Freeman A. Hrabowski, president emeritus of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), celebrated Giving Tuesday 2022 by donating $200,000 to the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) organization.
But long before this massive six-figure donation, Dr. Hrabowski joined together with the BEYA community to make a big difference in the world of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
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For over three decades, BEYA has showcased the outstanding contributions of some of the most innovative people in STEM fields. Each year, BEYA hosts hundreds of students from two-year and four year minority-serving institutions, as well as hundreds of elementary, middle, and high school students in local communities that host BEYA events.
The BEYA Conference Scholarship program has ensured thousands of STEM students are able to attend conferences virtually or in person. To do this, the BEYA charity, which is registered in the United States, has received public and private funding for BEYA Conference scholarships. BEYA has been serving the STEM community for more than 36 years.
Founded by Tyrone Taborn, Career Communications Group CEO, and Dr. Eugene M. DeLoatch. Dean Emeritus of the School of Engineering at Morgan State University, BEYA was created to promote the significant achievements of African Americans in STEM during Black History Month. Since its founding, BEYA has led the campaign to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM.
What a major statement Dr. Hrabowski is sending with this $200,000 contribution to BEYA, Taborn said.
Dr. Hrabowski, an educator, advocate, and mathematician, has long been aligned with BEYA's mission to inspire a new generation of STEM leaders. In 2013, he was named Black Engineer of the Year at the 2013 BEYA Conference, in recognition of his outstanding dedication and commitment to increasing the number of minorities in STEM careers. In 2016 a BEYA Legacy Award was named after Dr. Hrabowski.
Born in 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama, Hrabowski graduated from Hampton Institute with highest honors in mathematics. He received his M.A. (mathematics) and Ph.D. (higher education administration/statistics) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
As UMBC president (1992-2022), he promoted minority achievement in STEM fields, as well as minority participation and performance in STEM. Dr. Hrabowski has made it a lifelong career to raise generations of academically successful people who are empowered to overcome the odds.
Before retiring from UMBC in 2022, the largest private biomedical institute in the United States announced the launch of the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars, a nearly $1.5 program help build a scientific workforce that reflects a diverse country.
“We should all be encouraged by HHMI’s commitment to changing the face of science in A
