Being able to achieve my Ph.D. will not only help me better advise and help other young people, but will also show them that it is possible to be a scientist.
— Mavis Ofori-Brown
Ezra's Bridge
Ezra’s Bridge is a fully-funded transitional Master of Science program for students from traditionally underrepresented groups in the chemical sciences. The fellowship combines cutting-edge research experience with professional and leadership training to fully equip graduates to apply for a Ph.D. and flourish in academics, and in life.
Ezra's Bridge is in partnership with the American Chemical Society and Cornell Engineering, with funds to establish Cornell University as a Bridge Program site provided by the National Science Foundation, DuPont and the Robert Frederick Smith and Fund II Foundation.
Ezra's Bridge addresses challenges faced by students underrepresented in chemical and materials sciences by providing them with a full-tuition scholarship, research opportunities, mentoring, and professional development.
The program was launched in August 2021 after Cornell was selected as an American Chemical Society Bridge Program site, with the greater goal of addressing the gap in doctoral students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, particularly Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students.
Ezra’s Bridge springboards students into their Ph.D. armed with a scientific publication, experience in scientific presentation, a funded fellowship, and the self-awareness of knowing exactly what they want to pursue for a fulfilling and impactful career.
Students accepted into the program as Bridge Fellows will be shepherded through laboratory research; skill-building in technical areas; professional development short-courses; and training in communication skills for the development of an M.S. thesis, graduate applications, and scientific presentations. Each Bridge Fellow will be guided toward becoming an independent researcher with the help of a mentoring committee consisting of two faculty members and a senior Ph.D. student.
The program embodies the spirit of Cornell’s namesake, Ezra Cornell, who declared he would found a university where “any person could find instruction in any study."
For more information, visit the Application Info page or contact the Ezra's Bridge program coordinator, Tracey Brant.
News and Events
Webinar: Interested in Grad School? ACS Can Help!
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, from 4-5:30 p.m. EST
An informational webinar for prospective Bridge Fellows who want to learn more about the program.
Cornell Launches Ezra's Bridge Program
Read more about the launch of Ezra's Bridge in this Cornell Chronicle article from Dec. 21, 2001.
Land acknowledgement: Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.