WORLD CHANGERS Alumni Impact ﬁ Nance, Design and Medicine | 20

SPRING 2014 WORLD CHANGERS Alumni impact ﬁ nance, design and medicine | 20

16 YOUTH AND WISDOM UNITE

26 ENGINEERING ART

32 KNOW WHEN SLEEPING DOGS LIE IMPRESSIONS All Systems Go

The site of a fi erce duel for mining rights, Moonbase Epsilon “sits atop the universe's largest reserves of epsilonium, a rare compound useful in making very small things such as microcon- trollers, nanomachines and hats for gnomes.” The more friendly than fi erce competition to stake a claim on this fi ctitious land took place during the E11 Autonomous Vehicles class, a hands-on, interdisciplinary introduction to mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering, computer science, design, systems and controls. Students built their robots with the ability to bump-touch station sensors or transmit codes to claim as many as possible. Christopher Clark, associate professor of engineering (blue shirt), says “E11 provides many HMC students with their fi rst experience building a real system from parts, programming it to provide intelligence and applying it to accomplish a task. It can be an incredibly empowering experience for them.” Pictured are Phuong Nguyen ’17, Senghor Joseph ’17, Savannah Baron ’17, Sherman Lam ’16, Rebecca Thomas ’14, Clark, Cyrus Huang ’16, Kyle Lund ’17 and Daniel McCabe ’17.

SPRING 2014 1 FROM THE PRESIDENTPRESIDENT CONTENTS Big Picture Each of us infl uences the world in large and small ways. As an artist, I think of these Features changes as small splashes of color on a canvas. Inches away from it, you can’t see the beauty of the big picture. It’s only when you step back and refocus that you begin to see how each individual stroke joins with its neighbors to form something compelling. Harvey Mudd is a lot like that. Each of us, in our own way, strives to do something positive with the gifts we’ve been given. Taken individually, these may seem like very small things. However, when you step back and look at everything this College and its 20 graduates have achieved since our founding, the result is incredible. Watch Out World Take, for instance, the impact of our extraordinary friend and longstanding trustee Norm Sprague III, who passed away on March 14. Th e grandson of our namesake, Armed with strong technical experience Harvey S. Mudd, he had served as a board member for 35 years. Although he never and training, supportive mentors, passion attended the College, Norm, through his many years of service, had a lasting impact. In and determination, three Mudders make 2010, the Alumni Association honored him with its Lifetime Recognition Award. At the a difference. time, he said that Harvey Mudd wasn’t an easy place from which to graduate, but that “those of you who have done so have earned something really special.” He was right. Norm witnessed fi rsthand the positive impact this College has on its students. He also saw the impact our students and alumni have on the world. In this issue of the magazine, we profi le three alumni who are making their own special mark upon the world. Andrew Lees ’76 helps explore new, lower-cost vaccination 26 options, while Elizabeth Johansen ’01 helps design innovative medical devices—both are working to bring better treatment options to the developing world. Mahesh Engineering Art Kotecha ’70 helps fi nd secure development capital for African countries to power infra- An artist at heart, Erika structure and other improvements. Learn more about their stories beginning on Adams ’95 designs for Page 20. the mind and soul. To ensure a steady stream of STEM leaders like Andrew, Elizabeth and Mahesh, Harvey Mudd launched the public phase of its comprehensive fundraising campaign— Harvey Mudd is on a mission—with an aggressive goal to raise $150 million toward supporting key priorities identifi ed in our strategic vision. We celebrated the public launch with a wonderful event that included a panel of faculty, trustees and students discussing the impact the College has had on their lives and their work. We continued the launch with regional celebrations in cities across the country (see our Flickr site for event photos, hmc.edu/fl ickr-sets). We are proud to announce that in the last two years, the College has quietly raised $103 million toward its campaign goal. Your generous gifts have made a tremendous impact on Harvey Mudd’s ability to carry out its mission. Th rough campaign support, we have expanded our engineering program by hiring Departments Kash Gokli, who specializes in manufacturing (see Page 8). More recently, with the supporsupportt of our alumni and friends,frien we have created two new endowed faculty chairs— oneone in humanitiehumanities,s social sciences and the arts and a second in computer 04 COLLEGE NEWS 14 STUDENT NEWS sciencscience.e. LearnLearn more on Page 10. HaHarveyr Mudd remains committed to its founding mission to educateeducate sscientists, engineers and mathematicians who are well 08 FACULTY NEWS 18 SPACE STUDY versed in ttheh liberal arts and who understand the impact of their work on sosociety.c Th is commitment drives our strategic vision and 11 COLLABORATION 28 MUDDERINGS continues ttoo fuel our ambitious goals, both colorful and compelling.

12 MY MUDD LIFE 32 CLASS NOTES

Maria Klawe, President, Harvey Mudd College SPRING 2014 Heard Online VOLUME 12, NO. 2 Conversations on Harvey Mudd social media

Facebook, Jan. 31, 2014: Responses to our post about the Gaebler family arti- The Harvey Mudd College Magazine is cle in the fall/winter magazine. We noted that the Gaebler family holds the record produced three times per year by the Ofﬁ ce of with six family members who've attended Harvey Mudd. Communications and Marketing Director of Communications, Senior Editor So what, four more and they get the 11th free? Stephanie L. Graham Hi Dave! Hi Rob! –Eric Harley ’04 Art Director Janice Gilson And I bet they all got in on their own merit instead of through some sort of wacky legacy Graphic Designer admit policy. Yes, I’m looking at you Ivy Robert Vidaure Leagues! –Jen Lindsay ’02 Contributing Writers Amy DerBedrosian, K. Emily Hutta, Doug McInnis, Their mother is looking down on them with Chris Quirk, Elaine Regus, Shari Roan, Tamara the satisfaction of a job well done. Loved this Savage ’15, Mara Watkins, Koren Wetmore article! –Brenna McDonnell McNamara Proofreaders Eric Feezell, Kelly Lauer

We welcome your Contributing Photographers posts and tweets. harveymuddcollege harveymudd Seth Affoumado, Webb Chappell, Margarita Corporan, Keenan Gilson, Anil Kapahi, Cheryl Ogden, Julie Woodward

Vice President for Advancement Dan Macaluso Feedback Assistant Vice President of Opinions about the content of Harvey Mudd College Magazine are welcome. Communications and Marketing Letters for publication must be signed and may be edited for clarity and brevity. Timothy L. Hussey, APR

As with many older alumni, my vision is dimming, so I was just reading my Harvey Mudd Magazine, and The Harvey Mudd College Magazine that your magazines are hard to read. Please consider I wanted to compliment you on it on many levels. (SSN 0276-0797) is published by Harvey Mudd these changes to make your publication more user First, it’s beautifully laid out, and has really great College, Offi ce of Communications and Marketing, friendly. design. Second, the content is very compelling. Third, 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, CA 91711 the writing is really great, and the stories very inter- Nonprofi t Organization Postage Paid at 1. A magazine the size of US News and World Report esting. All in all, it’s really, really great. Great enough to Claremont, CA 91711 is easier to handle for those with arthritis, and it make me stop and write an email to compliment every- survives U.S. mail better than one the size of Life. one who had a hand in making it. GREAT work. I get a Postmaster: Send address changes to Harvey ton of magazines like this and never has one caused to Mudd College, Advancement Services, 2. Please use a font size of at least 12-point type, me to stop and say, “This is really great!” I’m so glad 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, CA 91711. preferably 14-point size. Please use a plain sans- the fi rst one that caused me to say that was yours. serif font, such as Arial or Helvetica. The ruffl es and Copyright © 2014—Harvey Mudd College. All fl ourishes in other fonts may look pretty to younger Bill Gross P08, Idealab rights reserved. Opinions expressed in the Harvey eyes, but these add no value for impaired vision and Mudd College Magazine are those of the individual are harder to read. Thank you so much for including Ben’s internship authors and subjects and do not necessarily on the timeline in the HMC Magazine along with the refl ect the views of the College administration, 3. Please print black text against a white background. article describing the Huppe and Strauss experiences faculty or students. No portion of this magazine Please do not print dark text against a dark back- last summer. It was heartwarming to read. We always may be reproduced without the express written ground or light text against a light background. appreciate receiving the magazine, but must admit it consent of the editor. Mark Goldstein ’65 takes some time for us to get up the courage to open and read it since Ben died. We are so grateful for the Find the magazine online at hmc.edu/magazine Editor’s note: Thank you for your comments, Mark. ways that HMC has remembered and honored Ben. This is one more example of that and also helps to get The Harvey Mudd College Magazine We appreciate the constructive criticism and will be staff welcomes your input: attentive to the readability issues you've noted. out the word to students who might be interested in applying for internship funds. [email protected] or Harvey Mudd College Magazine Maggie Lewis P14 and Bob Huppe P14 Harvey Mudd College 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, CA 91711 Harvey Mudd CAMPUS COLLEGE NEWS CURRENT is on a Mission BUOYED BY THE MORE THAN $103 MILLION in gifts and pledges already raised during the leadership phase of the campaign, Harvey Mudd College launched its $150 million comprehensive campaign Feb. 1. “Harvey Mudd is on a mission,” says President Maria Klawe. “We seek to fund the people, programs and places that will allow us to ensure that a steady stream of passionate problem solvers is available to address the most pressing issues of our time.” Th e Campaign for Harvey Mudd College, the largest in the College’s history, seeks to expand and strengthen the College’s renowned undergraduate science and engineering education—an innovative, interdisciplinary and hands-on educational experience that includes a unique commitment to the humanities, social sciences and the arts. Th e campaign will also enable the College to share its innovative practices with others to improve STEM education nationally. “Th ere is no question this nation needs more students preparing for and graduating from science and engineering disciplines,” says board of trustees and campaign Chair Wayne Drinkward ’73.

Fundraising priorities include:

Funding new endowed faculty Expanding artistic and musical positions to support the broad events at the College and sup- and rigorous curriculum porting student extracurricular activities, such as art, music Expanding experiential learning and athletics opportunities both on- and off-campus, in the United Improving and expanding the States and abroad College’s infrastructure, including the construction of a new Increasing funding for annual residence hall and academic and endowed student scholar- building ships

Bolstering funding for Harvey Mudd’s community engage- ment efforts, some of which help prepare students from underrepresented groups for careers in the STEM fi elds Sisi Cheng ’15, Elly Schofi eld ’13, Kevin Schofi eld P13, President Maria Klawe, Jim Boerkoel and Liz Boerkoel gather at the Campaign for Harvey Mudd College launch.

