Harriet Nembhard, dean of the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering, has been named president of Harvey Mudd College, a liberal arts college specializing in science, engineering, and mathematics located in Claremont, California.

Nembhard, who joined Iowa in June 2020, will begin her new position July 1. The UI will conduct a national search for Nembhard’s replacement.

“I congratulate Dean Nembhard and wish her the best of luck in her new role,” says Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel. “Under her leadership, the College of Engineering has continued to build upon its exceptional research reputation while advancing equity and inclusion in STEM education. She leaves the college in a strong position moving forward.”

Nembhard earned a Bachelor of Arts in management from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California; a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Arizona State University; and a Master of Science and PhD in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan.

Before joining Iowa, Nembhard was the Eric R. Smith Professor of Engineering and head of the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. In addition to her role on the College of Engineering’s leadership team at Oregon State, she was active in university-level strategic planning and efforts to advance inclusivity, student success, and well-being. 

As dean at Iowa, Nembhard manages a budget of $100 million and oversees the academic programs, departments and institutes that support about 1,800 undergraduates and more than 250 graduate students. She has led initiatives in strategic planning and implementation, improving the college’s research profile and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Nembhard also is a voice on the national level for transforming undergraduate STEM education. Her research into co-curricular STEM education and its role in undergraduate identity formation received National Science Foundation funding, and she was invited by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to serve as a member of their joint roundtable on advancing change in undergraduate STEM education.