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United States 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.
Led the institution as president for 30 years, transforming it into a nationally recognized model for research and innovation, especially in STEM fields for minority students. He championed academic excellence, diversity, and inclusion.
Chaired the commission, appointed by President Obama, focusing on improving educational outcomes for African Americans.
Co-founded and developed this program to support high-achieving minority students in STEM, significantly increasing their representation and success in these fields.
Formed a strategic partnership with UMBC to encourage collaboration in education, research, and community engagement.
Recognized as one of the '100 Most Influential People in the World' in 2012 and also listed as one of 'America's 10 best college presidents' for his successful cultivation of UMBC's reputation in STEM.
Received the Academic Leadership Award, one of the highest honors for educators, acknowledging his leadership in higher education.
HHMI launched the 'Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program' in his honor to support a diverse scientific workforce after his retirement from UMBC.
Chaired the committee that produced the report 'Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America's Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads', influencing policy on STEM diversity.
Presented on his work in transforming UMBC into a nationally recognized model of higher education through shared leadership and culture change.
Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, born on August 13, 1950, in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, is an American educator, advocate, and mathematician. His early life was marked by his participation in the Children’s Crusade march for civil rights in 1963 at the age of 12, leading to his arrest. He pursued his education with dedication, graduating from Hampton Institute with high honors in mathematics at 19. He continued his academic journey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he earned an MA in mathematics and later a PhD in higher education administration and statistics. These foundational experiences in civil rights and advanced education set the stage for a career focused on empowering students and transforming educational institutions.
Hrabowski began his influential tenure at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in 1987, initially serving as vice provost and then executive vice president. In May 1992, he became president of UMBC, a position he held until 2022. During his presidency, Hrabowski transformed UMBC into a model for inclusive excellence, gaining recognition for academic innovation and undergraduate teaching by publications such as U.S. News & World Report, which named UMBC the #1 Up and Coming University for six consecutive years (2009-2014). He championed STEM education and co-founded the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, specifically designed to promote minority achievement in STEM fields. This program significantly increased the number of Black students earning bachelor’s degrees in science and technology from UMBC, making it a leading institution in this area among non-historically Black universities.
His leadership extended beyond UMBC, influencing national educational policy. In 2012, President Barack Obama appointed him to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Hrabowski has authored several books, including “The Empowered University” (2019) and “The Resilient University” (2024), which examine how university communities foster academic success through institutional culture and shared leadership. For his extensive contributions, he has received numerous accolades, including TIME magazine naming him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012 and his election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2022 for his national educational model. Upon his retirement from UMBC in 2022, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute launched the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program in his honor, further cementing his legacy in building a diverse scientific workforce.
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