4 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Friends We’ll Miss HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE TRUSTEE Norman F. He served on the boards of Nature Conservancy Sprague III, an active and dedicated member of of California, Natural History Museum of Santa the board of trustees for 35 years, died March 14, Barbara, Harvard-Westlake School and Cate 2014, at the age of 67. He was the grandson of School, among others. Harvey S. Mudd, for whom the College is named. Sprague is survived by his wife, Marianne; “Norm was a truly extraordinary person as well their six children; and six grandchildren. as an amazing supporter of Harvey Mudd Col- lege,” said President Maria Klawe. “We will miss Stuart Harvey Mudd, second cousin of Harvey S. him dearly.” Mudd (namesake of the College), died Jan. 21 in Sprague was the son of Caryll Mudd Sprague Takoma Park, Md. He was 86. Mudd was a physi- and Norman Sprague Jr., a founding trustee of cian and National Institutes of Health researcher the College. Sprague carried on the family tradi- whose specialties included metabolic disorders. tion of deep involvement with the College, joining According to Th e Washington Post obituary, “He the board in 1979. He served for many years as was a primary contributor in fi guring out how chair of the Investment Committee, supporting various forms of metabolic disorders occur and the College through fi nancial guidance and his in developing processes to prevent, treat, cure or own philanthropy. Sprague donated generously to mitigate such disorders… His research led to the Harvey Mudd to fund multiple student scholar- practice of putting folic acid into the fl our supply ships, as well as the construction of the Hoch-Sha- to help prevent birth defects. Manufacturers also nahan Dining Commons and Shanahan Center for made changes in baby-food formulas as a result Teaching and Learning. of his work.” A graduate of Harvard College and Norman F. Sprague III “Norm always took the long view of Harvey Harvard Medical School, he helped fund a profes- Mudd College’s strategies and policies,” says sorship at Harvey Mudd named after his father: Wayne Drinkward ’73, chair of the board of trust- the Stuart Mudd Professorship in Biology (held by ees. “On fi scal matters, he was a voice for conser- Stephen Adolph). vatism and managing within our means. Th e solid fi nancial position the College enjoys today is in Suzanne Troxell Hotchkiss, 84, died Nov. 4, large part due to our adhering to that sage advice.” 2013, in Lake Forest, Ill. Her husband of 50 In 2010, Sprague received an alumni associa- years, Eugene Hotchkiss, was the former dean tion Lifetime Recognition Award for his years of of Harvey Mudd College (1966–1968). After the “extraordinary and enduring service” to Harvey couple left Claremont, Eugene became President Mudd College. Th e Sprague family has a long his- of Lake Forest College (1970), where Suzanne tory of supporting Harvey Mudd College through continued as an active volunteer for the college the Mildred and Harvey Mudd Foundation and and community. the Caryll and Norman Sprague Jr. Foundation. Two of Sprague’s brothers-in-law are also deeply David S. Sanders, 87, longtime Harvey Mudd committed to the College: William Mingst served College faculty member and Claremont resident, as a trustee from 1998 to 2012, chaired the board died Feb. 23 in Carlsbad, Calif., where he was from 2007 to 2012 and is currently a trustee living in retirement. He is survived by his wife, emeritus; Joe Connolly was recently named a Mary Frances, his two sons, a daughter and trustee. six grandchildren. He completed his education Sprague was an orthopedic surgeon and early entirely at UCLA, culminating in his Ph.D. in pioneer in the fi eld of arthroscopic surgery, per- 1956. He taught for several years at the Univer- forming the fi rst procedures at UCLA and chairing sity of Maryland, College Park, before joining the the UCLA Instructional Course in Operative Harvey Mudd faculty in 1959. His research was Arthroscopy for 14 consecutive years. In addition in American literature, with a special interest in to private practice, he taught orthopedic surgery the writings of John Dos Passos. He served as David S. Sanders at UCLA and lectured widely throughout Europe department chair and as the chair of the Faculty and North America. In his later years, Sprague Executive Committee before retiring in 1991. “His turned his attention to investment activities, teaching inspired many, and he made a lasting serving on the board of the Mesabi Trust as contribution to the development of our College,” cofounder and general partner of Cyprus Partners says Jeff Groves, dean of the faculty. and Sprague Family Securities. He was active in civic and philanthropic work in addition to his service to Harvey Mudd College.

SPRING 2014 5 CAMPUS COLLEGE NEWS CURRENT

Gen Why? Resting in the center of the Great Mall is a pattern of pavers with mathematical signifi cance. Boora Architects and the landscape architect 2.Ink Studio generated the paver pattern using a cellular automaton called Con- way’s Game of Life (the “game” is a zero-player game, where future iterations of the pattern are determined only by its initial state and the rules of the game). The idea of using a pattern generated by this system was suggested to the design team by Eli Brandt ’95 (mathematics), brother of Boora Architects associate Josh Brandt. The design team selected a detail from generation 313 of a pattern developed by Hartmut Holzwart “showing Gabriel Nivasch’s slipping-stripe reaction.” Statistics 42' diameter circle Granite pavers are Academy Black granite quarried in Clovis, Calif. All pavers are the same color. The on/off state of each pixel is achieved with two different surface treatments. Compressive Strength: 15,729 PSI The circle is part of the fi re lane turnaround required by the L.A. County Fire Department and is designed to support the weight of a fi re truck The circle contains 3,220 whole or partial pavers

6 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Creating New Frontiers Written by Tamara Savage ’15

HARNESS THE POWER of the Internet and, when screenshot of the fi rst version of Reddit’se w bsite, you have an idea, just run with it, advised activ- which he called “janky, because the fi rst version ist-investor Alexis Ohanian, cofounder of Reddit. is always janky, and that’s okay.” Th is previously During his visit to campus Jan. 21, Ohanian “janky” website now gets more than 100 million pointed out that the World Wide Web is fl at— visitors every month. links to websites, including those to the White “Failure is an option,” Ohanian says. “It’s okay.” House, CNN and major companies, for instance, He emphasized the importance of failure as part are equally accessible to anyone with an Internet of the process and encouraged students not to connection. More than ever, the Internet makes be afraid of it. He also talked about competi- it easy for people to “just start doing ”stuff . And tors—specifi cally, not paying attention to them, Alexis Ohanian this, Ohanian says, is the power to “create new “Because that’s when you stop innovating and frontiers.” start worrying.” Max Friefeld ’13 co-founders of the 3-D printing Something else the Internet off ers is free He also gave a spoiler: “Ideas are worthless. company, Layer by Layer.e Th two engineering material; as long as you have an Internet connec- Execution is key.” And, he emphasized the impor- majors began working on their startup while tion, you have access to nearly unlimited informa- tance of action and, particularly, action “without still at Harvey Mudd and have now successfully tion. Th is provides an opportunity for self-teach- their permission”— that is, doing something launched their company. Schwartz and Friefeld ing, a strategy employed by Ohanian and Reddit because it is possible. “Entrepreneur is just French spoke about learning how to build a company and cofounder, Steve Huff man. for ‘has ideas, does them,’” Ohanian says. experiencing and overcoming obstacles. Th e trio Ohanian says he “had no idea what [he] was Ohanian concluded his talk with a fi reside chat encouraged current students to pursue and act on doing” when fi rst starting Reddit. He showed a with Harvey Mudd alumni Jon Schwartz ’13 and ideas they are passionate about.

Notes & Quotes From the Bruce J. Nelson ’74 Distinguished Speaker Series

I think these are amazing jobs, and women are not getting their share of them, and that’s crazy. These jobs are high paying, they are ﬂ exible, they are creative, they are collaborative, they are fun. I love my job. I have loved every minute of my work.

Jocelyn Goldfein, director of engineering at Facebook and a Harvey Mudd trustee, spoke about the need for more software engineers during her talk Jan. 29.

SPRING 2014 7 CAMPUS FACULTY NEWS CURRENT

Success in the Making Kash Gokli brings manufacturing expertise to the department of engineering Written by Stephanie L. Graham

HIKING THROUGH THE SNOWY, scenic high Himalayas was a frequent pastime for Kash Gokli, who lived in India for much of his youth. Th is Gokli, who also teaches E4 and is advisor to two resounded with both students. “After graduating, penchant for exploring the unexplored helps Clinics. Gokli’s MPE class covers how products I will be working at SpaceX as an avionics explain why the invitation to fi ll a new faculty are designed and built in a high-volume industrial build engineer, where I will need to solve position at Harvey Mudd College held such environment with six sigma-level quality and manufacturing problems,” says Owens. “Professor appeal. includes visits to manufacturers, interactive Gokli has taught us that fi nding the root cause Th e opportunity arose during his time in lectures and group exercises. and determining a solution to a problem is a Cincinnati, Ohio, at Amano USA Holdings Inc., Gokli works closely with other engineering huge benefi t to a company and will make future where he was vice president of manufacturing and department faculty, including Fletcher Jones manufacturing processes more effi cient.” senior vice president of total quality management Professor of Engineering Gordon Krauss, who Gokli invites executives to his classes to share and best practices. He had heard of Harvey Mudd, arrived in 2013. Th e two are developing a design, “what they see from where they sit.” His fi rst knew of its reputation, and the time was right manufacturing and management (DMM) course guest was engineering graduate Nabeel for a change, for something “exciting.” Gokli sequence, which will help students develop Gareeb ’86/87, P17, former head of MEMC liked that the College sought to leverage existing complex and functional products required by Electronic Materials and International Rectifi er, strengths in design education and introduce many Clinic sponsors. Also in development is a two technology companies that Gareeb helped manufacturing and modern management management course that will be taught by Gokli, lead to signifi cant profi tability. Gareeb worked practices into its top-tier engineering program. Krauss and Pat Little, the J. Stanley and Mary Wig with Zee Durón ’81 to help fund Gokli’s position “My goal is to enhance students’ ability to Johnson Professor of Engineering Management. as the fi rst step in bringing increased awareness design by providi ng them a practical knowledge “We want to provide an understanding of how regarding the integrated nature of design and of manufacturing techniques and processes,” says companies, people and fi nances are managed in manufacturing to Harvey Mudd. Gokli, who became professor of manufacturing a technical enterprise,” says Gokli. “Th is DMM “I think the implementation of the DMM practice in fall 2012. A graduate of Gujarat sequence will give our graduates an advantage, sequence will be a pivotal moment in HMC’s University, India (B.S., mechanical engineering) and we believe this is a faster route to engineering history, and I am glad I was able to help initiate and the University of Illinois at Urbana- leadership positions.” this evolution,” says Gareeb, an advisor to the Champaign (M.S., industrial engineering), he has Th e new, multi-course sequence—E4; department. “Th ese courses will help students more than 30 years’ experience in manufacturing, Manufacturing Planning and Execution; New understand how to design and produce engineering, product development, quality Product Development; and Management of ‘hard’ products such as semiconductors and management and process improvement. Technical Enterprise—provides a complete automobiles, as well as more nuanced products, After arriving in Claremont, Gokli began skillset and exposure to a wide array of knowledge such as software and services, in a more working with Department of Engineering in the department’s tradition of training streamlined fashion. Th e sequence will allow the colleagues to develop Manufacturing Planning “informed generalists.” growth of the next generation of engineering and Execution (MPE)—the College’s fi rst such Engineering majors Brian Cheney ’14 and and manufacturing leaders and will signifi cantly course—to help close the gap that many felt Cierra Owens ’14 say they appreciate Gokli’s increase the contribution of the students and, existed (and that a department assessment engaging, participatory style and the hands-on thereby, the eff ectiveness of the Clinic Program.” revealed) between the fi rst-year E4 Introductory aspects of MPE. “In every class, students learn a Th e new strategy aff ects Global Clinic in Engineering course and Clinic, taken by juniors lesson that is applicable in real life,” says Cheney, particular. Gokli’s connections in Mumbai, and seniors. who interned at a company that manufactures Bangalore and at the university in Ahmedabad, “In E4, students learn the design process, radio frequency chips for cellphones and was able the city where he grew up, expand the potential as well as prototyping; the next steps are mass to relate class lessons to his experiences. for new partners and the exposure for Harvey production, quality and distribution,” says Gokli’s emphasis on continuous improvement Mudd and its students.

8 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Newly Tenured Tan

IN JANUARY, the Harvey Mudd College Board of “I really enjoy teaching. Th e best moments in the Trustees voted to promote Chang Tan, a professor of classroom are when I step back and let students show Chinese language and culture in the Department of me what they can do with an assignment or a project. Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts, to associ- Th ey continually surprise me.” ate professor with continuous tenure. “As the board In addition to teaching, Tan will soon publish a recognized, this promotion is richly deserved,” says book she’s been researching and writing for the past Jeff Groves, dean of the faculty. For Tan, that vote of fi ve years. Loosely based on her dissertation at Th e confi dence marks a turning point in her professional University of Texas at Austin, the work is tentatively and personal life. titled Copy, Borrow or Steal: Modes of Appropriation in In her new role, Tan hopes to develop courses Contemporary Chinese Art, and it explores the complex that have not been off ered at Harvey Mudd before, dynamics between appropriation and creativity. Tan including a course on Modern Asian Art and a seminar visited galleries, museums, studios and art founda- that explores the role of creativity across disciplines. tions in China, Hong Kong and Singapore to gather Th at’s in addition to the courses in Chinese language, information from artists, archives and secondary culture, art and fi lm she’s been teaching since joining resources. the faculty in 2008.

