Happy Hochsgiving, Mudders |
Each fall, dining services hosts a student-favorite—Hochsgiving. The team prepares delectable fare, like roast turkey and ham (and vegetarian “meat” options), mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, fresh bread and cheese, pies, a chocolate fountain and, this year’s special, bananas flambé. Students gather and feast while enjoying the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. “My favorite part is seeing how happy they are—watching them laugh, enjoy a great meal and forget about academics for a moment,” says Miguel Ruvalcaba, senior director for dining services and facilities events, who has overseen the event for 16 years. “If we can help create that joy, it makes all the work meaningful.”
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Keeping our campus clean and our community safe and nourished is no small feat. In the November issue of the Mudd Minute, President Nembhard expresses her gratitude for two hardworking campus units—dining services, and facilities and maintenance—the heartbeat of Harvey Mudd College, she says.
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A grant from BeamNetUS gave the NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes Clinic team an opportunity to test their project design on an advanced beam accelerator at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The students’ research will be used by Northstar in the advancement of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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Students in the lab led by Assistant Professor of Chemistry Colm Healy conduct research at the interface of physical, inorganic and materials chemistry. Select the headline link to watch a YouTube Short of Healy discussing how first years are working hands-on with metal-organic frameworks, subjects of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
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President Nembhard is an inductee into Arizona State University’s Engineering Hall of Fame. Honored for championing education that nurtures compassionate innovators to build a better world, she said in her acceptance speech, “More than ever, the world needs our students’ creativity, resilience and willingness to lead with both head and heart.”
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Save the Date! Family Weekend 2026 |
All of us at Harvey Mudd are sincerely grateful for you, our Mudder families, and the Parent Leadership Council. Please know that we deeply value your commitment, advocacy and support. Thank you for being a vital part of the Harvey Mudd community!
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Mudd Parents’ Picks: The Best of Visiting HMC |
Whether you're a frequent visitor or planning your first trip to Claremont, there are great places to discover around campus. We asked fellow Mudd parents to share their go-to spots and favorite activities that highlight the best of Claremont and beyond. Do you have any favorite places you would like to share?
Area attractions. Start with a scenic hike at Claremont Wilderness Park or explore the rugged beauty of Mt. Baldy’s trails, like Icehouse Canyon. For a seasonal treat, head to the California Botanic Garden in spring—nature truly shines here. For a taste of local history, the California Citrus State Historic Park in Riverside offers a fascinating look into the area’s citrus heritage. History buffs will love the Mission Inn’s grand architecture and stories from Riverside’s early days. Or, simply unwind at Claremont’s Back Abbey and stroll through some of the 5C campuses’ lovely gardens, like the Margaret Fowler Garden at Scripps.
A day in Claremont. Grab a bite to eat while catching up on life at the College, stroll through Claremont’s neighborhoods or let your student take the lead on the day’s adventure. There’s always something special to do together. You can never go wrong with a relaxing meal, exploring the local farmer’s market, a visit to the Benton Art Museum at Pomona College or a bike ride to soak up the area’s beautiful surroundings.
Additional tips and advice. Take it easy and enjoy the time you have together—sometimes all your student needs is a break. Offer a few options, but don’t overplan—even a casual day around campus or a meal together can be just right. For dining, downtown Claremont has some fantastic spots, but check in advance to see if reservations are required, especially on weekends. Wear comfortable shoes for exploring the village and the 5C campuses, and stay flexible—your student has a busy schedule.
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Princeton PhD student and 2024 LeRoy Apker Award recipient Eritas Yang ’24 is contributing her physical intuition and numerical skills to the study of a new dwarf planet (2017 OF201) whose orbit raises questions about the presence of a hypothetical Planet Nine.
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Your generosity and involvement help Harvey Mudd students thrive. Thank you for supporting the College’s annual fund. Your gifts enrich student experiences at Mudd, allowing us to develop resources and opportunities that foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
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Students in Prof. Matina Donaldson-Matasci′s Bee Lab at Harvey Mudd study how animal groups evolve to coordinate behavior. Recently, that exploration included finding the largest (up to 10 mm) and smallest (up to 2.5 mm) ants on campus. The most invasive? Argentine, which have been eradicating colonies of other species across the region.
