Letter from the Chair (2020–2021)

What a pleasure it is to start out this annual summary by celebrating our return to campus in 2021, a year and a half after the community departed because of the global pandemic. We are very grateful to our faculty and staff for the amazing work they are doing to maintain the College’s academic programs while supporting our students and each other. Also, we appreciate our students’ and families’ understanding and engagement as we’ve had to pivot to accommodate changing circumstances. 

The return to campus in fall was made possible by many community members, including student leaders, who collaborated to develop our #StaySafeAtMudd guidelines, including protocols for prevention, quarantine and isolation. Everyone’s work enabled a safe, fun and collaborative on-campus experience for all students.

The first contingent of students returned to campus during summer 2021 to participate in the Summer Research Program, makerspace development and on-campus work. Improving conditions allowed about half of the 214 student summer researchers to regain hands-on access to labs, shops and studios. 

We know this has been particularly challenging for our first-year and sophomore students, and we were thrilled to have them on campus for fall 2021, most for the first time. Like many higher education institutions, we waived our ACT/SAT requirements because of disruptions caused by the pandemic. Despite the challenges, we experienced positive growth in our incoming class of 2025, which saw a nearly 40% increase in applications. Admission applications from women were up 42%, and we saw increases from Hispanic/LatinX students (up almost 50%) and African American/Black students (up 79%). The class is by far the most ethnically diverse class to be admitted to HMC.

Preparations during the 2020–2021 academic year have laid the foundation for students to begin taking courses that make up the new Core Curriculum, approved by the faculty in May 2020. Known as Four Courses with Optional Electivity, it addresses two major themes that drove the review process: a refined focus of topics, giving students more time to reflect on what they learn and a more direct engagement with the “impact” part of the College’s mission. An Implementation Committee continues working with departments and faculty to finalize important details, like understanding the downstream impact of the new Core on each department, determining the timeline for introducing new Core courses and evaluating funding and staffing needs. A pilot version of the Impact Course will be offered in spring 2022, and a full rollout of the Core will occur in fall 2022.

New campus spaces and initiatives

Throughout the pandemic, construction work has been deemed essential, allowing the construction of the Scott A. McGregor Computer Science Center to stay on schedule and be completed on time for a spring 2021 opening. In addition to providing a new home to the Department of Computer Science, a highlight of the three-story, 36,000-square-foot building is its permanent makerspace, an all-campus, cross-departmental interdisciplinary space led by Director Jeff Groves, an experienced maker, teacher and administrator. Groves, professor of literature and former dean of the faculty, helped launch the makerspace initiative during his tenure as dean of the faculty and now coordinates its activities with the help of a manager and student stewards.

During 2020-2021, the College took steps to expand initiatives in two important areas. The HMC Entrepreneurship Working Group, co-organized by trustees Sergio Monsalve P25 and Bob Hulse ’96/97 and professors Darryl Yong ’96 and Albert Dato, and joined by several members of the board, faculty and student body, named a director of entrepreneurship initiatives: Kash Gokli, Oliver C. Field Professor of Manufacturing Practice and Engineering Economics. Gokli will strengthen and expand the College’s entrepreneurial education offerings and activities, and he will build upon the substantial legacy of Gary Evans, professor of economics emeritus, and the ongoing efforts of the HMC Entrepreneurial Network.

The former Hixon Center for Sustainable Environmental Design reopened as the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment, and Lelia Hawkins, associate professor of chemistry, was appointed the inaugural Hixon Professor of Climate Studies. The center is poised to become the locus for new climate studies courses as well as other curricular, co-curricular and research endeavors at Harvey Mudd and in the Claremont consortium. The work of the Hixon Center coupled with projects funded through the College’s Green Fund, which invests in sustainability improvements—recently three solar carport arrays and two level-two electric vehicle charging locations—will allow the College to reduce the rate at which it contributes to the depletion of natural resources and incorporate concepts of sustainability into its academic and daily affairs.

College visibility and recognition

The College’s efforts inside and outside the classroom continue to garner recognition. HMC ranked No. 1 among liberal arts colleges in Washington Monthly’s 2021 College Guide and Rankings issue, a rating of U.S. colleges and universities based on contributions to the public good. The College ranked No. 1 for the fourth year in a row for highest mid-career salaries among U.S. college and university graduates with a bachelor’s degree only, according to PayScale’s 2020–21 College Salary Report. Harvey Mudd topped the list with a median mid-career salary of $162,500. Median salary for graduates from the Class of 2021 is $117,500 compared to $112,500 for a Class of 2020 graduate. Harvey Mudd College continued its top rankings with Princeton Review, again ranking No. 1 for Best Career Placement, and is No. 2 for undergraduate engineering programs according to U.S. News & World Report, which placed our computer science program at the top of the undergraduate-only college category.

Celebrating community members

While we have much to celebrate, I’d also like to take a moment to remember esteemed community members who passed away during the last year. In July 2020, we lost Mike Shanahan, a profoundly influential person in the life of Harvey Mudd College as a trustee, board chair and generous donor. His gifts touched every aspect of the College. Others who deeply impacted the College were emeritus trustee Edward Landry; trustee Tony LaFetra; chemist, teacher and scholar Bob Cave; computer scientist Bob Keller; physicist, historian and alumnus Dick Olson ’62; biology chair and faculty member William K. Purves; engineering professor Jim Monson; and chemistry professor and dean emeritus F. Sheldon Wettack. We also mourn the loss of our alumni who passed away during this time.

As you know, President Klawe shared that she will step down as president when her current contract ends June 30, 2023. It is important that we take the next two years to lay the groundwork for an exceptional presidential search, academic planning process and comprehensive fundraising campaign. To facilitate this, we will reach out to all College constituencies to get input on perceived challenges, opportunities and College attributes deemed immutable.

Maria will be leaving a tremendous legacy at Harvey Mudd, and I am grateful for her partnership, dedication and limitless passion for the College. I look forward to joining with the entire Mudd community to celebrate Maria’s spectacular impact on the College. In the meantime, we will continue partnering with her and with you to advance the educational mission of the College.