Wayne A. I. Frederick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wayne Frederick
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 17th President of Howard University | |
| In office July 21, 2014 – August 31, 2023 |
|
| Preceded by | Sidney Ribeau |
| Succeeded by | Ben Vinson III |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 17, 1971 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Education | Howard University (BS, MD, MBA) |
Wayne Alix Ian Frederick (born June 17, 1971) is an important scholar, surgeon, and university leader from Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. He was the president of Howard University in Washington D.C. from 2013 to 2023. Dr. Frederick is also a special professor of surgery at the university.
Contents
About Wayne Frederick
His Early Life
Wayne A. I. Frederick was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. When he was born, doctors found he had a condition called sickle cell disease. Because of this, he often had to go to the hospital. These visits made him very interested in science and medicine. He also went with his mother, who was a nurse, to her job.
His Education and Training
Dr. Frederick studied at Saint Mary's College in Trinidad. He then came to Howard University in 1988 when he was only sixteen years old. He joined a special program that let him earn both his science degree and his medical degree quickly. He finished both by the time he was 22!
During his training to become a surgeon at Howard University Hospital, he learned from famous doctors like LaSalle D. Leffall Jr.. These mentors helped him decide to focus on cancer surgery. He continued his advanced training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Frederick started his teaching career at the University of Connecticut in 2004. Later, he returned to Howard University. There, he held many important roles, including leading the Cancer Center. In 2011, he also earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Howard. He still performs surgeries and teaches medical students. His medical research aims to improve cancer care for everyone, especially focusing on stomach and bowel cancers.
In 2013, Dr. Frederick became the temporary president of Howard University.
Leading Howard University
In 2017, the leaders of Howard University decided to extend Dr. Frederick's contract as president. This meant he would continue to lead the university until 2024.
In 2019, he introduced a new plan for the university called Howard Forward. This plan guided the university's goals for the next five years. He also began teaching a class for Ph.D. students about how colleges and universities are run.
Dr. Frederick started the Bison STEM Scholars program. This program helps more students from underrepresented groups study science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). He also helped create and grow the Howard West partnership with Google. This program gives students special learning experiences with Google staff and Howard professors. He was also in charge of managing the university's many buildings and properties.
Under his leadership, Howard University's financial health improved. Salaries for full-time teachers were raised. The university's ranking in U.S. News & World Report also went up significantly. Howard received large grants to help students who needed financial support.
In 2023, before he retired, the university decided to rename The Undergraduate Library in his honor. This was a very special event, as it was only the third building named after a past president and the first while the president was still in office.
Challenges During His Time as President
During his presidency, Dr. Frederick faced some challenges. In 2014, classes were delayed because the university had trouble heating its buildings. In 2018, the start of the spring semester was also delayed for similar reasons. To fix this, the university began building a new power plant. This was part of a huge investment to improve the university's buildings and facilities.
In 2017, Dr. Frederick and other leaders from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) met with government officials. They hoped to get more funding. This meeting caused some strong reactions on campus. However, many university leaders and alumni supported Dr. Frederick's actions.
In 2018, some students had problems getting dorm rooms. Dr. Frederick worked to address these housing issues. Many student dorms have since been updated or rebuilt, and more new housing is planned.
In April 2018, some faculty members voted that they did not have confidence in Dr. Frederick's leadership. However, many other groups, including the university's deans and the alumni association, showed their strong support for him. They believed he was a capable leader who was doing good things for the university.
His Medical Work
Dr. Frederick has done important research on health differences, especially in cancer care for African Americans and other groups. He has worked with major organizations like the National Cancer Institute.
At the UConn Comprehensive Cancer Center, he introduced new surgical methods for patients with advanced rectal cancer and liver cancer.
His Personal Life
Dr. Frederick is the father of Wayne Frederick, who is a professional soccer player.
Other Important Roles
Past Roles
- Leader of the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association
- Member of the District of Columbia Board of Medicine
- Member of committees for the American College of Surgeons
- Advisor for the White House Initiative on HBCUs
Current Roles (Since 2023)
- Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group
- Senior Advisor at Blackstone
- Member of the National Academy of Medicine
- Member of the board of trustees for Save the Children
- Member of the board of directors for the American Cancer Society
- Member of the board of directors for Agostini Limited
- Member of the board of directors for Workday
- Elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration
- Member of the board of directors for the Greater Washington Partnership
- Member of the Potomac Quantum Innovation Center Steering Committee
- Member of the board of directors for Battelle
- Member of the advisory board for Coursera University
- Member of the board of directors for Tempus
- Member of the board of directors for Insulet
- Member of the board of directors for Forma Therapeutics
- Charles R. Drew Endowed Chair of Surgery at Howard University
- Chair of the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) Council of Chief Executive Officers (CCEOS)
- Member of the board of directors for Humana Inc.
- Member of the board of directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Chair of the Consortium of Universities of Washington Metropolitan Area
- Member of the Board of Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
- Member of the American Surgical Association
- Member of the Board of Directors of Mutual of America
Awards and Honors
- 2023 W. Montague Cobb Lifetime Achievement Award, National Medical Association
- 2022 Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science, University of West Indies
- 2022 Higher Education Leadership Foundation, Ideation, Innovation and Collaboration 2022 Person of the Year
- 2020 Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, awarded by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago
- 2019 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Distinguished Alumni Award
- 2021 Honored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrant Award
