Harvey Mudd College President Dr. Harriet B. Nembhard CM ’87 was officially inaugurated on Friday, March 1, making her the sixth president of the college and the first president in Mudd’s history to have graduated from a member institution of the 5Cs.
The ceremony was initially set to be held at Pomona College’s Big Bridges Auditorium, but moved online due to a student-led die-in demonstration held outside. Organizers of the die-in event explained it was to both mourn the Palestinian lives lost from Israel’s ongoing attack on Gaza and to ask for Pomona to divest from companies and cut ties with universities in or associated with Israel. As a result, the ceremony was live-streamed on YouTube and screened at Harvey Mudd’s Galileo Hall.
Nembhard began her tenure as president on July 1, 2023, succeeding previous President Maria Klawe, who stepped down on June 30, 2023, after 17 years of leading the college.
Nembhard is an alum of Claremont McKenna College, where she studied management-engineering before graduating in 1990 and going on to earn a master’s in industrial engineering at Arizona State University. Then, in 1994, she obtained her Ph.D. in industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan.
In addition to being an accomplished academic, Nembhard has administrative university experience as well. Before accepting the role as Mudd’s president, Nembhard was Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa. In this role, she was in charge of the academic programs and institutes that supported 283 graduate students and 1,802 undergraduate students while managing a $100 million budget.
Friday’s inauguration began with Mudd’s Chair of the Board of Trustees James C. Bean HM ’77 welcoming 5C staff, faculty and students, along with several Claremont city representatives and university delegates from across the country.
Following this, several people extended their greetings to Nembhard, including Susan Martonosi, the chair of the faculty and professor of mathematics at Mudd.
“As we stand on the precipice of our future, we are fortunate to have in President Harriet B. Nembhard a leader who is prepared to leverage Harvey Mudd College’s fine tradition of innovation to propel us forward,” Martonosi said. “To help us achieve our mission and our potential, we, the faculty, stand with you to shape the next chapter of Harvey Mudd.”
After this, Kayleah Tsai HM ’24, the president of the Associated Students of Harvey Mudd College (ASHMC) and Henry Hammer HM ’24, the senate chair of ASHMC, made a speech reflecting on their experiences with President Nembhard.
“She is a kind leader who really takes the time to stop and acknowledge everyone on campus, making them feel valued,“ Tsai said. “From the meetings where she commented on our matching Converse shoes, to the club fair where she stopped at various student booths, President Harriet’s warm smile and laughter brought light to others’ lives.”
Hammer recounted some personal anecdotes, mentioning how Nembhard’s guidance and advice have made her a role model at Mudd.
“She has taught us the difference between choosing the correct option and the right option and how to always lead with kindness and empathy,” Hammer said. “We have taken many of her words to heart and continue to look to her as a role model for excellent leadership.”
Laura Larson, the vice chair of the Board of Trustees and a member of the presidential search committee, gave a speech shedding light on Nembhard’s selection as president in 2022.
“There was no group she met with, no person she spoke with left untouched by her preparedness, her thoughtful answers and her clear desire to authentically connect to every person she met [on campus],” Larson said. “We were all deeply impressed that such accomplishment might also come with so much kindness. With our hearts and our heads, [Nembhard] was the clear choice for us.”
Nembhard’s former advisor at the University of Michigan, University of Chicago’s Hobart W. Williams Distinguished Service Professor of Operations Management John R. Birge, then spoke about Nembhard’s academic accomplishments while completing her PhD.
Birge gave an example of how Nembhard optimized the manufacturing process of cereals that led to a reduction in waste produced and time lost, crafting a precise engineering solution.
“I use this example in my classes to this day to describe the impact of setup times and the value of strong systems analysis,” he said. “I know that Harriet will similarly be applying all her skills in looking forward for Harvey Mudd now as its president in defining its best possible future.”
Following this, Nembhard’s former student, Dr. Hyojung Kang, who has collaborated with her on publishing a book and several journal articles on healthcare systems engineering, spoke about Nembhard’s leadership abilities.
“In addition to professional excellence, the key qualities of a leader are empathy, compassion and kindness, which fosters a culture of care across academic communities and beyond,” Kang said. “Dr. Nembhard demonstrates all of these qualities, especially showing genuine concern for the welfare of her students and extending her support beyond the academic needs of students to other personal challenges.”
Newly inaugurated President Nembhard took the stage and spoke about her vision for the college.
“My vision is that, together, we produce students who are both good at STEM and good at life,” Nembhard said. “By strengthening and demonstrating our commitment to each other’s well-being, by providing the space and the grace to breathe and to regroup, we strengthen our shared capacity to carry out our mission.”
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