Research, Rinse, Repeat Chemistry professor Shenda Baker and Harvey Mudd Trustee Emeritus William Wiesmann, co-founders of bio-pharmaceutical company Synedgen, have launched their fi rst product, Synedent, a new oral rinse that freshens breath and helps clean teeth and gums, without the burn or irritation of harsh oral rinses. The rinse is made from naturally derived and Who Rules environmentally compatible ingredients and relies on the Earth? a patented combination of natural-based products that help to rinse the mouth without harsh detergents Paul Steinberg, professor of political science and or alcohol. In January, the company launched its fi rst environmental policy, has worked with more than signifi cant production of Synedent in the Claremont 100 students to create entertaining, multimedia area and online. A major focus of Baker’s research “ What does the fox say?” educational tools that highlight social scientists’ vast with undergraduates has been the study of chitosan, research literature exploring what it will take to shift Professors Rachel Levy, Liz Orwin ’95 and Qimin Yang a natural product derived from shrimp shells. The society onto a more sustainable path. Steinberg, get in the spirit of the SWE Games by reacting to their ingredient chitosan-arginine (Chitosan Argininamide), who was recently named to the Malcolm Lewis Chair prompt, “What does the fox say?” Their interpretation Baker says, is what makes Synedent so effective. of Sustainability and Society, wrote and produced of a much-spoofed viral music video delighted the audi- the animated fi lm Who Rules the Earth? through a ence, including SWE members Fabiha Hannan ’16 and collaboration between Harvey Mudd College and the Maya Johnson ’14 (background). A lighthearted com- California Institute of Arts. It’s one of several works petition between students and professors (Professor created as part of The Social Rules Project, which Bill Daub also participated), the event featured various also includes a book to be published by Oxford Uni- challenges performed collaboratively and individually, versity Press in fall 2014. “The basic message of Who and the audience voted for its favorite group. The Soci- Rules the Earth? is simple: We need to take a close ety of Women Engineers held the games to deepen the look at the rules that shape our daily behaviors and bonds between students and professors while providing change them where necessary if we’re going to get an end-of-fi rst-semester stress reliever. society on a more sustainable path,” says Steinberg. “The goal is to encourage people to move beyond the little things they can do for the planet—ride a bike or recycle a can—to become engaged citizens in rewriting the rules we live by.” Shenda Baker

SPRING 2014 9 Th e Wilson Chair was established through a gift faculty. Years later, and yet unconnected, Johnson CAMPUS FACULTY NEWS from Michael Wilson ’63 and Jane Hurley Wilson began exploring a similar desire to support faculty CURRENT SCR ’64. Appointing Fandell to this chair was ideal with his friend Rae, a trustee of the College. Th e because of Michael Wilson’s personal passion for connection occurred after Wyllis Leonhard passed photography. away; her son, William Leonhard Jr., worked with “We are delighted that Ken Fandell is the fi rst the Offi ce of College Advancement to connect his THE CAMPAIGN FOR HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE recipient of the Michael G. and C. Jane Wilson parents’ gift with that of Johnson and Rae and to Chair,” says Michael Wilson. “Ken is a wonderful create a new endowed faculty chair. addition to the humanities department, which is “My father was an engineer who felt strongly Passions and such an essential part of the Harvey Mudd experi- about supporting engineering schools fi nancially Partnerships Create ence. He is the fi rst artist to hold a professorship through endowment for faculty positions and at the College, and will no doubt bring a unique student scholarships,” says Leonhard. “Both of my Endowed Chairs perspective to the campus.” parents truly believed that a strong, well-founded A Harvey Mudd trustee and renowned fi lm pro- education was the key to lifelong success and dedi- IN SUPPORT OF THE CAMPAIGN for Harvey Mudd ducer (James Bond franchise), Wilson is an expert cated their philanthropic eff orts toward supporting College, alumni and friends have endowed two on 19th-century photography. He began collect- that belief.” Harvey Mudd College faculty positions: one in com- ing photographs in 1978. In 1998, he opened the Th rough this intersection of past and current puter science and another in the humanities, social Wilson Centre for Photography, one of the largest support, three individuals made a greater impact sciences, and the arts (HSA). private collections of photography. In addition to on the College than each could have made individu- Endowed faculty positions—chairs, profes- serving as a trustee of the College, Wilson serves ally. sorships and fellowships—are among the top on the boards of several other nonprofi ts, including “Helping to endow a faculty chair has been a priorities in the College’s ongoing $150 million the National Media Museum, the Carnegie Institu- lifelong goal of mine, and I feel privileged to be able comprehensive fundraising eff ort, which launched tion for Science and Cape Farewell. He and his wife, to bring that goal to fruition in cooperation with publicly this past February. Th ese positions allow Jane, divide their time between Los Angeles and such generous co-donors, “ says Johnson. the College to attract, retain and celebrate its out- the United Kingdom. Donors to both endowed professorships took standing faculty. advantage of a generous matching contribution “Our faculty work incredibly hard and are made possible by Michael and Mary Shanahan (see unparalleled in their commitment to students,” New Faculty Chair in below). says President Maria Klawe. “Endowed faculty Computer Science positions allow us to recognize their extraordinary Zachary Dodds, professor of work and add critical resources to hire additional computer science, was named Shanahan Matching Fund faculty.” to the newly established Leonhard-Johnson-Rae Chair. As part of a transformative gift to The Campaign for Dodds researches computer Harvey Mudd College, Michael and Mary Shanahan HSA Chair vision-based robotics and established a matching gift program that allows The Michael G. and C. Jane specializes in computer donors to double the effect of their personal gifts. Wilson Chair in the Arts and science education and curric- Under the terms of this challenge—as long as funds Humanities is held by Ken ulum design. He co-created a remain—new endowment gifts of $25,000 or more Fandell, an associate profes- new introductory Harvey Mudd CS course, CS5, from a single donor toward a campaign priority are sor of art who specializes in designed to engage students in exploring the range eligible to be matched by an equal amount (up to photography. Fandell previ- and power of computer science and its impact on $1.5 million). Eligible gifts may be paid out over a ously worked at the School of society in a learning environment that appeals to period of up to fi ve years, with matching funds being the Art Institute of Chicago, women and men alike. Along with other interven- applied to each payment. where he served as chair of the tions, the course has helped Harvey Mudd create To learn how you can take advantage of this gift Department of Photography and was known for a more balanced computer science major cohort. match, contact: teaching an eclectic range of courses, from Intro- Th is curricular eff ort now extends to middle and ductions to Photographic Image Making to more high school students as MyCS, or Middle-years Dan Macaluso advanced classes covering specifi c themes and Computer Science, a CS curriculum that has VP for Advancement theories, including one called “Nothing.” Th emes reached thousands of U.S. middle-graders across 909.621.8335 | [email protected] in his work—drawing, sculpture, sound, video, the Southwest. text, collage, installation and photography—often Th e endowed faculty position in computer Matt Leroux revolve around oppositions, such as small and large science is the result of combined gifts from three AVP for Development and Constituent Programs and the quotidian and the transcendent. Known donors—the estate of Wyllis M. Leonhard, Brian 909.607.0902 | [email protected] nationally and internationally, Fandell has artwork W. Johnson ’98 and Gregory P. Rae ’00—and in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, celebrates a common vision. In 1984, then-trustee To learn more about The Campaign for Harvey Mudd New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Bill Leonhard and his wife, Wyllis, designated an College, visit hmc.edu/campaign. Chicago, among others. insurance policy to support distinguished

10 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE COLLABORATION

Giving Apps a Hand Written by Koren Wetmore

FORGET YOUR COMPUTER mouse and touch screen. Soon you’ll control applications with a Th ey also traveled to each other’s schools—the wave of your fi nger or hand. NUS team came to Harvey Mudd last fall and the Global Clinic team members Nhu Dinh Tuan (NUS), But before developing such technology, Harvey Mudd team traveled to Singapore over Nguyen Hien Linh (NUS), Nguyen Truong Duy (NUS), infrastructure must be created. Enter Harvey winter break. Jeb Brooks ’14, Professor Ooi Wei Tsang (NUS), Jasper Mudd College seniors Tiff any Lim, Jeb Brooks For most of the team members, the experience Duan ’14, Tiffany Lim ’14, Professor Whee-Keng Leow and Jasper (Zheng) Duan, who are part of a is their fi rst work with a real-world client and (NUS) and Professor Bob Keller. Below: A work session Global Clinic team working with Intel, Mozilla their fi rst global collaboration. “Working with an in Singapore. and the National University of Singapore (NUS) international team has been fun and eye-open- to develop a comprehensive software library ing,” Lim says. “Our teams get along brilliantly, that will help support advanced computer vision and we have had the opportunity to pick [the applications for web browsers. Th e applications NUS team’s] brains about their computer science wi ll analyze streaming video images captured by experiences, educational systems and standards a webcam, interpret them and then translate the and their culture in general. It’s been a valuable images into actions. experience for us all to see how similar and diff er- “Th at might involve being able to recognize ent students outside our own countries can be.” a hand is there in the fi rst place, plus how many Modeled after the College’s renowned fi ngers there are, their orientation and their domestic Clinic Program, Global Clinic provides direction of movement,” says computer science long-term, sponsored engineering and science Professor Bob Keller, faculty advisor for the Intel projects in which teams of Harvey Mudd students Global Clinic team. “And it needs to do that in have worked with student teams from partnering real time, as you move your hand, so it has to be schools in Singapore, India, Israel, Japan and Ice- reasonably high performance.” land, with plans to expand into other countries. Sponsored by Intel, the Global Clinic project— Company sponsors and a $1 million endowment codenamed “Haswell”—revolves around Intel’s from the Robert and Joan Vickery family support new high-performance multicore processors. the program. Intel and NUS have been key part- Mozilla is developing a parallel version of ners in the Harvey Mudd Global Clinic program, JavaScript that will drive Haswell, allocating which launched in 2005. Th e National University processes simultaneously across the cores of Singapore has served as an academic partner for improved performance. Th e three Harvey since 2007. Intel has sponsored 10 projects (eight Mudd seniors are collaborating with the NUS Clinics and two Global Clinics) since 2011, includ- student team to develop the library based on the ing a Global Clinic project in Israel. parallel JavaScript language. Th e culmination of the Global Clinic team’s work includes a demonstration of the library in action. Coordinating the two student teams stretched the students’ skills as much as the computer science aspects of their work. “It takes a lot of fl exibility to juggle diff erent people with diff erent needs and skills while also making sure the project moves forward in the best way possible,” says Lim, project manager for the Harvey Mudd team. To address the diff erent time zones and tasks, the team relied on weekly conference calls, emails and an online wiki to stay connected and apprised of each other’s challenges, insights and progress.

SPRING 2014 11 MY MUDD LIFE The Match That Ignited a Dream By Amy DerBedrosian

A TRANSFER STUDENT, Alberto Ruiz ’14 developed an interest in scientifi c equip- senior thesis project, designing and con- is a rarity at Harvey Mudd College. At most, ment design. He’s also taken advantage structing a Raman spectrometer.” the campus welcomes only a handful each of opportunities to pursue research with After graduation, Ruiz would like to year. Yet the native of Venezuela, who faculty. As a member of the Lab for Auton- work for another startup or a scientifi c earned an associate’s degree in physics at omous and Intelligent Robotics (LAIR) equipment company. But his ultimate goal Miami-Dade College, was optimistic about research team last summer, Ruiz analyzed is to earn a Ph.D. in applied physics and his chances from the start. fl uorescence data from lava tubes in the become a professor. “I think I was admitted because I was Mojave Desert. “Education is a tool that allows you to a good match for the mission: a scientist Th rough that experience, Ruiz says, “I achieve your own dreams while helping concerned with the impact of his work on learned the value of teamwork and inter- others achieve theirs.” society,” Ruiz says. “My parents weren’t disciplinary projects. It also developed my happy about my choosing a school so far interest in spectroscopy and inspired my

TheTh open-mindedness of the Harvey Mudd community allowed me to feel comfortable and overcome the culture shockk.

