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Titans of Science PRODIGY HRABOWSKI TAKES STOCKING STEM PIPELINE TO HEART
Hrabowski was grounded in math and science growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, his parents making it an integral part of his upbringing. Born in 1950 in Birmingham, Hrabowski was 19 when he earned his bachelor’s degree with highest honors in mathematics from Hampton (Va.) Institute. He then moved to the Uni- versity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for his master’s of arts degree in math- ematics, and then, at age 24, his Ph.D. in higher education administration/statistics. “I had great parents,” Hrabowski said. Both of them loved math. That made me different. I was just very fortu- nate to have fine Christian parents who were in education. We were just solving math problems all the time,” Hrabowski says.
Freeman A. Hrabowski, III F
reeman A. Hrabowski III made it up from Birmingham, Ala., as a math prodigy to ascend to the presidency of the University of
Maryland, Baltimore County, one of the nation’s red-hot institutions for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Hrabowski is strident in his view that the nation must build up its capacity in STEM, especially among the growing de- mographic of American minority students. To do otherwise, Hrabowski will tell you, will continue this country’s competitive mismatch with the rest of the world in the natural sciences and engineering in academia and the work force. UMBC president since May 1992,
www.blackengineer.com
Hrabowski has spent a career doing what he can personally and professionally to stock the nation’s STEM pipeline. He takes the effort to heart through both policy and grassroots efforts, and says it is a battle America cannot lose. For his unending approach, Hrabowski was awarded the 2011 TIAA- CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence for his role in increasing the representation of minor- ity students in STEM education, named for the former president at the University of Notre Dame. The honor builds on Hrabowski’s 2009 recognition by Time magazine as one of America’s 10 Best College Presidents.
As a STEM wunderkind himself,
But what if you’re a young person with interests in STEM who does not enjoy such an enlightened upbringing? What if your parents lack the same per- spective as Hrabowski’s parents? Hrabowski said sometimes it just comes down to showing interest in your children—without being an expert or even be formally educated. You can be an hourly worker scuffling to make ends meet for your family, but when your children show a propensity for STEM at a young age, at least show interest and that just might be enough, he said. “The parent doesn’t have to be able to solve the math problem. The parent just needs to know what questions to ask, such as, ‘Show me where you took notes today in class. Show me what the homework assignment is. Now show me your work in solving those problems,’” said Hrabowski, author of Beating the Odds and Overcoming the Odds. Both books are from Oxford University Press and that focus on parenting and improving the academic success of African American males and females in science. “We have to teach children to be
USBE&IT I SPRING 2011 45 by M.V. Greene
mgreene@ccgmag.com
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