B UL L E T IN
Summer 2012
Joseph B. Platt REMEMBERING
1915-2012
INSIDE
see page 18
16 Worthy Research
20 How Clinic Changed Me
22 Science, Engineering and the Economy
34 Alumni Weekend Reunion Photos
IMPRESSIONS
Engaging Lessons Local youngsters participated this past spring in Science Day, which included fun science activities like “Burning Money,” that demonstrates enthalpy of combustion and vaporization. Science Bus members Devon Stork ’15, Grant Ukropina ’13 and Will Ferenc ’13 covered a $2 bill in a mixture of noncombustible liquid and water, then set the bill on fire. The bill remained unscathed because the water’s evaporation kept it from combusting. Science Bus members use participatory lessons such as these to encourage youngsters’ interest in the scientific fields.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
SUMMER 2012 Volume 10, No. 3 The HMC Bulletin is produced three times per year by the Office of Communications and Marketing
F
Remarkable Legacies
or more than half a century, Joseph Platt served as a pioneering leader in Claremont. His legacy is apparent, and the foundations he helped build for Harvey Mudd College and Claremont Graduate School and University Center (now Claremont Graduate University) are strong and lasting. We owe a great debt of gratitude to him and will miss his warm and friendly persona and, of course, his wonderful guitar playing. Comments and remembrances from family and friends can be found on the memorial website we’ve created for Joe, and some of these have been included in this issue (page 18). This summer also saw the passing of one of our students, Ben Huppe ’14 (page 12), who died in a car accident in his home state of Washington. We are so saddened that a life with such great promise was ended so soon. Ben’s impact was remarkable for such a short life: he was a volunteer in his community, a promising engineer and a leader on campus. It was my pleasure to get to know him. My heart goes out to his parents, Bob and Maggie, his other family members and his many friends. The HMC community will celebrate the lives of both Joe and Ben during events this fall. At that time, a new class will begin their journey at HMC. Our first-year class consists of 199 students, nearly half of which are women. As you’ll read inside, we continue to recruit some of the most talented STEM students in the nation (page 4). This is affirmed each year during Commencement when our graduates begin their journeys: of the 177 members of the Class of 2012, 117 are employed (or indicated they are seeking employment); 53 will attend graduate school or seek a teaching credential; and seven have “other” plans. The class of 2012 is entering a world much different from generations past, and its members are in great demand as companies seek innovative methods to compete in the global arena. As the state of the economy continues to be a concern for all of us, we’ve also taken a moment to explore some thoughts about science, engineering and the economy (page 22). The end of summer brings to a close another successful research session (206 students working with 45 faculty), significant progress on the construction of the teaching and learning building (page 6), and continued successful community engagement programs (Upward Bound and Claremont-Long Beach Math Collaborative). It is a great time to celebrate both the past and the future.
Maria Klawe President, Harvey Mudd College
Vice President for College Advancement Dan Macaluso Director of Communications, Senior Editor Stephanie L. Graham Art Director Janice Gilson Contributing Writers David Coons, Koren Wetmore, Rich Smith Proofreader Kelly Lauer Contributing Photographers Keenan Gilson, Jeanine Hill, Kevin Mapp, Nancy Newman, Will Vasta The Harvey Mudd College Magazine (SSN 0276-0797) is published by Harvey Mudd College, Office of Communications, 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, CA 91711 www.hmc.edu Nonprofit Organization Postage Paid at Claremont, CA 91711 Postmaster: Send address changes to Micki Brose, Harvey Mudd College, Advancement Services, 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, CA 91711 Copyright © 2012 Harvey Mudd College. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in the HMC Bulletin are those of the individual authors and subjects and do not necessarily reflect the views of the College administration, faculty or students. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without the express written consent of the editor.
Find the Bulletin online at www.hmc.edu/hmcmagazine
The Harvey Mudd College Bulletin staff welcomes your input: communications@hmc.edu or HMC Bulletin Harvey Mudd College 301 Platt Boulevard Claremont, CA 91711
Summer 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEATURE
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HMC
’s d y na m i c r e s e
p ro a rc h
gra
m
22 Science and Engineering to the Rescue? Investment in science research and development will reap rewards. But, who will benefit?
DEPARTMENTS
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4 Campus Current Recent National Publicity; Commencement; Construction progress; HMC Green Engineering Award; Annenberg speaker, Carol Bartz; Study Abroad grows; Astronomy events; New VP and Dean; Faculty Updates; Binder Prize; Students’ gardening app; National competition results; In Memoriam Ben Huppe ’14; Sports recap Faculty News Student News
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10 12
Student Research
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18 Remembering Joseph B. Platt 20 How Has Clinic Changed You? 26 Mudderings Alumni Weekend Awardees and images; New to AABoG; Pooled Scholarships; Weekends to Remember 30 Class Notes NSF Graduate Research Honorees Alumni Profile: Mudders at SpaceX
This magazine was printed in the USA by an FSC-certified printer that emits 0% VOC emissions, using 30% post-consumer recycled paper and soy-based inks. By sustainably printing in this method, we have saved… 6,087 Lbs. of wood, which is equivalent to 20 trees that supply enough oxygen for 10 people annually. 8,889 Gallons of water, which is enough water for 516 eight-minute showers. 6 million BTUs of energy, which is enough energy to power the average household for 25 days.
1,846 Lbs. of emissions, which is the amount of carbon consumed by 21 tree seedlings grown for 10 years. 540 Lbs. of solid waste, which would fill 117 garbage cans.
Find the Bulletin online at www.hmc.edu/hmcmagazine
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College News
No More “Harvey who?” STRATEGIC PUBLICITY EFFORTS YIELDING POSITIVE RESULTS There are now fewer people in the world who wonder “Harvey who?” when hearing the name Harvey Mudd College. Concerted efforts to promote the people and programs of HMC have resulted in far-reaching, favorable publicity. The College’s Communications and Marketing office has been working with President Maria Klawe, the board of trustees and the campus community to share the accomplishments and plans of the College strategically and widely. These efforts have yielded some very visible results. Director of Public Relations Judy Augsburger said, “President Klawe has made a concerted effort to spread the word about Harvey Mudd College to the many influential people she meets. Her enthusiasm, her expertise in academia, as well as the continued accomplishments of our faculty, students and alumni have played a big role in the unprecedented attention upon our College and its programs, in particular computer science.” Some of this important publicity includes: Sept. 23, 2011- Bloomberg/Businessweek article and TV interview: “A Campus Champion for Women in Computer Science” Dec. 12, 2011- Forbes article on Pres. Klawe and the increase in female CS majors at HMC: “How One College President is Breaking Down Barriers for Women in Tech” Jan. 8 & 9- CNN Money segment on “Engineering the Future” mentions National Academy of Engineering’s 2012 Bernard M. Gordon prize and HMC faculty Feb. 2012- Pres. Klawe profiled in Profiles in Diversity Journal Apr. 2- New York Times front-page Science section, three-page feature “Giving Women the Access Code” Apr. 6- Pres. Klawe serves as panelist at White House Forum on Women & the Economy Apr. 23- Pres. Klawe featured on CNN Money: “Missing: Minority Scientists and Engineers” Apr. 26- Mother Jones: “Silicon Valley’s Brogrammer Problem” Apr. 25- Pres. Klawe interviewed by Al Jazeera English Apr. 27- ArchDaily (“The world’s most visited architecture site”): “‘BubbleDeck’ Technology at Harvey Mudd College / MATT Construction” May 4- Pres. Klawe featured on CNN Money: “Science Has a Girl Problem”
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May 23 - KALW San Francisco: “How are Women Contributing to Advances in Computer Technology?” June 4- Forbes interview with Pres. Klawe: “Getting on Microsoft’s Board of Directors” This fall, the Communications and Marketing team will be working with a consultant and the HMC community on a marketing assessment that will help to further increase the external visibility of and various audiences’ engagement with HMC.
Photo or Graphic
Class of 2016 Summer Institute participants
IN WITH THE NEW HMC Class of 2016 Total Applications 3,591 Total Admitted Students 616
Arriving fall 2012: Men Women
California Northeast/Mid-Atlantic South Midwest West (not Calif.) Southwest Northwest
International Canada China India Singapore South Korea Thailand Hong Kong Pakistan Taiwan
84 22 13 14 12 12 20
199 53% 47% 22 1 7 5 2 1 2 2 1 1
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College News
Getting to Smart COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS ENCOURAGE LIFELONG LEARNING Science educator Bill Nye told graduates they were “brilliant.” Fellow graduating senior and student speaker Christopher Beavers ’12 told them they were “stupid.” What might seem like conflicting messages made perfect sense to the 177 graduates at the 54th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 13.
“
...EVERY TIME YOU FEEL STUPID IN A NEW DISCIPLINE YOU INVITE THE POSSIBILITY TO OVERCOME THAT STUPIDITY. YOU OFTEN DON’T REALLY FORCE YOURSELF TO LEARN UNTIL YOU FIND WITHIN YOURSELF A FEELING OF STUPIDITY THAT YOU SIMPLY MUST OVERCOME. OFTEN THIS COMES DURING
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FINALS WEEK.
—Christopher Beavers ’12
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YOU AREN’T JUST BRILLIANT AT YOUR MAJOR. YOU’RE BRILLIANT IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS BECAUSE YOU SPENT FOUR YEARS LEARNING HOW TO ADAPT TO AND OVERCOME STUPIDITY IN ANY
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VIDEO
DISCIPLINE.
—Bill Nye
HMC commencement: www.youtube.com/harveymuddcollege
Honorary Doctorate R. Michael Shanahan, former chair of the HMC Board of Trustees and current chair of the executive committee, received an honorary doctorate at the commencement ceremony. He and his wife, Mary, are longtime supporters of HMC, having given more than $35 million in support of the College.
Clockwise: Commencement speaker Bill Nye; Chris Beavers ’12; HMC Board of Trustees Chair Malcolm Lewis ’67; Happy graduates; Kerry Karukstis, chair of the faculty and 2012 Council of Undergraduate Research Fellow; and President Maria Klawe and Thomas Aldrich ’12.
No. 1
HMC graduates receive nearly $1.7-million return on their educational investment. Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Payscale report, Apr. 2012
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College News
Construction Progress Teaching and learning building TAKES SHAPE Oct. 2011
Dec. 2011
Jan. 2012
Feb. 2012
Mar. 2012
Apr. 2012
Jun. 2012
Aug. 2012
During fall 2011, HMC began work on the teaching and learning building, the first academic building to be constructed on campus since 1993. When completed in July 2013, the 70,000-square-foot building will provide flexible and technologically advanced classrooms, lecture halls, faculty offices and public spaces to support the widest range of pedagogies and learning styles. Work this summer included sewer improvements, the setting of the second floor deck and the completion of the façade mock up. The construction has been documented by a Kingston Hall rooftop still camera that takes a photo every five minutes, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. View construction activity during those hours at www.hmc.edu/building/construction.shtml.
