UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and advocate for the education and advancement of traditionally underrepresented groups in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), will deliver the commencement address for the Eberly College of Science undergraduate graduation ceremony. The ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, at the Bryce Jordan Center on the Penn State University Park campus.
Hrabowski’s research focuses on science and math education, with particular emphasis on participation and performance of underrepresented groups. In 1992, he became the president of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which has since been recognized as a model for inclusive excellence. U.S. News & World Report ranked UMBC as the nation’s number one “Up and Coming” university from 2009 to 2014 and among the top ten of the nation’s most innovative universities from 2015 to 2017.
“We are honored to have Freeman Hrabowski as this year’s commencement speaker,” said Douglas Cavener, Verne M. Willaman Dean of the Eberly College of Science. “Dr. Hrabowski is considered among the most innovative and successful university presidents in the world. His inspiring leadership and commitment to excellence in scholarship is truly inspiring, and we are thrilled to have him share his insights with this year’s graduating class.”
Hrabowski is also a consultant on science and math education to national agencies, universities, and school systems, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Academies. In 2012, he was named by President Barack Obama to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. He chaired the National Academies’ committee that produced the report, "Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads," in 2011.
Hrabowski was named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report in 2008, one of America’s Ten Best College Presidents by TIME magazine in 2009, one of seven Top American Leaders by the Washington Post and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership in 2011, and one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world by TIME magazine in 2012. He received the Heinz Award in 2012 for his contributions to improving the “Human Condition.” In 2011, he received both the TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence and the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Academic Leadership Award, recognized by many as the nation’s highest awards among higher education leaders.
In addition to numerous academic articles, Hrabowski has co-authored several books. Two of his books, "Beating the Odds" and "Overcoming the Odds," focus on parenting high-achieving African Americans in science. His most recent book, "Holding Fast to Dreams: Empowering Youth from the Civil Rights Crusade to STEM Achievement," describes the events and experiences that played a central role in his development as an educator and leader.