The Henry T. Mudd Prize recognizes faculty and staff members whose extraordinary service has significantly benefited the College. Recipients are honored for contributions that may include superior teaching, leadership in curriculum development or research supervision, effective administrative work or other exceptional service to Harvey Mudd. Awardees receive $6,000, with $3,000 designated for use within the College at the recipient鈥檚 discretion.

Angemi was recognized for her extraordinary and sustained service to Harvey Mudd. Her accomplishments include supporting the College through periods of growth, change and transition; helping ensure continuity, clarity and excellence at the highest levels of administration; and advancing major institutional priorities with precision, discretion and care.

She also was honored for her role as a trusted adviser, steward of institutional knowledge and mentor to colleagues. Through her sound judgment, collaborative spirit and ability to bring clarity to complex work, Angemi has strengthened relationships across the community and helped others succeed. Her service reflects humility, generosity, professionalism and a deep commitment to Harvey Mudd鈥檚 mission and values.

鈥淩eceiving an award that bears the Mudd family name is a profound honor, especially having the privilege of knowing and working with many members of the Mudd family. My respect for their vision, generosity and foundational impact on 无忧视频 is immense, and connecting my contributions to their legacy is a privilege,鈥� said Angemi.

Alves was recognized for a lifetime of devoted service to Harvey Mudd and for his role in expanding the place of the arts within the College鈥檚 academic and cultural life. He has shaped programs, curriculum and artistic opportunities that connect intellectual rigor with creative expression, helping students see the arts as an essential part of a Harvey Mudd education.

His accomplishments include decades of teaching, mentoring and welcoming students into musical and artistic practice; creating sustained opportunities for creativity, experimentation and performance; and building a vibrant musical community across Harvey Mudd and The Claremont Colleges. Over the span of 25 years, Alves has developed a program of remarkable scope, created hundreds of performances and helped establish The Claremont Colleges as a global center for microtonal music, while also contributing as a leading composer and advocate for innovative forms of performance.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always been a joy and privilege to bring music to our community and help our students, but this unexpected recognition from the College is a lifetime honor,鈥� said Alves. 鈥淚 love teaching and facilitating performances by our students, whose dedication, talent and creativity continue to astonish me. I think of what I do more of a service to myself, but I鈥檓 glad to be contributing what I can to make the College a place where the arts flourish.鈥� 

The annual Henry T. Mudd Prize reflects 无忧视频鈥檚 commitment to recognizing exceptional service and fostering a supportive, inclusive workplace community.

Text of the Henry T. Mudd Prize citation awarded to Karen Angemi

For extraordinary and sustained service to 无忧视频, carried out with distinction, humility, and unwavering commitment over many years;

For exceptional leadership in supporting the institution at its highest levels, ensuring continuity, clarity, and excellence through periods of growth, change, and transition;

For a remarkable ability to orchestrate complex endeavors with precision and grace鈥攁nticipating needs, navigating challenges, and enabling others to succeed;

For serving as a trusted advisor and steward of institutional knowledge, offering wise counsel, sound judgment, and steadfast discretion;

For fostering connection and collaboration across the community, strengthening relationships and advancing a shared sense of purpose;

For mentoring and uplifting colleagues with generosity of spirit, cultivating confidence, belonging, and professional growth in others;

For embodying the highest ideals of service鈥攚ith an unflappable spirit, a generous heart, and a sense of joy that uplifts those around her and carries the College forward, even in its most challenging moments;

For leadership that enables the success of the College鈥檚 most important work with insight, foresight, and exceptional care;

For bringing clarity to complexity and ensuring that the critical priorities of the College move forward with purpose and cohesion;

For being at the very heart of the College鈥檚 administration, reflecting in daily practice the values and spirit of the community we each serve;

Karen Angemi, chief of staff and secretary to the board of trustees, is hereby designated as a 2026 recipient of the Henry T. Mudd Prize.

