36-Year-Old Dr. Sydney Freeman Makes History as Full Professor at University of Idaho
Commencing his academic journey, Dr. Freeman earned his first degree in Higher Education Administration from Auburn University in 2011. His career took off immediately as he was hired at Tuskegee University, where he served as a Director in the Teaching and Learning Center for over 3 years.
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In a groundbreaking achievement, 36-year-old Dr. Sydney Freeman, an African American, has set an outstanding record by becoming the first black male to attain the rank of a full professor at the University of Idaho, United States.
Dr. Freeman achieved the remarkable milestone in just 5 years and 7 months on a tenure track, a journey that typically spans an average of 10 to 12 years. His accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given that the average age for full professorship is 55 years old.
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Commencing his academic journey, Dr. Freeman earned his first degree in Higher Education Administration from Auburn University in 2011. His career took off immediately as he was hired at Tuskegee University, where he served as a Director in the Teaching and Learning Center for over 3 years.
Later, Dr. Freeman joined the University of Idaho as an Associate Professor before swiftly ascending to the rank of Full Professor in the same institution.
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Expressing his excitement, Dr. Freeman took to Twitter, sharing a photo of himself in a "Full Professor" t-shirt and announcing the historic achievement. He emphasized his hope that the University of Idaho would invest more in diversity and inclusion, advocating for increased hiring of Black community members as faculty.
In his post, Dr. Freeman stated, “Humbled to share that I will be the 1st African American (American Descendant of Slaves) man to be promoted to rank of Full Professor at the University of Idaho, the state’s flagship research university.”
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Reflecting on the significance of diversity and inclusion, he urged investments in diversifying faculty and staff for the university to grow and become more inclusive.
Dr. Freeman follows in the footsteps of other trailblazing black professors at the University of Idaho, such as Dr. Wudneh Admassu and Professor Shaakirrah Sanders, who also achieved historic milestones in their academic careers.