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For nearly two decades, Jude and Eileen Laspa Professor of Engineering Lori Bassman has led students in cutting-edge metallurgy research, with a recent focus on developing safer metal alloys. Her collaborative work with an Australian university, students and global partners may help transform the plumbing industry.
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Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne Delivers Lecture and Connects with Mudd Community |
In the final Nelson Speaker Series lecture of the semester, Nobel laureate and theoretical physicist Kip Thorne presented, “My Half-Century Quest, with a Thousand Colleagues, to Create Gravitational Wave Astronomy.”
Thorne revealed that the effort to detect gravitational ripples in spacetime created by colliding black holes was one of the most technically challenging and high-risk scientific projects ever undertaken. He helped bring some of the concepts of this work to life in the movie Interstellar. Thorne described how making an equatorial slice through a black hole creates two surfaces that are warped in a higher dimensional space—the fifth dimension. “Here, space and time are so highly warped that Einstein’s general relativity fails,” he said. Thorne delved into the nature of black holes, exploring their strange and complex behaviors and describing how space and time behave differently near black holes by slowing near the event horizon and twisting space with the black hole′s rotation.
Watch the lecture on Harvey Mudd College’s YouTube channel. (Photo by Max Buchanan ’26)
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The campus community enjoyed the annual Halloween costume contest held by the Division of Student Affairs. Faculty and staff from the Department of Physics won the group category prize for their X-Men-themed costumes.
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The College will offer a diverse mix of courses that serve current students, visiting college students and advanced high school students. The session runs May 26–July 24. Select the headline link to add your name to the interest list.
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Despite their best efforts—including an assist by Stella Gajar ’29 on a block to fight off a match point— Athenas volleyball (20–8) fell to Babson in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The team will return 15 of its 17 players next season. Seven Stags football (5–5) players earned All-SCIAC honors, including running back Cooper Nixon ’27 (first team) and defensive lineman Grady Johnson ’27 (second team). Select the headline link for the latest CMS Athletics news.
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This year, The Claremont Colleges mark 100 years of collaborative excellence and celebrate a shared legacy and vibrant future. Throughout the academic year, a variety of special events will spotlight the distinct missions, cultures and contributions of our seven member institutions and celebrate the collaborative spirit that unites them. Select the headline link to explore historical information and upcoming events.
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Mudd Matter of Fact:
Making it Big Time |
In the fall of 1958, Time magazine ran a story on “The Rise of Harvey Mudd.” With just 17 faculty members and 118 students, the College was much too young to have real tradition, the publication noted. But the curriculum was lauded as well-rounded, with 35% of studies focused on humanities surpassing such requirements at M.I.T. and Caltech. “We need creative, responsible scientists and engineers,” said Founding President Joseph Platt. “The ability to judge values will be just as important to them as the techniques of their trades. The humanities develop this kind of judgment.”
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 Mudd in the Media
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 Alums in the Media
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 Selected Events
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Nov. 27–30 Ι Thanksgiving Recess
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Dec. 5 Ι Last day of classes
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Dec. 8–Dec. 12 Ι Final exams
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Dec. 13 Ι Residence halls close at 8 a.m. for winter break
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Dec. 22–Jan. 4 Ι Winter break; campus closed
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Jan. 6 Ι Fall grades viewable on portal
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No. 10 Best National Liberal Arts College –U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2026 | No. 2 Best Undergraduate Engineering Program –U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2026 | No. 13 Most Innovative Schools –U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2026 | No. 20 Best Liberal Arts College –Washington Monthly College Guide and Rankings 2025 | No. 4 Highest Mid-Career Salaries –PayScale’s College Salary Report | No. 1 Best Schools for Return on Investment –PayScale’s College ROI Report
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