Text of the Henry T. Mudd Prize citation awarded to Bill Alves

For a lifetime of devoted service to 无忧视频, marked by humility, generosity, and an extraordinary commitment to the life of this community;

For enriching the College through a vision of education that joins intellectual rigor with artistic expression, expanding what it means to learn, create, and belong at Harvey Mudd;

For steadfast dedication to students as a teacher and mentor, welcoming learners of all backgrounds into artistic practice and nurturing their confidence, imagination, and growth;

For leadership that has shaped not only programs and curriculum, but also elevated the place of the arts within the identity, culture, and mission of the College;

For opening sustained opportunities, over many years, for students, colleagues, and the broader community to encounter creativity, experimentation, and joy through the arts;

For a rare generosity of service, giving countless hours鈥攐ften quietly and without fanfare鈥攖o the performances, collaborations, and shared experiences that have enlivened this campus and connected it to the wider world;

For bringing to Harvey Mudd an extraordinary breadth of musical life, from recitals and ensembles to internationally recognized artists and innovative new forms of performance;

For helping to make this campus a home for music in all its range and possibility, shaping a vibrant artistic community whose reach extends across the Claremont Colleges and beyond;

For a quarter century of singular dedication to the musical life of 无忧视频, personally building a program of remarkable scope, creating hundreds of performances that have become a defining part of this community while also serving as a leading composer and establishing The Claremont Colleges as a global center for the avant-garde genre of microtonal music;

Bill Alves, Louisa and Robert Miller Professor of the Humanities, is hereby designated as a 2026 recipient of the Henry T. Mudd Prize.

A committee of staff and faculty reviewed nominations from the campus community and made selections for Outstanding Mudder, Distinguished Emerging Leader, Outstanding Student Organization, Res Life Community Builder of the Year, Student Award for Community Impact and Leadership, Program of the Year, Dean Sundberg Prize, Dorman Student Altruism Prize and Faculty and Staff Impact Awards.

Outstanding Mudder Award

Recognizes students who embody what it means to be a 鈥渨hole person鈥� at 无忧视频 by demonstrating creativity, leadership, teamwork, ethics, inclusion, community engagement, wellness and communication in both curricular and co-curricular endeavors.

Liesel Hilkemeyer 鈥�27

A nominator wrote, 鈥淭hey are such a powerful force for good and change in the Mudd community in many ways. From their co-curricular activities … to their academic achievements and their impact on the community, I think Liesel fully embodies what it means to be a scientist who is also educated in social sciences and the arts and makes the community they are part of (and the world) a better place.鈥�

Distinguished Emerging Leader Award

This award recognizes a first-year student or sophomore who is engaged in positive, community-building efforts, respected by peers, staff and faculty and exhibits great potential as a campus and community leader. Nominees demonstrate a commitment to leadership and service through participation in organizations that benefit the campus and/or off-campus community.

Ashlyn Green 鈥�28

鈥淎shlyn leads with the people she is leading in mind,鈥� said a nominator, 鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 take credit when things go well and she doesn鈥檛 point fingers when they don鈥檛. … Mudd reminds us a lot about the mission statement that 无忧视频 students should go on to make a real difference in the world, and I see Ashlyn embody this with everything she commits to. … Everything she does is oriented around impact, and I think that鈥檚 the kind of leadership Mudd should recognize.鈥�

Outstanding Student Organization

Given to a recognized student organization that makes a positive impact on campus or in the wider community and demonstrates integrity, leadership and teamwork while excelling in program planning and the leadership development of its members.

BLAM (Black Lives at Mudd)

BLAM is 无忧视频鈥檚 Black student organization that seeks to form a community of individuals in support of Black students at Mudd, celebrates Black culture and raises awareness about issues facing the Black community.

A nominator wrote, 鈥淏LAM provides a safe space for Black students at 无忧视频 and advocates for their rights. Meetings often include discussions about courses at Mudd and changes that can be made to improve them. BLAM also connects students to resources that can help Mudders do and be better and is a leader in asking for justice for victims of racial harm. They lead the charge in asking for equal treatment.鈥�

Program of the Year

This award recognizes a program or initiative that has made a meaningful contribution to the student experience and the Mudd community by engaging students, encouraging participation and creating impactful, memorable experiences. Nominees demonstrate a commitment to connection, learning and community building while fostering a sense of belonging and contributing positively to campus life.

Committee for Activities Planning (CAP) Black Market Flea Trip

CAP is a committee of the Associated Students of 无忧视频 and is responsible for encouraging students to partake in activities off campus.