–ALBERTO RUIZ ’14 away, but they supported my decision when I told them it was the school of my dreams.” Th ough distance from the Florida home where he’d lived since age 10 hadn’t worried him, Ruiz did experience some culture shock when he fi rst came to California. He explains, “I had always lived in a predomi- nantly Latino community. But, I’m outgo- ing, so I met people quickly. Th e open-mindedness of the Harvey Mudd community allowed me to feel comfortable and overcome the culture shock.” Since then, Ruiz has served as a dorm proctor, physics facilitator in the Academic Excellence program and leader in the campus group Society of Professional Latinos in STEMS (SPLS). He says, “SPLS has been a great way to give back to the community while meeting other Latinos on campus. Inspiring younger students to become interested in STEM education is important to me. I think I serve as an example of how being culturally Latino and a scientist are not mutually exclusive.” As a member of the Lab for Autonomous and Intelligent Two summers ago, Ruiz worked with Robotics research team, Ruiz, second from left, fi eld tested Robb Walters ’01 at the San Francisco robots that searched for living organisms in the rocks of startup Integrated Plasmonics, where Ruiz the Mojave Desert.

SPRING 2014 13 CAMPUS STUDENT NEWS CURRENT The Harvey Mudd team demonstrate their design at Hacktech.

36 Hours to Fly even forming a projector out of PVC pipe and Harvey Mudd First Years composing the background music for the game. Rise to the Challenge Th ey tackled the complex project in the short time span by assigning each other jobs before Written by Mara Watkins arrival, “but everybody worked on everything,” says Dunlap, who notably appears in the group’s A FACEBOOK POST from fi rst-year Evan Kahn YouTube video wearing Cookie Monster pajama prompted four Harvey Mudd students to come pants. Comfortable clothing was defi nitely a together and spend a weekend at the beach. necessity, as the group did not get much sleep Instead of sunscreen and surfboards, they over the weekend; Baker estimates they may gathered up an odd assortment of supplies that have had a combined total of four hours of included: an Xbox Kinect, PVC pipe, magnets, nap time during the 36-hour hackathon. (Th e foot pedals, a toy helicopter and laptops. Kahn, event website’s what-to-bring list suggests the along with classmates Dylan Baker ’17, Men following: “You, an idea, photo ID, your hacking Cheol (Kevin) Jeong ’17 and Adam Dunlap ’17, setup, clothes, toiletries and a sleeping bag—for headed to Santa Monica on Friday, Jan. 24. Th ey the weak.”) joined more than 1,000 students representing Th e students spent most of their time “Hacktech selected six projects for Donald to see, approximately 50 diff erent academic institutions furiously working on code, but there were and ours was chosen. It was pretty insane to get to compete in “Hacktech,” said to be the largest some rewards beyond their successful fi nish. to meet him in person,” says Baker. hackathon ever staged on the West Coast. Participants were amply supplied with free meals, All four students expect to participate in Th e rules of Hacktech are deceptively simple: snacks and lots of caff einated beverages. future hackathons, and they eagerly anticipate “You can build whatever you want: websites, apps Th e Santa Monica location also drew a host tinkering with the new quadcopter they won. or hardware (no soldering allowed). All code must of corporate sponsors and some celebrities, Dunlap says, “We’ll probably play around with it a be written during the hackathon. Feel free to use including a visit from Donald Glover, aka Childish lot and modify our pedals to control it so we can open-source libraries and APIs. Hacks are judged Gambino (rapper, comedian, actor on the TV get the full game we wanted since so many people on creativity, technical diffi culty, usefulness and show Community and 30 Rock writer). Meeting were interested in it.” overall awesomeness.” Glover was a highlight of the hackathon for Baker, Th e Harvey Mudd fi rst years started hacking who admitted to being obsessed with his work. at 11 p.m. Friday night, and, 36 hours later, they turned in their completed hack, “coptr: tools for Men Cheol (Kevin) Jeong ’17, things that fl y.” Fueled by caff eine and inspired by Evan Kahn ’17, Adam Dunlap ’17 each other’s energy, persistence and intelligence, and Dylan Baker ’17 the team placed an impressive third overall out of 184 teams. Th e students also won Pebble’s “Best Hardware Hack” award and received a new Parrot quadcopter from DigitalOcean to support the further development of their project. Baker describes their hack as “a set of add-ons for remote-controlled helicopters. It features an interface where your real-life copter can act as a sprite in a projected game, interacting with the game in real time as you fl y around the screen.” Another add-on, an idea Kahn came up with, features pedals that control the up-and-down motion of the helicopter to provide “fun and responsive fl ight control.” Th e team also designed the game interface, “which consists of a copter EXTRA: See the students’ video that travels through a cavern facing obstacles and at youtu.be/5lVGqaY5tKo violent enemies,” says Jeong. Th e teammates built everything on site,

14 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Best at BAT “Why not give it a try,” thought Jirí Hladiš ’15 when he learned of the Bloomberg Aptitude Test (BAT) through the Offi ce of Career Services. His casual decision and some expert test taking resulted in a top-fi ve fi nish (99th percentile) among BAT North American test takers for December 2013. Organized by Bloomberg Institute, the educational division of Bloomberg LP, the BAT is a global, standardized exam covering a range of performance areas, including analytical reasoning, global markets, math, economics and news analysis. The test is designed to assess aptitude for business and fi nance, and the results are anonymously entered into a talent search database where more than 20,000 employers can access the results and offer internship or full-time positions to test takers, who hail from 60 different countries and represent more than 50 majors. Hladiš, an engineering major who speaks four languages (English, Ger- man, Czech and French), says, “I’m not particularly intent on pursuing a career in fi nance, but I did take Financial Economics with Prof. Gary Evans last semester and found it pretty interesting, so who knows? One of the things that Harvey Mudd’s broad, hands-on curriculum and research opportunities have taught me is not being afraid of trying out new things.”

Perspective on the Honor Code Written by Tamara Savage ’15

“WHAT WOULD WE LOSE without an honor Both students and faculty believe the Honor code?” asked eTh Honor Code Working Group, Code is respected by most students. Th is doesn’t a team consisting of members of ASHMC and mean that there aren’t violations. Because the the Faculty Executive Committee. Th e group was Honor Code was violated by quite a few students tasked this academic year with evaluating the recently, the Department of Mathematics revoked state of the Honor Code and encouraging discus- the take-home exam privilege, with only a few sion about it on campus— hence the thought-pro- exceptions. voking question. I attended one of the group’s During our dinner discussion, it was noted dinners where students and faculty members that professors generally do not create unrea- shared their perspectives. sonably diffi cult exams so as to prevent students Created and upheld by students, the Honor from feeling that the only way they might do well Code emphasizes integrity in all academic and is by cheating. We all agreed that the collaborative non-academic endeavors; each person is respon- culture of Mudd, fostered by the Honor Code, sible for upholding the Honor Code and for generally minimizes this pressure. holding fellow students accountable. It’s one of When rules are broken, the severity of the the reasons students decide to come to Mudd. Th e consequences is evaluated on an individual basis, Honor Code is taken seriously, as evidenced each considering the action taken as well as the display year during Orientation when fi rst years sign the of remorse by a student. Often a student admits Harvey Mudd College roster and offi cially become to a mistake, accepts the consequences and grows part of the student body. from the experience. e Th Honor Code creates both a lot of freedom I think that’s what these discussions are about: and a lot of responsibility for students. It is the learning from past experiences and growing so reason professors trust their students with take- that our Honor Code remains a strong part of the home exams—sometimes closed-note, timed College’s tradition. Jessica Szejer ’16 signs the Harvey exams. In turn, the students must not abuse Mudd College roster. this trust.

SPRING 2014 15 CAMPUS STUDENT NEWS CURRENT

Youth and distance relationships between immigrants in the Wisdom Unite United States and their romantic partners living The Napier Initiative brings together in another country. An engineering major, she believes that where immigrants make up a large youthful enthusiasm and the percentage of a community, that community has wisdom of elders a responsibility to care about how community structures—such as immigration laws—are Written by Elaine Regus aff ecting the lives of its people. Th ompson began her project as independent study with Harvey GENERATIONS SEPARATE Harvey Mudd College Mudd psychology Professor Debra Mashek students from Pilgrim Place retirees but the and a research team who studied transnational Napier Initiative unites them in their quest to relationships from a relationship psychology make the world a better place. perspective. “Professor Mashek and I were Th e four-year-old initiative pairs graduating interested in how some individuals who migrate seniors nominated from each of the fi ve to the United States from Latin America maintain undergraduate Claremont colleges with Pilgrim their long-distance relationships with individuals Place mentors, many of whom have spent their in their sending country under sometimes lives advocating for social change. incredible circumstances—many are separated Christian Stevens ’14 “Th e colleges recognize athletes, musicians and Phi Beta Kappa. We thought it was important that students who had a passion for social justice should also be recognized,” says Jane Douglass, TheTh colleges recognize athletes, musicians past chair of the Napier Selection Committee and and Phi Beta Kappa. We thought it was resident of Pilgrim Place, a senior community for residents who have served as leaders of religious important that students who had a passion or charitable nonprofi t organizations. Two Harvey Mudd students were named for social justice should also be recognizedd. 2014 Napier Fellows this year. Christian Stevens ’14 proposed spending nine months in –JANE DOUGLASS, NAPIER SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBER Malawi, a poor African nation with a high rate of HIV/AIDS, to study problems that prevent patients from fully accessing available medical for years on end and face barriers for a variety of treatment. Stevens, a joint biology and chemistry reasons,” Th ompson says. major, intends to spend time with physicians and Th ompson proposed spending a semester in other health care professionals—as well as their Guadalajara, Mexico, interviewing people whose patients and other members of the community— partners had immigrated to the United States. in order to gain a better understanding of the Barbara Troxell, Th ompson’s mentor, is a factors that aff ect medication adherence. He will retired United Methodist clergywoman. She was then help to create an organization that includes involved in the fi rst Napier Initiative planning both citizens and health care professionals that group, having been a campus minister at Stanford will focus on improving health care outcomes for University when B. Davie Napier was dean of patients by improving medication adherence. chapel there. Th e Initiative was named for Napier Stevens’ mentor is Steve Smith, a retired and his wife, Joy, former educators and Pilgrim professor of philosophy from Claremont- Place residents. McKenna. Stevens is the third student Smith Th ompson’s project coincides with Troxell’s has mentored and the second one from Harvey work with immigration reform through the local Mudd. Th e fi rst one was Kimberly Chung ’12, who United Methodist Church. “I have been very proposed a yearlong project studying indigenous impressed with this bright young woman who has medicines in her native Taiwan. some great opportunities ahead of her. Th e future Margaret Thompson ’14 Margaret Th ompson ’14 is studying long- is in good hands,” Troxell says.

16 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE A Lego League First Harvey Mudd student organization FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) hosted the Nov. 23 Lego League Challenge, marking the ﬁ rst time the regional qualifying competition has been held on a college campus. More than 230 elementary and middle-school students from throughout Southern California participated in the event, which challenged student teams to build and program robots to tackle a variety of missions. “The tasks represented actions related to disasters. For example, you would try to group families together, give people water and remove precariously perched branches from above power lines,” says Sean Messenger ’15, who served as the site host and coordinator for the event. He’s pictured in the referee shirt with Kaitlyn Dwelle ’15, left, and Erika Dyson, Iris and Howard Critchell Assistant Professor of Religious Studies. “The kids came up with so many unique and innovative ideas,” says Messenger.

