Wayne A. I. Frederick Explained

Wayne Frederick
Office:17th President of Howard University
Term Start:July 21, 2014
Term End:August 31, 2023
Predecessor:Sidney Ribeau
Successor:Ben Vinson III
Birth Date:17 June 1971
Birth Place:Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Education:Howard University (BS, MD, MBA)

Wayne Alix Ian Frederick (born June 17, 1971) is a Trinidadian-American scholar, surgeon, and university administrator. He served as president of Howard University in Washington D.C. from October 1, 2013 to September 4, 2023.[1] Frederick also serves as the distinguished Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery.[2]

Biography

Early life

Wayne A. I. Frederick was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. At birth, Frederick was diagnosed with sickle cell disease. As a result of being hospitalized three to six times a year, Frederick became interested in science. He also accompanied his mother, a nurse, on visits to her workplace.[3]

Academics

Frederick pursued Ordinary and Advance Level college-prep studies at Saint Mary's College (high school), Port of Spain, Trinidad. Frederick enrolled at Howard University in 1988, at the age of sixteen.[4] As an undergraduate student, Frederick was admitted to Howard University's B.S./M.D. dual degree program. He completed the requirements for both degrees in six years, allowing him to earn both his Bachelor of Science and his medical degree by the age of 22.[5]

During his surgical residency at Howard University Hospital, he was mentored by renowned doctor LaSalle D. Leffall Jr. and Dr. Clive O. Callendar.[6] [7] He was greatly influenced by Leffall (First African-American president of the American Cancer Society in 1978 and of the American College of Surgeons in 1995) to follow a course in surgical oncology. He completed his post-doctoral research and surgical oncology fellowships at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.[8] [5]

Frederick began his academic career as associate director of the Cancer Center at the University of Connecticut in 2004. Upon his return to Howard University, he served as Associate Dean in the College of Medicine, Division Chief in the Department of Surgery, Director of the Cancer Center, and Deputy Provost for Health Sciences. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Howard University's School of Business in 2011. Frederick continues to operate and lectures to the second-year medical students of Howard University's College of Medicine. His medical research seeks to narrow the disparity in all cancer-care outcomes, with a focus on gastrointestinal cancers.[9]

On October 1, 2013, following the resignation of Sidney A. Ribeau, Frederick became Interim President of Howard University.[10]

President of Howard University

In 2017, the Howard University Board of Trustees approved the extension of Dr. Frederick's contract as president of the university until June 30, 2024 – a five-year extension of his original agreement.[11]

In January 2019, Frederick unveiled the university's new strategic plan, Howard Forward, which serves as the blueprint for the institution for the next five years.[12] In April 2019, Frederick began teaching a weekly course designed for first-year Ph.D. students, titled College and University Presidency, as part of the School of Education's Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies (HELPS) Ph.D. program. The course covers the structure and governance of colleges and universities, with a focus on Minority Serving Institutions (MSI).[13]

He established the Bison STEM Scholars program to increase the number of underrepresented students in STEM masters and masters/doctorate programs, keeping with Howard's legacy of providing a diverse pipeline of STEM talent.[14] He launched and expanded the Howard West partnership with Google designed to immerse students in educational and professional experiences taught by Google staff and Howard professors.[15] He was also in charge of managing the school's $1.5 billion real estate portfolio.[16]

Additionally, under his leadership, university's bonds rating (BBB-) improved from "stable" to "positive",[17] all full-time faculty members salaries have been brought to median or higher to ensure alignment with compensation at peer institutions,[18] U.S. News & World Report's ranking of the university increased by more than 60 spots, placing Howard firmly in the top 100 among "national universities",[19] and the university has received major grants to support their lowest-income students.[20]

In June 2023, before his retirement, the Howard University Board of Trustees unanimously approved the renaming of The Undergraduate Library in honor of Dr. Frederick.[21] This is only the third building on the historic campus to be named after a prior president and the first to be named while that president was still in office.

Issues during presidency

In 2014, Frederick was paid $953,104, ranking 45th-best-paid among 510 presidents of private American colleges.[22] In the winter of that year, classes were postponed because the college was unable to heat its facilities.[23] In 2018, he was paid $1,070,322, the highest salary of university head in the DC area.[24] The start of the Spring semester was delayed [25] by a week as the university procured temporary boilers to heat impacted buildings across campus. The construction [26] of a state-of-the-art combined heat and power plant commenced and is scheduled to be completed by 2023. This is part of a $780M+ investment[27] in capital infrastructure – the largest in the university's history including a $100M appropriation from Congress to begin the rebuilding of Howard University Hospital.[28]

In February 2017, Frederick and sixty-eight other presidents of black institutions went to the White House to meet with various officials, in the hope of securing additional funding from the federal government.[29] The meeting prompted outrage on campus and a spate of graffiti vandalism that included allegations that Frederick did not care about black people and was a "plantation overseer".[30] [31] Mark Mason, an alumnus who is chief financial officer at Citigroup and a vice-co-chair of the university's board of trustees, later told The New Yorker that the graffiti was "inappropriately personalized and should not have happened."

