{"id":13988,"date":"2025-04-15T11:40:29","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T18:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/about\/?p=13988"},"modified":"2025-04-16T15:56:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:56:27","slug":"faculty-profile-erik-spjut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/about\/2025\/04\/15\/faculty-profile-erik-spjut\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty Profile: Erik Spjut"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Erik Spjut, professor of engineering and Union Oil Company Engineering Design Fellow, will retire next month after 37 years at Harvey Mudd. RSVP by May 1 to join Erik\u2019s retirement celebration<\/a> on May 8, 3:30\u20135 p.m in Platt Living Room. Ahead of the retirement festivities, learn some fun facts about Erik via this Dean of the Faculty Q-and-A. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did you choose to teach at HMC? What kept you here? What will you miss the most?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All of my life I\u2019ve always wanted to learn and\/or teach everything. When I applied to Harvey Mudd, the job description was for a chemical engineer who could teach materials science classes. At the time, I had a PhD from MIT in chemical engineering and was teaching at MIT in the materials science department. It was fated to be. I have taught all of the required engineering courses except for E83 and E84. During my time here, I\u2019ve taught music fundamentals at Scripps, an independent study Swedish class to a student with a Swedish girlfriend, and an independent study class on psychoacoustics. For most of my time here, I\u2019ve been able to do what I wanted, including teaching students to build and fly rockets, and get paid for it. What I will miss most is watching the figurative lightbulbs go on over the students\u2019 heads when something finally sinks in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your plans for retirement?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to write and record music (I already have a Soundcloud). I\u2019m going to keep making videos of my off-roading adventures. I will spend time answering comments and questions from my sabbatical project, which is converting my course instructional videos and websites into Creative Commons and Open Source. I will fly rockets. I have children in six different states, so I will spend a fair amount of time traveling to visit children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are three fun facts about you that people may be surprised to learn?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Former U.S. Senator Mitt Romney and I co-starred in a musical theater production at church.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • I subbed for Danny Ainge when he played for the Boston Celtics (OK, it was as a speaker when he had to cancel at the last minute).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • I attended the same high school as Roseanne Barr, where all three High School Musical<\/em> TV movies and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series<\/em> was shot. Yes, I played basketball on the same basketball court as Troy, and I performed an original pop song on the same stage where Troy and Gabriella sang.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    What are your hobbies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Writing and performing music, off-roading and hiking, flying rockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What are your favorite foods?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Boiled\/steamed Atlantic lobster, really fresh and sweet corn on the cob, anything ice cream, especially fresh black raspberry ice cream.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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