The Campaign: PILLAR 2 Academic Leadership

Pillar 2

The defining characteristic of a Harvey Mudd education is the proximity between world-class scholar-mentors and undergraduate students. In an era where large research universities often delegate instruction to intermediaries, Harvey Mudd remains a high-touch environment where students work directly with exceptional faculty on real discovery. An investment in these academic leaders ensures that our most visionary minds are focused where they can have the greatest impact: mentoring the next generation of passionate problem-solvers.

Endowed Professorships

These named positions are designed to recognize and support the foundational leaders who drive innovation within our academic units and across the College. They provide the resources and flexibility required for our faculty to imagine new possibilities for the curriculum and to foster critical interdisciplinary research.

Focus Area: Artificial Intelligence

As AI continues to reshape the landscape of knowledge, Harvey Mudd must remain the standard-bearer for both technical excellence and ethical engagement. By attracting and developing visionary faculty who work at the forefront of AI, we ensure that the Harvey Mudd voice remains an essential and responsible force in the development of transformative technologies.

Learn more about artificial intelligence at Harvey Mudd by visiting our AI Innovation at Mudd website.

Focus Area: Entrepreneurship

Harvey Mudd has a robust history of integrating entrepreneurial thinking into our rigorous STEM curriculum—from our signature Clinic program and dedicated seminars to the immersive EShip Studio—equipping our students with the tools to translate complex technical knowledge into tangible solutions. This dedication is clearly reflected in our impressive track record of producing visionary alumni founders who have launched highly successful, industry-defining ventures like LaunchDarkly, DreamHost, and GitHub. By securing dedicated funding to expand our efforts, we can accelerate this legacy and empower the next generation of Mudders to turn their groundbreaking ideas into thriving enterprises. 

Learn more about how Harvey Mudd is addressing today’s challenges through creativity and innovation by visiting our Entrepreneurship website.

Supports

Strategic Plan Goal 1: Innovative Education
Strategic Plan Goal 4: A Thriving Community

Clinic Directorships

The Clinic Program is the ultimate expression of the Harvey Mudd mission, transforming academic theory into industry-sponsored practice. Supporting the faculty leaders who direct our Clinic projects is an essential component to maintaining the real-world impact of this signature program. These directorships ensure that the bridge between the classroom and the professional world remains robust, providing our students with the high-fidelity professional experiences that distinguish a Mudd graduate in the global workforce.

The Clinic Program

Harvey Mudd’s Capstone Experience

The mission at Harvey Mudd College is clear: educating students well versed in many areas to assume leadership with a clear understanding of the impact of their work on society. A cornerstone of our curriculum for more than 60 years, the Clinic Program pioneered collaboration between education and industry to help fulfill this mission.

Learn More

Supports

Strategic Plan Goal 1: Innovative Education
Strategic Plan Goal 2: Transformative Partnerships
Strategic Plan Goal 4: A Thriving Community

Climate + Initiative

We are seeking to establish specialized leadership roles at the intersection of the environment and our core disciplines. Chairs in Climate + Physics, Climate + Engineering, and Climate + Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts will lead our interdisciplinary response to the challenges facing the environment.

Leading in Climate Education and Action: Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment 

Driving our commitment to global sustainability is the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment, which serves as the strategic catalyst for integrating climate-focused discovery and action. Rather than treating environmental science as an isolated discipline, we are embedding climate awareness into the core of the Harvey Mudd experience. This approach ensures that every student, regardless of their primary field, graduates with the scientific literacy and ethical framework necessary to address the escalating environmental challenges of the 21st century.

The Climate + Initiative: Redefining Interdisciplinary Rigor

We are actively transforming the STEM landscape through our Climate+ joint majors. We have already launched Climate + CS, Climate + Chemistry, Climate + Math and Climate + Biology; with additional investment, our future work will entail launching a Climate + Physics program. In addition, we are exploring programs to pair climate science with engineering as well as with the humanities, social sciences, and the arts.

A Laboratory for Climate Solutions

This work extends beyond the classroom and across our campus, where student-led initiatives and clean energy research provide an immediate proving ground for the sustainable technologies of tomorrow. Our leadership is advanced through Clinic projects and immersive experiences that challenge our students to solve complex climate obstacles for global industry partners. Through these sustained efforts in climate-focused research, Harvey Mudd serves as a vital bridge between climate solutions and industrial application, ensuring that our work translates into measurable impact for people and the planet.

Learn more about our Climate + Initiative by visiting the Hixon Center for Climate and the Environment.

Supports

Strategic Plan Goal 1: Innovative Education|
Strategic Plan Goal 2: Transformative Partnerships