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Mathematics is Focus of Two Grants
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College News
Inside-the-Box Thinking ELECTRONIC RECYCLING MADE EASY BY HMC GREEN ENGINEERING AWARD WINNER Using other recyclers and YouTube as a guide, novice entrepreneurs Matt Miller and Jaime Gonzalez built their startup Green Box Electronic Recyclers in less than a week. Co-founders Matt Miller, inventor and CEO, and Jaime Gonzalez, president, had no prior background or experience in recycling. In a Jan. 20, 2012 OC Metro interview, Gonzalez said, “Within three days we had funding, partnerships and a 7,000square-foot recycling facility. No one teaches you how to put together a recycling plant. We had to learn how to do this ourselves.... What we’re achieving makes us feel good. We get to get up every morning and know we’re making a difference because of what we’re doing by providing a service that we all need.” To prevent illegal dumping of electronic waste, Santa Ana, Calif.-based Green Box provides conveniently located 6-by-5foot boxes that allow people to dump their old electronics anytime for free. The company also accepts drop-offs at its Santa Ana “de-manufacturing” facility, offers pickup service to local businesses, and helps with community collection events. In just one year, they’ve made quite an impression, including being recognized with
Managing Social Media
Cisco executive Carol Bartz
Companies looking to hop aboard the social-media bandwagon often do so expecting they’ll be able to tell their story to the world in a vibrant and effusive yet well-controlled manner. Imagine their surprise when that proves to be anything but the case. “What [social media] does is it [gradually] drives management to not say so much,” said former Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz, speaking last April on the topic of “Leadership in the Age of Social Media.” Bartz—a presenter in the 2012 Annenberg Leadership and Management Speaker Series—said the reason companies start out
HMC’s Green Engineering Award given as part of the Annual TechAmerica Orange County High-Tech Innovation Awards. Established in 2008, the Green Engineering Award was sponsored this year by Mavenlink, LLC, its CEO Ray Grainger ’88 (an HMC trustee) and Stephen LaCount P07. “They have simplified the recycling process,” said computer science Professor Geoff Kuenning, who served on the 2012 HMC Green Engineering Award Committee. “We felt that the company has the opportunity to have a visible impact on the problem of electronic waste. Several of us commented that we would be Green box’s award-winning electronics recycling likely to use the service ourselves.” service.
chatty but then clam up is that social media can in short order leave them exposed to the world. “Everybody [now] has a video camera; it’s on their phone; everybody sits in [on] any meeting and Tweets whatever they want,” she said. “Within three minutes and six seconds, my internal memo’s out to the press. And I don’t care what security [you have], everybody thinks it’s a free environment…. I used to sit in front of my executives in my company and say ‘we have these four problems [and each needs to be remedied].’ Do you think I say that now? The minute I say that, it’s in the New York Times.” The net effect is that “communication goes backwards,” she said. “Control is totally in the hands of the masses.” Bartz, currently lead director of Cisco Systems Inc., encouraged those who plan to someday enter management not to fear social media and to instead embrace the phenomenon. “If you’re going to be running a company..., you have to be where your customers are. And [being online at social media sites is] what your customers are doing.” —Rich Smith Bartz was one of five speakers during spring 2012. For information about all of the Annenberg speakers, visit www.hmc.edu/annenberg.
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College News
More Students Studying Abroad SUMMER GROUP SPENDS EIGHT WEEKS IN CHINA As part of its strategic vision, the College has been expanding opportunities for students to study and work abroad as they prepare to work in the global science and engineering industries. During fall 2011 through summer 2012, 41 students—the most ever—will have participated in study abroad programs in 12 countries. Students studied in Australia, Austria, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the UK. This summer, 11 engineering majors (shown right) traveled to Peking University for summer studies in Beijing, China. For eight weeks, June 11 through August 6, Emma Bodell ’14, Jeb Brooks ’14, Taylor Hanley ’15, Gourav Khadge ’15, Angela Medina ’14, Ryland Miller ’15, Christopher Miro ’15, Jennifer Phuong ’14, Carolina Reyes ’14, Ryan Seldon ’15 and Sarah Stevens ’15 studied Chinese language, history and culture. They also participated in an Introduction to Electrical Engineering (E84) course taught by HMC engineering Professor Ruye Wang. A graduate of Tianjin University and a former lecturer at Peking University in China, Wang played a key role in building a
Recent Grants Upward Bound HMC’s Upward Bound program, which helps low-income and potential first-generation college students, has been granted more than $3.25 million in federal funds for the next five years. “With the number of budget cuts, this competition was one of the toughest,” said Angie Covarrubias Aguilar, director of HMC’s Upward Bound program. “However, we have an incredibly strong program made up of wonderful students, parents, alumni, mentors, HMC faculty and staff who have dedicated an enormous amount of time to the success of our students and program.” HMC will receive $650,780 per year through 2016. The program will serve 145 students drawn from schools in the East San Gabriel Valley. The scholars attend a six-week summer program at HMC that incorporates an intensive math, chemistry and literature curriculum with academic enrichment activities. The students also participate in a two-week research internship in the Chemistry department. HMC’s Upward Bound program began on campus in 1972.
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Prof. Ruye Wang (second from right) with Mudders at the Great Wall.
partnership with the China Studies Institute and worked with HMC Director of Study Abroad Rhonda Chiles to plan logistics and promote the opportunity on campus. Now, for the second year, the Institute is offering the courses, which are taught in English and provide credits that can be transferred back to HMC. Students stayed in Peking University campus dorms and visited locations such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Lama Temple. They also traveled to Ping Yao, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Shanxi Province. 5-C Life Sciences The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has awarded $3.6 million to the undergraduate Claremont Colleges to support efforts that prepare leaders in science research and medicine. The joint proposal outlines a plan to instill quantitative and computational approaches in 5-C life science courses and to increase the persistence of all students in the sciences. The Claremont Colleges’ proposal was one of only 43—and the only joint proposal—funded. The life science programs at the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges have expanded considerably in the past 20 years, and with a shared academic schedule and a strong tradition of cross-registration, the schools now stand ready to build new, substantive and synergistic collaborations across their institutions. “This HHMI funding represents an exciting opportunity for The Claremont Colleges to be at the very forefront of curricular innovation at the intersection of biology, computer science and mathematics,” said Robert Drewell, associate professor of biology at HMC, the lead institution executing the grant. “In addition, the creation of an integrated summer undergraduate research program across the five Claremont Colleges is very significant, as it will build on the existing interactions between research groups on the different campuses.”
Mathematics is Focus of Two Grants
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College News
Looking Up GATHERINGS CELEBRATE ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS In Indiana, Pilachowski was unable to see the annular eclipse, but the public was invited to the university to watch the Venus transit. “In 2004, a hundred people showed up at dawn to see the first of this century’s pair of Venus transits. We had a crowd of more than a thousand this time,” she said. Lyzenga shared how the 18th century transit of Venus presented a window for scientific discovery. “It was the first opportunity that astronomers had to actually determine the true scale of the solar system in absolute terms of how far the sun is from
Transit of Venus event participants Rebecca Thomas ’14 and Audrey Musselman-Brown ’12.
the Earth, how far Venus is from the sun and so on,” he said. “Today, we have spacecraft flying around and can measure these distances very precisely, but the rarity and beauty of the transit of Venus means that it’s still a big event for astronomers.” Pilachowski remarked the transit is a great opportunity for citizen science. “Everyone can contribute their observations of the timing of the event using their smart phones for a worldwide experiment to determine the distance to the Sun, and without the travel hassles of previous centuries.” Lyzenga will join alumni and friends for another astronomical event during a sold-out trip to Australia Nov. 6–15 to view the total solar eclipse. PHOTO
KEITH LEVIN
This spring was a wonderful time for public astronomy—the supermoon, the annular eclipse, a lunar eclipse and the transit of Venus. Caty Pilachowski ’71, Professor and Kirkwood Chair, Department of Astronomy at Indiana University, Bloomington, and former president of the American Astronomical Society, said, “These events provide opportunities for the public to meet and interact with astronomers (and here I give huge credit to all of the amateur astronomers who do an excellent job of meeting the public). We get questions on so many astronomical topics, from exoplanets to black holes to ‘what’s the universe expanding into?’” Knowing how important such events are to HMC alumni, the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations mailed complimentary HMC solar viewing glasses and encouraged recipients to view events as local visibility permitted. Staff members, in collaboration with the Alumni Association Board of Governors (AABoG), also planned several events. In Redding, Calif., 66 HMC alumni and family members viewed the Annular Eclipse at an event organized by AABoG member Bill Hartman ’62. On campus June 5, more than 200 alumni, families, faculty, staff and students attended a Transit of Venus event during which Professor of Physics Greg Lyzenga ’75 provided details about the historic solar event, which will not occur again in our lifetimes. The famous transit occurs in pairs, spaced eight years apart, with gaps of up to 121 years between pair sets. The last transit was in 2004 and the next pair will occur in December 2117 and 2125.
Event Photos: flicker.com/harvey-mudd-college If you have images you’d like to add to this collection, send to alumni@hmc.edu.
Eclipse party participants Rick Levin ’74; Fred Pickel ’74; Craig Levin ’12 (the party host); Carol Chilk POM ’74; Vicki Paterno POM ’75; Michael Mahler POM ’74.
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Faculty News
An Uncommon Adventure JEFF GROVES, NEW VP AND DEAN OF FACULTY, FASHIONS A COMMON PRESS
Jeff Groves describes the workings of a Columbian iron hand press that he refurbished.
Chiseling mortises, carving cutouts and roughing out lumber are just a few of the tasks that occupied Jeff Groves as he worked to build a replica of the Isaiah Thomas common press, an eighteenth-century printing machine that he has long admired. Groves, who studies 19th-century American printing and publishing history, developed in 2007 a teaching studio in Honnold Library dubbed The First-Floor Press, where students at The Claremont Colleges learn to print on one of four presses: a Columbian (c. 1850), an Albion (c. 1870), a Washington-style Reliance (1911), and a Chandler and Price 8x12 jobbing platen (1907). His students learn the basics of typesetting, printing and binding, a process that allows them to think practically about the relationship between art and technology. “I worked with these beautiful iron machines over the last few years and have come to understand their mechanical designs, he said. “I’ve also become intrigued by the technology they replaced: the wooden common press.”
New Associate Professors Rachel Levy, Department of Mathematics Her focus: Applications of mathematical fluid dynamics to biological and industrial problems. She studies the hydrodynamic origin of whale flukeprints, the motion of surfactants on thin liquid films, and algorithms for the coordination of remotely operated aquatic robots. Her research is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research and a Cottrell College Science Award.
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He decided that to learn more about the common press, he should build one and began doing so in January 2012. The press now resides in the Special Collections reading room in the Honnold Library. “It will serve as both a display and a demonstration press in relation to our rare book and broadside collections,” said Groves, who began a five-year term as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty in July. Groves’ creativity in developing interdisciplinary courses that combine his love for literature with STEM education was a deciding factor in his recently being named recipient of the Henry T. Mudd Prize presented at HMC’s commencement ceremony May 13. The award recognizes Groves’ extraordinary service to the College, including his leadership as Freshman Division director, chair of Humanities and Social Sciences, and, most recently, chair of the faculty. Groves has co-edited and contributed to two volumes: “Perspectives on American Book History” and “A History of the Book in America, Volume 3: The Industrial Book, 1840–1880.” The latter book was awarded the inaugural St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize in American Bibliography in 2008. The College has been a great fit, Groves remarked. “I’ve felt the support, throughout my career, of staff, administration and trustees. The greatest joy of all is to be a part of a really outstanding and creative faculty.” Groves also is known for the popular Literature 110 course that culminates each year in an outdoor performance of a Shakespeare play. Future performances will likely be held in the new teaching and learning building courtyard.
Theresa Lynn, Department of Physics Her focus: Quantum optics and information. Her focus is quantum communication, which applies quantum mechanics to the storage and transmission of information on microscopic matter such as photons or quantum packets of light. In 2009, Lynn received a Cottrell College Science Award for her project, “Photon Pair Entanglement in Multiple Degrees of Freedom for Quantum Communication.”
