Harriet B. Nembhard’s Inauguration Address

To the entire Harvey Mudd community—you have my deepest gratitude.

To our esteemed Chair of the Board Jim Bean, our trustees, former presidents Klawe and Strauss, distinguished delegates, students, faculty, staff; honored guests, alumni, parents, friends; and descendants of the founders and prior leaders of the college, my heartfelt greetings to you on this day.

I am excited to join you in building an even stronger Harvey Mudd College. As we embark on this next chapter together, it’s essential that we pause to reflect on the values that have shaped our beloved institution. Harvey Mudd College is renowned for delivering a liberal arts education through a focus on the STEM disciplines. We are committed to continuously generating and sharing solutions that ignite positive change, drawing inspiration not only from the legacy of our past—but also from the limitless potential of our future endeavors.

To the 7C presidents—presidents Gabi Star, Hiram Chodosh, Amy Marcus-Newhall, Strom Thacker, Len Jessup and Shelly Schuster, and to Mr. Stig Lanesskog, thank you for your partnership as Harvey Mudd College continues to live up to the promise of The Claremont Group Plan. I look forward to the opportunity to work collaboratively, integrating our shared knowledge toward a brighter future for all. My journey to this day is due to a marvelous village, for which I must give thanks.

First, I’d like to thank my wonderful husband, David, who has been a true partner in composing and cultivating a meaningful life; as well as our amazing children, Olivia, Naomi and Charlotte, from whom I continue to learn so much; and our delightful grandson Kai who is joy in motion. We are a super six. I thank my extended family and—in particular—my brother, Michael Black, who is here as a delegate for Fort Valley State University—an HBCU where our grandmother was its very first graduate in 1941; my uncle, Harold Black, who is here as a delegate for the University of Georgia where he was one of its first black students to graduate in 1966; and my sister-in-law Ashley and cousins Janice, Phyllis and Earl, who are here as delegates for Clemson, Tuskegee, Georgia State and Howard universities.

Today, I come to you as one, but I stand as ten thousand because I stand on the shoulders of many ancestors. Among the many ancestors smiling down on me today are my mother and father, Helen and Charles, as well as both of their mothers and fathers, Nancy and Mac and Harriet and Eldred. I know their spirits—and their teachings—are with me every day. And today, I know that they are proud. None would be prouder than my mother—who helped me move-in to my Claremont McKenna dorm room in Phillips Hall. Her belief in me knew no bounds.

I came to CMC on the advice of my science seminar teacher, Mrs. Justus, of Camelback High School in Phoenix, Arizona. It had to have been at least a decade after I graduated that I realized that Mrs. J kept the science lab open after school for us latchkey kids on her own time and on her own dime. She was a true gem of a teacher. I am glad that I had the opportunity in adulthood to express my gratitude to her before she too joined the ancestors.

And finally, I say ‘thank you’ to all my friends—particularly those I met at the tender age of 16 at CMC, and to those I met along my academic journey. I am especially grateful to my advisors, colleagues, collaborators, and former students for their invaluable contribution to my growth as both a scholar and an engineer.

Harvey Mudd College welcomed its inaugural class in September 1957, when 48 students and seven faculty came together to start a college that would emphasize the humanistic aspects of technology. Our founders believed that “technology divorced from humanity is worse than no technology at all,” and our first president, Joseph Platt, wanted the College’s curriculum to provide an emphasis on “science with a conscience” in order to educate leaders who understand the impact of their work on society. Despite our relatively young age as a college, there has been tremendous intellectual wealth accumulated for the world as Harvey Mudd has carried out its mission.

Despite our relatively young age as a college, there has been tremendous intellectual wealth accumulated for the world as Harvey Mudd has carried out its mission.

Our graduates’ contributions have had far-reaching impacts, from technological innovations that power database systems and store data in the cloud to sustainability practices that turn industrial waste gas into biofuels. Our alumni are working to eliminate vaccine-preventable deaths in children, advancing health care and science advocacy and providing expertise to help fight tropical eye diseases. They are advancing the field of autonomous vehicles. They have revolutionized the wine industry and have contributed to the field of gamma ray astrophysics. Mudders are opera singers, they have produced Tony-award-winning Broadway plays and the wildly popular James Bond films.

Since the earliest days, Harvey Mudd College has had a tradition of developing and sharing innovative pedagogical approaches. Since its inception in 1963, the College’s Clinic Program has been a cornerstone of our educational approach. This pioneering model has since become a standard for engineering, mathematics and science schools around the country. Today, the Clinic Program allows Harvery Mudd students to collaborate with peers from across the Claremont Colleges, who together tackle some of the most pressing challenges. Our students have developed novel medical devices, improved safety for space science experiments and designed interventions to address environmental and social determinants of COVID-19.

