December 17, 2014
STEM expert and university president to keynote regional MLK event at SVSU
Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and noted thought leader on STEM education, will be the keynote speaker for the Great Lakes Bay Regional Martin Luther King, Jr. event at Saginaw Valley State University. He will speak Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts.
In addition to serving as president of UMBC since 1992, Hrabowski is a consultant on science and math education to national agencies, universities and school systems. Recently, he was named by President Obama to chair the newly created President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
Time magazine named Hrabowski one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012 and one of American's 10 Best College Presidents in 2008. He was awarded the Heinz Award in 2012 for contributions to improving the “Human Condition,” and holds honorary degrees from more than 20 institutions.
Hrabowski chaired the National Academies' committee that produced the recent report, “Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America's Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads.” He has authored many articles and co-authored two books; his research and publications have a special emphasis on minority participation and performance in science and math.
Born in Birmingham, Ala., Hrabowski was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He completed his doctorate in higher education administration/statistics at age 24.
In addition to Hrabowski’s talk, the program will include the presentation of regional scholarship awards by the Bay Area, Midland Area and Saginaw community foundations to high school seniors who have embodied Martin Luther King's ideals.
The event is free and open to the public. SVSU’s partner hosts include the Bay Area, Midland Area and Saginaw community foundations and chambers of commerce, as well as the Bridge Center for Racial Harmony and the local chapters of the NAACP.
For more information, including a full list of sponsors, visit svsu.edu/mlk.