Mathematics is Focus of Two Grants Faculty and Staff News
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Faculty Updates
A new field of study within the environmental social sciences has emerged that has experts examining how societies respond politically to environmental issues. Paul F. Steinberg, associate professor of political science and environmental policy, has co-authored the book “Comparative Environmental Politics: Theory, Practice and Prospects” that describes how the quest for sustainability intersects with such topics as the evolution of modern nation-states, the rise of social movements and green parties, corporate social responsibility, political instability, and policymaking under democratic and authoritarian regimes. Steinberg contributed four chapters to the volume and served as co-editor along with Stacy D. VanDeveer of the University of New Hampshire. His previous book, “Environmental Leadership in Developing Countries” (MIT Press, 2001) received the Harold and Margaret Sprout Award for the year’s best book in international environmental affairs.
Acclaimed Primate Film A groundbreaking film made by Rachel Mayeri, associate professor of media studies, will be featured at the Edinburgh Visual Arts Festival in Scotland, Aug. 2–Sept. 2, 2012. “Primate Cinema: Apes as Family” is a two-screen documentary made for and with chimpanzees. The right side of the screen shows a drama
Mayeri scripted and filmed, while the left side reveals the chimpanzees’ reactions to it. “Primate Cinema” is the first effort to script a drama specifically for their viewing. The film premiered at the 2011 Abandon Normal Devices Festival in Liverpool. It was later displayed at The Arts Catalyst in London, which commissioned the project, and the Arts Electronica in Linz, where it won a prize for a work in progress. VIDEO
Global Environmental Policy
Trailer for Primate Cinema: Apes as Family: http://vimeo.com/28726383
Diversity in Mathematics Dagan Karp, a mentor and advocate for underrepresented students, is working to further mathematical research, support math education and promote greater participation and diversity within the math profession. He’ll do so as a member of the diversity committee of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), one of eight mathematical science institutes funded by the National Science Foundation. MSRI reaches out to women, minorities and other groups underrepresented in the mathematical sciences. Karp, assistant professor of mathematics, will serve on the Human Resources Advisory Committee, which supports MSRI’s diversity efforts. He launched HMC’s first Seminar on Underrepresentation in the Mathematical Sciences and helped organize the 2011 HMC Mathematical Conference, which focused on broadening participation in the mathematical sciences. Karp is a member of the Society for Advancement of Chicano and Native Americans in Science.
Staff News Honoring Service Students describe her as a caring, supportive mentor and role model. Coworkers laud her friendly manner and strong work ethic. Community members honor her commitment to Harvey Mudd College. These are but a few of the reasons why Irene Barela, administrative coordinator for Annual Giving, received the 2012 Mary G. Binder Prize. Awarded each year to a member of HMC’s support staff,
the prize recognizes someone who has combined a record of exceptional service with a helpful and friendly attitude toward students, staff and faculty. “I’m truly honored to be a part of this special community of faculty, staff and students that I consider to be my second family,” Barela said. “I’m thankful to be at a place that recognizes staff in such a significant way.” The prize was established in 1997 by Professor Emeritus Sam Tanenbaum P88 and his wife, Carol P88, in honor of Carol’s mother, Mary G. Binder, and in expression of their gratitude to HMC’s support staff.
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Student News
Extra Tomatoes? YES, THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT Ever wonder what to do with that bountiful yield from your garden? Thanks to Mudder ingenuity, there’s now an app for that, too. Adam Cozzette ’12 and Eric Kiss ’15 were part of a 12-member team awarded first place at StartUp Weekend Orange County for its concept, Growunity, a platform that allows people to purchase or trade produce such as fruit, vegetables and flowers within their local community. “So, if you grow tomatoes in your backyard, we will make it easy for you to sell them to neighbors and others,” said Cozzette. “If you want to buy, then you can search for produce people are selling in your area.”
The winning business concept utilizes a website and an android app created by Cozzette and Kiss. The app allows users to take and post pictures of their produce to the Growunity site where buyers can view and purchase it. It was an idea sparked by Growunity team leader Phil Brothers, who had about 400 tomato plants and the desire to connect people seeking fresh produce with gardeners growing it. The team won $25,000 in seed funding and a guaranteed slot in K5Launch, a threemonth accelerator program that helps entrepreneurs build a sustainable startup company.
National Competition Results MCM/ICM. Seniors Dylan Marriner, Daniel Furlong and Louis Ryan earned the designation of Finalist—placing in the top 2 percent of more than 5,000 teams—in the 2012 International Mathematical Contest in Modeling and Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (MCM/ICM). HMC sent seven teams to the competition and, in addition to the Finalist honor, two teams earned the designation Meritorious (top 11 percent), two earned Honorable Mention (top 39 percent), and two were designated Successful Participants. The MCM/ ICM advisor is Susan Martonosi. Putnam. At the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, Palmer Mebane ’12 ranked 13th nationally— out of 4,400 competitors—and was awarded a $1,000 cash prize. Mebane ranked 31st in the 2010 contest. The HMC team of Mebane, Tum Chaturapruek ’14 and Craig Burkhart ’12 placed 6th—out of 572 universities—in the team category. Overall, seven HMC students made the Top 100 List, and two scored in the Top 200. The Putnam Seminar coaches are Andrew Bernoff and Francis Su.
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In Memoriam Ben Huppe ’14 In the two short years that Ben Huppe ’14 was at HMC, he made an enormous impact, said Dean of Students Maggie Browning. “In many ways, Ben was the epitome of what an HMC student should be,” she said during a gathering of friends and community members on campus. Huppe died July 13 in a car accident near his hometown of Seattle, Wash. He was co-class president during his freshman and sophomore years and was to have been both a mentor and a dorm president for Sontag in the coming year. He served on the advisory board for the teaching and learning building and was a co-founder of DrySHMC. He was also a member of The Claremont Braineaters, the 5-C Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team. President Maria Klawe wrote in an email to the community, “Ben’s heart, intelligence, patience and good judgment made him a treasured friend and a valuable colleague. All of us who knew and worked with Ben will miss him deeply.” A website celebrating Huppe’s life can be found at newwww.hmc.edu/honoringbenhuppe/.
Mathematics is Focus of Two Grants
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Student News
National Awards
Veerasak “Jeep” Srisuknimit ’12, Katherine Lownsbery ’12, Julien Devin ’12, Steve Matsumoto ’12
Watson. Originally from Thailand, Veerasak “Jeep” Srisuknimit ’12 had never seen a unicycle until his first year at Harvey Mudd College. By his senior year, he could ride the one wheeled vehicle 30 miles in a day, including backwards and up stairs. The chemistry major was one of only 40 seniors—from a pool of 700 candidates—to receive a 2012–2013 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provides a $25,000 grant to fund a year of independent study and travel abroad. Srisuknimit will study unicycling culture in Italy, Ghana, India, Brazil and Japan. Entitled “Where is the Other Half? Exploring the Connections Among Unicycling, Cultures and Sciences,” this project will explore how choosing to unicycle is affected by culture and peoples’ understanding of physics. In Ghana, he will teach at a local school and launch a unicycling club. In India, he will travel with Performers Without Borders, teaching circus skills to disadvantaged children. He will study unicycling’s potential place in physical education in Japan and its role at Carnival in Brazil. During July at the World Unicycling Convention and Championships in Italy, he met and interviewed champion unicyclists. After completing the fellowship, he plans to earn his doctorate and teach chemistry in Thailand, where he hopes to start a unicycling club.
National Science Foundation. Three seniors—Julien Devin, Katherine Lownsbery and Steve Matsumoto—were awarded prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, which recognize outstanding students pursuing advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The fellowship award includes a three-year annual $30,000 stipend, international research opportunities, and the freedom for fellows to conduct their own research at an accredited U.S. institution of their choosing. Devin plans to study atomic, molecular and optical physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Lownsbery will study civil engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Matsumoto will study computer and information security at Carnegie Mellon University. Two seniors—Kali Lynn Allison (geophysics, Stanford University) and Louis Ryan (applied mathematics, Princeton University)— received honorable mention. Alumni who received NSF recognition are listed on page 33. Goldwater. Juniors Lucas Brady and Kevin O’Neill were awarded Goldwater Scholarships for the 2012–13 academic year. Brady, a physics major, plans to earn a doctorate in theoretical physics and is considering becoming a professor at a small, undergraduate school. O’Neill, a mathematics major, intends to earn a doctorate in mathematics, potentially focusing on analysis or topology and eventually teaching at the university level. Brady and O’Neill are among 282 Goldwater Scholars chosen from a field of 1,123 math, science and engineering students.
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CAMPUS CURRENT
Student News
New Heights for CMS CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS ATHLETICS
Sports Recap
The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) athletic program achieved a national ranking of 14th this year among the 450 institutions in the NCAA Division III. “This is our best finish since the inaugural year (1995–1996, 8th) and our highest point total ever (610.5),” said Michael Sutton, CMS director of athletics and physical education. CMS has placed among the top 20 only four times in the history of the rankings (2005–2006 was last time, 17th). “The strength of our spring sports led to our success—men’s/ women’s golf (4th/14th), men’s/women’s tennis (5th tie/5th tie), softball (25th tie),” he said. “Additionally we gained points in men’s/women’s cross country (29th/4th), men’s soccer (17th tie), men’s basketball (33rd tie); and men’s/ women’s swimming (27th/9th). “Suffice it to say this ranking, following our SCIAC All Sports championship, is a marker of an exceptional year for CMS. Student-athletes from all three institutions contributed to our overall successes.” Mudders playing a role in this achievement included Rafer Dannenhauer ’13 and Meg O’Keefe ’14, who were among the top 20 men and the top 22 women in their individual events to compete in May Rafer Dannenhauer ’13 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships during its first West Coast appearance. Dannenhauer competed in the men’s 5000 meters and O’Keefe competed in the women’s 400-meter hurdles during the three-day event. While the two did not place among the top finishers at the meet, their efforts throughout the year were exceptional. Meg O’Keefe ’14 Dannenhauer is No. 2 on the CMS Men’s Top 10 List with a time of 14:28.68 in the 5,000 meters. O’Keefe is No. 3 on the Women’s Top 10 List with a 62.53 in the 400-meter hurdles. Additionally, Chris Gage ’13 was an SCIAC Champion for the hammer throw and Bennett Naden ’13 was an SCIAC Champion in the 1,500 meters. Mudders on the tennis teams were Sheena Patel ’14 and Brandon Wei ’12. There were 47 HMC students competing in CMS athletics during 2011–2012.
