With evangelical fervor, Freeman Hrabowski, PhD, president of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC), challenged the School of Medicine to tackle inequality throughout its ranks, an effort that -- if successful -- could spill out to benefit society at large.
"It takes effort, being proactive, not being defensive, and being honest and transparent," Hrabowski told a packed crowd here yesterday. His talk was the part of the Dean's Lecture Series, which is focused on diversity.
A mathematician, Hrabowski is a national leader in the field of science education and is author of the recently published book, Holding Fast to Dreams: Empowering youth from the Civil Rights crusade to STEM achievement. He was incarcerated during a Civil Rights march in the 1960s and currently campaigns for inclusiveness at all levels of academia.
Dean Lloyd Minor, MD, lauded Hrabowski: "Personally, I have found Freeman to be an enormous source of inspiration, advice and of wisdom in my leadership career. He is an exceedingly wise leader, who measures his leadership by the lives that he impacts."
Confronting entrenched notions about race and gender and STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) won't be easy, Hrabowski admitted. He said it requires "true grit," which is also the name of his university's retriever mascot, True Grit.
One of the most critical points is the first undergraduate science course that high-achieving students take, he said. At UMBC, staff have created a new chemistry center and reorganized the curriculum. It's also important to upend the cutthroat atmosphere in STEM fields and promote teamwork and cooperation, he said.
As a top institution, Stanford has a responsibility to promote diversity and inclusiveness, Hrabowski told the audience.
"When people look back at Stanford Medicine 100 years from now, who will they say you are?" Hrabowski asked. "The problems we face are more difficult than ever. The challenge is to keep learning and struggling with the issues."
Previously: Intel's Rosalind Hudnell kicks off Dean's Lecture Series on diversity, Former Brown University President Ruth Simmons challenges complacency on diversity and Diversity is initial focus of new Stanford lecture series
Photo by Becky Bach