Research Kudos Awards recognize undergraduate research

THE ABILITY TO PURSUE RESEARCH with Shannon Wetzler ’16 is a joint major courses that relate to machine learning, as well faculty members or participate in a Clinic—is in biology and chemistry. She’s cap- as some other fun ones,” says Zellers, adding that a hallmark of a Harvey Mudd education. Th ese tain of the DUCK! Improv Team, a studying abroad also provides a unique opportu- collaborative eff orts reap rewards well beyond singer in the McAlister Church Choir nity to explore another culture and language. the classroom and laboratory, as evidenced by the and a mentor tutor for Homework national recognition received by Harvey Mudd Hotline, a free over-the-phone tutoring service. students. Wetzler worked with David Vosburg, associate Awards for Computing Research professor of chemistry, using biomimicry to opti- For their exemplary work and exceptional mize a 20-step synthesis of an antifungal agent, potential in computer science, three seniors Goldwater Honors ultimately simplifying the process down to a four- received honorable mentions in the Computing A trio of Harvey Mudd students received hon- step green synthesis. “Th e research experience Research Association’s Outstanding Undergradu- orable mentions for the 2014 Goldwater Schol- was amazing,” says Wetzler. “I really enjoyed the ate Researcher Awards 2013 competition. arship, the most prestigious national award for opportunity to think outside of the box and try to undergraduate researchers (sophomores and solve problems while researching.” Jane Hoffswell ’14 helped to create juniors) in science, mathematics and engineering. Wetzler hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in biophysics a web-based visualizer that graph- Th e Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry or biochemistry, specifi cally working on making ically displays the structure of a Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage more accurate biosensors. software program's execution. outstanding students to pursue careers in the fi elds of mathematics, the natural sciences and Fellow sophomore Rowan Zellers Miranda Parker ’14 investigated engineering. is a joint major in computer science how college students learn and and mathematics with an interest understand big-O analysis, a theo- Kaitlyn Dwelle ’15 is a chemistry in machine learning—the study of retical tool computer scientists use major who developed new polymer how computers digest the patterns to estimate how fast code will run. membranes for gas separation. She that underlie massive data sets. Zellers applied conducted theoretical and com- machine learning to a computational biology John Sarracino ’14 was recognized putational work in the molecular problem in order to see how transcription factors for his work on two projects involv- diff usion laboratory under the supervision of bind to DNA in fruit fl ies (Drosophila), with ing static analysis of computer pro- Nancy Lape, associate professor of engineering, the hopes of better understanding embryonic grams. Th e fi rst explores whether a performing molecular dynamics simulations to cell development in Drosophila and, eventually, technique called “type refi nement” model the diff usion of gas through diff erent types humans. could improve the precision of static analyses for of membranes. Zellers is currently studying abroad in Buda- JavaScript without impacting performance. For “I’m constantly amazed at the amount of pest, Hungary, with the Aquincum Institute of the second project, Sarracino developed syntax, support Harvey Mudd gives its students for Technology program, organized by professors Ran semantics and an interpreter for a new computer undergraduate research,” says Dwelle. “I’m happy Libeskind-Hadas, R. Michael Shanahan Professor language that performs static analysis on digital to see my own work, as well as that of my peers, of Computer Science, and Michael Orrison, Avery circuits. recognized on a national level.” Professor of Mathematics. “Th is allows me to take

SPRING 2014 17 SPACE STUDY

1 5

6 8 2 4

18 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Engineering Stock Room Parsons Building, B174

A well-managed academic stock room is crucial to scientifi c research, especially in the highly technical realm of engineering. Established in 1972 in the Parsons Building basement, the engineering stock room contains a full inventory of top-quality instruments, tools and fasteners, much of it available 24/7 to students. Instructional support coordinator since 1998, Husameldin (Sam) Abdelmuati manages this arsenal of awesome and knows the location and function of every item in stock, from oscilloscopes to digital multimeters. The stock room must meet the unique materials demands of various classes and programs—including Clinic—that require current and specialized equipment. For those who don’t know their way around a cheese head screw or a banana plug, the engineering stock room is worth a visit.

Colorful drawers at the stock room’s entrance Cody Crosby ’15, who recently presented 1 house all manner of useful items, from integrated 6 research on high-entropy alloys at the South- circuitry to drills and bolts. Engineering Professor ern California Conference for Undergraduate Emeritus Joe King acquired the storage unit Research, says, “Every engineering major has from a local hardware store’s going-out-of-busi- 24/7 access to mechanical and electrical compo- ness sale. nents, some of which are quite expensive. While 9 reinforcing the Honor Code’s inherent trust in the st udents, it’s extraordinarily convenient as well.” Fabiha Hannan ’16: “My favorite part of the 2 engineering stock room is Sam Abdelmuati. He is always willing to help you ﬁ nd what you need, Josh Sanz ’15: “Not only can you ﬁ nd all the even giving students, like myself, encouraging 7 supplies you could ever need for class projects words when they need it. It’s extremely helpful to (including several $100 photodiodes), it also has have access to all the tools, supplies and general a lot of parts that are available and useful for resources that the stock room provides.” personal projects.”

A gate separates the consumable materials from A handy conversion chart includes metric-to- 3 specialized items that require signing out, like 8 U.S.- standard measurement to quickly deter- potentiostats and logic analyzers. mine which socket, screw or drill bit is needed.

“The stock room is a true refl ection of the unique Back here you’ll fi nd tachometers, strain gauges, 4 character of the Harvey Mudd engineering 9 balances, DMMs—a veritable cornucopia of program,” says Abdelmuati, who ensures variety, measurement gadgets. Adjacent is a special accuracy and effi cient inventory fl ow, in addition section devoted solely to laser equipment, and an to overseeing shipping and receiving for the entire wall dedicated to plugs, cables and cords. engineering department. Here, he advises Sachit Sood ’15.

In this section, you’ll ﬁ nd everything from 5 oscilloscopes—a popular item that measures frequency and other electronic component behavior—to data acquisition systems and Proto Boards, which are used for designing circuits. GILSON KEENAN

SPRING 2014 19 WATCH AArrm meeded withith strongstr s ggt tectechnicahnicaall experiencece and traintraaining,ain ssuuppppoortivororttivee mentors,mentmento passipa sionsi and deted ermination, threthreeeee OUT Muddd ers make a diffdif erence. WORLD

20 HARRVEYV MUDD COLLEGGE he world’s challenges daunt us: war, famine, disease, ﬁ nancial instability, environmental degra- dation and more. Where to begin? TThat’s it. Simply begin. Start with what you know, learn from others, collaborate. Together, take hold of one of those global challenges and, with that well-honed technical expertise, wrestle it into submission or, better yet, drive it toward extinction. These Harvey Mudd alumni did not start out trying to save the world, but that’s what they’re doing in ways both large and small.

SPRING 2014 21 lives. Inexpensive to buy and maintain, Firefl y is unlikely to join unused medical products in the “equipment junkyards” Johansen regularly sees outside hospitals in developing countries. Its easy operation requires little training. Th e design features one setting and a bed fi tting a single infant centered under a fi xed light that ensures each newborn gets the correct dosage. “We believe a product should be hard to use in the wrong way,” says Johansen, whose DtM team collaborates with doctors, university engineering and design students, international foundations and manufacturers to meet the needs of developing countries. While designing Firefl y, they also visited Southeast and South Asia, talking to hospital staff and bringing iterative prototypes. Johansen traces her ability to tackle challenges—and her interest in product design— to her fi rst year at Harvey Mudd. She says, “In the E4 engineering design class, I had an opportunity to design a giant calculator for Professor Art Benjamin, who does math magic shows. I discovered the joy of applying engineering skills to human needs.” Other experiences as a Harvey Mudd engineering student also shaped Johansen’s career. An independent study reinforced her desire to continue in product design. Study abroad at a French university took her outside the United States for the fi rst time, sparking her interest in other cultures. After graduation, Johansen spent eight years as a designer and project leader for the global design fi rm IDEO. She says, “At IDEO, I discovered a whole world of engineering applied to everyday uses and began working on medical products. IDEO’s user-centric design approach taught me a lot about understanding and empathizing with other people that I use now as I work across cultures, professions and environments.” Many Hands Make practice in the United States and Europe for During that time, Johansen became a Light Work decades. Elsewhere, however, this is easier said DtM volunteer and involved nearly 100 IDEO than done—at least until director of product coworkers in its projects before joining DtM full Written by Amy DerBedrosian development Elizabeth Johansen ’01 and her time in 2010. Today, as DtM expands Firefl y’s Photo by Webb Chappell colleagues at the nonprofi t startup company reach and explores other ways to assist developing Design that Matters (DtM) found a solution. countries through design, Johansen continues to THE CULPRIT IS BILIRUBIN. When there’s too “We addressed jaundice through product look for new collaborators. much of this yellow pigment for a newborn’s liver design,” Johansen says. “We looked for a “As we build capacity, we’re working with more to break down and pass from the body, trouble— technology with a history of impact and teams and more universities,” she says. “I would in the form of jaundice—is what results. Th is redesigned it for use in developing countries. Blue love to involve Harvey Mudd students in a project. common condition is curable yet often fatal for LED technology has been around for a long time, With a great technical education, there’s a huge babies born in developing countries, where 5 to but no one had designed a product that could opportunity to make an impact on international 10 percent of their deaths are attributed to the deliver blue light to newborns in a way that is development.” condition. hard to use incorrectly.” Th rough Firefl y, Johansen has been realizing Th e solution is simple: Just shine a blue Th e Firefl y Newborn Phototherapy device they that impact. As of February, 58 devices were in light onto the infant’s skin, as has been the designed overcame barriers to saving newborn use in Vietnam, Myanmar, Th ailand and Malaysia,

22 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE providing treatment for nearly 30,000 newborns. procedure that requires removing and replacing all Th e fi rst Firefl y units in Africa were en route of a baby’s blood. to Ghana. A hundred more were in production, Johansen says, “Th ey didn’t have another child helping to bring DtM and its partners closer for 10 years because of this. With Firefl y, their to the goal of distributing at least 1,000 Firefl y newborn was treated safely in three days. Th e devices and treating more than 500,000 infants. parents were so thankful that they invited us to Johansen has seen fi rsthand how babies their house. Th ey were excited to put jaundice in and families benefi t. She describes meeting their past. Th inking about how many newborns the parents of a newborn treated with Firefl y Firefl y aff ects motivates me.” phototherapy at St. Paul Hospital in Hanoi. Ten years earlier, their older daughter had been born The Firefl y Newborn with severe jaundice. Th at infant underwent Phototherapy device has an exchange blood transfusion, a dangerous overcome barriers to saving newborn lives.

A Vision for Africa Written by Chris Quirk Photo by Margarita Corporan

YOU COULD BE FORGIVEN for wondering if Mahesh Kotecha ’70 harbored ambivalent feelings toward the country where he was born and raised. a “Ugand was a great place to grow up. We lived in Jinja, on the banks of Lake Victoria, at the source of the White Nile,” Kotecha recalls. He came to the United States in 1966 to study engineering and physics at Harvey Mudd as one of the fi rst international students at the College. “Harvey Mudd was really wonderful. It was small, dynamic and allowed me to investigate a broad range of subjects. We had fascinating conversations.” Not long after Kotecha graduated in 1970 as a double major in physics and engineering, his life was thrown into turmoil. Idi Amin seized power in Uganda in a coup, and Kotecha’s parents were forced out of the country—part of a systematic expulsion of Asians in 1972. His parents emi- grated to England; still in the United States, Kotecha tried to renew his Ugandan passport. Uganda denied his application, leaving him a man without a country at the age of 24, compelled to seek political asylum in the United States. “I struggled with this question only a little,” explains Kotecha. “It wasn’t the people that kicked my family out, it was one madman. What also served on the advisory panel of the East “Young Africans, like myself, had been sent was important was that Africa needed help, and I Africa Development Bank for more than 30 years. to the U.S. to learn what we could and come understood Africa.” In that capacity and in his professional career, back to help build our countries. Th at was our A cordial man who speaks in a matter-of-fact he has discovered innovative ways to secure charge,” Kotecha says. It was a charge he honored, tone occasionally broken by an engaging laugh, needed development capital for African nations, but from abroad. He obtained U.S. permanent Kotecha is the founder and president of Struc- resulting in concrete improvements in the every- residence in 1975 and citizenship in 1982, and in tured Credit International Corporation. He has day lives of many Africans. another major life change, made the switch from

