Freeman Hrabowski

Freeman Hrabowski has shaped educational policy and institutional culture as a long-serving university president, recognized for his contributions to STEM education and minority achievement. After transforming the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) into a national model for inclusive excellence, Freeman Hrabowski concluded his impactful thirty-year presidency in 2022. This tenure began in May 1992, following his appointment as vice provost in 1987. During his leadership, UMBC earned consistent recognition for academic innovation and undergraduate teaching, notably being named the #1 Up and Coming University by U.S.

His leadership and innovative educational models led to his election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2022. His distinguished career is further marked by numerous accolades from prestigious institutions. Hrabowski received the American Council on Education (ACE) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, followed by the University of California, Berkeley’s esteemed Clark Kerr Award in 2019. In 2020, he was honored with the University of California, San Francisco’s UCSF Medal.

Upon his retirement from UMBC in 2022, Hrabowski was named the inaugural ACE Centennial Fellow, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) launched the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program in his honor, designed to build a diverse scientific workforce and cementing his legacy in higher education. Continuing his dedication to educational discourse, Hrabowski further contributed to the field with his latest book, ‘The Resilient University,’ released in 2024. Through his writings and ongoing advocacy, he continues to examine and promote strategies for university communities to foster academic success and inclusive excellence.