Savoy Magazine’s new “Power 300” summer issue highlights UMBC’s “inclusive excellence and STEM innovation at 50” in a vivid five-page education feature. UMBC is “a campus deeply committed to pushing America to change the culture of STEM to be more inclusive,” notes writer Meta Mereday, who describes how, over the past 50 years, UMBC has become “an innovation hub for STEM education and entrepreneurship” in the U.S.

As UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski describes in the article, UMBC’s commitment to inclusive excellence can be felt across the university. “We are a national model that shows how people of all races can work together and solve problems of humankind,” he shares. “Students of all backgrounds here at UMBC work together to address global challenges — from economic development and environmental research to cybersecurity and health disparities.”

Educational opportunity, high expectations, and the supports to reach those expectations are core to the UMBC vision, Pres. Hrabowski explains. He told Savoy:

If you aren’t giving all people an opportunity to participate, to grow, and to share their knowledge and perspectives, you’re missing out on what they can offer. It’s both a moral issue of access and an issue of having the range of perspectives we need to tackle society’s biggest challenges.

Savoy highlights a broad range of successful UMBC programs, including the Meyerhoff Scholars and Graduate Fellows programs, STEM BUILD at UMBC, STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative, Center for Women in Technology Scholars program, and Cyber Scholars program.

“While we are a hotbed of innovation and economic development, we are also stressing the importance of integrating science and technology with arts and humanities,” Pres. Hrabowski notes. “We want broadly educated people. We are teaching students to work collaboratively with others from other backgrounds. That is the essence of UMBC.”

The feature goes on to highlight the experiences of new UMBC alumni Ayushi Aggarwal ’16, biochemistry and molecular biology; Randi Williams ’16, computer engineering; Markus Proctor ’16, interdisciplinary studies; and Travis Ward ’16, computer engineering. It also features emerging leaders at bwtech@UMBC, UMBC’s 71-acre research and technology community, including Amethyst Technologies CEO Kimberly Brown and Fearless Solutions CEO Delali Dzirasa ’04, computer engineering.

The magazine also recognizes Pres. Hrabowski as one of its “Most Influential Black Corporate Directors” for 2016. On what motivates him day in and day out, Pres. Hrabowski told Savoy about the sense of drive and inspiration he gets from UMBC students. He shares, “I have seen the obstacles they have overcome. From challenges growing up to having cancer while in college, I have watched them press on regardless of the obstacles.”

UMBC will celebrate its 50th anniversary September 16-19, 2016.

Image: Pres. Hrabowski with UMBC student in the Retriever Learning Center housed in UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.