Building a bridge: Inaugural BridgeRx program supports undergraduate success

In their final week of summer, 22 incoming Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) students got a jumpstart on their undergraduate career.  

These motivated students took part in the inaugural BridgeRx Summer Program, a one-week experience designed to boost their success as undergraduates at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy.  

The free program, held Aug. 17-21, was open to all first-year BSPS students, with priority admission given to Pell-eligible or first-generation college students. Student participants were provided with housing and meals for the duration of the program and received a $500 scholarship in recognition of their participation and commitment to academic success. 

“Pell-eligible and first-generation students may not always have family members who can guide them through the college experience, so providing early support is extremely important,” said Janet Antwi, PhD ’17, senior lecturer. “The program gives students access to faculty mentorship, academic resources, peer support and information that can help them navigate college with greater confidence.” 

Dr. Antwi led the program’s design and launch with the BridgeRx teaching team, including Lecturer Brittney Mize, PhD ’23; Program Director of Undergraduate Studies Tyler Swanson; First-Generation Student Success Specialist Britney Luebeck; Administrative Associate Joslyn Materna; and PROPEL Program Manager Leslie Dybiec. 

Drs. Antwi and Mize drew inspiration from other colleges’ bridge programs, an increasingly popular offering for incoming students. Transitional programs have shown to boost academic confidence, ease the transition to college life and improve student retention through early exposure to coursework and campus resources. 

“This camp functioned as a safe place for students to learn or refresh difficult information, meet classmates in a smaller setting and get to know how the college and campus works before the semester starts,” Dr. Mize said. “PROPEL provided us with the funding and focus for the camp, and from there, we were inspired to design programming focused on areas that we know undergraduate students commonly struggle with.” 

The College of Pharmacy’s pilot program was constructed around three pillars: 

• Strengthening chemistry knowledge 
• Building community 
• Promoting academic success 

Students engaged in a series of lectures, labs and learning games to prepare for their undergraduate curriculum of chemistry and mathematics. By the end of the week, colorful handmade posters on “sig figs,” “metric prefixes” and more lined the walls of the Meijer Family Classroom as a testament to their hard work.  

“We designed the programming so that incoming students could gain confidence, understand college expectations and become familiar with the college before classes began,” Dr. Antwi said. “By the end of the week, students who were initially quiet or unsure were more comfortable speaking up and taking ownership of their learning.” 

Through collaboration with the college’s undergraduate advising and career success specialists, students connected with faculty, staff, alumni, mentors and campus resources. Program leadership also partnered with faculty and staff across the college, as well as a team of BSPS teaching assistants (TAs), including Mark Hanna, Kylie Narry and Massar Yade, to support the student experience. 

“As a first-generation student, I understand how critical this support is,” Yade said. “In a degree program like the BSPS program, having targeted resources helps bridge that gap.” 

Beyond academic preparedness, students also showed major success in building out their support network. 

“I saw strong friendships form and community build naturally as the students connected over classes and shared interests,” Yade reflected. “It was great to see a sense of community being built throughout the week, and it was also really rewarding to share my own journey and let them know how to navigate experiences like interacting with professors or finding research opportunities.” 

As the week came to a close, the program leaders proudly watched as students made plans to attend the university involvement fair and Buck-i-Frenzy together. 

“Even if students are taking classes in other colleges, we have in-house resources to support their achievement through their time in our program,” Dr. Mize emphasized. “BridgeRx is such a natural kickoff to our commitment to students from day one.” 

BridgeRx serves the college’s strategic priority to offer students of all backgrounds access to careers in pharmacy. As part of the college’s Pathways and Recruitment Opportunities for Pharmacy Exploration and Learning (PROPEL) program, BridgeRx is funded by the McKesson Foundation.  

“At its core, PROPEL is about creating meaningful pathways for students to reach their goals,” said Nicole Kwiek, PhD, co-lead of PROPEL, senior associate dean for academic affairs and educational innovation and clinical professor. “Programs like BridgeRx are so vital to that mission because building a pathway means more than just opening a door. It’s about giving incoming students the confidence, connections and sense of belonging to truly thrive once they’re here.”