A nominator wrote, 鈥淭he CAP Black Market Flea Trip created a space where students could come together, support small vendors and celebrate culture in an accessible way. The program emphasized inclusivity and belonging, encouraging participation from a wide range of students. By centering community and shared experience, it reflects Mudd鈥檚 commitment to collaboration and meaningful engagement. … As an event for Black History Month, it created a memorable and intentional experience that brought people together. Its success demonstrates both strong participation and lasting impact on the student experience.鈥�

Student Award for Community Impact and Leadership

Recognizes a student whose initiative, leadership and sustained commitment to service and civic engagement have strengthened communities and created meaningful change. Nominees demonstrate a dedication to working collaboratively with community partners, connecting their academic learning to real-world challenges and contributing in ways that emphasize mutual learning and shared impact.

Sayema Lubis 鈥�26

鈥淭hrough all her positions, Yema has served many of the affinity groups at Mudd, while also doing one of the hardest things you can to Mudders: making them go outside,鈥� a nominator wrote. 鈥滳oming up with things to entice our diverse, sunshine-averse student body is not an easy job, but she has done it time and time again to make sure we are actually taking care of our wellbeing and personal development. After all, it is only through new experiences that we can grow. … In all she does, she is unfailingly kind and understanding, and Mudd would not be the same without her.鈥�

Dean Sundberg Prize

Established by Dana Seaton 鈥�06, and with support from Warren Katzenstein 鈥�04 and Nate Yoder 鈥�06, the Dean Chris Sundberg Prize ($500) recognizes a rising junior who demonstrates exceptional leadership and a positive impact on the College community.

Megan Tran 鈥�28 

An excerpt from Megan鈥檚 nomination states, 鈥淢egan is compassionate to all of those around her, is a great leader across all her roles on campus and is a vibrant and friendly peer who brings energy everywhere she goes. She puts her heart into everything she does and you can feel her passion for the work she does when you speak with her about it. I always feel inspired by Megan when she talks about her interests and passions because it is amazing to see how Megan is so driven to keep doing what she loves and works even harder to make what she hasn鈥檛 accomplished happen no matter what challenges she has to face.鈥�

Dorman Student Altruism Prize

Established by the Dorman Family foundation, this award recognizes one graduating senior who is selected by their peers as the 鈥渙ne who has done the most for their fellow students.鈥� The awardee is selected based on nominations by student peers. The recipient of the Dorman Student Altruism Prize will receive a monetary award.

Kennetta Roebuck 鈥�26 

鈥淜ennetta embodies what the Harvey Mudd mission statement seeks to instill within its students,鈥� a nominee said. 鈥淪he seeks to include all first-years in her project even when doing so would slow down her process because she wants us to have a complete understanding of the science that is taking place and why we should care about it. Kennetta is extremely intelligent, and she has diligently thought of the impact that her work would have on society, choosing a climate major to be able to have a positive impact on the changing climate that looms over our planet. If Harvey Mudd seeks to educate scientists on how to be better scientists and have a better understanding of what their work means for society, Kennetta embodies that philosophy.鈥�

Res Life Community Builder of the Year

Recognizes student leaders who have gone above and beyond in creating a welcoming, supportive and inclusive residential community. This award honors a Proctor and Mentor who shows up consistently, leads with care and integrity and makes a meaningful difference in the everyday experience of their peers.

Abigail Samson 鈥�26, mentor

A nominator wrote, 鈥淎bby is a deeply welcoming, fun and understanding mentor to her mentees. … She continues to go beyond what is expected of her role by building genuine relationships with her mentees. Abby doesn鈥檛 just provide guidance but she fosters a sense of community and comfort, making it easier for new students to navigate Mudd both socially and academically. Her ability to balance warmth with reliability allows her mentees to trust her not only as a mentor, but as someone they can truly depend on. Through her actions, Abby strengthens the culture of collaboration and connection at Mudd, and her consistent care for others reflects a quiet but impactful form of excellence.鈥�

