HSA Blog

Bicycles have been in the news a lot lately as people look for recreation options during the COVID lockdown. Cycling has also received growing attention as a climate-friendly transportation option. In the United States, passenger vehicle trips are the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. Over a third of these trips […]

As a historian of psychology and computing, I am interested in two questions: How did the developments in cybernetics and artificial intelligence (AI) prompt new approaches to understanding the human mind and its creative abilities? And, how did the ideas about minds and computers travel across political, economic and ideological contexts in the twentieth century? […]

Every Mudd student will take HSA10: Critical Inquiry, a seminar intended to introduce students to the process of inquiry- and research-based writing. This class, for which there are many available sections, each with a different focus, encourages students to think more deeply in a humanities or social science setting. In my section of HSA 10, […]

During these unprecedented times, the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts welcomes new leadership, new faces and new initiatives. Paul Steinberg, professor of political science and environmental policy and Malcolm Lewis Chair of Sustainability and Society, steps down after three excellent years as department chair overseeing the department’s growth and increasing its visibility […]

The arts administrator for the College’s Caryll Mudd and Norman F. Sprague Jr. Gallery describes the latest renovations, favorite features, behind-the-scenes details and what’s in store for HMC’s creative space. Introduce yourself and describe your role in the community. My name is Julia Lee Hong. I am the arts administrator in the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and […]

Ken Fandell, HMC professor and incoming chair of the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts, shares his vision on art at the College and beyond. This story was first published by the HMC student-run newspaper The Muddraker.  Q: Introduce yourself to anyone who doesn’t know you and describe yourself to the community. A: […]

In a speech delivered at Harvey Mudd College’s Presentation Day in 2015, Richard Olson ’62, late professor of history, highlights the challenge of engaging a liberal arts approach to STEM education at Harvey Mudd College. When Bob Keller (HMC professor of computer science) asked if I would be interested in giving the keynote speech for […]

How does one develop students’ ability to think critically, read carefully, recognize their own and others’ assumptions and understand multiple points of view? Three professors at Harvey Mudd College have recently developed innovative courses that—each in its own way—are providing students with engaging and effective ways to think deeply, critically and openly about the subject […]

On Friday, December 13, 2019, my #MeToo Shakespeare course at Harvey Mudd College culminated in a conference where my undergraduate students presented their research. The conference was a perfect encapsulation of the critical investigation we had undertaken over the course of the semester. This work entailed examining what Shakespeare’s plays might tell us about #MeToo […]

The Caryll Mudd and Norman F. Sprague Jr. Gallery located in the R. Michael Shanahan Center for Teaching and Learning is the main art gallery of Harvey Mudd College. Adjacent to Drinkward Recital Hall, which hosts the College’s concert series and lectures, the gallery experiences considerable foot traffic and is frequented by both students and […]