In 2018, students asked Frederick for assistance with housing issues after the university was unable to assign dorm rooms. On multiple occasions, Frederick responded that students' emails were inappropriate in tone. After students protested, the housing office was closed and campus police were called. He later issued a statement saying that he had fallen short of student expectations.[32] [33] As a result, Frederick's meetings with Howard University Student Association (HUSA) president were expanded to include bi-weekly conversations with a broader range of student leaders representing undergraduate and graduate/professional programs. Most student residence halls have been fully remodeled or rebuilt within the past six years with more than 1,500 new units planned to be constructed in the coming years.[34]

In April 2018, faculty returned a vote of no confidence in Frederick. Among the faculty who voted, 61 percent expressed a lack of faith in Frederick's leadership.[35] However, Frederick received a letter of support from the university's Council of Deans, which represents leaders of Howard's schools and colleges. The group wrote that it is "confident that the plans, strategies, programs and activities of the University Board of Trustees and Frederick are yielding positive results and are on a positive trajectory for a strong and positive future for our beloved institution."[36] The school's alumni association also rejected calls for Frederick to step down. In a letter sent by Nadia N. Pinto, its president, she wrote that it was important to hear the concerns of students and meet their needs, but Frederick had been a capable and effective leader who deserved to remain in his job.[37]

Medical work

Frederick has conducted research bridging health disparities with a particular emphasis on cancer outcomes among African Americans and other underrepresented groups. He has served as the principal investigator for major collaborations with the National Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and local and national minority-serving oncology programs.

At the UConn Comprehensive Cancer Center, he brought a new surgical technique to operate on patients with advanced rectal cancer, and radio frequency ablation for patients with liver cancer.

Personal life

Frederick is the father of Wayne Frederick, a professional footballer.[38]

