Summer Research at Harvey Mudd

Harvey Mudd College’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program engages students in 10 weeks of full-time research. Each summer, close to 200 Harvey Mudd students pursue research projects alongside nearly 40 faculty members across every department of the College.

In the Krauss Lab, student researchers are studying tribology (the study of friction, wear and lubrication) and testing surfaces with thin, hard coatings to design less abrasive coatings with improved wear characteristics. Over in the lab of computer science Professor Christopher Stone, researchers are working on a software system that “logic checks” (PDF) the correctness of mathematical proofs written in the stylized English of mathematical textbooks, papers and monographs. Isabel Balseiro, the Alexander and Adelaide Hixon Professor of Humanities Professor of Comparative Literature, is conducting archival research to track down and reproduce the recorded poetry readings of unpublished Spanish poet María Juana Acuña Vázquez, who overcame educational and economic hurdles to develop a unique poetic voice that chronicles 20th-century Spanish life.

The videos below highlight some recent summer research projects undertaken by Harvey Mudd students.