This course, a variation of CS 5, introduces fundamental concepts from the HMC introductory courses in biology and computer science in a single one-semester integrated course. Students see both the intellectual and practical connections between these two disciplines and write computer programs to explore biological phenomena. Biology topics include the basics of biochemistry, the central dogma, population genetics, molecular evolution, metabolism, regulation, and phylogenetics. Computer science material includes basic data types and control structures, recursion, dynamic programming, and an introduction to automata and computability. Besides introducing both fields to students, this course demonstrates the symbiosis of two STEM fields. It is hard to discern how students make major choices, but both computer science and biology have seen an increase in student majors, and an increase in students combining these two fields.

At HMC, every entering student takes CS 5 in their first semester. The course has been adjusted from focusing on a particular programming language to allowing students to investigate a wide variety of the elements of computer science. Surveys have shown positive effects in student's understanding of the field and its societal importance. The course's transformation has moved it from the least liked of freshman classes to the favorite class of many. Finally, the changes in this course have been part of the motivation for women to participate in our computer science program.

Clinic is the name that Harvey Mudd College uses for the unique capstone experience of the computer science major. In the course of a Clinic project, students provide products of genuine value to external clients based on the clients' needs. In the world of broader impacts, Clinic is obviously a cooperative effort between industry and academia, preparing our students for the industrial environment. But individual Clinics can have significant societal benefits. In our Clinic program, students worked on a project centered on monitoring volcanoes with the goal of providing an early warning system. Another Clinic group developed software system that can correlate satellite images, allowing investigators to discern topographical changes. Clinic allows both the growth of our students as researchers and the development of new projects and technologies to aid the global community.

To access a list of Clinic projects with broader impacts, click here.

Each summer the Computer Science Department recruits women who have just completed their freshmen year for summer research positions. There are usually about 8 summer research projects supported by internal and external funds. By allowing such a speedy admittance to the school's research program, first year women are given an opportunity to see computer science research in action, and to receive appropriate encouragement to take part. This program both boosts the number of women studying computer science and their understanding of the field.

The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is a series of conferences designed to bring the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. For the past five years, we have taken a group of roughly 20-35 female students to Grace Hopper. Surveys have indicated that these trips have given women a much clearer view of computer science and its relevance to STEM and its societal importance. The attendance of this conference is correlated with a boost in women in our computer science department (from less than 10% to over 40%).

This NSF sponsor project engages middle school students in a semester-long software development project carried out by college students. The goal of the software project is an educational computer game. This project is a model for collaboration between middle school and college classrooms that facilitates teaching and enhances learning in each environment. It forges alliances between postsecondary education and middle schools at both the institutional and individual levels. Besides creating educational games, this project seeks to engage under-represented middle school students in computer science. It is hoped that this early engagement will enhance their perception of the field and of how they might participate.