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Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 3056
Registered: 01-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 09, 2008 - 03:54 pm: | 
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In a sea of bad news concerning the lack of Black male representation on college campuses, an oasis of minority male scholarship exists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, through the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program.
Launched in 1988 via the generous philanthropy of real estate entrepreneur Robert Meyerhoff and his wife, Jane, the Meyerhoff program was initially focused on increasing the number of Black males pursing higher education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) but now has been expanded to include women and other underrepresented students.
In April, the Meyerhoff program held a two-day 20th Anniversary Research Symposium and Celebration, bringing back many of the 200 alumni who have completed doctorates, medical degrees and other STEM graduate degrees.
Meyerhoff alum Dr. Kafui Dzirasa, who is on the verge of adding a medical degree to the Ph.D. in neurobiology he’s already earned while enrolled in a dual-degree program at Duke University, attended the Meyerhoff 20th anniversary celebration and called it “absolutely amazing, just to see the summation of 20 years. Everyone in the room seemed to be a doctor of some sort. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Dr. Crystal Watkins, a Meyerhoff alum who went on to earn a M.D./Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and recently wrapped up a stint as chief resident in psychiatry at JHU, says she felt “overwhelming emotion” while standing in a room with many of her Meyerhoff colleagues who are already trailblazing scientists and physicians.
...The Meyerhoff program is the brainchild of Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, UMBC president and a civil rights activist who graduated from Hampton University at age 19 with the highest honors in mathematics. As one of a small cadre of Black men in the United States holding advanced degrees in mathematics and statistics, Hrabowski has a particular passion for guiding young minorities towards STEM doctorates through the Meyerhoff program.
“Our challenge is both socioeconomic and racial. African-American and Hispanic children rarely see examples of successful scientists and engineers looking like themselves, and so people tend to aspire to be like those they admire. And unfortunately, the popular culture doesn’t often sing the praises of Black scientists,” Hrabowski says...
Full article: http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_11378.shtml |
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