Letter From the Chair (2021–2022)

Before I begin my review of the 2021–2022 academic year, I want to share my excitement about the recent announcement of Harriet B. Nembhard as the sixth president of Harvey Mudd College. Selected from one of the strongest pools in the country, Nembhard comes to Harvey Mudd from University of Iowa, where she is dean of the College of Engineering and holds the Roy J. Carver Professorship in Engineering. Her leadership overseeing academic programs, research initiatives and administrative infrastructure while educating students to positively impact society is a perfect match for the HMC community. We look forward to welcoming her July 1, 2023.

The board as well as the College community shares their thanks and appreciation for President Maria Klawe who has been an extraordinary leader and innovator. Her accomplishments and impact during the past 16 years have been truly transformative, allowing Dr. Nembhard to take the helm at a high point in the College’s history.

Now, to present highlights of another productive and impressive fiscal year. As the College transitioned from quarantine to being back on campus, one of our most important tasks has been to ensure the success of our students. An essential aspect of academic and community life at the College is that its members act with honesty and integrity—something that I and fellow alumni deeply value about our Harvey Mudd experience. Recognizing the impact the pandemic has had on our students, the College began re-engaging the community in conversations around the Honor Code. Programs and events have promoted, reintroduced and educated students about the Honor Code and its importance to the Harvey Mudd community. During the current academic year, students have had conversations about the Honor Code, and it was a featured topic during New Student Orientation, Convocation, dorm meetings and discussions with alumni.

We’ve welcomed several new scholars who pledge to continue the College’s valued traditions while engaging students in experiential learning and challenging them to develop an informed world view. Tenure track faculty members were hired in chemistry, engineering and physics. Searches continue during the current academic year for nearly a dozen positions as we add new experts to our stellar faculty.

An essential aspect of academic and community life at the College is that its members act with honesty and integrity—something that I and fellow alumni deeply value about our Harvey Mudd experience.

During the 2021–2022 fiscal year, we began spreading the word about the new Hixon Center and its mission of serving as a hub for students, faculty, staff and alumni to engage in collaborative discourse and actions to solve environmental problems. The efforts of Vice President for Academic Affairs and R. Michael Shanahan Dean of the Faculty Tom Donnelly, Hixon Professor of Climate Studies Lelia Hawkins and President Maria Klawe have resulted in enthusiastic support for the Hixon Center that is coming to fruition during the current fiscal year: Over span of nine months, the College has successfully relaunched the Hixon Center and secured significant private funding to support our efforts. Conversations are ongoing about this important area for the College, and as momentum continues to build, we anticipate this will be a key area for support in the next comprehensive fundraising campaign for Harvey Mudd. Just as we have with the Clinic Program and with our academic programs, we fully expect to have an outsized impact on climate change challenges.

Entrepreneurship is gaining momentum at HMC. Students are enthusiastic for the new Entrepreneurship course, are launching startups and are participating in a new summer fellowship program where they work with a variety of startups. Led by engineering professor Kash Gokli, the Entrepreneurship Center seeks to encourage an “entrepreneurial mindset” for all Mudders.

The College continues to make its mark and perform well in annual national rankings, including Washington Monthly, Princeton Review and PayScale, the latter touting our high return on investment, excellent career placement and our graduates’ outstanding mid-career salaries. The Summer Institute program was named an inspiring STEM program by INSIGHT Into Diversity. The College’s successful effort to raise the percentage of women majoring in computer science is now a featured case study in the Harvard Kennedy School Case Program, the world’s largest repository of case studies for educators in government and public policy—yet another way that HMC is sharing its expertise with the world.

The College’s newest building, the Scott A. McGregor Center, was recognized with multiple design awards for its functionality and beauty. The HMC community is enjoying all aspects of this building, including the makerspace. Through the Physical Plant and Campus Planning Committee, we also are ensuring that the rest of our campus is well-maintained and modernized. Work in the residence halls, Platt Campus Center and Kingston Hall has included updating systems and renovating spaces. During 2021–2022, we began preparing for installation of backup power to safeguard important research and lab work in the academic complex. Installation should be completed by summer 2023.

I invite you to read in more detail about the accomplishments we’ve made together this past academic year, and I thank President Klawe and so many others in this remarkable community for their continued dedication and support to Harvey Mudd College.