Wayne A. I. Frederick, MD, served as the 17th president of Howard University and the distinguished Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery at the Howard University College of Medicine. He is also a practicing cancer surgeon at Howard University Hospital, where he continues to see patients and perform surgeries. He is a true son of Howard, having earned three degrees from the University—a BS in 1990, an MD in 1994, and an MBA in 2011. As president of Howard, Frederick has worked to strengthen internal operations in order to enhance the student experience and position the university to more effectively serve the community. He has overseen a period of immense growth and transformation at Howard, including record-breaking enrollment numbers and philanthropic donations.

Frederick is an expert on health-care disparities and devotes his time to speaking about and advocating for social justice as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion. Frederick also serves on the boards of numerous institutions and organizations, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Humana Inc. Frederick is also a member of surgical and medical associations, including the American Surgical Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Surgeons.