[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4475]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MEYERHOFF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the 20th 
anniversary of the Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Scholarship Program at the 
University of Maryland Baltimore County, UMBC.
  The Meyerhoff Scholarship Program is among the most successful 
undergraduate diversity programs in our Nation, helping thousands of 
minority students reach their full potential in mathematics, the 
sciences, and engineering fields. Since its inception, Meyerhoff 
scholars number more than 800, with 557 graduates across the Nation and 
267 undergraduates and graduate fellows enrolled at UMBC.
  More than two decades ago, UMBC president Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, a 
mathematician, author, and education innovator, lamented that there 
were few minorities in the sciences and that the education pipeline did 
not suggest that that situation would change.
  Through the generosity and vision of Robert and Jane Meyerhoff, Dr. 
Hrabowski was able to establish the Robert and Jane Meyerhoff 
Scholarship Program at UMBC. The program seeks and attracts top-notch 
minority high school students and is able to provide university 
educational expenses as well as a demanding academic program 
concentrating in science, math, and engineering. The UMBC corporate 
community is able to use the talents of the students while providing 
internships, jobs, and research opportunities.
  The Meyerhoff Scholarship Program has become a leading national model 
for diversifying America's scientific and engineering workforce, 
preparing large numbers of African Americans and others for careers in 
science, medicine, engineering, information technology, teaching, and 
public health.
  On April 4 and 5, the Meyerhoff Scholarship students, their mentors, 
professors, and families will gather for a research symposium to 
celebrate their 20 years of progress and success. I ask my colleagues 
to join me in saluting the vision and perseverance of UMBC president 
Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski and the generosity of Robert Meyerhoff and his 
late wife Jane. Together they have changed lives and 
expectations.

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