The Meyerhoff Scholarship Program was founded at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in 1988 with a grant from the Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Foundation, under the guidance of future UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski III. It is a program focused on the cultivation of underrepresented minority scholarship and awareness in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. The ultimate goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities who achieve at the doctoral level, producing citizens who are able to significantly contribute to the body of knowledge in their chosen field as well the surrounding community. Service and societal awareness are also a strong emphasis of the program, as all scholars (not just those from underrepresented backgrounds) are encouraged to embrace civic responsibility. The program has served as model for subsequent programs nationwide, received substantial media coverage, accolades for its record of achievement, and provided the source material for several well-received books on the subject of fostering success and scholarship in the African American community.

History

At the program's inception, Robert E. Meyerhoff was particularly interested in addressing the shortage of African Americans (especially black males) who had successfully pursued careers in the sciences and engineering http://www.osti.gov/bridge/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=765241. The initial grant issued for the program, just over a half million dollars (USD), enabled UMBC to launch a program of full support for outstanding African American students. The initial cohort, known as the M1s, were competitively selected from across Maryland and included 20 young men who enrolled in fall 1989. The goal of these students and all subsequent Meyerhoff Scholars' (often referred to simply as "Meyerhoffs" or "M's") would be to major in mathematics, science, engineering, or computer science, and then pursue doctorates in these areas.

Female students of African American descent were admitted to the program as of its second year, and the program was opened up as a general scholarship with an emphasis on minority interests in 1997. This was widely viewed as preemptive action in response to the outcome of protracted litigation levied at the Benjamin Banneker Scholarship Program, the first scholarship of its kind to be ruled unconstitutional http://www.diamondbackonline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/24/421d6eee26596 (though the University of Maryland, College Park did publicly contest the issue vigorously for years). In its present form, the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program continues to thrive and produce successful scholars spanning a multitude of disciplines, backgrounds, and ethnicities from a national pool of applicants.

20 Years and Counting

For the past 20 years, UMBC has been at the forefront of efforts to increase diversity among future leaders in science, engineering, and related fields. In the words of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences as a modern success story: The Meyerhoff Scholars Program is among the most successful undergraduate diversity programs in the nation. This University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) program was launched to support African-American men who had a strong interest in pursuing Ph.D.s in science, engineering, and mathematics and medical degrees. While the first group of scholars included African-American men from Maryland, the program later expanded to include African-American women, other minorities, and white students from across the country.http://dels.nas.edu/chemdiversity/meyerhoff.shtml A generation of talented graduates of the acclaimed Meyerhoff Scholarship Program is today rising through the ranks of their professions and academe?a cadre of young leaders committed to tapping the talents of ALL individuals to advance STEM knowledge, regardless of race, class, or culture.

Scheduled for April 2008, the Meyerhoff 20th Anniversary Research Symposium+Celebration is being planned for alumni, supporters and other interested parties to experience the substantial accomplishments of Meyerhoff alumni and students, participate in cutting-edge science presentations, and think collectively and ambitiously about program goals for the future.

Publications and Media Coverage

Overcoming the Odds

Two books have been written which chronicles the experiences and results of those affiliated with the program in its formative years. The first was written in the late 1990s with an emphasis on African American males with its companion volume on African American females published in the early 2000s.

• Overcoming the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Young Women (2001), Freeman A. Hrabowski, Geoffrey L. Greif, Kenneth I. Maton, Monica L. Greene, Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Beating the Odds : Raising Academically Successful African American Males (1998), Freeman A. Hrabowski, Geoffrey L. Greif, Kenneth I. Maton, Publisher: Oxford University Press

In the Press

• Editorial: Why American College Students Hate Science (The New York Times, May 25, 2006)

• Paper: Preparing Minority Scientists and Engineers American Association for the Advancement of Science, ''Science'' 31 March 2006)

• Article: Fulfilling the Expectations of Excellence (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2005)

• Article: Bound by generosity (The Baltimore Sun, November 2, 2005)

• Article: It's Cool to be Smart (Fast Company, 2002)

Reference Links

• Official site
• The Meyerhoff 20th Anniversary Research Symposium+Celebration website
• Results: Meyerhoff Alumni graduate degrees earned