New Joint Biology–Climate Major Launches

Nestled on the first floor of F.W. Olin Science Center is a growing program that embodies Harvey Mudd’s commitment to innovative education—the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment, the College’s hub for efforts related to climate, sustainability and environmental studies. This fall, in collaboration with the Department of Biology, the center is offering a new joint major in biology and climate for students interested in pursuing studies in both disciplines, contributing to a growing list of joint majors with a climate focus offered by the College.

In addition to cultivating student competency in biology and climate, the new major will develop computational and systems thinking literacy and student knowledge about the impact of their work on society. The Hixon Center envisions biology–climate graduates pursuing career pathways in urban greening, regenerative agriculture, ecosystem greening and carbon offsets. Students would also be well prepared for graduate studies in ecoinformatics, ecology, general biology and environmental studies.

“The new major will provide a pathway for students interested in biology who want to couple their preparation as biologists with climate coursework because they’re excited about working on nature-based climate solutions,” says Lelia Hawkins, director of the Hixon Center and Hixon Professor of Climate Studies. “It’s also an incredible opportunity to grow the biology major at Harvey Mudd—by providing new ways to explore dimensions of an important and powerful field.”

Students will complete foundational coursework in climate, including thermodynamics, probability/statistics and scientific computing, and climate-specific coursework in climate dynamics, climate impacts, climate solutions and climate contexts. Foundational biology coursework will couple with a writing-intensive biology seminar, biology colloquium and thesis or Clinic project. A new course, Data Science for Global Change Biology taught by Assistant Professor of Climate and Biology Jessica Guo, will be required of all students pursuing the major.

Hawkins says the program’s courses, as with most offered by the Hixon Center, are open to students from across The Claremont Colleges who are not necessarily biology majors. “Hixon courses are educating interdisciplinary students across the consortium, and it’s very exciting that new faculty are developing courses of interest to a variety of students,” says Hawkins.

Students entering Harvey Mudd in the fall 2025 semester will be among the first with the option to elect biology–climate as their major. The College also offers joint majors in computer science and climate, and chemistry and climate. A mathematics and climate major is in development.