Amelia Acker 鈥�26, proctor

鈥淎melia is one of the most experienced and capable proctors on staff and manages a very hard job smoothly and effectively,鈥� a nominator wrote. 鈥淪he does an excellent job ensuring the safety and wellbeing of her residents, and she dedicates so much of herself to her job. 鈥� She is there for her residents in ways that she is not obligated to be, going above and beyond by accompanying them to medical appointments and urgent care, helping with obtaining academic and housing accommodations and emotional support well beyond the expectations of the role. Amelia has hugely impacted the East community by being such an amazing proctor and has done wonders in ensuring that everyone is safe, mitigating conflict between residents and fostering a welcoming community.鈥�

Faculty Impact Award

Awarded to a faculty member who goes above and beyond their roles to serve as mentors for students and student organizations, embodies Mudd values, demonstrates leadership in providing quality student support, promotes inclusion, fosters intellectual growth and encourages involvement in campus, local, national and global communities.

Leah Mendelson, professor of engineering

A nominator wrote, 鈥淧rof. Mendelson has been an outstanding advisor in many ways. She always goes above and beyond to support the academic and professional development of her students. She has helped shape the E4 program and has gotten many students excited about Mech E and real-world applications in mechanical design! On a more personal level, she has helped connect me to colleagues to talk to about grad school, given me advice on handling team conflicts and navigating tough decisions about academics and been an understanding and supportive research advisor. She cares so much about her students鈥� learning, and it shows!鈥�

Staff Impact Award

Recognizes a staff member for their positive contributions to the campus, their leadership and willingness to make a difference in the lives of students.

Robert Kingston, senior director, core technology services

A nominator shared that Robert always puts the community first. “Robert is typically the one with boots on the ground making sure the College is supported and critical systems are online.鈥�

This research focuses on the final chapter of Wilson鈥檚 book, which examines the National Day Projection Mapping Show (National Day SLS) at the presidential office building in Taipei. The building, constructed in the Japanese colonial era, is a symbol of national pride in Taiwan, similar to the White House in the United States. Using cutting-edge projection technology and original soundtracks and narrations, this annual event transforms the building into a canvas for contemporary Taiwanese identity, shaping viewer understanding of culture and citizenship.

During his summer research, Wilson aims to secure interviews with key creative figures behind the show, including lead designer Agi Chen and composer Wang Hsi-wen. By gaining these insider perspectives, he hopes to shed light on how this spectacle of nationhood is assembled and how it articulates values like democracy, environmental stewardship and inclusion.

In Wilson鈥檚 previous interviews with Taiwanese audience members at the National Day SLS, people expressed the desire that this vision of Taiwan would reach a global audience. He hopes his scholarly account might increase Western understanding of the formation of contemporary Taiwanese identity.

To that end, in fall 2026, Harvey Mudd students will have the opportunity to take Wilson鈥檚 course Documents of an Island Nation: Taiwan through Documentary, Film, and Music, which will be taught in parallel with a course at National Taiwan University via the virtual workspace Gather.Town (provided with support from the Alumni Association Board of Governors). Harvey Mudd students and those in Taiwan will meet online throughout the semester to explore diverse viewpoints. At the end of the semester, HMC students will meet their Taiwanese counterparts in person when they travel to Taiwan for a winter break study tour, arranged by Wilson and Sarah Repetto, assistant dean for study abroad. 

Kavassalis and the research team focus on solving an enduring challenge: Despite decades of progress to improve air quality, ozone pollution remains a persistent health risk to Southern Californians. They are examining how volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by native plants, particularly California coastal sage scrub species, interact with nitrogen oxide pollution from transportation and industrial sources to influence ozone formation. The Los Angeles region was once covered by coastal sage scrub, but now it exists primarily in fragmented urban and coastal patches. These native ecosystems are critical for maintaining biodiversity and strengthening climate resilience.

Some native plants can emit highly reactive compounds that may accelerate ozone formation under certain urban conditions, especially during extreme heat. The team aims to identify when natural plant emissions do not meaningfully influence air quality, helping support restoration and urban greening efforts that protect both ecosystem health and community air quality. Their work could help reshape how native vegetation is incorporated into urban landscapes and may ensure that restoration and greening efforts deliver climate, water and biodiversity benefits to support healthier air for communities across Southern California.

