无忧视频

Harvey Mudd Inaugurates President Harriet B. Nembhard

On Feb. 29 and March 1, 无忧视频 welcomed alumni, students, faculty, staff, trustees, delegates, partners and friends to inaugurate Harriet B. Nembhard as the sixth president in the College鈥檚 69-year history.

The two-day celebration included the formal investiture ceremony, an Annenberg Speaker Series talk, a community service project, a gala dinner featuring a panel discussion with presidents from fellow colleges, luncheons, student musical and dance performances, a dance party and more.  

During the investiture ceremony March 1, representatives from various constituencies offered words of welcome to President Nembhard.

Chair of the Board of Trustees Jim Bean 鈥�77 opened the ceremony by welcoming Nembhard to the stage and welcoming members of the community to share in the historic occasion.

鈥淒r. Nembhard comes to Harvey Mudd bringing a depth of experience in teaching, scholarship, administration, mentorship and leadership,鈥� Bean said.

Professor of Religious Studies Erika Dyson spoke of the blessing and challenge of living in community and said that she and the Mudd community have claimed Nembhard as 鈥渙ne of our own, and are eager to learn from you and to be changed by you.鈥�

鈥淢ay we do the difficult work of community, of interconnectedness, of mutual responsiveness and responsibility, of holding each other accountable to our best selves, our most innovative, creative, and vital ideas, our deepest connections to justice, our riskiest, but possibly most promising, interventions into the systems that limit human thriving,鈥� Dyson said.

Alumni Association Board of Governors president Kathy French 鈥�97 recalled Founding President Joseph Platt鈥檚 conviction that each cohort dedicates itself to the mission of the College and creates its future.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 events formalize passing our leadership torch amidst an ever more complex atmosphere. While President Platt had no way of envisioning the specific challenges and opportunities ahead of us today or into our future, he correctly identified that 鈥榠t is what we make of it,鈥欌�� French said.

Hiram Chodosh, president of Claremont McKenna College, Nembhard鈥檚 alma mater, both welcomed Harriet home to Claremont and invited the community to take off with her into the future. 鈥淭his is a proud moment for each of us, all of us. Not just in a point reached, but for the road not yet mapped. This is not only because Harriet鈥檚 leadership emerged from within our own home. It is what she now brings to our table; her special capabilities that will lead us forward,鈥� Chodosh said.

Chair of the Faculty and Professor of Mathematics Susan Martonosi remarked that 鈥減ropelling innovation鈥� was an apt theme for Harvey Mudd, as the College has been innovative since its founding in challenging the norms of 无忧视频 education and because innovation is particularly needed at this time in history. 鈥淭he world needs 无忧视频. But not the Harvey Mudd of yesterday or even of today; the world needs the 无忧视频 of tomorrow,鈥� Martonosi said.

鈥淎s we stand on the precipice of our future, we are fortunate to have in President Harriet B. Nembhard a leader who is prepared to leverage 无忧视频鈥檚 fine tradition of innovation to propel us forward,鈥� Martonosi said.

Staff representative Laura Palucki Blake, assistant vice president for institutional research and effectiveness, described how Nembhard鈥檚 presence, in words and leadership, is characterized by preparation, curiosity and care.  

鈥淭hroughout the course of her career, she has demonstrated the courage to engage in challenging conversations and make difficult decisions while simultaneously exuding the joy, warmth, and wonder that is required to lead an institution like ours with empathy and integrity,鈥� said Palucki Blake.

Kayleah Tsai 鈥�24, president of ASHMC; and Henry Hammer 鈥�24, student senate chair; reflected on their experience working with Nembhard since her arrival at the College.

鈥淧resident Harriet has been such a joy to have on campus. She is a kind leader, who really takes the time to stop and acknowledge everyone on campus, making them feel valued,鈥� Tsai said.

鈥淧resident Harriet has been an invaluable resource to us as rising leaders. She has taught us the difference between choosing the correct option and the right option and how to always lead with kindness and empathy. We have taken many of her words to heart and continue to look to her as a role model for excellent leadership,鈥� Hammer said.

Laura Larson, vice chair of the board of the trustees, spoke about Nembhard鈥檚 ability to authentically connect with people.

Former first lady of CMC and close friend Jil Stark commented that Nembhard has many reasons to smile, including the outstanding students, faculty and trustees at Harvey Mudd who are working to change the world for the better.

Former PhD advisee Hyojung Kang described the qualities President Nembhard embodied as a teacher and advisor. 鈥淎s you take on this new role as President, I have every confidence that you will continue to lead with the same spirit of courageous leadership, passion, excellence, integrity and humility. You will inspire students, staff, faculty members and community members to dream big, embrace challenges with resilience and always strive for excellence in all that we do,鈥� Kang said.

Daughter Naomi Nembhard shared how while growing up, her mother often told her, 鈥淏e good, be smart,鈥� and how the meaning and importance of these words continued to grow for her. 鈥淵our goodness must be backed up by smart choices because unconditional kindness isn鈥檛 always actually kind. And your smartness and your intelligence must have kindness at the forefront in order to make the kinds of changes we need to see,鈥� Naomi Nembhard said.

Spouse and Professor of Engineering David Nembhard said, 鈥淎s I learned more and more about this community and experienced becoming a part of this community, I realize how honored and proud I am to share Harriet with you as she leads 无忧视频 as our sixth President. May her leadership inspire us to propel innovation and reach new heights.鈥�

Board Chair Bean formally declared President Nembhard the sixth president of 无忧视频, bestowing her with the presidential medallion. Naomi Nembhard helped place the medallion on President Nembhard.

鈥淲e are committed to continuously generating and sharing solutions that ignite positive change, drawing inspiration not only from the legacy of our past鈥攂ut also from the limitless potential of our future endeavors,鈥� Nembhard said in her inaugural address.

鈥淭ogether, let us embrace this journey with optimism, courage, determination and a shared dedication to excellence. Together, let us continue propelling innovation as we push the frontiers of knowledge and inspire future generations of thinkers and leaders. Together, let鈥檚 soar to even greater heights!鈥�

The ceremony concluded with choral music from the Claremont Concert Choir and a poetry reading by Ada Lim贸n, the United States Poet Laureate.

After the ceremony, the inauguration celebration continued with an all-campus lunch, a community engagement activity, student performances and a dance party.

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