E3 Summer Bridge Scholars Program Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The University of Cincinnati’s

Emerging Ethnic Engineers (E3)

Summer Bridge Scholars Program celebrated the silver anniversary of the its tradition of building academic excellence for underrepresented students. The Oct. 17 event took place in the Great Hall of Tangeman University Center (TUC) as faculty, students, staff, alumni and friends gathered for a night of celebration and recognition. 

Several scholars from E3’s past and present were in attendance, honoring the program’s 25-year tradition of elevating underrepresented students to high levels of academic achievement.

UC Provost Beverly Davenport said, “As a social psychologist, I was so impressed with this program. CEAS is already a treasure, with its engineering programs teaching talented students everything from how to build mobile devices to how to create biomedical implants to save one’s life. The E3 Summer Bridge Program only increases the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s return on investment as it teaches students how to succeed in education and life. I hope we come back in 25 years, at the E3 Summer Bridge Program’s 50th anniversary, to say we have been the leader, not just in engineering but also in the representation of minority students.”

The E3 Summer Bridge Program’s founder Edward N. Prather, retired assistant dean, was given a bronze-plated plaque, imprinted with his original business card, to honor him for his dedication of service to E3.

Cheryll Dunn, academic director and associate professor emerita for CEAS, helped Prather start the E3 Summer Bridge Program. “My father always used to say that goodness comes from good people. Ed is much more than that — he is great. It is his vision, how he always put students first and his constant striving for excellence that made this anniversary possible.

"I first met Ed at Alec’s restaurant in Clifton to discuss his idea for this program and from that day forward, we shared this vision," she added. "We just had different paths to achieve it. The program’s success is evident in the 30 to 40 percent of students who participate in our summer bridge competitions and end up enrolling at UC. It’s evident in the teams who leave their region to compete with our university. Ed’s selfless dedication and efforts changed the university—all of the hype we experience today spurred from his vision.”

CEAS Interim Dean Teik C. Lim greeted the crowd, “It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to this celebration of excellence — the silver anniversary of the E3 Summer Bridge Program. When I arrived in Cincinnati eleven years ago, and prior to that I was teaching at the University of Alabama, I discovered the crown jewel of the college: the E3 Summer Bridge Scholars Program. It’s an absolute honor for me to talk about such a successful and inspiring program."

He added, "This program has served more than 500 outstanding students over the past 25 years, and I want to help them make this number more than 1,000. The college continues its support of the Summer Bridge Program, and E3 and looks forward to working with the university and our donors to find ways to expand this model program. I hope that 25 years from now, this room will be filled with not just engineering majors but majors from all across UC.”

The program honored three E3 students, each at various levels of their academic careers. Chemical engineering senior Robert Golsby, biomedical engineering doctoral candidate Whitney Gaskins, and civil engineering freshman Julie Harris were recognized for their continued success in the E3 program.

One alumnus, Rob Richardson, graduated with both his bachelor's in electrical engineering and his Juris Doctor from UC. He is now proudly giving back to his alma mater as a member on the UC Board of Trustees.

“I can state with absolute certainty that if it hadn’t been for the E3 Summer Bridge Scholars Program, I would not have graduated with a degree in engineering,” Richardson affirmed. “The program made sure that I was successful at the University of Cincinnati.”

Richardson added, “The program emphasizes two key points. One, that this field is hard. Two, that students can achieve their potential if they make the right choices. Students also get a leg up by meeting professors before classes begin, so they don’t get lost in the shuffle.”

Another E3 alumnus, Whitney Gaskins, earned her biomedical engineering bachelor's degree, went on to receive her MBA and is now pursuing her biomedical engineering doctorate at UC. Gaskins fought back tears as she explained, “E3 wasn’t just an education program to me, it was a strong support system that provided me with lifelong friends who continue to encourage me as I pursue my dreams. The program helped me not only with school but also with life.