Robert Day Sciences Center:
Reaching a Significant Milestone

As the final structural steel beam was lowered into place, the CMC community celebrated the completion of the framework for the new Robert Day Sciences Center (RDSC) at a March “Topping Out” ceremony. To mark the occasion, CMC community members, local government officials, and representatives from architectural firm, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group (who designed the RDSC), gathered together at the site of the future 142,000-square-foot facility. The last piece of the steel puzzle—signed by members of the project team, CMC trustees, and community members—represented a significant milestone toward realizing Phase One of the College’s Master Plan to develop the Roberts Campus and construct the home for the new Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS). 

Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences:  
Curricular Innovation and Development

During the spring semester, members of the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences (KDIS) Advisory Council gathered on CMC’s campus to assess progress and discuss important next steps for the program. Together, the group of prominent leaders in their fields and founding KDIS faculty (including Jason Keller, Professor of Ecology, pictured at top right) explored what CMC has learned from its first course offerings, how those lessons will inform the future of the curriculum, and opportunities to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and deep connections to other disciplines. The visit included a tour of the construction site of the Robert Day Sciences Center; for many, a first look at the iconic future home of CMC’s science program.

“The faculty, council members, and College leadership team had exciting conversations on both far-ranging opportunities and specific curricular issues. The council was especially enthusiastic about the new Codes of Life course—now in its third offering—that provides all CMC students with opportunities to engage in the process of discovery and innovation on socio-scientific challenges.”

— Professor Ran Libeskind-Hadas, Founding Chair of the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences

The Roberts Campus:
Sports Bowl Ready to Proceed

Phase One of the Sports Bowl project—CMC’s custom athletics campus in the College-owned 75-acre parcel across Claremont Boulevard—is slated to begin construction later this year. The initial phase in the southern half of the parcel, which is part of the larger Roberts Campus expansion, includes new baseball and softball fields/stadiums, a new golf practice area, and a new stadium for track and field, football, and women’s lacrosse. Also scheduled: A new parking structure and an arcade that will connect the main CMC campus to the Sports Bowl. 

The best-case scenario should see construction starting in the fall, said Matthew Bibbens ’92, Vice President of Campus Planning and Capital Projects and Special Counsel—with the duration taking approximately 24 months, assuming no unforeseen delays. “It will be particularly exciting to see actual day-to-day activity—notably, the earthwork—taking place as we reclaim an abandoned quarry, transforming it into what will be an incredible enhancement for CMS Athletics and the community,” Bibbens added.

Phase One of the Sports Bowl; more development to come

The Open Academy:
Constructive Dialogue Across Campus

Sponsored by the Valach Family—Ken and Janie ’82—and The Open Academy, a special alumni program drew members of CMC’s Res Publica Society, Crown Society, and 1946 Legacy Partners to Orange County at the start of the spring semester. The event was highlighted by New York Times opinion writer and linguistic professor John McWhorter’s talk, “Word Wars: Wokeism and the Battle Over Language.” McWhorter also spoke to a capacity crowd at the Athenaeum later in the evening.

“We’re being taught that there are natural ways of expressing ourselves that we should learn to tamp down, that we should think very hard about the way we say almost anything that once again is genuinely interesting. We’re supposed to exist in a fight of ongoing linguistic discomfort,” McWhorter (pictured at top right with President Chodosh) shared while discussing prescriptivism, or attempts to enforce how language should be.

As part of its programmatic expansion with students, The Open Academy has also hosted a series of Flipped Ath events and Saturday Salons on timely topics. The Salons, curated by professors and research institutes with help from Open Academy student fellows, are specifically intended to encourage constructive dialogue among small groups in an informal environment, said Heather Ferguson and Jon Shields, Faculty Co-Directors of The Open Academy. Salons often continue with dinner at a CMC professor’s home or at a local restaurant.

Among the Salon conversations this spring: U.S. Policy on Israel and the Gaza War with James Gelvin, Hicham Bou Nassif, and Hilary Appel; The 2024 Presidential Election (middle and bottom photos) with Zach Courser ’99, Andy Busch, Lily Geismer, Thomas Kim, and Shields; The Economics of Climate Resilience with William Ascher and Branwen Williams; and American Inequality with Matt Bruenig and Patrick Brown.

“During a recent Salon dinner at Professor Hilary Appel’s home, a number of students expressed how much they valued the opportunity to have an open, respectful, and wide-ranging discussion about Gaza. For the participants in that Salon, it was a reminder of why they chose CMC.”

— Professors Heather Ferguson and Jon Shields, Faculty Co-Directors of The Open Academy