Whitney B. Gaskins, PhD, CDP
Engineering excellence.
Leading change.
Expanding possibility.
Award-winning engineer. Research leader. Educator. Author. Keynote speaker. Dr. Whitney B. Gaskins has built a career advancing STEM opportunity—and earned recognition across education, leadership, research, and community impact.
Engineer · Educator · Speaker · Author · Community leader
A record of leadership & achievement
Excellence across disciplines.
Leadership beyond boundaries.
A recognized leader.
A force for STEM opportunity.
Dr. Whitney B. Gaskins brings a rare combination of engineering expertise, university leadership, research achievement, and entrepreneurial drive to the work of expanding opportunity. Her record spans national professional recognition, celebrated teaching, competitive fellowships, and community leadership.
At the University of Cincinnati, she serves as Associate Dean of Professional Development and Community Impact in the College of Engineering and Applied Science and as an Associate Professor in Engineering and Computing Education. In 2026, UC recognized her for the fifth time as a Research Rainmaker, honoring sponsored research awards that placed her among the university’s top 25% in fiscal year 2025.
As founder of The Gaskins Foundation, established in 2009, she has turned her commitment to STEM opportunity into programs that connect young people, families, and communities with learning. In 2025, the Simons Foundation named her to its Sandbox Fellowship cohort, recognizing her leadership within the Science Sandbox community.
Her accomplishments include recognition as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement, a Cincinnati Business Courier Forty Under 40 honoree, a Women Who Mean Business award recipient, and a Leadership Ohio Fellow. On stage, she brings the same expertise, humor, and presence to conversations about empowerment, resilience, identity, workplace well-being, and STEM opportunity.
Many roles. A connected purpose.
A career built
around possibility.
Whitney’s work connects research with practice, institutions with communities, and ideas with the people who can bring them to life.
Create the conditions to thrive.
Support meaningful learning, professional growth, and pathways through engineering education. Whitney’s university leadership connects student success, faculty development, and community impact.
Explore teaching ↗Listen. Question. Learn.
Through the R.O.S.E. Lab—Removing Obstacles for STEM Excellence—Whitney explores experiences and structures that shape participation in STEM, including identity, neurodiversity, and student well-being.
Explore research ↗Build with people.
Connect families, educators, and community partners through STEM learning. Whitney’s foundation work brings a community-centered approach to creating opportunity beyond the campus.
Discuss a partnership ↗A multidisciplinary foundation
Different lenses.
A broader view.
Engineering, business, and education inform how Whitney approaches problems, people, and the possibilities between them.
- Doctor of PhilosophyBiomedical Engineering / Engineering Education
- Master of Business AdministrationQuantitative Analysis
- Bachelor of ScienceBiomedical Engineering
- Certified Diversity ProfessionalCDP
Meet the author
Big curiosity.
Little learners.
A world to discover.
With Math ABC’s, Whitney brings her work as an educator into the world of children’s books—another way to invite young learners to explore mathematical ideas.
From the classroom to the page, her work creates opportunities to ask questions, discover connections, and see learning as an adventure.
Awards, honors & fellowships
The recognition.
The record.
The work behind it.
Recognized by professional societies, universities, foundations, and civic organizations for achievements in engineering education, leadership, research, and service.
- 2026
Research Rainmaker — Fifth Recognition
University of Cincinnati Office of Research · FY2025 sponsored awards in UC’s top 25%
- 2025
Sandbox Fellow
Simons Foundation
- 2025
Leadership of Excellence Award
Ladies of Leadership
- 2024
Changemaker
Cincinnati Herald BeautyCON
- 2024
Woman of the Year
University of Cincinnati Women’s Center
- 2023
Educational Leadership
Women of Color in STEM
- 2023
Engineering Change Award
The PEER Group
- 2022
Women Who Mean Business
Cincinnati Business Courier
- 2022
Leader in Engineering Education
Women in Engineering ProActive Network
- 2022
Woman of Distinction
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
- 2022
Leadership Ohio Fellow
Leadership Ohio
- 2021
BVBJ Fellow
Black Voices for Black Justice
- 2021
Career Woman of Achievement
YWCA Greater Cincinnati
- 2020
Best Paper — Community Engagement Division
American Society for Engineering Education
- 2020
Affirmed
Cincinnati Urban League
- 2020
Marian Spencer Equity Ambassador Award — Staff Winner
University of Cincinnati
- 2020
Marian Spencer Equity Ambassador Award — Organization Winner
University of Cincinnati
- 2019
Forty Under 40
Cincinnati Business Courier
- 2019
Dr. Terry Kershaw Legacy and Social Justice Award
University of Cincinnati Black Faculty Association
- 2019
Excellence in Teaching Award
University of Cincinnati University Honors Program
- 2019
Greater Cincinnati Black History Maker
Cincinnati Regional Chamber
- 2018
Women of Color Trailblazer Award
CoNECD
- 2017
K–12 Champion
National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates
- 2016
Educator of the Year
National Society of Black Engineers
- 2015
Janice A. Lumpkin Educator of the Year Golden Torch Award
National Society of Black Engineers
- 2015
Sigma Omega Leadership Award
Sigma Omega
- 2015
Rising Star
YWCA
- 2015
Adult Achiever
YMCA
- 2014
Sigma Omega Leadership Award
Sigma Omega
- 2014
Who’s Who in Black Cincinnati
Who’s Who in Black Cincinnati
- 2014
Graduate Student of the Year
National Society of Black Engineers
- 2013
Who’s Who in Black Cincinnati
Who’s Who in Black Cincinnati
- 2013
University Graduate Scholar
University of Cincinnati
- 2013
My Sister Circle Shining Star Award
My Sister Circle
- 2012
Graduate Engineering Education Consortium for Students Fellow
GEECS
- 2012
Executive Board Member of the Year
National Society of Black Engineers
- 2012
University Graduate Scholar
University of Cincinnati
- 2011
University Graduate Scholar
University of Cincinnati
- 2010
University Graduate Scholar
University of Cincinnati
- 2009
Miss Black Ohio
Miss Black Ohio
- 2004
NSBE Fellow
National Society of Black Engineers
- 2003
Cincinnatus Scholar
University of Cincinnati
Hear more of her story
Meet the person
behind the work.
Explore conversations and features about Whitney’s path, purpose, and perspective.
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A brief introduction.
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Short biography
Dr. Whitney B. Gaskins is an award-winning engineer, educator, research leader, author, and keynote speaker. A five-time UC Research Rainmaker and Simons Foundation Sandbox Fellow, she has also been recognized as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement and Cincinnati Business Courier Forty Under 40 honoree. She serves as Associate Dean of Professional Development and Community Impact and Associate Professor in Engineering and Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati. She founded The Gaskins Foundation in 2009 to expand STEM learning opportunities. With a multidisciplinary background in engineering, business, and education, Whitney connects research, leadership, and community engagement to help people recognize strengths, explore possibilities, and take meaningful action.
Good conversations open new possibilities
Let’s connect ideas.
And see where they lead.
Reach out about speaking, educational collaborations, community partnerships, or books.
Email directly: hello@whitneygaskins.com
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