SPRING 2014 23 the sciences to fi nance. “When I traveled back to some wiles to convince many of the African which are there, and are not going away,” Kote- Uganda as a junior, I realized there weren’t many and other governments he was trying to assist. cha concedes. “But that’s not the whole story. good physics or engineering jobs to work on. “All these countries wanted AAA ratings. Th at Africans have done an incredible amount of hard Arnold Ruskin, my advisor at Harvey Mudd, who wasn’t going to happen, so we used a subterfuge.” work to make things better, and there are a lot of had a great infl uence on me, convinced me that I Instead of formal ratings, Kotecha and his asso- positive signs. Th ere is growth momentum.” In could have a bigger impact in business.” ciates issued what they dubbed “assessments” of March, one of Kotecha’s clients, Africa Finance After earning a master’s from the Sloan School countries. Over time, the countries realized the Corporation (AFC), received an investment grade of Management at MIT, he worked at the U.N. potential benefi ts and bought into the plan, and rating of A3 by Moody’s Investors Service, a Fund for Population Activities before heading to slowly the funding for needed projects began to major international rating agency, making AFC the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and in arrive. the second-highest-rated fi nancial institution in 1979 joined the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s. Jannik Lindbaek, former head of the Nor- Africa and the third-highest-rated entity on the He had a crucial insight that would help funnel dic Investment Bank and the IFC (World Bank continent (behind African Development Bank and needed investments to his home continent. “Th e Group’s private sector arm) and a colleague on the Botswana). Th e AFC expects to channel more than ratings agencies are the gatekeepers for capital. advisory panel of the East African Development $1 billion dollars annually into African projects For investment to come in, we had to get African Bank, knows Kotecha’s work well. “He is a very over the next decade. nations and other borrowers rated.” Th e ratings respected specialist in the fi eld. He’s an excellent While the switchback course of Kotecha’s would provide potential investors with an objec- advisor, especially for the African sector.” career could not have been predicted, it has been tive benchmark that was lacking, one they could Despite increasing capital fl ows, Africa faces remarkably focused from within. “Little things use to assess and compare risks rationally. an annual funding gap of nearly $40 billion per fell together in my life,” he refl ects. “But that It was a novel notion. Most countries were not year for infrastructure alone, and perceptions can doesn’t happen unless you have a vision of where rated at that time, and no African nations were. still be an obstacle. “You have to break the risk you are going.” He faced some resistance from within S&P, and down into perceived and real. Some people think despite the promise of the idea, Kotecha needed Africa is all bad—corruption and coups—some of

The Magic Link Written by Shari Roan Photo by Julie Woodward

IF ANDREW LEES ’75 COULD WAVE a magic wand and prevent the millions of vaccine- preventable deaths that occur each year, he would. Instead, he’s using his expertise in chemistry and his innovative company to conjure up a remedy that is eff ectively reducing this statistic. Helping emerging-market companies manufacture aff ordable childhood vaccines has become Lees’ passion. He helps create sophisticated “conjugate vaccines” and has worked with companies and institutes internationally to instruct others on how to produce these lifesaving medicines. Th ese vaccines are typically used to immunize babies and children against bacterial infections, such as meningococcal diseases and streptococcal pneumoniae. It takes complex chemistry—something Lees excels at—to make conjugate vaccines, which require the chemical linking of a protein and a sugar polymer (polysaccharides) in order to be eff ective. Th e polysaccharides are derived from the long chains of sugars that coat certain bacterial pathogens. Antibodies to these polysaccharides provide protection against the pathogen, but the

24 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE immune systems of young children don’t respond ative company,” he says. And one with a sense of for Vaccine Development at the University of to the sugar polymer alone. Chemically linking humor: Th e company is named after the family Maryland in Baltimore, where he is an associ- a protein to the polysaccharide allows young cat, and its mission statement is “Doing good ate professor of medicine. Th e group focuses on children to make protective antibodies against the while having fun and trying not to go bankrupt.” diarrheal diseases in children, which are, globally, bacteria. Lees also partners with the Chengdu Institute the second-leading cause of death for those age 5 Lees’ genius was in devising a new and easier of Biological Products in China to advance global and under. A major objective of that research is method to make conjugate vaccines. “I love what vaccine development. Th e Chengdu Institute to develop a salmonella conjugate vaccine, now I do,” says Lees, the founder of Fina BioSolu- joined with a U.S.-based nonprofi t global health nearing a phase-one clinical trial. tions, a vaccine development company based in organization known as PATH and the Gates Foun- Lees credits his success to the support he in Rockville, Md., where he and his team of eight dation to develop an aff ordable pneumococcal received while at Harvey Mudd, namely from his employees, mostly scientists, work. vaccine for China. Pneumonia remains the leading mentors, Robert Borrelli and Stavros Busenberg, Lees didn’t set out to improve global health killer of children under 5 years of age worldwide. who took him under their wing and helped a when he graduated with a degree in chemistry While a single dose of the pneumoniae conjugate rather eccentric student—“I wore tortoise-shell from Harvey Mudd College. He pursued a Ph.D. vaccine can cost $100 in the United States, a dose glasses, dressed poorly, had crappy social skills in biophysics at Johns Hopkins University. After may cost as little as $5 in the emerging-market and studied all the time”—develop into a focused, graduate school, he worked for two years as a countries Lees works to serve. responsible adult. “People believed in me when I professional magician (a childhood hobby) and “Th ese products are among the most expensive didn’t believe in myself, and that really helped,” found himself featured on the cover of Baltimore and complicated of the pediatric vaccines,” he says Lees. Magazine as one of its “People to Watch.” He then says. “To work with companies that are trying to took a job in an immunology lab at the Uniformed make aff ordable vaccines is very gratifying.” Services University of the Health Sciences in Lees also works with colleagues at the Center Bethesda, Md. In the university library one night, he hit upon a novel idea for linking proteins and polysac- “ This is the chemistry charides. Th is resulted in a better method for that made my career.” synthesizing conjugate vaccines, some of the most –Andrew Lees ’75 complex and expensive to manufacture but known for producing stronger and longer-lasting results than vaccines consisting of polysaccharides alone. “It was a Eureka moment,” he says. “A lot of dumb luck came together.” Th e university licensed Lees’ discovery to the pharmaceutical company SmithKline (the company later became GlaxoSmithKline). “Th at changed my life,” he says. “It was very satisfying to see my work move from the lab to vaccine products that save lives.” Lees’ chemistry is used in several GlaxoSmith- Kline conjugate vaccines, including MenHibrix—a combination vaccine against Haemophilus infl u- enza-type b and several strains of meningococcal disease—and Synfl orix, a vaccine that protects against Streptococcus pneumoniae and is sold in more than 100 countries. So that he could put all of his energy into developing conjugate vaccines, Lees started his own company, Fina BioSolutions, in 2006. With more than 20 patents on conjugate vaccine development to his name, Lees partners with several international organizations, including the Serum Institute of India, one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world. Th e Serum Institute works to produce aff ordable vaccines to underserved populations. Th is philosophy appeals to Lees. “Because I don’t have investors and don’t need to make a lot of money, I’m able to run a cooper-

SPRING 2014 25 ENGINEERING An artist at heart, Erika ART Adams designs for the mind and soul.

Written by Koren Wetmore Photos by Anil Kapahi and the Hands On Children’s Museum

BEEHIVE, A STREAM SLIDE and a a lot of learning opportunities on that project.” higher or crawl over the nets. I see kids in it all the full-size eagle’s aerie woven by hand An educational exhibit about the Puget Sound time—they really love it.” A from freshly harvested saplings com- watershed, the three-story, multi-level Tides to For her second project, Adams served as prised several of the elements to be Trees Climber takes children on a journey from project manager for the Wizard’s Tree, a central supported by seven 26-foot Douglas fi r poles. the forest to the sea while exploring the fl ora and hub of the Seattle-based EMP Museum’s fantasy Now, how to fi t those poles through the fauna of the local environment. Composed of two exhibit. Th e 21-by 15-foot tree includes multiple museum’s doors… towers with multiple, attached pods, it features intersecting plywood parts covered in metal mesh Erika (Kirchberger) Adams ’95 says that a rope bridge and a boat in addition to the nest, and topped with more than 48,000 zinc tiles. Th e some clever engineering was necessary in order beehive and stream slide. work reunited Adams with Addy Froehlich, the to install the towers and legs of this impressive Th e project became Adams’ fi rst assignment museum’s manager of exhibit services, who had exhibit—the Tides to Trees Climber—into the when hired by Turner Exhibits in 2010 as an been her mentor during a 2009 internship at the Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia, Wash. assistant designer. A collaboration between museum. “We had to use lifts to erect it inside the Turner Exhibits and museum staff , the Tides to “Th e tree was a huge, complicated piece and it building. It was like a ship in a bottle—lift, lift, Trees Climber involved lots of “sketches, white- was nice to work with Erika again,” says Froehlich. lift until you could get the legs in the right place boards and conversations.” “She can picture what she’s trying to create and and lock them down,” says Adams, designer and “It was a very complicated project, and Erika translate that into a design while understanding project manager for Turner Exhibits in Seattle. did a remarkable job,” says Kathryn Irwin, the the practicalities of fabrication. Yet she never “You can do a design on your desktop, fi gure out museum’s director of exhibits and facilities. “Our loses sight of what’s beautiful.” how you’re going to build things in the shop, but goal was to create an experience where kids of dif- Last year, Adams worked with sound sculptor if you don’t think ahead to its installation in the ferent ages could take safe risks and, as they grew Trimpin on a sculpture for a law school in Monter- fi eld, you create more problems to solve.” We had and became more confi dent, could choose to climb rey, Mexico. Consisting of 77 spheres ranging in

26 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGECOLLEG size from a foot to 60 inches in diameter—each After leaving Accenture, she accepted a equipped with a speaker that broadcasts a unique position in 2000 with Microsoft in Redmond, sound—the sculpture produces a three-dimen- Wash. She spent eight years at Microsoft before sional composition. Trimpin designed the piece, enrolling in the Art Institute of Seattle, where and Adams’ team fabricated the spheres’ interiors. she earned an associate of applied arts in indus- Th e project with Trimpin constituted a trial design. Adams gained hands-on experience highlight in what Adams describes as a career as a volunteer at a local children’s museum and that melds engineering and art. Her path toward through the EMP Museum internship. After grad- industrial design began after earning her bach- uating from the Art Institute, she accepted the elor’s in engineering from Harvey Mudd and a position with Turner Exhibits. master’s in mechanical engineering from the “It was a zigzaggy path, but I’m really glad for University of Washington. While at the university, the steps I took to get here,” she says. “I’ve always she caught her fi rst glimpse of industrial design, been an artist, and I’ve always been interested in but post-baccalaureate students were not allowed the interaction between humans and objects, so into the program. So, Adams completed her this discipline is perfect for me.” mechanical engineering degree, joined the Indus- trial Design Society of America—to “devour all Children play on the eagle’s the information” she could about the fi eld—and nest and rope bridge at the became a technology consultant for Accenture in Hands On Children’s Museum Seattle. in Olympia, Wash.

