person1950–

Freeman Hrabowski

Disciplines:

Summary

American educator — President of UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County) for 30 years (1992–2022) — civil rights activist who marched with Martin Luther King at age 12 — who transformed UMBC into the #1 producer of Black undergraduates who go on to earn PhDs in STEM.

Core Contribution

Creates the Meyerhoff Scholars Program model — Hrabowski's program (intensive support, peer community, high expectations for minority STEM students) has been the most successful intervention for increasing underrepresented minority representation in STEM PhDs.

Key Spikes & Highlights

Was arrested and jailed at age 12 for participating in the Birmingham Children's Crusade under Martin Luther King's guidance — King persuaded his parents to let him participate; the experience of being jailed as a child for civil disobedience shaped his view of institutional authority for the rest of his life

Notable Works & Achievements

Beating the Odds

Overcoming the Odds

The Empowered University

Historical Influences

Martin Luther King Jr. Mathematics education tradition

Intellectual Lineage

Birmingham, Alabama Hampton University University of Illinois UMBC

Contemporaries & Peers

Donna Shalala John Hennessy

Minds Influenced

STEM diversity

Intellectual Posterity

Meyerhoff Scholars Program UMBC STEM reputation Hrabowski as STEM diversity

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