Naomi Winfield, Spring 2004

Naomi Winfield directed the Engineering Summer Program from 1988 to 1994.

Photo of Naomi Winfield with guests

Sedrick Hayacinthe, Naomi Winfield, Alfonz Perkins

Photo of Naomi Winfield with guests

Sedrick Hayacinthe, James Alexander, Naomi Winfield, Alfonz Perkins, Brian Bell and Eric Washington

Photo of Naomi Winfield with guests

Naomi Winfield and Alfonz Perkins, remembering ESP alumni.

The Engineering Summer Program has the distinction of being the first summer program at UW-Madison established for high school students of color. In the spring of 1972, the College of Engineering, as part of the national effort to better utilize the intellectual resources of underrepresented Americans, developed the Office of Engineering Minority Affairs. The late Dean William R. Marshal appointed Willie Nunnery as Director of this program and of ESP, with the late Helen Johnson as Assistant Director. The first Engineering Summer Program session took place in 1973.

In August of 1976, Alfred Hampton took the role of Director, with Naomi Walton-Winfield as Assistant Director. In 1988, Naomi Walton-Winfield was named the Director of ESP. Since that time, the Engineering Summer Program has carried on the tradition of offering academic rigor and a close-knit learning experience for students who are eager to prepare for and explore a career in engineering or science.

ESP is built on the hard-won successes of its champions, some mentioned above. The list of champions also includes the corporate sponsors who have generously invested in the futures of young engineers, scientists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, social servants, business people and scholars. ESP continues to attract bright students who gain college preparation, confidence in key courses, and friendships that last far beyond their summer experience at UW-Madison.