Men’s Track & Field: 2nd in SCIAC Rafer Dannenhauer ’13 – SCIAC Champion 5000 meters, SCIAC runner-up steeplechase, NCAA Competitor 5000 meters Chris Gage ’13 – SCIAC Champion hammer throw Bennett Naden ’13 – SCIAC Champion 1500 meters
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HMC Athletes in CMS Sports, selected results
Women’s Track & Field: Tied for first in SCIAC, SCIAC Women’s Co-Champions Meg O’Keefe ’14– SCIAC Champion 400-meter hurdles, NCAA competitor 400 hurdles Olivia Warren ’14 Men’s Cross Country: 2nd SCIAC, 3rd West Region, 29th NCAA Championships Bryan Chow ’12: 1st Team All-SCIAC; All-Region Matt Cummins ’11: 2nd Team All-SCIAC Rafer Dannenhauer ’13: 1st Team All-SCIAC; All-Region Women’s Cross Country: 1st SCIAC, 1st West Region, 4th NCAA Championships Kate Crawford ’13 Sara Sholes ’12 Men’s Soccer: 14-6-2 overall, 9-4-1 SCIAC (2nd), SCIAC Tournament Champions Dylan Marriner ’12 Women’s Soccer: 8-8-4 overall, 7-4-1 SCIAC (2nd tie) Sara Tweedy ’14 Sophia Williams ’15 Men’s Basketball: 25-2 overall, 12-2 SCIAC (1st), SCIAC Tournament Champions Demetri Monovoukas ’15 Men’s Swimming: 7-2 overall, 7-0 SCIAC (1st) Brett Berger ’15: SCIAC Champion 1650 freestyle Devin Bowers ’13: SCIAC Champion 200 free relay & 200 medley relay Vincent Pai ’12– SCIAC Champion 200 breaststroke; NCAA Championships 3rd, 200 breaststroke; Honorable Mention All-American, 100 breaststroke Bradley Perfect ’13: SCIAC Champion 200-medley relay Women’s Swimming: 7-2 overall, 7-0 SCIAC (1st) Ashley Kretsch ’13 Jaclyn Olmos-Silverman ’13 Sherry Zhang ’15
Mathematics is Focus of Two Grants
CAMPUS CURRENT
Student News
Unstoppable Ultimate
YANNIS ARVANITIS
INTRAMURAL SPORTS A Mudder has earned a spot on Team USA—not the Olympics, but, rather the World Junior Ultimate Championships in Dublin, Ireland. Aug. 12–18, Tasha Arvanitis ’15 and her teammates were among the 16 Ultimate teams to compete in the world championship (at press time, they were in the No. 1 spot for their division). A team Frisbee sport similar to football, the game tasks participants with scoring points by passing the flying disc to a player in the opposing end zone. Players may not run with Tasha Arvanitis ’15 the disc but only pivot while holding it. The World Junior Ultimate Championships is a biannual event that brings together the best junior ultimate players from around the world. The 2012 event featured 1,400 participants from more than 20 different countries. Arvanitis earned her spot on the team after a grueling weeklong tryout at a recruitment camp in Seattle. “There were 40 girls at each camp, West Coast and East Coast, and we all ran timed sprints, measured our jump heights, and above all, played a ton of really intense Ultimate,” said Arvanitis. She took up the sport in high school, grabbing every opportunity to play with college teams and immersing herself in the Ultimate culture. She closed her first year at HMC with a Division III College Championship in Women’s Ultimate. Playing for The Claremont Greenshirts alongside 19 other students—including fellow Mudders Clara Amorosi ’14 and Nicole Yu ’14—she helped snag a 6–0 record in the tournament. “If there is a secret to our success, outside of hard work, I’d say that we won because everyone on the team played for the team and not for themselves,” she said. “We’re way more than a team. We’re also friends, and we all love coming together and playing as a single, unstoppable unit.” For championship information, see www.wjuc2012.com/.
Indoor Soccer Champions The “Men of Mudd” indoor soccer team won the 2nd Division Men’s League Championship March 22. The victory came on the heels of an undefeated season—seven wins, one tie and no losses. Team members Thomas Aldrich ’12, Noah Atwi ’12, Kenny Buyco ’13, Alistair Dobke ’14, John Eom ’13, Daniel Furlong ’12, Tobin Ivy ’13, Stephen Kwong ’12, Peter Loftus ’13, Brett Manning ’14, Dylan Marriner ’12 and Geordie Marriner POM ’15 celebrated the win and the close of the team’s second season playing in the league.
John Lulejian ’90, former AABoG president; CMS swimming and diving Head Coach Charlie Griffiths and Vincent Pai ’12
Athlete of the Year Senior swimmer Vincent Pai ’12 received the HMC Athlete of the Year Award. He earned All-American status by placing fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke at the 2012 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships March 21–24 in Indianapolis, Ind. He also earned an Honorable Mention All-American by placing 14th in the 100-yard breaststroke.
—Koren Wetmore
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s t u de n t
r e se a r c h
Worthy Research
Supporting undergraduate researchers now will pay dividends in the future By David Coons, Stephanie L. Graham and Koren Wetmore
Investing in science education and research is one strategy with potential to boost the economy (more on page 22). Wise funders see the value in supporting the next generation of top-notch researchers and educators, and Harvey Mudd College has been a fortunate beneficiary of their generosity. HMC’s summer research program is funded entirely by grants from external sources and endowed funds established to support student research. The College secures $2–3 million each year in new research grants, which pay for supplies, equipment and travel as well as student and faculty support. For summer research in 2012, about $850,000 from grants and endowment was earmarked for student research stipends. Some 200 students and 45 faculty members participated in the 2012 summer research program. The National Science Foundation is the largest single source of research funding. There are 32 current NSF research grants, including two Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grants—in chemistry and computer science—that allow the College to provide summer research opportunities for its own
Ben Johnson ’15 studies a solution of simulated polluted cloud water. Researchers in Lelia Hawkins’ chemistry lab make solutions of cloud water with organic pollutants that may contribute to a specific type of pollution called “brown carbon.”
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students and students visiting from other colleges and universities. Other sources of federal research funding are the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Corporations and private foundations also recognize the value of research for student learning. HMC is one of a handful of colleges that have received consecutive grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which supports undergraduate research and education in the life sciences. This year HMC, as the lead institution, Pomona College and the Keck Science Program of the Claremont Colleges received a fourth consecutive Hughes grant. The College also completed a $1 million drive to endow a fund for student research in chemistry, matching a $500,000 challenge grant from the John Stauffer Charitable Trust. With seed money from the Fletcher Jones Foundation, HMC will now expand this effort to the other academic programs. Whether during the school year or in summer, students are pursuing projects, some of them interdisciplinary, ranging from nanoelectrochemistry and tissue engineering to robotics and shark tracking. Here’s just a small sampling of the many noteworthy research projects undertaken this past spring.
A Fine Solution Ugandan villagers use rice husks to make bricks for indoor stoves. But grinding the husks to the proper size to make strong bricks and prevent particulate leakage is a challenge. So, Aid Africa asked students in the Introduction to Engineering Design course to design a device to grind the husks into fine pieces. The device had to work manually, process a truckload of husks per month, and weigh enough to deter thieves. With their $125 budget and four-week timeline, the student team of Brett Collins ’15, Elsie Gibson ’15, Stephanie Kong ’15 and Alex Lammers POM ’14 created a prototype that employs a household blender, step-up gears and a bicycle and designed a drive train powered by the rotation of the rear wheel of a stationary bicycle. A second team—first-years Sisi Cheng, Jake Dittes and Viona Lam—found that a household blender-bicycle combo worked well and improved performance significantly—they estimated their device could process up to 1,500 pounds of rice husks per month—by adding a cylindrical mesh and a grinding stone to their design. They also used a higher gear ratio to boost their blender speed. Both teams’ designs could be easily stored and were hefty enough to prevent theft.
Zach Dodds’ computer science research group studies autonomous flight. This summer they collected movies of HMC’s Libra complex and built 3-D models capable of supporting virtual flythroughs. Shown with their hovering robot are juniors Obosa Obazuaye ’14, Daisy Hernandez ’15, Alistair Dobke ’14 and Matthew McDermott ’14.
Fridge-fresh Produce
Summer Research Highlights
Eric Kiss ’15 sees the future of gardening, and it may reside in the refrigerator. Guided by computer science professor Ran Libeskind-Hadas, Kiss designed a personal, automated hydroponic garden that could provide fresh, abundant, organic produce. He first dabbled in hydroponics while a senior in high school, discovering the benefits of the soil-free, plant-growing technology. “Hydroponics excited me because it had the potential to help the more than one billion hungry people in the world, and create a more sustainable future,” he said. The technology produces higher yields and shortens growth time. Lettuce that takes up to 80 days to grow from seed to head matures in just 30 days if grown hydroponically. Water not absorbed by plant roots is recycled, not lost to runoff. Slightly taller than a refrigerator, Kiss’ design employs an “ebb and flow” hydroponic system that feeds water and nutrients to plants’ roots. The system monitors temperature, humidity, nutrient, pH and CO2 levels and makes necessary adjustments for optimal plant health. His proposed user interface is a tablet PC. “You click on a tablet, entering in what you want—say, tomatoes or lettuce—and the thing will grow the plants. When ready for harvest, the garden will send you a Facebook notification or text message alerting you,” he said. Kiss plans to build and test a working prototype, refine its control system and develop a user interface.
• Biology students in Dan Stoebel’s lab studied how the regulatory protein RpoS regulates the transcription of specific genes to coordinate physiological responses in E. coli. • Eliot Bush, biology, and his students used computational approaches to study the evolution of metabolic networks. • In the lab of chemistry professor Hal Van Ryswyk, research included organic and inorganic synthesis and nanoparticle synthesis in an effort to create low-cost photovoltaics that can be produced easily for large-area applications. • Jon Jacobsen, mathematics, worked with students on visualizations for key calculus ideas.
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I
n his book “Harvey Mudd College: The First Twenty Years,” Joseph Platt shared how one of his joys as president was that “trustees, faculty, staff and students were all involved,” and he was “another member of the team.” Joe’s leadership style reflected this mindset and resulted in many accomplished years at HMC and at Claremont Graduate School and University Center (now CGU). The physicist, former college president, professor, husband, father and grandfather touched many lives with his brilliance, humor and music. A few of the many remembrances of Joe from the memorial website* are included here. We invite you to share your personal memories on the website or by writing to communications@hmc.edu. *newwww.hmc.edu/rememberingjoeplatt/
What a great spirit he had! He radiated good cheer, curiosity, intellect and even joy whenever I saw him… The Platt family is woven into the very fabric of my heart. Victoria Mudd
Daughter of Henry T. Mudd, granddaughter of Harvey Mudd
…Joe was and is the fundamental soul of Harvey Mudd College. Thomas Helliwell
Professor emeritus, HMC Department of Physics
Joseph B. Platt REMEMBERING
1915–2012
HMC Founding President (1956–1976) Senior Professor of Physics (1981–2012)
One of the joys of [my] responsibility was that trustees, faculty, staff and students were all involved, and I was another member of the team. Joseph B. Platt
Joe was such a wonderful person and broadly talented leader. His contributions to getting HMC founded and established as a preeminent college are well known and appreciated. But my most immediate memories are of Joe’s sense of humor, his songs and music, his thoughtfulness and kindness. Knowing and working with Joe was an honor and joy. He will be well remembered and greatly missed. Malcolm Lewis ’67
Chair, HMC Board of Trustees
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Donations in honor of Joe Platt may be sent to the Jean and Joe Platt Endowed Scholarship at Harvey Mudd College, 301 Platt Blvd., Claremont, Calif. 91711, or to Claremont United Church of Christ, 233 W. Harrison Ave., Claremont, Calif. 91711.
...We will miss him, and we will always remember him for his grace, wisdom, humor and all-around human good will. Thomas Shapard ’65 Joanne (Fisk) Shapard ’67
Joe Platt was the heart and soul of HMC from the very beginning, and his legacy continues to this day. His wisdom and judgment in planning the College and his thoughtful consideration for one and all created a college with a very special spirit. Then there was Joe himself with his fund of stories, his unfailing sense of humor, and his inexhaustible repertoire of songs to enliven every social occasion. How wonderful that he was able to go on teaching into his 90s. I cherish the picture of Joe on his 90th birthday, about to strum his guitar and smiling uproariously at Jean. George Wickes
HMC faculty, 1957-69; Professor of English Emeritus, University of Oregon
Joe was simply “one of a kind.” Perfect leader for the moment. No HMC as we know and love it today without Joe’s inspiration, feel and strategic vision for the possible. I had the good fortune to know and work with and have fun with this delightful man from the beginning. What a great ride! Cliff Miller Trustee
I will never forget the kindness of the Platt Family. My freshman year, I got to meet them at the scholarship luncheon because they had given me a scholarship to attend HMC. I fondly remember their kindness and generosity. Without them, I would not have been able to attend Mudd. Thanks so much!
