The Coastal Carolina University HTC Honors College will host Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president of the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, as part of its annual HTC Distinguished Speaker Series on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. in Wheelwright Auditorium. His lecture is titled Shared Leadership and Culture Change on Campus and in the Community.

The ticketed event is free and open to the public. Tickets may be reserved in person at the Wheelwright Box Office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., via phone at 843-349-2787, or online.

During the Spring 2021 semester, members of the CCU campus community were invited to read Hrabowski’s book, The Empowered University, and participate in a four-part reading group discussion.

“I am very excited to welcome Dr. Freeman Hrabowski to the Coastal Carolina University campus,” said Sara Hottinger, dean of the HTC Honors College. “His leadership and vision for the University of Maryland – Baltimore County transformed that institution from a small commuter campus into a nationally-recognized university that serves as an innovative leader in promoting the participation and success of underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I am eager to learn more from Dr. Hrabowski about the importance of a strong and productive campus-community relationship as a university grows and develops.

“The HTC Honors College is so proud of the partnership between Coastal Carolina University and HTC, and we recognize that relationships like these benefit our local communities, as well as CCU’s faculty, staff, and students. It is my hope that Dr. Hrabowski’s visit will spark conversations between campus and community leaders that will serve as a catalyst for the development of new partnerships and the continued growth of existing partnerships between CCU and our surrounding communities.”

Hrabowski has been president of UMBC since 1992 and recently announced that he will retire at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year. He is nationally recognized for his results-driven commitment to inclusive excellence, collaborative approach to leadership, and mentorship that pairs high expectations with strong support. He also is a national leader in science and math education, with an emphasis on the participation and achievement of underrepresented minority students.

Hrabowski was featured on CBS News’ 60 Minutes and has been a Ted Talks presenter. In 2009, he was recognized by Time as one of The 10 Best College Presidents. He chaired the National Academies’ committee that produced the 2011 report on expanding underrepresented minority participation in STEM. Former President Barack Obama named him to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans in 2012.

Born in 1950 in Birmingham, Ala., Hrabowski graduated from Hampton Institute with highest honors in mathematics. He earned a master’s degree in mathematics and a Ph.D. in higher education administration/statistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.