Authors Jerome and Taylor will talk about their recent book Einstein on Race and Racism which Thomas Pynchon describes as a “fascinating and timely upgrade to our current perceptions of Einstein, redeemed from the careful silences of official narrative. Allowing the voices of the people who lived it to tell the story, Jerome and Taylor have brilliantly given us back a part of our history, refocusing attention on the heart and soul of what Einstein’s life was always about.”

Einstein believed that “only by spreading education among all of our people can we approach the ideals of democracy”. This era of dramatic demographic and technological change poses an enormous challenge for our nation’s colleges, universities and schools for educating and preparing all our students—particularly minority students—for careers in science and engineering. How we address this challenge will largely determine the global competitiveness of America’s workforce and the civic engagement of its citizenry in the 21st century. Dr. Hrabowski will discuss his research into minority achievement, including characteristics common to minority students who succeed in college and in light of his experience as President of UMBC, the lessons for institutional best practices.