The research connects atmospheric chemistry, plant ecology and policy, which can offer interdisciplinary opportunities that can exist even beyond the grant鈥檚 continuance. Field measurements will be conducted at the Bernard Field Station in Claremont, which hosts the only AmeriFlux tower in Los Angeles County. This tower, referred to as US-BFS, measures carbon and water exchange over the coastal sage scrub habitat. Laboratory analysis will be paired with ecosystem-scale measurements to build a more complete picture of how plant emissions respond to heat and droughts along with other common environmental drivers.

Kavassalis and the research team aim to identify distinct emission patterns among individual plants during the project period, quantify how these emissions affect the surrounding atmosphere and develop a public archive of coastal sage scrub VOC emissions for use in regional and state air quality modeling. A project goal is to produce easily digestible, culturally valued planting guidance to help cities and decision-makers select lower-emission plant variants while maintaining biodiversity and saving water.

The project provides hands-on experience in environmental chemistry, ecology and policy-relevant science, with undergraduate training incorporated throughout. The work is designed to support decision-making agencies, such as the California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, while contributing to broader efforts to understand urban air quality in a changing climate.

Co-authors Johnson, Aaron L. Odom, Remi Beaulac, Mitch R. Smith, James K. McCusker and Chip Nataro designed the textbook to fill a longstanding gap in chemistry education: a single, cohesive resource that goes beyond introductory inorganic texts while remaining more accessible and pedagogically grounded than highly specialized graduate monographs.

鈥淭his book was designed to fill a niche where there haven鈥檛 been many options,鈥� said Johnson, Ray and Mary Ingwersen Professor of Chemistry and chair of Harvey Mudd鈥檚 Department of Chemistry. 鈥淭here are good introductory inorganic books, and there are good, advanced topic books, but not an advanced, comprehensive textbook that prepares students for research.鈥�

A Decade-Long Collaboration Rooted in the Chemistry Community

The origins of the book trace back to an American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting in San Diego 10 years ago, when Johnson was first approached by co-author and former graduate school colleague Aaron Odom about joining the project.
Johnson said, 鈥淲e felt that having authors from both R1 and primarily undergraduate institutions would be a strong selling point for the text.鈥�

Over time, the author list expanded to include leaders across multiple subdisciplines of inorganic chemistry. Johnson鈥檚 longtime collaborator Chip Nataro joined the project as well, building on nearly two decades of shared work on the teaching resource website ionicviper.org.

Research-driven, Current and Pedagogically Grounded

Johnson began researching his chapters shortly after that initial ACS meeting, with the bulk of the writing completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. He authored the chapters on organometallic chemistry, his primary research area, as well as bioinorganic chemistry, a field he worked in during his postdoctoral training at UC Berkeley.

鈥淩elearning bioinorganic chemistry at a deeper level allowed me to see the similarities between the two fields,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚t really highlighted the importance of the local structure around a metal atom in dictating its reactivity. We have a lot to learn from biology, and these naturally evolved proteins improve our own ability to have such strong control over reactivity in a laboratory-synthesized metal complex.鈥�

Across all chapters, the authors prioritized currency and connection to the primary literature. Johnson鈥檚 chapters include references through 2024鈥斺�渁s current as a textbook can be,鈥� he noted. 鈥淲e wanted students to see what inorganic chemistry actually looks like today.鈥�

Bridging Coursework and Research

The book emphasizes the development of bonding theories that go beyond introductory chemistry, including ligand field theory and symmetry concepts taught alongside group theory and projection operators.

鈥淭his level of theory is important to explain chemical reactivity, structure and spectroscopy of metal complexes, which is what the majority of inorganic chemists study,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淏ut we also outline current research efforts across the discipline, from making new materials for gas separations, to catalysts to make pharmaceuticals, to understanding how platinum anticancer drugs work.鈥�

Johnson particularly enjoyed writing about one of his favorite topics: molecular orbital theory. 鈥淭his textbook has several chapters that build on knowledge from first-year chemistry to develop molecular orbital theory such that it can be applied to more complex systems. Then, the book uses this theory extensively to explain observed reactivity and spectroscopy.鈥�

To support both instructors and students, the textbook includes advanced optional topics, extensive worked examples, end-of-chapter problems tied to the primary literature and a full answer key.

