students on campus.

Strauss Internship

Ashuka Xue ’16, Sam Woodman ’16 and Emma Zang-Schwartz ’15 were each awarded a 2014 Strauss Internship for Social Understanding. Designed for Harvey Mudd students interested in working with a local community service agency, the 10-week internship includes up to $4,000 in support. Students work with local agencies to design the internships, ensuring they meet the needs of the agency and align with the founding ideal of a commitment to a lifetime of service activities.

Huppe Memorial Internship

Emma Klein ’17 and Musa Kiyani ’15 were each awarded the Huppe Memorial Internship for a Sustainable World. The Ben Huppe ’14 Memorial Internship for a Sustainable World provides a stipend of up to $4,000 for work in renewable energy, green technologies and environmental sustainability, or work to solve the problems of underserved populations. Maggie Lewis and Bob Huppe, parents of Ben Huppe ’14, and their family and friends created the internship program in honor of Huppe’s passion for science and social justice.

Also recognized at this year’s Leadership Awards were Goldwater Scholarship honorable mention winners Kaitlyn Dwelle ’15, Shannon Wetzler ’16 and Rowan Zellers ’16, as well as Napier Fellows Christian Stevens ’14 and Margaret Thompson ’14. Stevens also received the prestigious Watson Fellowship for 2013–2014.

Outstanding Faculty and Staff Mentor Awards

New this year, two student-nominated awards were presented to faculty and staff who, according to Browning, “have provided extraordinary support to our developing leaders.” The Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award went to Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biology Karl Haushalter, while the Outstanding Staff Faculty Award recognized biology Laboratory Manager Elaine Guerra.