Other roles

Previous roles

Active roles

Since 2023: Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group

Since 2023: Senior Advisor at Blackstone

Awards

Tobago [62]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wayne A.I. Frederick named 17th president of Howard University. Brown. Emma. . July 22, 2014. July 22, 2014.
  2. Web site: Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick Appointed as Charles R. Drew Endowed Chair of Surgery. July 20, 2020.
  3. Web site: Q&A with Wayne Frederick . c-span.org . June 5, 2014.
  4. Web site: Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick's Biography. The HistoryMakers. May 4, 2019.
  5. Web site: President - Howard University. www2.howard.edu. May 4, 2019.
  6. Web site: C-SPAN Transcript Viewer. 2022-05-08. www.c-span.org.
  7. Web site: Q&A with Wayne Frederick . c-span.org . June 5, 2014.
  8. Web site: UConn Advance - April 19, 2004 - Skill, Compassion, Optimism Characterize New Cancer Surgeon. McGuire. Maureen. 19 April 2004. Advance on the Web. 2019-09-25.
  9. Web site: About President Frederick - Howard University. www2.howard.edu. May 4, 2019.
  10. Web site: Wayne Frederick, M.D., Tapped as New Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Howard University - Howard University Newsroom. Howard.edu. 2013-11-05.
  11. Web site: Newsroom. Howard Newsroom. May 4, 2019.
  12. Web site: Howard University Unveils Howard Forward. January 24, 2019. Howard Newsroom. May 4, 2019.
  13. Web site: Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick Returns to the Classroom . jbhe.com . April 26, 2019 . The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education . April 26, 2019.
  14. Web site: HBCU Doctorates for the 21st Century. blackengineer.com. May 4, 2019.
  15. Web site: Exclusive: Google expands Howard West to train more black coders. USA TODAY. May 4, 2019.
  16. Web site: What's going on at the nation's premier historically black university? . washingtonpost.com . June 7, 2018.
  17. News: Fitch Rates Howard University (DC)'s 2022A Revs 'BBB-'; Outlook Revised to Positive . 2022-05-08. www.fitchratings.com.
  18. Web site: Howard University Announces Faculty and Staff Pay Raises in the New Year. 2022-05-08 . 18 February 2022 . The Dig at Howard University. en.
  19. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/howard-university-1448 US News
  20. Web site: Howard University Announces $2 Million Grant from The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation to Support GRACE Grant Program. 2022-05-08. The Dig at Howard University. en.
  21. Web site: Board of Trustees Dedicates Undergraduate Library to Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick .
  22. News: Howard University extends President Wayne Frederick's contract. Reed. Tina. July 28, 2017. March 10, 2018.
  23. News: Howard University, pummeled by cold weather, faces 'very serious' damage. Larimer. Sara. July 28, 2017. SF Post. March 10, 2018. San Francisco.
  24. News: Howard University President Earns Top Annual Salary in Greater DC. Larimer. Sara. October 10, 2018. College Post. October 10, 2021.
  25. Web site: Steam Plant Operations Update | Howard University. 2022-05-08. www2.howard.edu.
  26. Web site: Howard University Announces 20-Year Energy Partnership with ENGIE North America. 2022-05-08. The Dig at Howard University. en.
  27. Web site: Howard to spend $785M on new construction, renovations. 2022-05-08. www.insidehighered.com. en.
  28. News: Howard University to receive massive federal funding infusion for new hospital . 2022-05-08. www.bizjournals.com.
  29. Under Trump, a Hard Test for Howard University. Cobb. Jelani. The New Yorker . January 8, 2018. www.newyorker.com. May 4, 2019.
  30. News: Graffiti found on campus of Howard University. fox5dc.com staff. February 28, 2018. Fox News. February 28, 2018. San Francisco.
  31. News: Trump meeting with HBCU leaders prompts 'plantation' graffiti against Howard president on campus. Douglas Ernst. February 28, 2018. Washington Times. February 28, 2018. Washington, DC.
  32. News: Howard University Students Protest 'No Heat, Roaches and Mice' In Dorms. McGee. Kate. March 9, 2018. WAMU. March 10, 2018. Washington DC.
  33. News: After a worried Howard student emailed her president about housing, he replied about her 'tone'. Larimer. Sara. March 8, 2018. Washington Post. March 10, 2018. Washington DC.
  34. Web site: Campus Master Planning (CMP) | Real Estate Development & Capital Asset Management ("REDCAM"). 2022-05-08. realestate.howard.edu.
  35. News: No confidence: Howard faculty members say in vote they have lost faith in school's leaders. Larimer. Sara. April 12, 2018. WAMU. March 10, 2018. Washington DC.
  36. News: Howard University president faces 'no confidence' vote by faculty. Heim. Joe. April 3, 2018. October 11, 2018. Washington Post.
  37. News: Howard University president faces 'no confidence' vote by faculty. en-US. Washington Post. 2022-01-12. 0190-8286.
  38. Web site: Wayne Frederick signs for Colorado Rapids. Vidia. Ramphal. January 18, 2024. Loop News.
  39. Web site: President Howard University. 2022-01-12. www2.howard.edu.
  40. Web site: Save the Children Elects Five New Members to its Board of Trustees . February 22, 2023 .
  41. Web site: 2024 Board of Directors .
  42. Web site: Agostini's Limited Appoints Wayne A. I. Frederick as Director -March 02, 2023 | MarketScreener . March 3, 2023 .
  43. Web site: Workday Elects Wayne A.I. Frederick, M.D. To Board of Directors .
  44. Web site: Incorporated . Prime . National Academy of Public Administration . 2023-02-07 . National Academy of Public Administration . en.
  45. Web site: Our Board .
  46. Web site: Steering Committee .
  47. Web site: Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick Elected to Battelle Board of Directors| Battelle Press Release .
  48. Web site: Howard University Partners with Coursera to Provide Online Educational Content . March 3, 2021 .
  49. Web site: Wayne A. I. Frederick, MD, MBA .
  50. Web site: Insulet Appoints Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., to Board of Directors Insulet Corporation. 2022-01-12. investor.insulet.com. en.
  51. Web site: Board of Directors - Forma Therapeutics . www.formatherapeutics.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200820173745/https://www.formatherapeutics.com/about/board-of-directors/ . 2020-08-20.
  52. Web site: Newsroom. 2022-01-12. Howard Newsroom. en.
  53. Web site: MEAC News Release. 2022-01-12. meacsports.com. February 7, 2020 . en.
  54. Web site: Humana Elects President Wayne A. I. Frederick to Board of Directors. February 20, 2020.
  55. Web site: Newsroom.
  56. https://www.consortium.org/board-20190424
  57. Web site: BIOGRAPHY OF WAYNE A. I. FREDERICK, M.D., MBA, F.A.C.S. . Howard University . October 11, 2018.
  58. Web site: Mutual of America - About Us - Board of Directors . www.mutualofamerica.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200804000345/https://www.mutualofamerica.com/about/2018BoardofDirectors . 2020-08-04.
  59. Web site: Howard President Wayne A.I. Frederick Honored by the W. Montague Cobb Health Institute . August 18, 2023 .
  60. Web site: Graduation 2022: Honorary Graduands 2022: Leaders in their fields recognised for their positive impact - UWI Today | December 2022 .
  61. https://s30383.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ConfProgram-LHE22.pdf
  62. Web site: Howard's President Receives Trinidad and Tobago's Highest Honor | Howard Magazine .
  63. Web site: Howard University President Receives UT's Distinguished Alumnus Award . May 6, 2019 .
  64. Web site: Wayne A. I. Frederick . June 10, 2024 . Carnegie Corporation of New York.
  65. Web site: Howard University President Wayne Frederick Honored As 'Great Immigrant, Great American' by Carnegie Corporation . 2024-06-20 . The Dig at Howard University . en.

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