A Teaching Perspective Informed by PUI and R1 Faculty

Johnson believes the mix of perspectives among the authors is one of the book鈥檚 greatest strengths.

鈥淔aculty at primarily undergraduate institutions tend to think deeply about teaching and pedagogy鈥攈ow material is presented and received by students,鈥� he said. 鈥淩1 faculty often focus more on research opportunities and pushing the frontiers of science. Having both perspectives in one book allows more breadth of how the material will be presented.鈥�

Cottrell Scholars鈥痑re chosen through a rigorous peer-review process of applications from public and private research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions in the United States and Canada. Their award proposals incorporate both research and science education.

“It’s exciting to become a part of and interact with a remarkable group of scholars across many different fields and interests, particularly at a time when federal funding for science is so uncertain,” Tamayo said. “This grant will allow us to integrate some of our group’s recent theoretical developments into our open-source numerical packages and probe the chaotic early phases of planetary systems’ lives. This will help elucidate the dominant physical processes shaping the orbital configurations that planetary systems settle into, which we can test against the large and rapidly expanding demographics of planetary systems discovered around other stars.

Planetary Systems Research

Each planetary system that is discovered orbiting another star is the product of a sequence of violent rearrangements through interplanetary collisions and ejections, which presumably has reached a long-term stable configuration. Yet, understanding whether a given orbital configuration of planets will lead to collisions or be long-term stable, remains a major unsolved problem.

Through this Cottrell Scholars Award, Tamayo will combine recent theoretical developments in the dynamics driving such instabilities with machine learning methods to develop an interpretable stability classifier and apply these tools to better understand the planet formation process. Researchers will leverage the rapidly growing ecosystem of open-source astrophysics codes to develop numerical demonstrations and homework exercises for an upper-level introduction to astrophysics survey course. These educational materials will be publicly hosted and will provide students around the world with hands-on learning activities and a practical on-ramp into the numerical tools used in cutting-edge astronomical research.

鈥淭his is an exceptional cohort of teacher鈥憇cholars whose innovative work fuels discovery across the physical sciences,鈥� said Eric Isaacs, president and CEO of RCSA. 鈥淭heir insights and energy will strengthen a 600鈥憁ember network of researchers, leaders and mentors dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge while shaping the future of science and science teaching in the United States and Canada.鈥�

What is your favorite part about your job and why?

It鈥檚 such a cliche to say the best thing about Harvey Mudd is the people, but the thing is, the people really are the best! My colleagues on the faculty, our staff members and our students are all pulling toward this beautiful goal of putting knowledge into the world and lifting each other up as we do so. I also love that moment when I鈥檓 chatting with a student about something super complicated, and I can see in their face when they start to understand it. It鈥檚 heartwarming.

What is something people don鈥檛 understand about your job that you wish they did?

People outside Harvey Mudd are always asking me what I do with my 鈥渟ummers off.鈥� I do research for nearly the entire summer, so the summers off are kind of a myth.

If you could swap jobs with any other HMC employee for a day, who would it be and why?

I鈥檇 enjoy being in dining services and handing people these absolutely beautiful salads that you can tailor exactly the way you want. I always have a huge smile on my face when I get this amazing salad, and I鈥檇 love to be the one making that happen for people.

If you could add anything to campus to improve the employee experience, what would it be?

A swimming pool!

What鈥檚 your favorite food/dish in the Hoch-Shanahan Dining Hall?

Fernando鈥檚 spicy dressing! Fernando is my hero. On top of the fancy salad, it is just the best.

What HMC events have made you feel really connected to other HMC colleagues?

When I started in 2016, it was common for faculty members to grab lunch at the dining hall and sit on the upper deck. You could wander up there and there would always be fellow faculty members to sit with. I got to know a lot of faculty members that I would never have otherwise interacted with that way. It was also amazing to have these really experienced colleagues offering advice and encouragement. They were all so wise and really helped me as I launched my courses and my research program.

What is your favorite hobby, activity or creative outlet?