SPRING 2014 27 MUDDERINGS

MUDD on the Road to the Future

THIS WINTER, Harvey Mudd students toured and Yelp, toured a cleanroom at Space Systems/ several noted Silicon Valley businesses through Loral and heard presentations at Bloomenergy MUDD on the Road (MOTR), a program of the and VMWare. Participating alumni were Jeff rey Offi ce of Career Services. Th e trip takes students Hemphill ’13 (Facebook); Laurel Fullerton ’07 where the action is, off ering a fi rst-hand account (Tesla); Esteban Molina-Estolano ’06, Jordan of how and where young tech workers—fre- Ezzell ’13, Durban Frazer ’05, Zack Purdy ’13, quently Mudd alumni—are making their mark on Ben Jones ’12, Jackson Newhouse ’12, Kwang business and society. Th e MOTR program seeks to Ketcham ’10, Wayne Yang ’99, Wynn Harvey Mudd makes its mark at Facebook. connect students to the kinds of companies they Vonnegut ’11, Anatole “Toli” Paine ’11, and may one day work for, letting them see the real- Dietrich Langenbach ’13 (Quantcast); Ben institutions, but at Harvey Mudd it’s one of many world impact of studies in the STEM disciplines. Goldenberg ’10, Bryce Lampe ’10, Jessica innovative approaches employed to nurture and Sixteen students visited seven Northern Stringham ’13, Marty Field ’09, Jason Fennell ’08 develop our students. California companies: Bloomenergy, Facebook, and Xanda Schofi eld ’13 (Yelp). Quantcast, Yelp, Space Systems/Loral, VMWare By going on location, Mudders are rewarded and Tesla. Th ey were treated to informal discus- with a telling and inspirational glimpse into their sions at Facebook and Tesla, took part in intimate potential futures. It’s the kind of intimate indus- networking sessions with alumni at Quantcast try access rarely aff orded to students at other

Parent Proﬁ le Harvey Mudd families are on a mission

IN A CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT Maria Emily Stansbury ’16 Anne Sonner P17: I look forward to Klawe during Family Weekend, a panel of parents (computer science): I would like Harvey Mudd becoming more well and their students shared their hopes and dreams there to be more CS faculty, which known for how great it is at science for Harvey Mudd College, including their thoughts we are working on, because that and technology. about the campaign. Excerpts from their discussion would make my life easier in vari- follow. ous ways. I’m really looking forward to all of the buildings looking more like this one Emma Bodell ’14 (engineering): I’m Maria Klawe: What do you want to see come from [Shanahan] because this is a really wonderful envi- looking forward to Harvey Mudd Th e Campaign for Harvey Mudd College? ronment to learn in. becoming more well known…I think Mudd is unique and special…Our Tayloe Stansbury P16 and Harvey David Sonner ’80, P17 and Alumni experience should be shared. Mudd Board of Trustees member: Association Board of Governors One of the things that I’m really member: Th ere are a lot of Mudd hoping for out of the campaign is alumni, parents, people in the Colin Bodell P14 and Computer the addition of faculty to address community who don’t fully under- Science Department Advisory new areas where there’s a lot of stu- stand that the Mudd endowment Committee member: A diverse com- dent interest. With people fl ocking here to take our combined with the student revenues doesn’t pay for munity leads to better ideas, leads computer science classes, I would love to see more everything. I hope that we’ll be able to better edu- to better community. It’s a much endowed chairs in computer science to address that cate and better connect the community to Mudd so more fun and interesting place in need and more money to address future endowed that we can raise enough funds to pay for infra- which to learn, in which to work. And, additional chairs and other disciplines as they crop up and structure improvements, improve our endowment funding allows Mudd to attract very talented, pas- as interests shift…Another dorm would be very and fund other ambitions that we have. sionate students, irrespective of needs. And that’s a helpful. good thing.

28 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Family Weekend Can’t Be Beat Parents and family members Upcoming Events returned to campus Feb. 7–8 to visit their students and enjoy MAY informative and fun activities, 16–18 Commencement Weekend including an egg drop contest. Find more images online at hmc.edu/ﬂ ickr. JUN. 179th Meeting, Alumni Association Board of Governors 21 Portland, Ore.

JUN. Summer send-offs in multiple cities for incoming students — and their parents. Hosting opportunities available. AUG. Contact [email protected].

Save the Date: Family Weekend 2015 Parents, start planning now to join us on campus Friday, Feb. 6 – Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, for Family Weekend. Speak with faculty and administrators, learn about new developments at Harvey Mudd and, most important, have fun with your students. Watch for more information online at hmc.edu/parents.

SPRING 2014 29 The Magniﬁ cent Seven MUDDERINGS Changing the world for the better, Harvey Mudd alumni help solve today’s greatest challenges. Selected by the Alumni Association Board of Governors, these seven alumni—the most acknowledged in one year—were recognized for their signiﬁ - cant contributions to science and society.

Henry E. Brady ’69 Esteemed political scientist Brady (mathematics) is well known for his award-winning work in political methodology, political behavior and public policy, topics of several of his books, including Rethinking Social Inquiry (2004), which won the Sartori Award for best book on qualitative methods. His most recent book is The Unheavenly Chorus: Unequal Political Voice and the Broken Promise of American Democracy (2012). He is the dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy as well as the Class of 1941 Monroe Deutsch Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at UC Berkeley. He received the Career Achieve- ment Award of the Political Methodology Society in 2012.

Joseph B. Costello ’74 Technology entrepreneur Costello (mathematics and physics) founded Electronic Speech Systems and then joined Solomon Design Automation, eventually becoming president and growing the company and its subsidiaries from $10 million to more than $1 billion. He became the CEO of think3, a product lifecycle management software and consulting company, and moved on to become CEO of Orb Networks. He served as a Harvey Mudd trustee from 2003 to 2005 and was the College’s 2001 commencement speaker.

Jonathan L. Gay ’89 Flash inventor Gay (engineering) has a long history of contributing to the computer science and information technology ﬁ elds. In high school, he designed the game Airborne and then developed Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle during college. After graduating from Harvey Mudd, he went on to found Future- Wave Software, paving the way to eventually create the original Adobe Flash program. He is cofounder of Greenbox Technology, a clean tech startup. Gay’s technical contributions have resulted in a range of patents that today enable sharing across networks and computer platforms.

30 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Kenneth J. Livak ’74 Disease fi ghter Livak (chemistry) was a key contributor to the fi rst commercial system to perform real-time polymerase chain reaction and was among the fi rst to publish the complete nucleotide sequence of the AIDS virus, HTLV-111. Livak’s research has played a critical role in fi ghting and treating diseases. He is a senior scientifi c fellow at Fluidigm Corporation, where he pioneered novel assays on microfl uidic platforms, and he is alliance manager at the Broad Institute, where he researches single-cell genomics. Livak holds 27 U.S. patents and has served on the Harvey Mudd Clinic Advisory Committee and the Corporate Advisory Council of the Keck Graduate Institute.

Tyrel M. McQueen ’04 Materials chemist McQueen (chemistry) is an assistant professor in chemistry and physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University and is the recipient of two prestigious fellowships recognizing young faculty members in science and engineering. At Johns Hopkins, McQueen’s laboratory is focused on the design, discovery and synthesis of materials with exotic electronic states that have applications ranging from energy to fundamental science. Particular emphasis is placed on experimentally determining how simple, local interactions give rise to a plethora of emergent phenomena.

Russell L. Merris ’64 Award-winning teacher Merris (engineering) promotes the beauty of mathematics and its many relationships to other disciplines. An emeritus professor at California State University, East Bay, he instituted The Challenge—a key test to assess 11th graders’ math readiness—which is used throughout the CSU system. He has written or cowritten more than 110 research papers and four text- books and has received numerous accolades, including the CSU system’s outstanding professor award.

George B. Zimmerman ’69 Technology pioneer Zimmerman (physics) worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he developed methods to analyze and model high-energy processes and atomic particle interactions. His research led to the development of the LASNEX inertial conﬁ nement fusion computer program, used to design laser fusion targets and analyze experiments. He is a Fellow of the Americann Physical Society and is a recipient of many awards, including the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for contributions to national security and the Defense Programs Award.

SPRING 2014 31 CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI PROFILE Know When Sleeping Dogs Lie Written by Doug McInnis Photo by Seth Affoumado

IS YOUR DOG A COUCH POTATO? You probably immense amounts of raw data, measuring move- has attracted the eye of angel and venture capital don’t have a clue. After all, who has time to monitor ment 50 times a second through an accelerometer. investors w ho have provided $6 million. Harvey their dog’s exercise regimen around the clock? Yoder’s algorithms interpret that data and turn it Mudd provided the training. “Th e engineering Whistle Labs Inc., a two-year-old startup based into a readout pet owners can understand. curriculum at Harvey Mudd really prepares you for in San Francisco, has produced a device that will Whistle answers a series of critical questions. a startup environment,” Lloyd says. “Th ere was so track your pooch’s every paw print. Th e compa- “We can tell whether your dog is trending up or much exposure to diff erent facets of engineering. ny’s fi rst product, a collar-mounted device called down over time in terms of exertion,” says Lloyd. And they trained you to fi gure out things you don’t Whistle Activity Monitor, tracks whether your For example, the device generates a list of events, know. So when problems came up, I was easily able dog is stationary, running or walking. Whistle also such as how long the dog has run and how long it to tackle them.” tracks total daily exertion and enables dog owners has walked. Whistle can also tell owners if a dog In addition to the new features for Whistle, the to compare their pet’s performance with other dogs stops exercising. Th at can be an indication that company would like to create additional products of the same breed. something is wrong, Lloyd says. For instance, the geared to dogs and other pet species. Ideas come “No one else has a product like this for dogs,” pet might be sick, injured or simply have some- from in-house brainstorming and from customer says Kevin Lloyd ’06, the company’s cofounder and thing stuck in its paw that makes it painful to move feedback. In particular, customers want to see head of technology. about. Whistle adapted for species other than dogs. Th e idea for Whistle came from the company’s Owners don’t even have to be home to keep “We’ve had people ask about putting it on their three pet-loving cofounders, two of them dog own- track of their dog’s activity. If the pet is near a sheep, their horses or their kids,” says Lloyd. ers, and Lloyd, who has two cats, WALL-E and Eva. Wi-Fi router, it’s possible to retrieve exercise data Sorry, parents, devices for Homo sapiens won’t “My cofounders wanted to know how much exercise remotely through a smartphone with either the be part of Whistle Labs’ product line. “Th e entire their dogs got. Th e number one contributor to good iOS or Android operating system. Th e owner can premise of Whistle is focused around products pet health is exercise.” also tell remotely who walks or plays with his or for pets. Th e Whistle Activity Monitor is just Th e device consists of off -the-shelf integrated her dog as long as the dog walker’s cell phone has our fi rst.” circuits and circuit boards—an in-house creation. been paired. Over time, the company wants to add Lloyd’s classmate, Nathanael Yoder ’06, who signed functions, including tracking to help fi nd on as Whistle’s data scientist, devised the propri- lost dogs. etary algorithms. A small, thin disc attaches unob- At slightly more than $100, Whistle can be trusively to the outside of the collar and produces purchased online and at PetSmart. Th e company

32 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE 1964 | 50th Reunion Class 1996 Erik Ring was promoted in March to principal of LPA Inc., one of the largest integrated design fi rms in California. Th e fi rm’s fi rst engineer, Erik is design director for mechanical, electrical and plumbling engineering and is a nationally recognized expert in green buildings. He ensures that all LPA projects exceed California’s Title 24 requirements by at least 15 percent. A LEED Dick Munro identifi ed the class members in this Fellow and LEED Faculty member for the U.S. 1964 yearbook photo. According to Dick, they are Green Building Council (USGBC), he has consulted Jeff Kelly, Bob Alexander, Russ Merris and Gary for and designed more than 50 LEED-certifi ed Welch. projects. 1966 1999 | Reunion Year Larry Mallach, Chuck Iverson and Andy Van Alex Johnson is CTO of Plotly, an advanced Horn ’67 attended the CMS Alumni Baseball Game JavaScript toolkit and support team that inte- Feb. 1. Th e event was a reunion of former players grates custom, mission-critical dashboards for and the current roster. organizations.

