28 min

Interview with UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski The Innovating Together Podcast

    • Education

Today we’re talking with special guest UMBC President and newest member of the University Innovation Alliance.  Freeman Hrabowski.  The goal of the University Innovation Alliance is to help every student to achieve success. They aim to produce more graduates of color and more graduates across the socioeconomic spectrum.  They do this through innovating together, scaling ideas that work, transparently sharing data, and holding down costs.  In just six years they beat their ten-year goal and graduated 73,000 additional students.  Alliance members are now graduating 36% more low-income students each year, and they are graduating 73% more students of color each year.  President Hrabowski agrees that when universities collaborate, students win.  He says he’s been impressed by the synergy that builds as well as the inclusivity of different groups.

During COVID-19 it was especially important to collaborate.  President Hrabowski says it’s nice to have a platform to see how universities around the country are handling things so that you can decide what the best practices are.  We should always be learning from each other; President Hrabowski quotes, “success is never final”.

President Hrabowski reflects on one of his proudest moments at UMBC and that’s producing a student that was the first black woman to create a vaccine.  It can be inspiring to others what a young, black woman from rural America can achieve.  President Hrabowski says that UMBC is the largest producer of blacks that go on to get a PhD in any STEM area.  UMBC prides itself on taking students from all backgrounds and creating excellence.  President Hrabowski encourages anyone to check out UMBC.edu/rippleeffect to learn more about scholarship opportunities.

Currently, President Hrabowski is working on writing a book with his colleagues.  He says in it, they discuss how the pandemic is just part of a larger picture of challenges such as race and social justice.  In a previous book that he collaborated on, The Empowered University, President Hrabowski says the very first sentence reads, “it’s not about me, it’s about us”.  President Hrabowski spent many years leading up to his presidency learning from other leaders.  He’s learned to be honest with himself and says the group approach shaped who they are.  Especially during these challenging times, leaders need to be more vulnerable while still being able to lead and lift others up.  To lead a university, you have to be passionate about education.  At the same time, President Hrabowski says you can live life seriously, but don't take it too seriously.

an live life seriously, but don't take it too seriously.


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/innovationalliance/message

Today we’re talking with special guest UMBC President and newest member of the University Innovation Alliance.  Freeman Hrabowski.  The goal of the University Innovation Alliance is to help every student to achieve success. They aim to produce more graduates of color and more graduates across the socioeconomic spectrum.  They do this through innovating together, scaling ideas that work, transparently sharing data, and holding down costs.  In just six years they beat their ten-year goal and graduated 73,000 additional students.  Alliance members are now graduating 36% more low-income students each year, and they are graduating 73% more students of color each year.  President Hrabowski agrees that when universities collaborate, students win.  He says he’s been impressed by the synergy that builds as well as the inclusivity of different groups.

During COVID-19 it was especially important to collaborate.  President Hrabowski says it’s nice to have a platform to see how universities around the country are handling things so that you can decide what the best practices are.  We should always be learning from each other; President Hrabowski quotes, “success is never final”.

President Hrabowski reflects on one of his proudest moments at UMBC and that’s producing a student that was the first black woman to create a vaccine.  It can be inspiring to others what a young, black woman from rural America can achieve.  President Hrabowski says that UMBC is the largest producer of blacks that go on to get a PhD in any STEM area.  UMBC prides itself on taking students from all backgrounds and creating excellence.  President Hrabowski encourages anyone to check out UMBC.edu/rippleeffect to learn more about scholarship opportunities.

Currently, President Hrabowski is working on writing a book with his colleagues.  He says in it, they discuss how the pandemic is just part of a larger picture of challenges such as race and social justice.  In a previous book that he collaborated on, The Empowered University, President Hrabowski says the very first sentence reads, “it’s not about me, it’s about us”.  President Hrabowski spent many years leading up to his presidency learning from other leaders.  He’s learned to be honest with himself and says the group approach shaped who they are.  Especially during these challenging times, leaders need to be more vulnerable while still being able to lead and lift others up.  To lead a university, you have to be passionate about education.  At the same time, President Hrabowski says you can live life seriously, but don't take it too seriously.

an live life seriously, but don't take it too seriously.


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/innovationalliance/message

28 min

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