Harriet Nembhard Named Sixth President of Harvey Mudd College

Dear College Community

I am pleased to share with you that the Harvey Mudd College Board of Trustees has unanimously elected Harriet Nembhard as the sixth president of the College. A nationally respected leader in the field of industrial and operations engineering, Harriet currently serves as dean of the College of Engineering at University of Iowa. She will assume the presidency on July 1, 2023.

Harriet Nembhard

“I’m excited to bring my passion for STEM education to Harvey Mudd College, a leading higher education institution in experimentation and innovation, especially in developing inclusive pedagogy, increasing diversity in STEM and incorporating interdisciplinary approaches. I’m also excited to join a college that is so deeply dedicated to helping its students understand their potential to have a positive impact on society.”

HARRIET NEMBHARD

Press Release

Harriet B. Nembhard, a nationally respected leader in the field of industrial and operations engineering and dean of the College of Engineering at University of Iowa, has been named the sixth president of Harvey Mudd College.

Appointed by unanimous vote of the Harvey Mudd College Board of Trustees, Nembhard will succeed President Maria Klawe, who announced last year that she would step down June 30, 2023, after 17 years of leading the College.

Thoughts of the Search Committee

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We asked members of the Presidential Search Committee to share their thoughts on what makes Harriet Nembhard the best choice to be Harvey Mudd College’s next president.

Sydney Cornell ’23

“We interviewed a lot of candidates who showed promise and had a strong background, but ultimately there were a number of visible qualities Harriet had that really put her at the top of my list.”

Elaine Hart ’06

“Throughout her career, Harriet has embodied the mission of the College, choosing research that focuses on improving the human condition.”

Tom Donnelly

“Harriet’s deep background in STEM and STEM education and her history with The Claremont Colleges make her an ideal person to become our next president.”

Lelia Hawkins

“Harriet is deeply committed to supporting students during their pivotal undergraduate years, not just in their coursework but in all dimensions of their co-curricular experience.”