Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III is president of the University of Maryland in Baltimore County.
Over the past two decades, Hrabowski has garnered international acclaim for leadership that has inspired minority students to excel at the highest levels of science, technology, engineering and math. More than 800 students have received degrees in the sciences through programs he helped to design at the Baltimore County-based institution.
More than two decades ago, Hrabowski, along with Baltimore philanthropist Robert Meyerhoff, helped launch a scholarship and mentoring program for African-American men interested in math and science. The program proved a success and later expanded to include all students. UMBC has become one of the nation’s leading universities for producing African-American bachelor’s degree recipients who go on to attain STEM discipline Ph.D.s.
Earlier this year, Hrabowski was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
In addition to the human condition category, the Heinz prizes are awarded for recognition of contributions in the arts and humanities; the environment; the human condition; public policy; technology; the economy; and employment. It comes with $250,000 individual awards.
The Pittsburgh-based Heinz Family Foundation has presented the awards since 1994 in memory of Sen. John Heinz III, heir to the Heinz food fortune, who died in a 1991 plane crash. The awards will be presented at a private ceremony in October in Pittsburgh.
The Heinz Award winner in the arts and humanities is a California composer who combines electronic club music with symphony orchestras. Composer Mason Bates, 35, of San Francisco, has also used old car parts to create new instruments and engage a wider, younger audience. Bates is composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is also a DJ at late-night dance clubs.
