Board of Trustees Update, Oct. 5, 2026

College Community:

The Harvey Mudd College Board of Trustees held its September meeting on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 18–19. Several trustees were on campus Thursday, Sept. 17, for new trustee orientation and to attend events associated with the Annenberg Leadership Forum events, including the wonderful lunch and learn presentation by the Annenberg Fellows as well as the reception and panel discussion Thursday evening.

During Friday morning’s plenary session, the board participated in a conversation with President Harriet Nembhard and James Hawley, chief investment officer with Arios Ventures and special advisor to the College, about early planning for our next academic building, envisioned to be a new home for innovative teaching and research in interdisciplinary science and engineering. Two potential locations are under consideration: the site identified in the College’s master plan north of the F.W. Olin Science Center, or the current Kingston Hall site.

In Friday’s plenary as well as during the Physical Plant and Campus Planning Committee meeting, we discussed issues with the Jacobs-Keck Science Center as well as possible options and budget implications for that building’s renovation and refurbishment. We are excited about the possibilities presented by a new interdisciplinary science and engineering facility and want to ensure we thoughtfully consider both the needs of, and potential impacts on, the faculty, students and staff who currently work and learn in the Jacobs-Keck complex. As the College enters the leadership phase of its new $250 million comprehensive campaign, the board is focused on identifying potential support for these critical priorities as part of Pillar 1: Living and Learning Infrastructure.

At our dinner Friday evening, several Harvey Mudd students joined us to share their stories and the results of their outstanding summer research. This summer, nearly half of the College’s faculty and nearly 200 students participated in 10 weeks of research on campus. We would like to thank Pranay Gupta ’28, Jacob Sesate ’27, Helios Hong ’29 and Cleo McHenry ’29, as well as Jonathan Tabb ’27, Carlos Ojeda de Silva ’27, Grace Williams ’27 and Alejandro Tellez ’28, for sharing their inspiring research with us and for helping bring to life the importance of this key experiential learning program of the College. We would also like to thank their faculty advisors—Professor Matina Donaldson-Matasci (biology), Professor Lisette de Pillis (mathematics), Professor Mark Ilton (physics) and Professor Steven Santana (engineering) for their guidance and support of these researchers.

We are pleased that, on a per-capita basis, Harvey Mudd remains the nation’s No. 2 producer of PhD recipients among undergraduate institutions, just behind Caltech. Through The Campaign for Harvey Mudd College and Impact Scholarships like the proposed Mudd Opportunity for Research Experience (MORE) Program, we hope to provide additional scholarship and research opportunities that inspire our students’ interest in further research and graduate study.

Saturday’s plenary session featured an update from President Harriet Nembhard on plans for the leadership phase of the College’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, which the trustees launched this past July. For our November board retreat this year, the trustees will join faculty, staff, students, alumni and parents—along with select academic and corporate leaders and industry visionaries—to explore HMC’s top campaign priorities, including innovative curricular approaches and potential partnerships in areas such as entrepreneurship, corporate engagement, physical AI and interdisciplinary science and engineering. Our goal is to share these priorities and ideas while gathering valuable perspectives from external experts on how best to advance the College’s bold vision of STEM for a Better World.

In addition to these important conversations, the Board also made some key decisions and received important updates during our meetings, including:

In closing, our September meeting underscored the board’s commitment to investing in Harvey Mudd’s future through strategic facilities planning, ambitious fundraising, sustainability initiatives and exceptional student opportunities. We are grateful to our faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni whose dedication continues to advance the College’s mission and impact.

• The Physical Plant and Campus Planning Committee (PPCPC) discussed repairs made to Atwood Residence Hall following last year’s fire. Final punch list items were completed Aug. 31, and students have been allowed to fully occupy the building.
• The PPCPC discussed the College’s Green Fund, established in 2015 as a 10-year pilot program with $1 million in funding to support projects that improved sustainability, reduced resource consumption, lowered operating costs and advanced the College’s environmental stewardship objectives. Last year, the board extended the fund through Sept. 2026 while the Investment Committee and PPCPC considered its future. During our meetings, the PPCPC recommended, and the board approved, establishing the College’s Green Fund on a permanent basis.
• The Advancement Committee received an update on the College’s branding efforts in partnership with Simpson Scarborough, including the proposed theme for the upcoming comprehensive campaign: Solve What Matters. The board appreciates the students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents who have been involved in this year-long process, and we are excited about using the campaign theme more broadly in the coming months.

In closing, our September meeting underscored the board’s commitment to investing in Harvey Mudd’s future through strategic facilities planning, ambitious fundraising, sustainability initiatives and exceptional student opportunities. We are grateful to our faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni whose dedication continues to advance the College’s mission and impact.

Sincerely,

James Bean ’77
Chair, HMC Board of Trustees