President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Nominated By: Elizabeth M. Morgan
Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, has served as President of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County since May, 1992. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority participation and performance. He currently chairs the National Academies’ Committee on Underrepresented Groups and the Science & Engineering Workforce Pipeline. In 2008, he was named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report, which in 2009 ranked UMBC the nation’s #1 “Up and Coming” university and #4 (tied with Stanford) for commitment to undergraduate teaching. In 2009, Time magazine named him one of America’s 10 Best College Presidents. He co-authored Beating the Oddsand Overcoming the Odds focusing on parenting and high achieving African American males and females in science.
Hrabowski received his BA from Hampton Institute, and MA and PhD from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is the son of African American school teachers who for decades taught in the segregated schools of Birmingham, Alabama. As a child Hrabowski participated in the Civil Rights Movement, including being arrested and jailed for civil disobedience. He has dedicated his life, professionally and personally, to educating American children from all backgrounds.