The Harvey Mudd community has made strides to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Thanks to initiatives such as BRAID, launched under President Emerita Maria Klawe, the College has seen an increase of women students from 30% in 2004 to 50% today, and of underrepresented students of color from 8% in 2010 to 29% today.

Every day, our work to further inclusive excellence continues. In these and so many other ways—both great and small—our alumni, our pedagogy, and our programs have made an outsized impact on our world. And now, we look toward the future. I spent my first eight months as president of Harvey Mudd College in conversations with our community. It began with our many sessions around connecting with the community and envisioning the future. From these conversations came the foundations of my vision—our vision—for Harvey Mudd’s future.

One of the cornerstones of my presidency is a steadfast commitment to fostering a healthy environment. Embracing diversity of thought, of background and of experience is not just a goal; it’s an imperative. Prioritizing equity, inclusion and belonging creates an environment where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive. Every person’s well-being matters, and we must ensure that each person feels integral to our campus community. The work done during our last reaccreditation effort explored key issues for our students, faculty and staff around workload, mental health and wellness. These are pillars not just of student success, but also of the continued success of our faculty and staff. Developing innovative solutions to today’s most pressing challenges is a laudable goal, but is also an immense responsibility. We must find ways as a community to address the stresses of that responsibility in a more holistic way. Each of us must prioritize mental health and well-being so that we can better ensure all members of our community have the resilience and strength needed to excel.

My vision is that, together, we produce students who are both good at STEM and good at life. We must model that. By strengthening and demonstrating our commitment to each other’s well-being, by providing the space and the grace to breathe and to regroup, we strengthen our shared capacity to carry out our mission.

By strengthening and demonstrating our commitment to each other’s well-being, by providing the space and the grace to breathe and to regroup, we strengthen our shared capacity to carry out our mission.

Our path toward fulfilling our mission will be amplified by cultivating in our students the courage to examine their values and bet on their impactful ideas to meet what the world needs. This summer, for example, we are launching Eship Studio, a program that will support a cohort of Harvey Mudd students in developing entrepreneurial solutions which address societal needs and grand challenges. Students will be advised by a Harvey Mudd faculty member knowledgeable in the focus area; they will develop the foundational skills necessary to explore the viability of their ideas and learn to evaluate entrepreneurial endeavors by their impacts on the planet and its people.

As we consider the planet, we are actively recruiting faculty to create programs of study where our students can pursue a joint education in one of our existing majors plus climate studies. This new approach will ensure that our program reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the climate crisis facing our world. It will equip our students to harness their chosen field of study toward meaningful climate solutions and responsible innovation. We are grateful to the many incredible faculty and staff who have contributed to developing this innovative program.

And we are thankful to the many trustees, alumni, parents and friends who have invested in this effort. Your generosity continues to power Harvey Mudd College’s long tradition of excellence in liberal arts STEM education to meet the needs of society. I look forward to our joint efforts to strengthen our campus community and foster a healthy environment while providing our students with the tools they need to shape the future.

As I reflect on the history of this great college and on my first months here, I want to share that I have been immensely inspired by the incredible talent and dedication within this community. Our faculty’s commitment to exemplary teaching and cutting-edge research, our students’ thirst for knowledge, and the incredible efforts of our staff underscore the dedication, the brilliance and the vitality that define Harvey Mudd College. As a community, our mission and vision serve as our guiding stars. They encapsulate our commitment to providing an outstanding STEM education while nurturing well-rounded individuals who are not only adept in their fields but also possess the skills and empathy to make a meaningful impact. As we come together at this moment in our history to reflect on our past and dream about our future, I am filled with hope and excitement for the boundless possibilities–knowing that we are worthy of special endeavors.

As we come together at this moment in our history to reflect on our past and dream about our future, I am filled with hope and excitement for the boundless possibilities–knowing that we are worthy of special endeavors.

Thank you for entrusting me with the great honor of leading this remarkable institution. I am deeply committed to serving Harvey Mudd College, and I look forward to working hand-in-hand with each of you in realizing our collective vision.

Together, let us embrace this journey with optimism, courage, determination and a shared dedication to excellence.

Together, let us continue propelling innovation as we push the frontiers of knowledge and inspire future generations of thinkers and leaders.

Together, let’s soar to even greater heights.