Freeman Alphonsa Hrabowski III

Freeman Alphonso Hrabowski III was president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) from 1992 to 2022. As a child, he was involved in civil rights activism, which influenced his life in several ways. For example, his career revolves around science and math education, with a dedicated focus on minority participation and performance. Among his notable achievements is chairing the National Academies’ committee that produced the 2011 report Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads. 

Dr. Hrabowski’s influence extends to consulting for national agencies, universities, and school systems. His accolades include being elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2022 and receiving the prestigious Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences in April 2023. 

In recognition of his contributions, President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Hrabowski to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans in 2012. To further foster diversity and excellence in the scientific community, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute launched the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program, an initiative with the aim to support diversity and inclusion in scientific research. UMBC also launched the Meyerhoff Scholarship under Hrabowski’s leadership, which supports students who are committed to increasing minority representation in science and engineering. 

Hrabowski has coauthored two books and contributed extensively to academic journals. He has been honored with distinguished awards, including the Council on Chemical Research Diversity Award and the Outstanding Science Educator Award from Eli Lilly and Company, among several others. Hrabowski and his wife, Jacqueline, are parents to one son.