Announcing the 2025–2026 IA Lab for AI Projects

College Community, 

I am pleased to share the three projects selected to receive seed funding through our recent Innovation Accelerator Lab for Artificial Intelligence (IAL-AI) call for proposals. These projects reflect the creativity, rigor, and ethical responsibility that define Harvey Mudd College’s commitment to its mission, and they exemplify how our community is thoughtfully engaging with this critical topic during a moment of profound change for both technology and society.

The proposals were reviewed through a collaborative process that included discussions with trustees and other participants at last November’s Saddle Rock retreat, feedback from external industry advisors, and input from members of the Cabinet. Together, these conversations focused not only on the technical promise of each of the proposals, but also on their alignment with our mission, values and strategic plan: ensuring that we continue to educate students who understand the impact of their work on society and who are prepared to graduate and lead with intention in a world that is rapidly changing.

The three projects selected for seed funding are:

AI Experimentation Lab (AXL)

Led by an interdisciplinary team of faculty that includes professors Josh Brake (CS), Ken Fandell (HSA), Nancy Lape (Engineering), and Julie Medero (CS), the AI Experimentation Lab (AXL) helps re-imagine undergraduate education in the age of generative AI. By intentionally bridging STEM fields with the humanities, social sciences, and the arts, AXL will create communities of practice that explore how we teach about AI, how we teach with AI tools, and how we help students critically examine AI’s broader ethical, societal, and environmental implications. Through workshops, guest speakers, shared resources, and creative experimentation, AXL positions Harvey Mudd as a national leader in shaping thoughtful, human-centered approaches to AI in education. The AXL team, in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, has already issued 10 microgrants to faculty who will pilot changes in their courses in response to AI during the spring semester. 

Prototype-First Programming Laboratory

Led by Benson Tsai ’06 and Josh Jones ’98, HMC entrepreneurship faculty, along with Angie Covarrubias Aguilar from the HMC Upward Bound program and CS Professor Zachary Dodds, this project introduces a bold rethinking of how computer programming is taught. Rather than emphasizing code writing alone, the Prototype-First Programming Laboratory centers on “authorial accountability”—helping students learn to steward, evaluate, and take responsibility for AI-generated systems. With new prototype-first proposed courses such as the “Software MVPs” sidecar course and the “Web Presents” summer seminar, as well as a two-week “Invitation to AI” embedded module within Core CS coupled with co-curricular experiences, this IA Lab helps students gain deep understanding and ethical judgment on the use of AI and AI tools in programming. This work will extend beyond HMC’s campus through partnerships with programs such as Upward Bound, broadening access to AI literacy and entrepreneurial skills not just for our students, but also for our partners in the community.  The Prototype-First Programming Laboratory is in the process of recruiting student participants.

Imaginative Prototyping with Artificial Intelligence

The Imaginative Prototyping initiative, led by Associate Professor of Engineering Josh Brake, uses the hands-on building of concrete AI prototypes to explore both the creative promise and the potential perils of AI. Drawing on methods from art studios, peer critique, and entrepreneurial design, students and faculty will work in small teams to build, share, and critique AI-powered applications both within and beyond education. Reviewers noted the strong student appeal of this experiential approach and its potential to serve as an “experimentation engine” that can inform and support other Innovation Accelerator efforts across campus.

These IAL-AI projects are a direct result of our ongoing investment in the Innovation Accelerator, a cornerstone of how we are advancing our goal of Innovative Education as part of our STEM for a Better World strategic plan. Together, these projects demonstrate how Harvey Mudd is leaning into emerging technologies with curiosity, care, and a commitment to the type of ethical leadership called for in our mission.

I am grateful to the faculty, staff, students, trustees, and advisors who contributed their ideas and insights throughout this proposal and selection process, and I look forward to learning more about how these projects take shape in the coming year. They represent an important step forward as we continue working together to ensure that Harvey Mudd remains a place where rigorous STEM education meets human responsibility.Sincerely,

Harriet B. Nembhard
President