A celebration of Joe Platt’s life will be held at 2 p.m. in Galileo Hall on Saturday, Sept. 29. Watch for details by mail and email.
Joe was an inspiration. Supportive, witty, a wise and entertaining conversationalist, a plainspoken but visionary leader —we will all miss him, but his presence lives on in the institution he helped to create. I must add that Joe taught me how to knot a bow tie—that was as enjoyable a tutorial as I ever had. Jeff Groves
Professor of literature and dean of the faculty, HMC
Nikki Bailey ’96
High school chemistry teacher, Calif.
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c l i n i c
p r o g r am
Clinic is a 1,200- to 1,500-hour, nine-month investigation of real-world, technical problems that requires teamwork with fellow students, a faculty advisor and a liaison from the sponsoring organization. Seemingly unsolvable problems, when placed in the hands of Mudders, have been transformed into impressive solutions, some of which have been patented. After all the meetings, collaboration, technical challenges, discoveries and preparation, the HMC Bulletin wanted to find out just how transformative a process Clinic is for students, who, this year, completed 39 projects for 34 organizations. So, we asked,
How has Clinic changed you? Compiled by Koren Wetmore
Chris Beavers ’12
Alexa Keizur ’12
[computer science] Project– Rethinking Modern Media, Intel Corporation-Hillsboro: Reimagine how core parts of the TV experience could and should be improved to take advantage of modern technology and lifestyles.
[computer science] Project– Automated Record and Playback within Silverlight Applications, Parasoft Corporation: Develop a library that allows recording and playback of user interactions with Silverlight web applications.
I’ve developed an incredible appreciation for good design and have realized how often things are designed poorly. It has given Chris Beavers ’12 me the willpower to keep trying…the iron resolve to keep doing the work until it’s done.
I definitely learned a lot about developing software for a client, like making sure what you’re making is exactly what they want. It was really a helpful thing to learn.
Matthew Brown ’12 [engineering] Project– Dimmable Overhead Lighting Fixture, Barling Bay, LLC: Design, build and test a multiple-bulb, energy-efficient light fixture. I’ve gained a good sense of how a project actually runs. What’s a timeline for it? What kind of money does the team want to spend buying these supplies? Where should we budget a few extra dollars…Should I order two or three extras, because this is bound to break, and two or three months down the road, we’re gonna need it? There are a lot of little questions that I wouldn’t have thought of before. It’s good to get a sense of what kind of things are going to happen on projects before you’re out in the working world. Grant Ukropina ’13 [engineering] Project– Ethernet Testing Device, DIRECTV, Inc.: Create a handheld device that provides the status of a customer’s home Ethernet network. I learned that if you’re starting off in the design process, it’s a lot easier to get something that’s already built than to design it from scratch. I realized if you want to develop something really quickly, you have to build off of what’s already available in order to get something done in a short amount of time.
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Alexa Keizur ’12
Meera Punjiya ’12 [engineering] Project– 3.5-D Blocking Optimization for Stencil Computations on Modern CPUs, Intel Corporation: Exploit the architectural features of the Intel processor to decrease the execution time of a stencil operation.
I have a greater appreciation for self-learning. I’ve realized that in almost everything I’m going to do in industry, I’m going to have Meera Punjiya ’12 to learn most of what I need to know myself. And, I think it’s made me more of a self-starter. Calvin Loncaric ’12 (computer science and mathematics) Project– Automated Characterization of Fission Tracks in Apatite Crystals, Apatite to Zircon, Inc.: Develop an application to help geologists find and characterize fission tracks and fission track tips in apatite crystals efficiently and reliably.
I learned a lot about what it takes to organize people, to get a team coordinated. I learned a lot about the difficulties of software development, making sure that your code is readable for others, because you’re not the only one who’s ever going to look at it.
Yih-Jye Wang ’12 [engineering]
Carl Walsh ’13
Project– Global Clinic, Non-Intrusive Monitoring System for Isolated Elderly Individuals, Broadcom in collaboration with Kogakuin University (Global Clinic): Design, build and test a monitoring system to report the physical state of elderly individuals to family and friends.
[computer science]
I used to think that if I’m presented with a problem, then I want to make sure the funcYih-Jye Wang ’12 tionality is correct. What I learned from this project is that’s not necessarily the end of the project. Even if I completely achieve that functionality, that’s not what the product is about. You have to think about who the user is, and then you go from there. How does the user interact with the functionality? If the user can actually perform the functionality that you designed for, then I think it’s a success. Mary Sullivan ’12 [mathematics] Project– Modeling Cooling System Alternative for LANL’s Data Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory: Develop a mathematical model to quantify the energy consumption for alternative cooling systems, specifically for LANL facilities.
Before, I wasn’t very interested in engineering. Now that I’ve done this project, and I really Mary Sullivan ’12 enjoyed the engineering aspects, I’m actually considering grad school in engineering. So, it’s a pretty big change. Keiko Hiranaka ’12 [computer science and mathematics] Project– Livingston Cooperage Optimization Model, E. & J. Gallo Winery: Develop a mathematical model that finds an optimal combination of processing and storage tanks at the Livingston Winery, one of E. & J. Gallo’s largest winemaking facilities.
Project– Quantitative Measurement of Consumer Electronics Recycling Processes, eRecycling Corps: Collect relevant data about consumer electronics trade-ins and synthesize it into interactive report pages.
I’m a better public speaker, and I can explain myself more clearly. But I think the greatest Carl Walsh ’13 thing that I’ve learned is teamwork: how to work in a team, how to push my teammates to get their own work done, and how to really be responsible. Mira De Avila-Shin ’12 [engineering] Project– End-of-Line Zipline Braking System, Skyline Eco-Adventures: Design, build and test an end-of-line braking system for zipline tour operations.
The Clinic project was confidence boosting. It helped me decide that I’d eventually like to work in architecture, where I can combine structural engineering with art and design.
Mira De Avila-Shin ’12
Dalar Nazarian ’12 [engineering] Project– Rapid Silicon Wafer Temperature Conditioner, KLA-Tencor Corporation: Design, build and test a rapid silicon wafer temperature conditioner for use in company’s current geometry inspection process.
I’ve had a lot of experience in research on campus, so this was a really good chance to see the pace industry moves at. We faced problems like when you can’t practically measure something as accurately as your liaison wants you to; how do you move on? I learned how to communicate with our liaison when we couldn’t meet their constraints and just move on in a collaborative sense.
I have realized how mathematics and computer science can be blended together and merged into solving a real-world problem. That’s why I chose to do Clinic in the first place, because I wanted to see how what I’ve been learning every day in the classroom can be applied in real life. It’s been an amazing experience to see that my work actually matters in the world. That inspiration has given me even more inspiration to pass that experience on to my [future] students.
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&
S I N N IN RIN TO THE R S U
?
Written by Koren Wetmore
Science is no caped crusader, but if recent headlines are any indication, many view it as a superhero poised to save the imperiled economy. Governments around the globe are pouring funds into scientific research and education. More than half of available STEM jobs go unfilled because candidates lack the necessary skill sets, says Change the Equation in its May 2012 report, “STEM Help Wanted.” And, analysts warn, the nation with the greatest scientific prowess will lead economically—and politically—in the future. Some fear that nation may not be the United States. “The U.S. really became an economic superpower after WWII. That’s because a huge number of foreign scientists immigrated to the United States, and we ended up with the best scientists in the world. That has carried us quite a way. Now, we’re going to see increasing scientific competition from elsewhere in the world,” said science journalist Richard Brandt ’77, author of “The Google Guys: Inside the Brilliant Minds of Google Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.” To meet the challenge, we must invest in science education and research, he said. Ninety-one percent of Americans polled last year by ResearchAmerica believe research and development is important to their state’s economy. Half believe investing in health research is important to job creation and economic recovery. If history is any indication, they’re correct. From the Industrial Revolution to the development of Silicon Valley, innovations in science and engineering have preceded economic booms.
