President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick to serve on the Board of Advisors for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
?I am grateful and honored by this appointment,? says Dr. Frederick. ?I will work to fulfill President Obama?s confidence in me and his commitment to HBCUs.? ?The role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the nation?s higher education arena and in the discourse of higher education is critical. We must make sure they thrive,? he adds. ?The 100-plus HBCUs of this nation represent an array of diversity, in size, in scope of offerings and in students enrolled. I appreciate this diversity, and I intend to be a staunch advocate for the role of these very important institutions.?
Frederick is the 17th president of the university and began his education there at the age of 16. While at Howard, he earned the Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degrees and completed his surgical residency training at Howard University Hospital. After fulfilling his post-doctoral research and surgical oncology fellowships at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Frederick began his academic career as Associate Director of the Cancer Center at the University of Connecticut, where he also served on the Department of Surgery faculty.
A distinguished researcher and surgeon, Dr. Frederick is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, abstracts and editorials. He has also received various awards honoring his outstanding scholarship and service. In June 2014, the United States Congress recognized him for his contributions toward addressing health disparities among African Americans and other historically underrepresented groups.
