It is possible that Freeman Hrabowski has done more to improve training and access to STEM careers (science, technology, engineering, and math) than anyone else alive at the moment. As President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County from 1992 to 2022, he co-founded the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, which created resources and a campus environment where underrepresented students could thrive in some of the toughest majors on campus. The techniques that helped future African-American scientists, doctors, and engineers were eventually mainstreamed at UMBC and helped thousands of students of all backgrounds.
Inspired by his work, in 2022 the Howard Hughes Medical Institute launched the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program to support outstanding researchers, who have strong potential to become leaders in their fields. Access and high achievement. Dr. Hrabowski is a strident advocate for both and has spent his life supporting programs and leaders that combine the two.
He came by this commitment honestly–and dangerously–when he was very young.
Episode Guide
1:15 Growing up as a privileged Black child in segregated Birmingham, where high expectations from family, church, and teachers shaped his identity
3:40 Being inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. How his early academic acceleration and love of learning intersected with the realities of segregation.
4:40 The church meeting where he first heard Dr. King call on children to join a children’s march to help integrate schools
6:47 Persuading his initially fearful parents to let him march
8:13 Getting trained in nonviolence tactics at age 12
9:26 Confronting Bull Connor
11:20 Five days in jail
12:55 Mentoring younger people began early
16:17 His parents’ community leadership
22:48 Negotiating with this parents to attend an elite program with white students
23:50 The Meyerhoff Scholars Program, finding and cultivating Black excellence in the sciences
30:00 He has mentored thousands
34:00 Hrabowski celebrates success stories like Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a Meyerhoff alumna who co-led development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
36:39 Evolving communication tools—TED Talks, social media, and digital platforms—and how Hrabowski thinks about reaching modern audiences.
38:00 Staying young means staying connected to younger generations, including his grandson
40:41 “The genius of the and versus the tyranny of the or.”
43:00 Hrabowski discusses neurodiversity, flexibility in teaching, and how universities must adapt to support all students while navigating cultural and political challenges.
45:51 The importance of subtlety, strategy, and “playing chess, not checkers” when advocating within complex systems
46:00 How he transitioned out of the UMBC presidency without losing his sense of identity
47:34 The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the $1.5 billion Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program
48:03 His leadership lessons: humility, self-care, and a commitment to helping others
