P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E
The Power of Potential W
hile each Commencement ceremony is a special celebration, this year’s event was particularly meaningful for me. Four years ago, I arrived at Harvey Mudd College along with the Class of 2010. It has given me such joy to spend the last four years with these
young women and men and watch them grow into remarkable individuals. I have so many memories from that first year: learning their faces and names; discovering the different personalities of the dorms; being pranked for the first time (a reflecting pond in my office!); and getting to know our amazing faculty, staff and alumni and how much they care about the mission of our College. I re- member the trip to the Grace Hopper Conference in San Diego with 15 first-year students and the strategic planning workshops in which the entire campus community participated that fall. It was during those workshops that Freeman Hrabowski, III, first spoke on campus and made an indelible impression that undoubtedly led to his selection as this year’s Commencement speaker and as the recipient of an HMC Honorary Doctorate degree (see page 2). Most of the Class of 2010 are entering Ph.D. programs at top uni- versities or starting jobs at leading technology companies. Some will be teaching math and science with Teach for America; others are launching a company or exploring the world. Whether they become teachers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, artists, math- ematicians, engineers or scientists (or several of the above), I am confident they will understand and pay attention to the impact of their work on society. During this time of great concern over finding plentiful and safe
resources to provide the energy infrastructure for our nation, edu- cated engineers, scientists and technologists are in great demand. Our Department of Engineering recently completed a faculty search that will bring to campus this fall a new faculty member whose specialty is energy issues: Adrian Hightower is a materi- als scientist who studies and designs nanostructured electrodes for fuel cells and rechargeable batteries. He has been recognized for
the development of community-based renewable education pro- grams throughout Los Angeles and West Africa. As you may have read in past Bulletins and on our website, many of our students are doing research with faculty on solar, geothermal and other energy- related projects (for the latest, see page 12). Also in this issue, we are highlighting alumni who are working on important research and potential solutions to some tough energy dilemmas, specifi- cally solar technology. Stay tuned for information about the Dr. Bruce J. Nelson ’74 Distinguished Speaker Series, which will bring to campus this fall several high-profile energy pioneers. We owe you, our friends and supporters, a debt of gratitude for
all that you have done and continue to do to support our talented students, our prestigious faculty and the College’s infrastructure and activities. As we close fiscal year 2009–2010—in an economic climate which continues to be challenging for so many non-prof- its— alumni giving increased by a remarkable three percent to 36 percent, while the number of parent donors reached an all-time high. The HMC Board of Trustees continued to lead the way with gifts exceeding $2 million for the second year in a row. Their gen- erosity seems to have inspired other donors who increased their support over last year. As a mission-driven institution, it is very encouraging to see how many alumni, parents and friends are committed to achieving the College’s goals. My four years spent alongside the Class of 2010 have been full
of hard work, excitement, achievement and fun, as well as the occasional challenge. Our graduates have the potential to make significant and lasting scientific and technological changes. With your continued support, Harvey Mudd College can nurture many more potential future leaders.
Maria Klawe President, Harvey Mudd College
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