Faculty Profile: Darryl Yong ’96

Mathematics professor Darryl Yong ’96, McGregor-Girand Chair in STEM Equity Innovation and Research and Core Curriculum Director, has been at Harvey Mudd for 24 years. As Core Curriculum director, Darryl works to improve the learning experience for students in our Core courses. That work includes attention to little details like due dates or inconsistencies in notation between courses all the way to big details like staffing structures for the Core and program assessment. As a member of the math department, Darryl works to create inclusive and welcoming environments so that students can thrive at HMC. He has taught a wide range of courses and recently have been teaching Core courses like Writ 1 and Core 99 (Impact Course). Fun fact, Darryl is a cofounder of the College’s Mudders Mentoring Mudders program, which he developed in 2011 with Lupita Bermudez ’09.

If you could add anything to campus to improve the employee experience, what would it be?

I wish we could move The Claremont Colleges to be next to the ocean, but then maybe we would no longer be called The Claremont Colleges.

What’s your favorite food/dish in the Hoch-Shanahan Dining Hall?

The triple chocolate cookies are my favorite!

What is your favorite hobby, activity or creative outlet?

I love food, cooking, art, music. My partner and I love to look at and collect art.

What is your most effective strategy for dealing with stress?

Not all stress is bad. Sometimes stress helps us exceed our own self-imposed limitations. For me, self-awareness is the most effective strategy for managing my stress and remaining healthy in all aspects.

Are you studying or learning something new?

If I ever stop learning something new, I think I will die. Seriously. I need to always be learning something new. Right now I am trying to improve my Mandarin to the point where I can easily read a newspaper and the novel Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin.

What book or podcast are you enjoying right now?

Right now my favorite is podcast is Gastropod, which looks at food through the lens of science and history.

What is the last concert you attended?

Hao Huang (professor of music at Scripps College, who I have known for over 30 years and who was my piano teacher when I was a HMC student) gave a Friday Noon recital on Oct. 3 featuring piano music by Liszt and Beethoven.