Award Recognizes the University’s Visionary Leadership, Groundbreaking Innovation, and Unwavering Commitment to Equity in Higher Education

(Black PR Wire) Morgan State University has been named the 2025 recipient of the United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF) HBCU Futurist Award, an honor presented by the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building during the UNITE 2025 Summit Awards Ceremony. The award recognizes institutions that are boldly imagining, designing, and implementing the future of higher education—leveraging technology, innovation, and partnerships to drive student success, equity, and institutional excellence.

Selected from among the nation’s leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Morgan State stood out for its transformative vision and record of achievement. Under the leadership of President David K. Wilson, the University has emerged as a national research powerhouse, an anchor institution for Baltimore, and a global beacon of Black academic excellence.

Over the past three years, Morgan has achieved a historic milestone: 26 U.S. patents awarded, including 13 in 2023—the most ever granted to an HBCU in a single year. This record-setting innovation reflects the University’s strategic commitment to reimagining the role of higher education in addressing societal challenges while expanding opportunities for its students and community.

“This award is not only a recognition of Morgan’s audacious vision for the future, but also a testament to the tireless work of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni who make that vision a reality,” said President Wilson. “At Morgan, we are redefining what’s possible for HBCUs, for urban research institutions, and for the communities we serve. The UNCF HBCU Futurist Award affirms that our trajectory is not only forward, but transformational.”

The UNITE Summit, the nation’s premier gathering for advancing the mission and long-term impact of HBCUs, drew record-breaking attendance this year. Leaders, partners, and change agents from across the country came together to share strategies, celebrate achievements, and envision a thriving future for higher education.

Morgan State’s recognition at this year’s summit reinforces its role as a model for institutional transformation, one that blends visionary leadership with measurable impact—demonstrating the very best of what the HBCU network can accomplish.

Source: Morgan State University