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United States
$401 BILLION [$14.59 TRILLION]
Canada $24 BILLION [$1.58 TRILLION]
Promising Areas The new energy wave, however, will center on conservation While it’s hard to predict the next “big thing,” several areas and more abundant, sustainable resources. “People are doing a hold considerable promise for boosting innovation and the lot of basic science, trying to move from earth-scarce materials economy. like platinum to things that are more earth abundant. So, that’s Energy solutions may definitely an area where play a vital role in future people can make progress,” “The U.S. really became an economic supereconomic prosperity. “What Szuromi said. caused the Industrial RevoThe field of robotics power after wwii. that’s because a huge lution? It wasn’t necessarily is also poised for major number of foreign scientists immigrated to the innovation per se, but the advancement. Prototypes united states, and we ended up with the best fact that you now could abound, from firefighting actually use fossil fuel and military bots to self—Richard Brandt ’77 scientists in the world.” resources,” said Phil Szuromi driving cars and cancerfighting nanobots. ’80, senior editor at Science. “There’s a huge future for robotics,” said Brandt. “It’s “So, instead of having to site your mill on a stream, you could put it anywhere and have many more of them, and that just revolutionizing the field of surgery, because surgeons can do things so much more precisely with robotics. In manufacturchanged the whole ballgame.” continued on page 24
GLOBAL INVESTMENT IN SCIENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT China
Germany United Kingdom
Korea
Russia
(Russian Federation)
$39 BILLION [$2.26 TRILLION]
Japan
$154 BILLION [$5.93 TRILLION]
$82 BILLION [$3.28 TRILLION]
$53 BILLION [$1.01 TRILLION]
$32 BILLION [$1.48 TRILLION]
Italy
$137 BILLION [$5.46 TRILLION]
$24 BILLION [$2.06 TRILLION]
Spain $20 BILLION [$1.41 TRILLION]
France $50 BILLION [$2.56 TRILLION]
KEY EXPENDITURE ON R & D GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
Sources: OECD (Main Science and Technology Indicators Database, January 2012) and The World Bank (GDP, current US$, 2010)
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continued from page 23
ing, it enhances the capability of the human hand so that you Government’s Role can build things more precisely.” Governments have played a role in funding science education User interface improvements such as voice and facial recog- and innovation since as early as 288 B.C., with the establishnition systems may thrive, because they ease the workload on ment of the Ancient Library of Alexandria. Built by Alexander humans. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos recently filed a the Great’s successors, the Ptolemies, the library attracted and patent for software that allows users to employ gestures, such as supported scientists, mathematicians and other great thinkers raising fingers to indicate the number of items desired, to place from around the ancient world. online orders. “Some industry wags call it the ‘one nod’ patent, The effort spurred many scientific breakthroughs. While at because Bezos got the famous ‘one-click’ patent years ago,” said Alexandria, Archimedes invented his screw-shaped pump, EraBrandt. tosthenes calculated the diameter of the Earth and Euclid wrote Building design may also see a rise in demand for engi- his elements of geometry. neering solutions—from hardening structures against extreme “These people were lured to the library because of the supweather events to making them more energy efficient. port they got,” said Brandt. “If you were a great scholar, you “Sustainability is very could come and study there much a systems engineering and get free board and lodg“people are…trying to move from earth-scarce thing, and [that] has always ing. And, it was all state materials to things that are more earth abunbeen one of the strengths of funded.” a Harvey Mudd engineering He believes a modern dant. so, that’s definitely an area where people education,” Szuromi said. comparison can be found in —Phil Szuromi ’80 can make progress.” Other promising areas Google, Inc., which sprang include privatized space exfrom government-funded ploration, nanotechnology research by two, now-faand advancements in medical diagnosis and treatment. mous Stanford University grads. Yet even the most promising technologies may face potential “Larry Page and Sergey Brin were doctoral candidates workbias-based opposition. “The markets will enthusiastically support ing under an NSF grant in the Computer Science Department what science does so long as there is money to be made and it at Stanford when they figured out how to create a better search doesn’t threaten the status quo,” said economics Professor Gary engine,” he said. “This was all due to government funding in Evans. “Solar power has a very promising future, but it threatens university education and research and some very, very smart the existing fossil fuel infrastructure. So science is in for a battle computer science people.” when it comes to rolling out that kind of technology.” Google now employs nearly 20,000 people and produces more than $21 billion in revenue. The privately held company is one of a hundred profiled in an April 2010 Science Coali-
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tion report that illustrates the economic benefits reaped when ence) program launched in 2009 will track data such as employfederally-funded university research spawns new technologies. ment figures, patents awarded, company startups, and scientific According to the report, investment in such research not publications and citations. only creates jobs for the research team members but also spurs While some applaud the effort to quantify the government’s economic growth through inscience investment outcomes, novations that lead to new techothers question its methodology. “...the markets will enthusiastically supnologies, industries and compa“The problem is that nies. you really can’t put an ROI port what science does so long as there is A $250,000 grant from the on certain valuable contribumoney to be made and it doesn’t threaten National Institutes of Health tions made by science that funded the initial research, unare so generic and widespread —Prof. Gary Evans the status quo.” dertaken at the University of that they advance knowledge Wisconsin-Madison, that led to in a very collectively useful the development of the TomoTherapy targeted cancer treatment way but not in a way that can be directly shown to be pragsystem. Physicians in more than 20 countries now use the tech- matic,” said Evans. “You can come up with examples of nology. science making that kind of contribution over time, but those Watertown, Mass.-based A123 Systems, which develops ad- contributions are devalued now because they don’t demonstrate vanced battery systems for electric and hybrid vehicles and new any clear ROI.” energy storage products to improve the efficiency of the electric No matter how you measure it, investment in science and grid, originally sprang from basic research at MIT that was sup- engineering education and research will likely reap rewards in ported by funds from the U.S. Department of Energy. the future. Whether it reveals itself in the latest metrics, a skilled Yet in today’s volatile economy, such case studies alone are STEM workforce, or new, breakthrough technology, its effect no longer sufficient evidence for measuring the U.S. govern- will eventually ripple through the economy and society. ment’s return on its research investments. “It has to start with basic science, and then industry picks it up, advances it, generates wealth and employs people who spend Measuring ROI money on other things,” Brandt said. “Science and technology Burdened by national debt and dwindling budgets—and are absolutely the most important drivers for future economic required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of growth. My concern is how much of that will be in the U.S.” 2009 to account for funds distributed—the U.S. government now seeks specific metrics for measuring ROI. The STAR METRICS (Science and Technology in America’s Reinvestment: Measuring the Effects of Research on Innovation, Competitiveness and Sci-
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MUDDERINGS Alumni and Family News and Events
Alumni Weekend Awardees
Lifetime Recognition Award- Richmond J. Hoch ’63 with wife, Diane
Lifetime Recognition Award- Awardees William R. Hartman ’62 and Richard G. Olson ’62 with presenters Jerry Van Hecke ’61 and John Lulejian ’90
Honorary Alumni Award- Clive Dym, Fletcher Jones Professor of Engineering Design
Honorary Alumni Award- Noel Keller, former registrar Order of the Wart- Maya (Chalich) Fredrickson, former senior director of Advancement
Call Call for for 2013 2012 Award Award Nominations Nominations The The Board Board of of Governors Governors Selections Selections Committee Committee is is seeking nominations for 2013 awards. seeking nominations for itsits 2012 awards. • Outstanding Alumni Award – For significant contributions to to humanity or or society. contributions humanity society. • Order of the Wart – For alumni and friends who have made imrortant contributions to the who have made important contributions to HMC thecommunity. HMC community. • Lifetime Recognition Award – For alumni and friends who have provided outstanding dedicafriends who have provided outstanding tion to HMC over many years. dedication to HMC over many years. Outstanding Alumni Award recipients Edwin Freed ’82, Robert Bell ’72 and George “Pinky” Nelson ’72 with presenter Jerome Jackson ’76.
For more about the awardees go to www.hmc.edu/newsandevents/alumni-awards-2012.html
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To submit nominations, please contact Jim Jacobs at To submit nominations,orplease contact Jennifer Green jim_jacobs@hmc.edu 909.621.8557. at jennifer_green@hmc.edu.
MUDDERINGS Alumni and Family News and Events
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VIDEO
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1) Mudders dance the night away. 2) Carol Kirk Rodriguez and Don Rodriguez ’72; 3) Jill Cooper, Joan Jones and Richard Jones ’72; 4) Elizabeth Corpuz ’09; 5) Gonzo Unicycle Foster’s Run 40th Anniversary; 6) Heather ’07 and Nate Chenette ’07 enjoy the Caltech Cannon Caper video; 7) Luke Chen ’93 and family; 8) Jenni Rinker ’11 (left) and friends; 9) Class of ’72 members re-enact a photo from their yearbook (but with clothes this time); 10) Scott Mahr ’07 tries inner tube water polo; 11) Tad Nagao ’04, Jonathan Beall ’07, Amanda Klaus.
Alumni Weekend video: http://youtu.be/I26C5GBAXCg
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MUDDERINGS Alumni and Family News and Events
New to AABoG New members have been elected to serve three-year terms on the Alumni Association Board of Governors, which is made up of alumni volunteers who partner closely with staff, faculty and students to strengthen ties and increase alumni support of the College. Robert De Pietro ’69 is a partner and engineer at Frank De Pietro and Sons, a Los Angeles-based development firm founded by his father in 1940. He received the Alumni Association’s Order of the Wart in 2001 for his service to the College and the Association’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2008 for his exemplary service to the community. An ardent supporter of the College, he has hosted phonathons at his business, events at his home and has encouraged alumni to become society members by matching half of what was needed to reach the Henry T. Mudd Society level. In 1998, he and his brother, Dennis, founded the De Pietro Fellowship in Civil Engineering in honor of their parents, Frank and Frances. De Pietro became the alumni representative to the board of trustees in 1997 and a full member 2000. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from HMC and his master’s degree in structural engineering and structural mechanics from UC Berkeley. David Ho ’86 has lived and worked in New York City since 1994. He serves as a partner and portfolio manager at First Principles Capital Management, LLC, a fixed-income asset management company, where he manages $8 billion in assets for endowments, banks and high-networth individuals. Ho began his career at Salomon Brothers, Inc., where he worked first as a fixed-income derivatives researcher and then as an options trader. He later joined Zurich Capital Markets, Inc. (bought out by Citigroup), supervising proprietary trading. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from HMC and
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his doctorate in mathematics from Stanford University in 1992 and worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Stanford Medical School prior to working in the financial field. Geoffrey Meltzner ’95 leads an audio, speech and biological signal processing research group at BAE Systems, a global company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced defense, security and aerospace systems. His team’s signature accomplishment has been the development of the MUTE (Mouthed-speech Understanding and Transcription Engine) that is able to recognize silent speech on an Android platform. Meltzner earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from HMC, his master’s in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT in 1999, and his doctorate in speech and hearing bioscience and technology from MIT in 2003. He and his wife, Jenny, were married in 2005 and have two children: Judah, age 5, and Eden, age 2. Board members re-elected to three-year terms are David Gross ’08, Bill Hartman ’62, Rick Simon ’76 and Jerry Van Hecke ’61. Officers for the 2012–2013 term are Glen Hastings ’93, President, Jason Fredrickson ’99, Vice President, David Sonner ’80, Treasurer, and Jerry Van Hecke ’61, Secretary.
Fall Career Fair Friday, October 12, 2012 Noon—3:00 p.m. Linde Activities Center Recruit Mudders for your business or employer, or look for job opportunities! For details, contact Judy Fisher, director of career services, at 909.621.8091 or judy_fisher@hmc.edu.
MUDDERINGS
Pooled Scholarships and Recipients Scholarships aid in recruitment and retention of our students and ensure that an HMC education remains accessible to all admitted students. Sometimes donors honor family members, faculty or other individuals by pooling gifts to create a special scholarship. Listed are the students awarded these pooled scholarships for the 2011–2012 academic year. Barbara and Anthony Fallon ’61 Memorial Endowed Scholarship Sean Messenger ’15 Kimberly Sheely ’12 Class of ’61 Endowed Scholarship Katherine Shepherd ’14 Class of ’63 Endowed Scholarship Rosalie Carlson ’13 Class of ’64 Endowed Scholarship Daisy Gamboa ’14 Class of ’67 Endowed Scholarship David King ’12 Class of ’74 Tory Davis Memorial Endowed Scholarship Linnea Shin ’14 Class of ’75 Endowed Scholarship Emily Fischer ’14
Iris and Howard Critchell Aeronautical Annual Scholarship Benjamin Liu ’12 Vivian Steyert ’15
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HMC IS A SCHOOL THAT, BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY, UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF ITS STUDENTS... CONSEQUENTLY, THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE I WOULD RATHER HAVE GONE FOR COLLEGE, AND I ONLY WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO SPEND AT
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MUDD.
—Kevin Black ’12, joint computer science and mathematics graduate, recipient of Jean and Joe Platt Endowed Scholarship
Jean and Joe Platt Endowed Scholarship Kevin Black ’12 Karen Heinselman ’12 Alec Storrie-Lombardi ’13 Cheng (Julie) Zhang ’13 Ron and Lee Vaughan Memorial Endowed Scholarship Justin Bai ’15 Samuel Delich ’62 Memorial Endowed Scholarship Raymond Hurwitz ’14
Dotty and Art Campbell Endowed Scholarship Alexander Kohn ’13
Weekends to Remember, 2013 Parents and family members, start planning now to join us on campus Friday, Feb. 1–Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, for Family Weekend. This year’s program will include opportunities to speak with faculty and administrators, to learn about new developments at HMC, and most importantly, to have fun with your students! Alumni are invited back to campus for Alumni Weekend 2013, Friday, May 3–Sunday, May 5. Mingle with faculty, catch up with your classmates and enjoy new opportunities to celebrate College milestones and interact with the campus community. Stay tuned for further information on both of these programs, coming soon.
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CLASS NOTES
1966
Chuck Lemme was named a finalist in the Henry R. Kravis Concept Plan Competition, a program of Claremont Graduate University’s Peter F. Drucker & Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management. A longtime mechanical design engineer, Chuck’s inventions span a diverse career: from automotive to cookware to medical instruments. He has more than 40 patents. He says, “One of the first things we noticed in our motor home is that, when parked, it was never level and the suspension still allowed the chassis to sway as we walked around. Since I had a background in shock absorbers, I made the seemingly simple leap that they could be replaced with hydraulic cylinders and used to level and lock the suspension. I have applied for a patent, recruited some friends to help, bought another, older motor home for a test bed, built a couple of iterations and we are currently testing version 2.1, and I am presently designing version 3.0. Fundamentally, the system works well and levels quickly. Hopefully, we will have a system ready to show to customers by the end of the year.”