I鈥檝e played the violin since I was 5, and I took a break from playing for a while when I started my job here because I was just so overwhelmed. I鈥檓 just getting back into playing chamber music, and it feels like a balm. I also got jealous of my daughter鈥檚 ballet lessons, so I, too, signed up for ballet lessons. It turns out that ballet is hard.

What is the best piece of advice someone has given you, either in life or at work?

Showing up is so important. If you show up to the thing, you are 90% on your way to success.

What is your most effective strategy for dealing with stress?

Swimming laps. Something about flip turns just really calms me down.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it at work?

I would create all the time I need to help all the people I want to help!

Are you studying or learning something new?

I am trying to learn to dance. It鈥檚 a nice activity because there are no screens involved.

What book or podcast are you enjoying right now?

I recently read Charles Dickens鈥� David Copperfield and Barbara Kingsolver鈥檚 Demon Copperhead (the modern retelling) at the same time. I alternated chapters (they have the same number). Both books were amazing, and it was so interesting to see Kingsolver update the Dickens to the modern opioid crisis. I learned a lot from both books about perseverance and survival in the most difficult circumstances.

What is the last concert you attended?

Does the Nutcracker count as a concert? I took my 5-year-old and she was a fan. Can鈥檛 beat Tchaikovsky and pirouettes!

The Bridge Award is a prestigious follow-on grant designed to catalyze the continued research and leadership of outstanding teacher-scholars. This first-time emergency initiative by the RCSA is intended to help stabilize strong research programs that have experienced disruptions due to abrupt changes to their federal funding. Shuve is one of only 11 Cottrell Scholars nationwide to receive this recognition, marking a significant milestone in a trajectory that began when he was first named a Cottrell Scholar in 2021. 无忧视频, a recent recipient of the Carnegie Classification for 鈥淩esearch Colleges and Universities,” is the only undergraduate-only institution and one of two non-R1 institutions to receive this grant ( institutions are those with the highest level of research [at least $50 million each year]).

Advancing the Search for Dark Matter

The 2021 Cottrell Scholar Award supported Shuve鈥檚 foundational project, “Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry from Dark Matter Freeze-In,” which addresses dark matter and matter-antimatter asymmetry. The project is based on in which the production and scattering of dark matter shortly after the Big Bang has a back-reaction effect that can generate an excess of matter over antimatter and hence explains why humans are made of particles and not anti-particles. Shuve identified a number of new theoretical and experimental studies that will provide a more complete picture of how scientists can test theories of dark matter and the matter-antimatter asymmetry.

The new RCSA Bridge Award will allow Shuve and his students to expand this research, further investigating new ways in which current and future experiments can test the mechanisms of dark matter and other theoretical models. Shuve鈥檚 work is highly collaborative, integrating undergraduate researchers into high-level computational modeling and theoretical analysis.

鈥淭his award will support my group’s ongoing work to uncover possible signatures of dark matter or other particles that may be hiding in the debris of high-energy atom smashers,鈥� said Shuve, a faculty member since 2016. 鈥淚n one case, we are studying ways in which the Higgs boson, the most recently discovered but one of the least understood elementary particles, could be hiding interesting new particles amongst its decays. This research will be done by HMC students, including summer students who will be supported by the award. The award will also allow us to deepen collaborations with experimentalists working at CERN or other labs, and provide travel funding for students to present their work at conferences and connect with members of our broader research community.鈥�

Beyond his theoretical research, Shuve鈥檚 2021 grant supported an educational initiative to bridge the gap between introductory concepts and high-level abstraction in the course Theoretical Mechanics. By developing interactive digital applets, Shuve provided students with a way to visualize and manipulate the complex mathematical objects used to solve advanced problems in gravity and mechanics. These tools allow students to connect abstract theoretical methods with familiar physical concepts like force and acceleration, creating a vital resource for advanced physics pedagogy both at Harvey Mudd and peer institutions.

无忧视频 for a Better World

The receipt of this award comes at a pivotal moment as the College implements its strategic plan, 无忧视频 for a Better World鈥擧MC Strategy 2025-2035. The Bridge Award directly supports the College鈥檚 commitment to being a “distinguished institution that enforces a creative interplay of 无忧视频 and the liberal arts to graduate problem solvers for some of the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges.”

