This speaker series has been made possible through the generosity of the family of Bruce J. Nelson. Bruce's life and his sudden death in 1999 had a tremendous impact on the many people whose lives he touched. A brilliant technologist and a great leader, Bruce was also entirely unconventional and eclectic; a true free spirit. Friends from Harvey Mudd College vividly remember his passionate tirades against peas as well as his many daring outdoor adventures. He was an avid photographer, mountaineer and world traveler who cherished the tranquility and wonder of nature.

Bruce Nelson graduated from Harvey Mudd College in 1974 and went on to earn a master's in computer science from Stanford, and a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon. While pursuing his Ph.D., he developed the Remote Procedure Call (RPC), for which he was awarded the prestigious Association of Computing Machines (ACM) Software Systems Award. At the time of his death, he was the Chief Science Officer at Cisco Systems.

2005 Speaker Series - Technology in Entertainment (PDF)

Spring 2006
(50th Anniversary edition)
Theme: Looking Back & Looking Ahead
 The Nelson Speaker Series will be amplified by the 50th anniversary in Spring 2006 in which 7 events assume the overall theme of the 50th ("celebrate the accomplishments and begin to develop a vision for the future"). Speakers include distinguished alumni and represent nearly every decade of the College's history. While the Nelson Series has traditionally been used to highlight cutting-edge topics and individuals within science, mathematics and engineering, the Spring 2006 series can include alumni reflections on their time at HMC and how the College, their discipline, or science in general has advanced since. While the lecture will focus on the current work that each speaker is involved with, speakers are invited to also "look ahead" into their project area or discipline. Some of the topic areas that the Lecture Series Committee generated are as follows: Energy, Sustainability, Economics, Technology, Health, Education, and Public Policy.

The Spring '06 Nelson Speaker Series will occur on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm in Galileo Hall.
January 25 George "Pinky" Nelson '72
February 8 Maria Ebling '88
February 15 Phil Szuromi '80
March 1 Susan Lewallen '76
March 22 Jim Dewar '66
April 5 Greg Rae '00
April 12 Surya Jayaweera '96
April 19 Jerome Jackson '76

Harvey Mudd College is a coeducational liberal arts college of engineering, science and mathematics that also places strong emphasis on humanities and the social sciences. The college’s aim is to graduate engineers, scientists, and mathematicians sensitive to the impact of their work on society.

The lectures are free and open to the public and will be held in Galileo Hall on the Harvey Mudd College campus, 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, Calif.

For more information, call 909/607-7924 or 909/607-9298