1972
Murray Thompson retired in late 2011 after working for 40 years in the Los Angeles-area satellite manufacturing industry (Hughes, Boeing and Aerospace). Murray has relocated to a 20-acre ranch in the unincorporated area west of Atwater where he grazes cattle and trains show-reined cow horses. He realized his longtime dream in February when he won the 2011 National Reined Cow Horse Association non-pro bridle world championship title.
1974
Bruce DePriester won his master’s category (age 60+) at the Southern California/Nevada Cycling Association (SCNCA) time trial championship May 12 at Lake Los Angeles, Calif. (Antelope Valley). A time trial is a cycling event where riders leave at regular intervals (in this case every 30 seconds) and race against the clock. Often called “the race of truth,” drafting is not allowed, so the faster rider wins. The distance for the championship race was 23.5 miles. Bruce averaged 26.5 miles per hour during his winning ride.
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Middle school science teacher Kevin Tambara P14 is a 201213 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, an award given to K-12 science and math teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and a desire to provide input for future national educational policy. Kevin is one of only 19 teachers nationwide to receive the honor. A former Hughes Aircraft Company electrical engineer, he teaches science at Bert Lynn Middle School in Torrance, Calif. Kevin will serve in the Computer Information Science & Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C., giving practical insight and “real world” classroom perspectives to policy makers and program managers who develop or manage educational programs.
19 8 0
Rich Helling is thankful for the letter and the glasses sent by HMC for eclipse viewing. He had long planned to spend the weekend with his cousin in Clayton, Calif., but thanks to the mailing, Rich added eclipse viewing to the weekend agenda. Rich found himself in the role of “Dr. Science,” explaining to others in attendance what was going on. The eclipse coincided with the “Life Cycle of Engineering 2012” conference held at UC Berkeley, where Rich was one of the keynote speakers.
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Mark Eisenhardt left software design to get his master’s in education and then teach technology to middle school students at the Albany Academies, where he also serves as director of technology and oversees the IT infrastructure. Mark says teaching is hard but immensely rewarding, plus his two daughters are students there. The irony of Mark’s teaching computer technology will not be lost on his HMC classmates. He hopes to groom at least a few future Mudders!
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Eric Fullerton received the American Institute of Physics 2012 Prize for Industrial Applications of Physics, which recognizes scientists who have developed proven industrial technologies. Fullerton’s work on exchange-coupled magnetic recording media helped enable the last decade’s worth of growth in the storage densities in disk drives. In the late 1990s, a limit to drive densities was predicted based on thermal instabilities in the magnetic recording media. Eric and the magnetic media team at IBM introduced a thin layer of the element ruthenium sandwiched between magnetic layers. Technically known as antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) recording media, the innovation was dubbed “pixie dust,” due to its seemingly magical ability to improve performance. Fullerton is currently a professor of electrical and computer engineering and nanoengineering at the University of California, San Diego, and is the director of the Center of Magnetic Recording Research. Eric holds 50 U.S. patents, including one of the “Five Patents to Watch” in 2001 by MIT’s Technology Review magazine. continued on page 32
COURTESY OF NASA
ALUMNI PROFILE
Mudders at SpaceX, back row: Zack Rubin ’08, Casey Schilling ’08, Jessica Hester ’13 and Cierra Owens ’14. Front row: Roger Carlson ’89, Will Ferenc ’13, Noel Godinez ’08, Garrett Menghini ’13, Jamie Hadden ’01, Anthony Wimer-Maniago ’09. NASA photo shows the view from the International Space Station of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as the station’s robotic arm moves Dragon into place for attachment to the station on May 25, 2012.
THE DRAGON HAS LANDED Written by Stephanie L. Graham
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n May 31, 2012, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) successfully completed the historic mission that made Dragon the first commercial spacecraft to visit the International Space Station, and Mudders were among those who helped make it happen. For the first time in history, a private corporation proved it can deliver cargo to the Space Station. Previously only four governments— the United States, Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency—had achieved this challenging technical feat. One of nine Mudders currently employed at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., Zack Rubin ’08, structures engineer, was in charge of analysis, predictions, design iterations, testing and verification with respect to dynamics. During the mission, he was tasked with the solar arrays and supporting hardware, the Dragon GNC Bay (“which is the door, grapple fixture and all avionics associated with ISS docking”) and the Stage 1 and Stage 2 trunk and Dragon separation predictions. “Needless to say, this was a huge mission for me, and I am just so proud of all the accomplishments we made as a team,” Rubin said. Members of the SpaceX team who work at the headquarters include HMC alumni Brian Bosak ’10, Roger Carlson ’89, Noel Godinez ’08, Jamie Hadden, Ricky Lim ’01, Casey Schilling ’08, Zack Rubin ’08 and Tony Wimer-Maniago ’09; and student interns Will Ferenc ’13, Jessica Hester ’13, Garrett Menghini ’13 and Cierra Owens ’14.
Working for the past six years under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program (COTS), both SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. have been pursuing independent efforts to design, test and fly two brand-new cargo vehicles. These will provide the United States with safe, reliable and efficient cargo delivery services to the orbiting complex NASA built with its international partners. A demonstration mission, the May 2012 test flight primarily was designed to provide NASA and SpaceX with valuable insight to ensure successful future missions, which include plans for Falcon Heavy, the most powerful rocket in the world, second only to the Apollo-era Saturn V. Falcon Heavy will be able to carry payloads weighing more than 53 metric tons to orbit, offering more than twice the performance of other commercial launch vehicles, and will make possible missions that were previously unachievable. Long term, SpaceX seeks to build vehicles that are fully and rapidly reusable, a key element to radically reducing the cost of spaceflight in order to truly revolutionize space exploration and potentially making it possible for people to live on other planets. Dragon is a reusable spacecraft, and SpaceX is working to develop the world’s first fully reusable launch vehicle. HMC has partnered with SpaceX (founded in 2002 by Elon Musk) in several ways, including through HMC’s Engineering Internship Program and through Clinic. Also, students have visited SpaceX via Mudd on the Road excursions, a program of the Office of Career Services.
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CLASS NOTES continued from page 30
Esurance, the direct-to-consumer personal car insurance company, has appointed Mark Pitchford as managing director of sales and service. Mark joined Esurance from Allstate, where he held the role of senior vice president of direct sales and service. Before Allstate, he held senior marketing, sales and customer service positions at Hanaro Telecom and Hanaro Media (in South Korea), Qwest Communications and AT&T. Mark received an M.B.A. from Santa Clara University. He also completed a graduate-level program on information networking at the Advanced Technology Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. He has served on the boards of multiple nonprofits, including the United Way of San Antonio, the Public Education & Business Coalition, Headfirst Magazine and Colorado Steppin’ Out for Kids.
1985
Matthew Carey has been appointed to a federal committee which plans autism research strategy for the various government agencies which are funded to do those studies. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee is a combination of federal members, autistics and other community members. Matt also adds that 10 years after his classmate and friend, Chris Felix, passed away his “Peony Felix Supreme” bloomed for the first time (ten years after he planted it!). Matt misses Chris and hopes to meet Chris’ wife and daughter in DC. Laveille Voss recently joined a medical device startup in Menlo Park called ForSight Vision4. Laveille is enjoying the excitement of working in a new therapy area (treating retinal diseases) as well as the technology, challenges and colleagues.
1989
MediaTemple,Inc.,a provider of web hosting and cloud services, named Albert Lopez as its CTO. Albert will lead technology initiatives while extending the company’s scalable platform for continued growth. He has more than 15 years of experience in software and Internet solutions, technology product development, database applications, digital media and ecommerce strategy. Prior to joining Media Temple, he was CTO and vice president of corporate and business development at LibreDigital, where he spearheaded successful efforts to secure partnerships with companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Sony. He holds a master’s degree in manufacturing systems engineering from Stanford University. Albert said, “There are significant shifts happening in the hosting industry, and it’s exciting to be part of shaping its future. By building on Media Temple’s platform and cloud services, we will prepare for expansion and growth.”
Adrian McCarthy published his first novel “Blue Screen of Death”, a murder mystery set in the Silicon Valley. His book is available as an eBook from all the major retailers. Adrian says sales are good, but not quite good enough to quit his real Silicon Valley gig at Google.
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An Apr. 25 article in the Bellingham Herald described the innovative tenor saxophone of brothers Theo Wanne and Tom Wanne. The Theo Wanne Company, which makes complex mouthpieces for saxophones and clarinets, has introduced a new MANTRA tenor saxophone which features an innovative neck design that includes more than 30 innovations and features. Music Inc. magazine named the sax one of the top 50 products at the 2012 National Association of Music Manufacturers trade show. In the Herald interview, describing why the new sax is special, Tom Wanne said, “The saxophone neck is the most crucial part of a horn’s sound and soul. Theo has created a quantum leap in neck design, with a completely redesigned neck tube that has nothing soldered to it (except at the mandatory octave pip). It has no keys, guides or braces soldered to the tube to dampen the sound. The octave key rides on cartridge ball bearings, completely isolated from neck tube and brace.” Read more here: www. bellinghamherald.com/2012/04/25/2496385/bellingham-brothers-touttheir.html#storylink=cpy.
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Eric Huggins and his son, Fergus, watched the Annular Eclipse in Durango, Colo., on May 20 using the stylish HMC sunglasses.
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Richard McHugh finished a fellowship in laryngology at Vanderbilt University in June then traveled throughout Europe. In October 2012, Rich will begin work as an assistant professor in otolaryngology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
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Grant Kushida and his wife, Lisa Pickering (SCR ’95), welcomed a son, Max Ryu, on May 10. Big sister, Kendall, is enchanted, so far.
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The Knox College Board of Trustees promoted David Bunde to associate professor with tenure. David, associate professor of computer science, joined the Knox faculty in 2006. He teaches courses in parallel computing and algorithms. Last year, he was awarded a three-year National Science Foundation grant, “Collaborative Research: Responding to Manycore: Teaching parallel computing with higher-level languages and activity-based laboratories.” His main research focus is on very large systems, high-performance computers with many processors. In a Knox College news release, David said, “These systems require clever scheduling and processor allocation to achieve their full potential, and it’s an area where clever ideas can make a huge difference in the performance of very expensive systems. Ideas from these systems are also beginning to trickle down to smaller computers, which are increasingly built around multi-core processors. Thus, an important goal of my teaching is to incorporate ideas of parallelism into my courses.” He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. continued on page 33
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CLASS NOTES
1999
Jason Frederickson married Maya Chalich June 9 in Kaua’i, Hawaii. Alumni in attendance were Jamey Minnis, Liz Flannery ’09, Gregory Rae ’00 and Kyle Marsh ’09. Jason and Maya—a recent recipient of HMC’s Order of the Wart—met during the time that Maya worked at HMC. She now works at the Art Center College of Design and Jason is senior director of enterprise application development at Guidance Software, as well as vice president of the HMC Alumni Association Board of Governors. Liz Flannery ’09, Jamey Minnis ’99, Jason Frederickson ’99, Gregory Rae ’00 and Kyle Marsh ’09
In order to boost its video offerings with an advertising platform, Adobe Systems has acquired Auditude, a firm started by engineering alumnus Nicholas Seet. Nicholas says he is thrilled to have the validation this exit brings and to have Adobe as a partner going forward. Auditude streamed 344 million of the 6.8 billion online video ads that Americans watched in September 2011, according to comScore. That made Auditude the seventh-largest source of such ads in the U.S. Auditude offers an integrated advertising system for video on PCs, smartphones, tablets, connected TVs and other products in the home. Wyatt Toolson is working toward his MBA/MS at Stanford, where he is co-president of the MBA Student Association.
