Comments on: Clive Dym

By: DR Y M Ghugal, India

DR Y M Ghugal, India — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 05:22:30 +0000

He has excellently written the Solid Mechanics book which I am referring for my research work. He is a very outstanding teacher.

By: Elizabeth Johansen

Elizabeth Johansen — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:50:44 +0000

As an engineer in class of 2001, I was interested in a class more focused on product design because I had set my sights on a job at IDEO. Prof Dym and Prof Little created an independent study opportunity for me in which I helped design a device to help a disabled child in the Claremont community. This experience really set the entire course for my career. I scored that job at IDEO, and now I am using the product design skills I started to learn during the independent study to design affordable medical devices to benefit communities in developing countries. My first product launch is Design that Matters’ Firefly newborn phototherapy which has now treated over 100,000 newborns. The impact this device has had is partly due to the impact Prof Dym and Little had on me at that early stage.

By: Paul Steinberg

Paul Steinberg — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 17:41:55 +0000

Clive and I met by chance in the cafeteria one day soon after my arrival at Harvey Mudd in 2003, and decided to lunch together. We observed with some humor how easy it is for new faculty, and those near retirement, to ignore one another. In the ensuing years, we developed a friendship that filled me with admiration. Whether whipping me at poker, offering advice on how to work with publishers, or sharing his wonderfully dry sense of humor, Clive was always a joy to be around.

By: Mack Gilkeson

Mack Gilkeson — Mon, 30 May 2016 03:49:50 +0000

As an emeritus prof of engineering, I came to know Clive through our joint interest in improving the teaching of engineering design, particularly through the Engineering Clinic. As it developed, Clive, Rich Phillips, earlier T. T. Woodson, and I became deeply involved in preparing an application for the National Academy of Engineering prestigious Gordon prize. Ultimate success in gaining for HMC the 2014 prize was principally due to Clive’s skill in marshaling data and especially in employing his writing skills. A major figure in the continuing development of HMC.

By: Jeff Groves

Jeff Groves — Sat, 28 May 2016 16:52:48 +0000

Clive was a good colleague and a dear friend. I admired so many things about Clive:
–His willingness to argue a position, but also his ability to reflect on that argument and change his mind if that were warranted.
–His love of travel and interest in the world around him.
–His inherently collaborative nature. In particular, I had the great pleasure of teaching a writing course with him several years ago, and working very closely with Clive was a wonderful, memorable experience.
–His physical tenacity. In the face of many illnesses in his life, Clive bounced back again and again, and that tenacity continues to inspire me.
–And, of course, I admired Clive’s intelligence and wit.
It’s fair to say that I also disagreed with Clive on a lot of issues that came up at the college over time. He was a man of strong opinions. But that we could disagree and remain good friends says a great deal about his character and his commitment to the college.
Goodbye, my friend. I’ll miss you.

By: Sam Tanenbaum

Sam Tanenbaum — Fri, 13 May 2016 22:01:10 +0000

Clive Dym was a good friend and a truly unique faculty member. He was always fun to talk to–especially when he was expressing a strong and possibly unpopular opinion. He was a wonderful fit for Harvey Mudd because he believed design is an intellectually valid discipline and the key distinction between engineers and scientists. This key role for design is now widely accepted by engineering departments across the country, but just a few decades ago it was viewed as a radical idea embraced by Harvey Mudd and just a few other schools.

Clive’s list of publications is truly amazing. He wrote easily and was fun to work with on a publication, but he also set very high standards for his written work. He was the author of 13 textbooks, and seven other HMC faculty members served as co-authors on four of them. Nearly as remarkable was his organization and leadership of seven Mudd Design Workshops that were held every other summer from 1997 until 2011. Each workshop presentation was carefully collected, edited and brought to publication by Clive. Throughout his career Clive also maintained an active research program that led to 93 refereed journal articles and a comparable number of reports, conference presentations, and other publications.

I was the dean of faculty when Clive was hired. His salary at University of Massachusetts was more than we could offer, but he knew that Harvey Mudd’s commitment to engineering design was a perfect match for him. So he accepted our salary offer, and I think he never regretted his decision to come to Claremont. In all, he was a wonderfully productive faculty member, and we were fortunate to have him as a colleague.

By: Jacqueline El-Sayed

Jacqueline El-Sayed — Thu, 12 May 2016 20:11:55 +0000

Clive held such an integral, special place at Mudd. I particularly remember Clive’s insights at the Sustainable Design Conference conversations during my time as Mudd’s ACE Fellow ’09. He will be greatly missed.

By: Art Benjamin

Art Benjamin — Thu, 12 May 2016 15:56:19 +0000

Clive always treated me with kindness and respect. I shall miss him considerably.

By: Alex Cohan

Alex Cohan — Wed, 11 May 2016 20:27:55 +0000

Clive was an amazing professor.

By: Barry Olsan

Barry Olsan — Wed, 11 May 2016 17:11:31 +0000

Clive’s accomplishments are truly amazing. There’s no doubt that the engineers that took his design courses were able to apply what they learned to hundreds of successful Engineering Clinic Projects. It was a great pleasure knowing Clive these past 17 years.