It's known as the largest mathematics meeting 1980 Christian Jones tweeted his class note: Surgeon in the world, and Harvey Mudd was again well Scott Pace testifi ed March 5 during the hearing now. New baby. Sometimes miss West. represented. At the Joint Mathematics Meetings of the Senate Committee on Defense Appropria- this winter in Baltimore, Md., students, alumni and Nicholas Seet tions. Scott, director of the Space Policy Institute, Serial entrepreneur received fund- faculty attended a Claremont Colleges Reception Elliott School of International Aff airs, Th e George ing for a new venture, SIVI.com, that provides and a Mudd-sponsored dinner. Those in atten- Washington University, discussed the importance gamifi ed e-learning for aspiring entrepreneurs. dance included “Maddie” Weinstein ’16, Andy of national security space launch programs, and SIVI Corporation, where Nik and Ashok Kamal Niedermaier ’04, Allison Arnold-Roksandich ’14, in particular, the Evolved Expendable Launch are CTO and CEO, respectively, recently gradu- Chandler May ’11, Tum Chaturapruek ’14, Yaxi Vehicle Program, which is central to maintaining ated from VentureSpur’s accelerator program and Gao ’16, Kevin O'Neill ’13, Sam Gutekunst '14 and assured access to space for the Department of closed an investment round in excess of $340,000 Matthew McDermott '14. Defense. Read testimony transcript: from Oklahoma investors. Nik and Ashok have http://bit.ly/1d5mg5C moved their company from New York City to Oklahoma City and will continue development 1983 and promotion of the LaunchLeader entrepre- Amanda Simpson is executive director of the U.S. neurship education platform. LaunchLeader seeks Army Energy Initiatives Task Force. “It is an honor “to become the global standard for qualifying to lead an organization helping to secure clean, entrepreneurs.” Read more: http://bit.ly/1lGPIhP reliable and aff ordable energy at Army installa- Share Your News tions throughout the country,” says Amanda. 2001 Class Notes originate from alumni, usually Tom Preston-Werner is cofounder and president as email updates. They are also compiled 1988 of GitHub Inc., a business that enables individuals from a variety of public sources: Harvey Michael White, product marketing director for and teams to write better code, faster. In January, Mudd campus event notices, newspaper and Mentor Graphics’ Calibre Physical Verifi cation he announced that longtime friend and GitHub magazine articles, press releases and Google products, shared his vision for the integrated cofounder, Chris Wanstrath, would become CEO. alerts. Please send news about career, circuit industry in the Dec. 9, 2013, article Tom now leads R&D and new growth opportuni- hobbies, family or other proud moments via “16- And 14-nm Designs Await On 2014’s Hori- ties within the company. email to alumni.hmc.edu/class-notes or by zon” in Electronic Design. Prior to Mentor Graph- email to [email protected]. ics, Michael held various product marketing, On April 6, 2013, Paul SanGiorgio and Jennifer strategic marketing and program management Boynton PZ ’03 were married at the Brazilian roles for Applied Materials, Etec Systems and the Room in Tilden Park, Berkeley, Calif. In atten- Lockheed Skunk Works. He received an M.S. in dance were Neville Khambatta, Andrew Schile, engineering management from the University of Joshua Switkes and Nicholas Breznay ’02. Paul Southern California after earning his engineering and Jen honeymooned in the Galapagos (“Best degree from Harvey Mudd. Read the article: idea ever,” says Paul) and now live in beautiful http://bit.ly/19YrTea Oakland, Calif., with their cat, Madeline, and fi sh, Boris.

SPRING 2014 33

49526.HMC_r3.indd 33 44/24/14/24/14 6:09 PM CLASS NOTES Alumni Fondly Remembered The Harvey Mudd community mourns the loss of several alumni

Lori Ives ’61 James L. Barden ’61* Lori Ives (née Grace Pfanstiehl), one of Founding Class member Jim Barden, Center. He also was an avid sailor and woodworker the fi rst women to attend the College, a retired mechanical engineer, died who enjoyed creating furniture, toys and cabinetry for died Jan. 1. She was 85. A mathematics transfer Jan. 5. He was 72. An engineering major, Jim served family and friends. student in 1958, Lori held the distinction of being as chair of the Associated Students of Harvey Mudd He retired in 1998 and moved to his family’s the only woman in the College’s fi rst four-year College’s Publicity Committee (1959–1960) and as homestead located off Keuka Lake in New York state’s graduating class. chair of ASHMC’s Social Committee (1960–1961). Jim Finger Lakes region. Jim’s retirement years were A full decade older than her classmates, Ives was known for his impressive array of muscle cars, spent traveling with friends—to China, Russia, Croatia, struck an easy friendship with Harvey Mudd mathe- including a 1958 Chevy Impala and 1960 Corvette. Greece, Egypt, Jordan, Amsterdam, England, Scotland, matics Professor Robert “Robin” Ives, who would later Classmates recall memorable times at the Barden Wales, Chile and Antarctica—and serving in local gov- become her husband. The two enjoyed backpacking home at the Guasti Villa near Ontario, Calif. For many ernment. He served on the Jerusalem, N.Y., town board and other mountaineering activities together. Wed years, Jim’s parents operated Garrett & Co., makers of and on the town’s Zoning Appeals Board. He helped two days after Lori’s graduation, the couple went on Virginia Dare wine and fl avoring extracts. develop the town’s Comprehensive Plan and also to serve in leadership positions with the Sierra Club’s After graduation, Jim worked for General Electric at served on a committee that developed and enacted a Angeles Chapter. In addition to publishing a monthly the Atomic Power Equipment Department as a design uniform dock and mooring regulation for Keuka Lake. newsletter for the Conservation Committee, Lori engineer, then for Xerox as a manufacturing engineer Jim is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patricia worked alongside her husband to organize and lead focused on design for manufacturability. He retired (Kingsley) Barden SCR ’61, daughter Charissa Roberts, the chapter’s basic mountaineering training course, from Xerox after more than 30 years in management. sons Paul Barden and John Barden, sister Anne Waas- to establish protection for California’s coast and to He remained supportive of Harvey Mudd through- dorp and six grandchildren. participate in campaigns that led to the passage of out his career, serving as vice president of the Alumni the California Wilderness Bill and the California Desert Association Board of Governors (1975–1976), as an * While Jim entered with the Founding Class, he Protection Act. She also served as communications AABoG board member (1992–1998), as a member graduated with the Class of 1962, and celebrated coordinator, registrar, editor and publisher for Sierra of the Clinics Advisory Committee and as a gener- ties with both classes. Club California. ous donor to endowed scholarships, the Ronald and Lori received the club’s Phil Bernays Award for Maxine Linde Activities Center construction and, Service (1987), and she and her husband were jointly most recently, the Founding Class Room in Shanahan honored with its Weldon Health Conservation Award (1968) and Susan E. Miller Award (2000). A gifted violist and avid chamber musician, Lori served as principal viola in several musical groups, including the Redlands Bowl Orchestra and the Claremont Symphony Orchestra. She also served as a section violist with the Rio Hondo and Redlands symphonies. In 1970, she founded the Ives Community Paul Tulane Layman Jr. ’68 Offi ce, a nonprofi t that provided desktop publishing Paul Layman died suddenly and unex- work with San Luis Obispo County and helped design services to support other nonprofi ts and community pectedly from a heart attack on Jan. 16. He was 67. the county’s fi nancial management system, which organizations. Lori is survived by Emeritus Professor Born in Knoxville, Tenn., Paul moved to Santa Maria, remained in use for 25 years. He was also a software Robin Ives, her husband of 52 years. Calif., in 1959. After graduating from Harvey Mudd with business owner. Paul is survived by children Eric and a degree in mathematics, he attended the University Stephanie Fair-Layman and grandchildren Miles and of Colorado, Boulder, where he received a master’s in Matira. The Santa Maria Times obituary states, “The mathematics. Paul’s career in information technology one word that fully describes Paul is generous.” spanned 40 years in San Luis Obispo and Santa Bar- bara counties. He was instrumental in creating many new and complex data processing systems during his

34 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Trellis Fellas

Keith Chugg, chief scientist and cofounder of TrellisWare Technologies in San Diego, shares this photo of Harvey Mudd alumni, who make up a good portion of his employees. “Despite Mudd's small size, it may very well be the most represented college among our engineering staff; we are just under 100 total employees,” says Chugg. “I’d say the biggest reason Mudd has developed a great reputation at TW is that they combine analytical training, common-sense design thinking and communication skills. This allows them to hit the ground running and to continually step up to challenges that are outside of their comfort zone.” Shown are Brett Burley ’13, Tyler Smelt ’13, Gautam Thatte ’03, Keith Chugg ’89, Ryan McCourt ’98, James Speros ’01, Steven Gordon ’11 and Parker Martin ’13.

2002 performed Feb. 1 at the Bellfl ower Symphony try. Th e magazine describes Sean as “one of the Kurt Dresner, a software engineer at Google, Orchestra’s Night at the Opera event. She sang biggest names in the world of e-sports.” Sean was featured in the Dec. 27 NPR segment “To Fiordiligi’s aria “Come scoglio” from Mozart’s Cosi is broadcaster and co-founder (with Eric Make Intersections Smarter, We Need Cars To Be Fan Tutte. and “Ah, je veux vivre” from Romeo & Burkhart ’08) of Jink.TV, a popular venue for Smarter, Too.” In the interview, Kurt describes Juliet. watching StarCraft matches and for under- his thesis research on autonomous intersection standing the underlying strategy of competitive management. “I can’t count the number of times 2007 StarCraft play. Sean is a veteran and top player of I’m driving around and I think to myself, this Andy Heald and Ben Jencks ’09 welcomed their StarCraft, who has been rated A+/A on ICCUP/ would be so much better if there were a computer fi rst child, Nathaniel Jencks, to the world on PGT on multiple accounts over multiple seasons. driving these cars around me because the people Dec. 19. He has qualifi ed for the World Cyber Games USA around me are not driving very well.” Hear the fi nals seven times and the World Cyber Games interview at http://n.pr/1e8I7XV 2008 Grand Finals three times, and he won the Pan Entrepreneur and professional gamer Sean American Championship in 2007. He plays Jennifer Lindsay, lyric soprano and concert “Day[9]” Plott was named in January to Forbes’ random in StarCraft 2 as a top-rated master master of the Bellfl ower Symphony Orchestra, “30 Under 30” list for those in the games indus- player.

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SPRING 2014 35 Helping Dreams Take Flight

William R. Hartman ’62 has been involved with fl ight for most of his adult life. A former Navy pilot, airborne data transmis- sion innovator and Lockheed satellite specialist, Hartman still fl ies his own plane—often with his wife of more than 50 years, Sandra Jean—from their home base in Carson City, Nev. Longtime supporters of Harvey Mudd College, Bill and Sandie Hartman chose to extend their support and leave a soaring legacy that will enable the dreams of our students to take fl ight through the couple’s planned gift of two charitable remainder unitrusts. “I really value the experience I had at Harvey Mudd,” says Hartman, an emeritus member of the Alumni Association Board of Governors, whose recent involvement has included arranging an alumni trip to Australia and an upcoming one to Antarctica. He is a 2012 recipient of the alumni association’s Lifetime Recognition Award. “By being involved, we hope to continue to make this remarkable education available for others.” The Hartmans view their planned gift as a timely, tax-wise opportunity to extend their commitment to the school they love, while continuing to receive income from their donated investments. It’s just one of many ways to give wings to the hopes and aspirations of tomorrow’s potentially world-changing Harvey Mudd graduates. To fi nd out more about the uplifting rewards and practical benefi ts of making a planned gift to Harvey Mudd, please call 909.607.0902 or visit hmc.edu/campaign.

Bill ’62 and Sandie Hartman

Harvey Mudd Planned Giving

36 HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE

49526.HMC_r3.indd 36 44/24/14/24/14 6:10 PM We’re educating the next generation of passionate problem solvers.

Tum Chaturapruek ’14 Sophia Williams ’15 is on a mission to make STEM opportunities limitless. Christian Stevens ’14 is on a mission is on a mission to mentor and inspire future leaders. to discover the next cure.

Demetri Priya Donti ’15 is Monovoukas ’15 on a mission is on a mission to engage the community to engineer new by giving back. patient care solutions.

Read their stories at hmc.edu/campaign. is on a mission Julie Chang ’16 is on a mission to blend art and science. THE CAMPAIGN FOR HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE Harvey Mudd College 301 Platt Boulevard | Claremont, CA 91711 Nonproﬁ t Org. U.S. Postage hmc.edu/magazine PAID Claremont, CA Permit No. 35

Whistle While You Woof

An active life is a happy life. Just ask Duke, who stays fi t and frolicsome with the help of his Whistle Activity Monitor, the clever creation of Mudders Kevin Lloyd ’06 and Nathanael Yoder ’06. Read the full story on Page 32.