2002
Roy Shea was unable to attend the eclipse event in Redding, Calif., but he did spend the afternoon with a friend in Los Angeles watching the eclipse and dangling his feet in the pool, line of ants marching by, good conversation, and a pair of cool solar shades being passed back and forth. “Thanks for the glasses, HMC!” he said.
2003
Thomas Both and Danielle Kraus (SCR ’02) were married in December 2011 in a small ceremony at San Francisco City Hall. Thomas and Danielle will spend the spring and summer living in Berlin, Germany, where Thomas is working as a designer and teacher at the Hasso Plattner Institute School of Design Thinking at the University of Potsdam.
2004
Eric Harley and Sarah Rice (CMC ’04) welcomed Catherine Ann Rice Harley born Apr. 17. Eric feels Mudd prepared him well for parenthood. The extreme lack of sleep and the endless stream of seemingly impossible tasks take him right back to his college days.
2005
Ruben Arenas was recently awarded tenure in the mathematics department at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, Calif. Ruben will spend the summer studying Korean at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea.
2006
Laura Angell and Eric Angell ’04 are pleased to announce the birth of their second son, Jeremy, on Mar. 10.
2009
Trevor Ashley is currently in a Ph.D. program at Boston University studying Mechanical Engineering. Trevor is focusing his research on applying control theoretical concepts to the tracking of nanoparticles in biological systems. In June 2011, Richard Mehlinger earned his master’s degree in history at UC Riverside, where he studied modern European history and the history of games. He now works at Spirent Communications as a software engineer with Kevin Oelze. Richard has also started work with several other Mudders developing a free, open-source syllabus builder.
2 0 10
Daniel Garcia, a former HMC President’s Scholar, received a 2012 Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Garcia will receive $46,500 a year (up to five years) to support his graduate studies. At HMC, he became interested in disease biology, specifically auto-immune diseases like arthritis and lupus. Fellows were chosen from a pool of applicants who participated in HHMI’s Exceptional Research Opportunities Program, which aims to stimulate the scientific curiosity of students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences.
NSF Graduate Research Honorees Fellowship Award: Ben Fogelson ’09, mathematical biology, UC Davis; Gordon Hoople ’08, mechanical engineering, UC Berkeley; Katherine Near ’10, chemistry of life processes, Stanford University; Zara Seibel ’11, chemical synthesis, Columbia University; Ethan Sokol ’10, developmental biology, MIT Honorable Mention: Bob Chen ’10, algebra/number theory/ combinatorics, UC San Diego; Andrew Chung ’10, biochemistry, Stanford University; Masanori Honda ’10, mechanical engineering, University of Minnesota; Jenna Ryon ’10, astronomy/astrophysics, University of Wisconsin; Hong Sio ’11, plasma physics, MIT; Matthew Streshinsky ’11, electrical and electronic engineering, University of Washington
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CLASS REUNIONS ALUMNI WEEKEND 2012
1962 Back row: Jim Alsup, Wayne Schmus, Bob Hall, Joe Barrera, Dick Olson,
Bill Brew, Alan Bostrom, Burke Townsend, Dave Buss, Greg Milman, Al Lester, Hal Harris. Front row: Bob Styerwalt, Fred Gey, David Goodsell ’61, Bob MacFarlane, Bill Hartman, Sandy Phillips Guldman, Frank Cummings.
C E L E B R A T I N G
50 YEARS
Founding President Joseph Platt called the Class of 1962 “a special class in the history of Harvey Mudd College.” Much was learned from the class that helped improve learning methods and student services for future classes. The 30 members who graduated went into a variety of technical fields, and many became college or university faculty, including one who returned to teach at HMC (Dick Olson, humanities professor).
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CLASS REUNIONS ALUMNI WEEKEND 2012
1967 Back row: Andy Van Horn, Brian Dorman,
Emmett Curran. Middle row: Hans West, Mert Canady, Charles Westbrook, Tony Landler, Bob Herling. Front row: Charlie Johnson, Penny Barrett, Hugh Saurenman.
1972 Back row: Mike Joost, John Riley, Duane Knize, Bob Prodan ’71/72, Terry Chappell, Karl Rudnick, Floyd Spencer, Jeff McGrath, Steve Wolfe, John Hadden, Don Hanson, Mike Brossart. Third row: Bob Shore, George Clary, Cliff Dunham, Wayne Wakeland, Brian Baxley, Bob Bell, Dick Jones, John Sell. Second row: Pierre Patkay, Barb McNaughton, Joanne Shore, Sally Siemak, Don Rodriguez, John Sawka, Greg Hamm, Pinky Nelson, Peter Paterno. Seated: Lloyd Green, Lee Gordon, Tom Brentnall, Tom Daily, Red Howard, Andy Wehrenberg, Brian Flynn, Rick Greer.
1977 Back row: John
Bradfute, Chris Marble ’78, Jim Bean, Craig Jorgens, Cliff Pang. Front row: Karen Taggart, Mark Von Hendy, Mike Osborne, Pat Wolke, Mike Pappas, Steve Hayes, Jennifer Rihn.
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1982
Back row: Larry Schaina, George Bell, Zephram Wolf (son of Mala Arthur), James Duhaime, Phil Wolf ’83. Second row: Pam (Kincaid) Smith, John Shockley, Lance Schaina, Mark Eisenhardt, Rich Sonner, Mala Arthur, Stephen Freeland, Doug Arent, Brian Kelly. First row: Robin Bruno, Holly Ann Harris, Leticia Abrantes Kurashige, Louisa Mak, Mark Rauscher, Jim Carter, Marty Rupp.
1987 Back row: Rob Gould, Steve Cobb, Stan Love, Bill Carpenter, Phil Harvey, George Stevens, Richard Brown, David Somers, Mark Moeglein, Tom Jedrzejewicz, Bardia
Pezeshki. Third row: Roger Klemm, Suze Gruber, Gary Carino, Ted Kubasak, Kevin Moore, Mike Stark, Matt Elliott, Eric Danielson. Second row: Hernan Santos, Adam Fedor, Kate Kubasak, Sylvia Block, Kim Wagner, Chris Donnelly, Scott Chesney, Andrew Firth, Tim McNaughton. First row: Kim Tsujimoto, Ellen Karl, Diane Cooper, Karen Lewey, Suzanne Monthofer, Linda Tam, Alicia Barton.
1992 Back row: Jennifer Herstein, James Rudd, Jeff Jensen, David Ruiz, Eric Stokien, Hoiwon Kim, Dylan Walker, David Williams, Greg Levin, Corinne Sewell (friend of Greg
Levin). Fourth row: Justin Stege, James Suggs, Dan Crevier. Third row: Ann Boriack-Sjodin (glasses), Ted Sjodin, Gordon Hogenson, Shirley Monroe, Jack Houng, Clifford Stein, Jim Patterson, Bryan Reed, Dan Wright, Steve Wakisaka. Second row: Kathy Wakisaka, Barbara Hardwick, Becky Karlmann, Kent Burr, Mark Schaal, Jeff Wilkinson, Randall Spangler, Cherilyn Michaels, Mike Cohen, Matthew Plunkett, Loren Majersik. First row: Ruth Fink-Winter, Chris Douty ’94, Kaesa Footracer, Tish Berge, Mech (Lewis) Watne, Gene Van Nostern, Jenny Majersik.
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CLASS REUNIONS ALUMNI WEEKEND 2012
1997 Back row: Cameron
Kellough, J.C. Flores, Craig Meyer, Frank Schmitt, Noel D’Angelo, Robert Prestezog. Third row: Chase Tsang, Anthony Selim, Brad Hyslop, Derrick Chau, Beth Leonard, Kathy French. Second row: Liz Thompson, Todd Clements, Katy Wong, Titus Pottinger, April Frazier, Ryan Arndt, Hieu Bui, Chris Sloan. First row: Wendy Hein, Anna Prestezog, Brian Gee, Sonia Minassian, Seth Hanson.
2002 Back row: Andrew Schoonmaker, Colin Little, Jon Gunther, Amanda Malone, Austin Brown, Sarah Stuck, Jason DeCamp, David Levitt, Bobu Uche. Third row: Kurt
Dresner, Nathaniel Dirksen, Jenni Dirksen, Jen “Mili” Lindsay, Charlie Boehm, Antonio Medrano, Eric Heitzman, Aaron Clark, Daniel Pennington. Second row: Nicholas Breznay, Megan Thorsen, Seema Patel, Kate Scheppke ’03, Chris Newkirk, Jacob Creed, Kristi Hultman, Michael Szal (white t-shirt). First row: Shamik Maitra, Roy Shea, Jeff Miller, Andrew McDonnell, Noah Levin, Matt Mattozzi, Roy Park.
2007 Back row (sort of): Hadley Watson (red shirt), Steve Von der Porten, Rebecca Kelcher (gray shirt), John Parker, Dane Lindblad, Nate Schlossberg, Nick Evans, Doug
Reich, Chris Byron, Joe Ishikura, Jens Gardner, Allison Hutchings (teal shirt), Renee Campbell Gardner (above, right to Allison), Tracy Fox (head tilted), Eli Kwitman, Badier Velji, Chris Woodruff, Jacques Favreau, Buck Schulze, Paul Chandler (black shirt), Matt Reed (blue check), James Egan, Holly Johnsen (glasses), Jason Santiago, Stephen Jones, Craig Weidert, Alex Izsak (red shirt), Andy Heald. Middle row: Nate Chenette, Heather Chenette, Eddy Chavarria, Corwin Cole, Andrew Chin, Daniel Walton (Amazing T), Danny La Valle, Kyle Jacobs, Christoph Rau, Paul Yen, Kevin Mistry, Mark Emanuel, Scott Mahr, Max Smoot, Maureen St. Georges Chaumet (red shirt), Stephen Brawner (in front, to right of Maureen), Amy Jarvis, Ronn Gruer, Chris Alvino ’08, Diego Gonzalez (Amazing T). Front row: Mike Pugh (gray shirt), Lesley McGurk, Emily (Hogan) Roberts (floral), Kyle Roberts, Alice Clifton (red), Carl Nygaard, Fiela Gutierrez, Michelle Lum, Katelyn Walker, Sarah-Mei Estrada, Matt Totino (light blue T-shirt), Victor Wang, Brian Kirkpatrick, Adam Field, Mina Youssef.
HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE BULLETIN 301 Platt Boulevard • Claremont, CA 91711 • hmc.edu/magazine
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2012 Dr. Bruce J. Nelson ’74 Distinguished Speaker Series Art, Science and Technology: Between the Studio and the Lab Highlighting contemporary art inspired by and created with science and technology. In wide-ranging presentations by acclaimed artists and educators, the 2012 Nelson Series will celebrate contemporary art that explores the aesthetic, creative, cultural and political dimensions of science and technology. SPEAKERS Tuesday, September 25 Margaret Wertheim Science Writer and Director, The Institute For Figuring
Tuesday, November 13 Carl Stone Composer and Professor, Chukyo University School of Information Science and Technology, Japan
Thursday, October 18 Roger Malina Astronomer and Executive Editor, Leonardo Publications
Tuesday, December 4 Steven Kurtz Artist and Professor of Visual Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo
Tuesday, November 6 Marko Peljhan Artist and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara
Lectures begin at 7:30 p.m., are free and open to the public, and are held in Galileo Hall on the Harvey Mudd College campus. For more information about the series, call 909.607.0943 or visit www.hmc.edu/nelson-series