The equation for success

Say a 'thank you' to this UC Blue Ash Math Lab volunteer for his contributions over the years

The equation for success

Tucked in a corner of the UC Blue Ash Math Lab is a green sign hanging above Grant Gilbert’s desk that reads “Grant’s corner.” Here, Grant spends every Monday – Thursday tutoring students that need help with their math homework.

For over 10 years, Gilbert has volunteered around 30 hours a week of his time to UC Blue Ash.

Gilbert did not plan to leave his profession as a medial doctor at Bethesda North Hospital, but when he went deaf he was forced to retire and the need for health insurance was a necessity. That’s when he signed up for classes at UC Blue Ash College.

If he was able to enroll at least part-time at UC Blue Ash College, he was eligible to receive Student Health Insurance through the school.

“When I signed up to go half-time to school I told the person who interviewed me why I was here,” Gilbert said.

He began volunteering in the math lab shortly after.

“I said to him [the adviser] ‘Is there a place where they tutor people?’ and he immediately escorted me down to the math lab, introduced me to Kevin [Professor Kellar] and I’ve been here ever since.”

Even for someone who already has an extensive education, Gilbert has enjoyed getting back in the classroom at UC Blue Ash, taking courses in Spanish and mathematics.

“I’ve just had so many neat courses here and I’ve really enjoyed all of the teachers I’ve had,” Gilbert said. 

Grant's Corner

Since Gilbert has been volunteering at UC Blue Ash for so long students who frequent the math lab know Gilbert’s desk as “Grant’s Corner.”

“I enjoy all of the people I work with here, the tutors that I’ve worked with have just always been fun,” Gilbert said.

When he’s not solving physics problems on the white board in the math lab, Gilbert likes to take some time to get “hot and sweaty” at the Blue Ash YMCA before returning to UC Blue Ash for the remainder of his day.

“He’s a terrific guy,” Kevin Kellar, Assistant Professor and Mathematics Lab Manager at UC Blue Ash College, said. “He loves a challenge.”

Besides volunteering at UC Blue Ash, Gilbert stays active skiing in Colorado every winter, visiting Barcelona every summer and volunteering for various community projects.

Kellar encourages students, faculty and staff to visit “Grant’s Corner” and thank Gilbert for his contributions to UC Blue Ash College over the years.

You can stop by the UC Blue Ash Mathematics Lab to see “Grant’s Corner” for yourself.  

Related Stories

1

Local couple uses royalties from children's books to give gifts to kids in need

December 15, 2025

A local couple has found a unique way to give back to those in need this holiday season. Vic and Laura Troha wrote two children's books together, and this year, they are using the proceeds to buy Christmas gifts for Hamilton County foster kids. The couple are both graduates of the University of Cincinnati's College of Allied Health Sciences and met the day they graduated.

3

University of Cincinnati college is piloting a program to serve alumni of foster and kinship care

December 12, 2025

In 2025 the Ohio Reach Postsecondary designation was awarded to UC's College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology (CECH) as part of the program's third cohort. The program recognizes and supports higher education institutions that have worked to make their campuses welcoming and accessible for students with a history in foster or kinship care. CECH will run a pilot program called Anchor Point aimed at wide-scale implementation across the campus in Fall 2026.