By pushing the boundaries of fundamental science, Shuve鈥檚 lab embodies the strategic goal of “impactful research and discovery.” His work instills curiosity about the universe while training students in high-performance computing, critical thinking, communication and complex problem-solving鈥攁ll necessary to help tackle the “global challenges” outlined in the College鈥檚 strategic plan.

Continuing a Legacy of Excellence

Since 1994, RCSA has honored teacher-scholars who demonstrate excellence in both original research and institutional leadership. Shuve鈥檚 2021 award included both a research component and an educational initiative to improve physics pedagogy. The 2026 Bridge Award ensures that this dual commitment to discovery and education continues to thrive at Harvey Mudd, contributing to the 鈥渃limate of innovation鈥� that is a hallmark of the Harvey Mudd community.

The Kavli scholarship supports researchers in physics who are faculty at teaching-intensive, non-PhD-granting U.S. colleges with a heavy emphasis on teaching and research activity. 

鈥淥ne of the most exciting aspects of the KITP scholarship is that I will have the opportunity to meet and interact with scientists I would not generally have the opportunity to come across,鈥� Ibarra Garc铆a Padilla says. 鈥淚 am looking forward to being in a space to share ideas with other physicists and start new collaborations.鈥�

Through his research on quantum many-body physics, Ibarra Garc铆a Padilla aims to understand the collective behavior of a large number of interacting quantum particles. 鈥淭hese interactions can create entirely new kinds of matter and display behaviors that you鈥檇 never see with just one particle,鈥� he says. 

Ibarra Garc铆a Padilla says the Kavli Institute scholarship will allow him to bring new ideas and research directions to his Harvey Mudd research group and classes, noting the strong and genuine interest HMC physics majors have in conducting meaningful research. 

鈥淥n the teaching side, students like finding links between the topics we cover in class and cutting-edge physics research, and this fellowship will allow me to do so more frequently,鈥� says Ibarra Garc铆a Padilla. 鈥淥n the mentoring side, I’ll be able to offer more research opportunities where students can develop their skills as scientists and make important contributions to the physics community.鈥�

Lower-income areas of Los Angeles face persistent teacher shortages. School districts struggle to fill vacancies with fully credentialed teachers, particularly in 无忧视频 subjects. As a result, students across the region face inequal access to engaging and challenging math learning opportunities, creating barriers to further pursuing 无忧视频 subjects or careers. Teachers can have a significant impact on student learning and can be important change agents within their schools and districts.

鈥淭he working conditions for teachers are the learning conditions for students,鈥� says Yong, an award winning educator, author and researcher of effective strategies for teaching and learning mathematics in higher education. This is his 10th NSF grant supporting work to enhance teacher quality, retention and empowerment as well as student learning.

The 无忧视频 Corps Pilot Program is the result of a collaboration of Math for America Los Angeles, UCLA Mathematics Project and the Cal Poly Pomona Mathematics Project. 鈥淭he program brings together people from higher education institutions across Southern California who have expertise in providing teacher professional development,鈥� says Yong. 鈥淲e wanted to combine our forces to do something larger that would serve the needs of math teachers in the greater Los Angeles area. The grant is also a chance for me to get to work with people that I have long respected in our area.鈥�

The program aims to heighten 无忧视频 learning experiences for all students (particularly those who have historically been marginalized from 无忧视频 fields), to promote the retention of excellent 无忧视频 teachers, to elevate the 无忧视频 teaching profession and to develop teacher leaders. Two cohorts of 30 teachers will each receive an annual $20,000 stipend, time for teacher collaboration, on-site coaching, funding for supplies and travel to conferences.

鈥淏y raising teachers up to be leaders in their schools and providing them with the resources to be leaders, we can make a difference in the math education that students receive,鈥� says Yong. 鈥淭he grant is a huge encouragement that the work that we are doing is important and needed.鈥�

The program鈥檚 impact is anticipated to grow beyond the cohorts. If one cohort teacher reaches 120 students a year, the 30 corps members are anticipated to reach 14,400 students during four years of support. The hope is that each cohort member will mentor other teachers and bring about systemic changes in their schools and districts to broaden access to high-quality math education.