Bridge Instructor Comments
Hello students. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the E3 website and to introduce myself as part of the Emerging Ethnic Engineers Program. My name is Mr. Copeland. In the summer of 2008 it will be my thirteenth year working with the engineering department at the University of Cincinnati. By trade I am a high school science teacher concentrating in the areas of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Biology, and Physical Science.
I was initially was hired on board by Dr. Prather to work with a group of students known as Nasa Sharp+. My duties were centered primarily on managing the residential component of the program. While in this position I was often asked to simultaneously look in on the E3 students. In just a few years the Nasa Sharp+ program was phased out and I was asked to join the E3 program. The transition was seamless. I am now challenged with the honorable duty of managing the E3 summer bridge students residentially, socially, and academically. Residentially I live on campus with the students where I am required to enforce the programs rigid nightly curfew. I also aid in the better understanding of many other aspects of college community living. Socially I am in place to help students learn how to better coexist with others, respect the campus environment, and how to conduct themselves in a positive manner that is representative of an E3 student. Academically I am required to oversee the program’s nightly study sessions where students work in a highly structured cooperative learning environment. My efforts here are to keep students motivated during this session as part of their continuous positive academic progression.
I am truly honored to be part of the Emerging Ethnic Engineers program. I take my position as E3 Summer Bridge “Student Manager” very seriously. My hope is that you will take your position as an E3 student seriously also. Hope to see you soon.
Mr. James K. Copeland
Email: jamescopeland45240@yahoo.com
There are many ways in which students can get an advance look at their first-year engineering curriculum. While they have their purpose, the benefits to those students are often short-lived.
In the E3 Bridge program at The University of Cincinnati, we have shown that students are better served by a collaborative approach to their engineering education. By doing this, the strengths of any few individuals are better shared by all students. Collaboration is also a source of intellectual stimulation and creativity, and introduces students to the networking skills that they will need in the modern workforce.
Bridge is the first part of more comprehensive introduction to the study of engineering, with longer-term benefits to students who are committed to the collaborative process. And what better subtext is there for teaching the importance of collaboration than the first-year subjects!
In my chemistry course, students are taught the study of matter, and introduced to the way in which professional engineers think, by doing group problem-solving exercises in chemistry.
And we see the results year after year! Students who commit to both the course and the methods we use have outperformed their peers, not only in first-year chemistry, but in their other engineering courses after that.
I am proud to have been a part of the E3 Bridge program since its inception, and grateful to have seen it succeed. For entering engineering students at The University of Cincinnati, I believe that attending the summer Bridge session is perhaps the single best thing that you can do to further your professional development.
Students who would like to contact me regarding this opportunity can do so by email, at: mikeroberts@cinci.rr.com
Hello! My name is Raghu Srinivasan and I am the Physics instructor for the Summer Bridge Program. I have had the privilege of working with the program for the last four years. I am also a full-time graduate student in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. My PhD thesis focuses on Developing Verification Methods for Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI Circuits.
College Physics is a challenging subject for almost all incoming freshmen. The Emerging Ethnic Engineers(E3) deals
with this challenge by introducing its students to physics, two quarters before it's on their college schedule. As part of this effort they have designed the Summer Bridge Program and the Cooperative Learning Physics class(during the academic year). These are valuable tools for academic success. Not only do they provide reinforcement in academic concepts, they also develop good study habits and promote efficient functioning of the learning communities.
Class sizes in the summer bridge program are much smaller than in the academic year. This guarantees personalized attention for each student. The bridge program provides the complete college experience - college level classes, tight schedules, homework ,exams etc... They go the extra mile by providing accommodation in the dorms, lunch and dinner at campus eateries, and free textbooks!
Once school is in session, the E3 office keeps a close watch on its students. They are required to turn in progress reports, filled out by their instructors, to the program director. These progress reports indicate the current grade of the student and other apparent problems from the instructors perspective. The E3 program also provides the freshmen with assistance on their schedules, while always trying to keep them in the same section to preserve the student's learning community. Also, students interested in research opportunities can be placed by the E3 program in research labs within the college of engineering.
Overall, the Summer Bridge Program and E3 provide a warm and nurturing environment for the students to prosper academically. Feel free to contact me(srinivrm@uc.edu) if you need further information about the program. Hope to see you soon!
I have been a chemistry instructor for the E3 Summer Bridge Program for the past three years, while working on my doctorate in Biophysical Chemistry in Theresa Reineke's lab. As an aspiring professor, I benefit greatly from the opportunity to work with these talented students and have learned just as much as they have. The program's most far-reaching asset is the collaborative learning process. Sharing problem-solving strategies and creative ideas in small groups truly prepares engineers for their future careers by teaching them the skills they need to work as a team, not to mention providing a powerful outlet for finding help during the school year. I highly recommend the Bridge Program to any student serious about getting the most out of their college education and becoming a strong leader in the sciences. -- Lisa Prevette