G4: GCSP Cohort 4

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
Essentially, I have two goals that govern my actions through life; to help other humans, and to reduce human impact on the Earth. I believe the Grand Challenge Scholars Program is a grand way to make progress on both of those goals.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
Developing carbon sequestration methods is an area that interests me immensely, and most of all the grand challenges because it offers us the chance to eliminate one of the main ways we are damaging the planet.

What are your plans after graduation?
My plans after graduation are to find and work for a company that shares my goals.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
The everyday routine of college can sometimes cause you to lose sight of the end goal of it all. With the Grand Challenge Scholars Program, I felt that I was able to see my Mechanical Engineering major on a more global scale. The Grand Challenges Scholars Program helped me realize my passion for education.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
Advancing personalized learning interests me the most. I want to make a difference in the way STEM education, and maybe other subjects are tailored to each student’s needs.

What are your plans after graduation?
I hope to go to graduate school and dedicate my time towards Discipline Based Education Research.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
I joined the Grand Challenge Scholars Program because of the great interest I have in understanding and solving issues that are truly essential for the betterment of our world. I found this program intriguing because I get to interact with people from diverse disciplines and perspectives with a somewhat similar objective. Also, it motivates me to complete certain activities that bring about exposure to various self-enriching experiences. All of this, to develop and create personal skills that would hopefully aid in reducing significant global necessities through technological advancement and innovation.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
The Grand Challenges that interest me the most are engineer better medicines, provide access to clean water, make solar energy economical. I am interested in how and what new technology or innovative ideas that help in solving these three grand challenges, could be made more accessible, in terms of being cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and have an appropriate design.

What are your plans after graduation?
My plan after graduation is to hopefully work with something related to the biomedical, or environmental field. Other plans would be to pursue graduate school.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
The Grand Challenge Scholars Program has a variety of drawing factors, but the ability to impact the world is the one that means the most to me. The world today faces a variety of problems, which need to be faced by anyone willing to take on the challenge. The program is a way to meet people with the same vision of bettering the world, and it allows people with different experiences and backgrounds to meet and work together in an effort to make the world a better place.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
The two challenges most interesting to me are providing access to clean water and making solar energy more economical. Environmental issues such as deforestation, climate change, and pollution are a significant problem in today’s society. Providing access to clean water deals with facing the issue of water pollution, and making solar energy more economical would also reduce pollution. Reducing pollution is important because this is the only planet, we, as a society have. If we destroy it there is no other home. A solution to the environmental issues we face would benefit the entire planet. It would provide a better, cleaner environment for everyone to enjoy.

What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I hope to be working full-time while pursuing my master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
I joined the Grand Challenge Scholars Program to expand my understanding of the world and its current issues, as well as to further develop the skills necessary to innovate solutions that benefit the environment. With the program’s guidance and structured opportunities, I hope to grow as an engineer who will work to create a more sustainable world.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
I am most interested in Developing Carbon Sequestration Methods. Current energy production methods emit carbon dioxide and contribute to climate change. I am motivated to help find ways of capturing this gas and improving the energy capacity of more sustainable power sources, so carbon dioxide is not released into the atmosphere in the first place. I am also very interested in Providing Access to Clean Water. I plan to help make water available to all and determine methods to efficiently clean polluted water. I am most interested in these two Grand Challenges because the problems they address pose serious threats to the health of our world and solving them is necessary for all of us to thrive.

What are your plans after graduation?
I plan to continue my formal education by attending graduate school and to pursue a career in sustainable engineering.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
I joined the Grand Challenges Scholars Program because it addresses the difficult large-scale problems that negatively impact so many people in our society. I want to challenge my critical thinking skills and my abilities as an engineer with these problems and make a better place to live for everyone.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
I am interested in Restore and Improve Urban Infrastructure, Make Solar Energy Economical, and Advance Personalized Learning because it will improve smaller and poorer communities.

What are your plans after graduation?
I plan on getting my Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
As an engineer, I am tasked to help individuals in my environment by applying Mathematics, Science, and problem-solving skills optimally and innovatively. A way for me to improve as an engineer is to continue learning different methods to solve problems through optimization and innovation; the Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP) is an opportunity to solve a problem and develop necessary attributes for my field.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
The challenge that makes me perplexed and enthusiastic to solve is Advance Personalized Learning. Students, generally, learn differently in any educational environment. In an educational environment such as college, students learn through lecture and review the material covered. However, some students are visual learners and require more pictures, graphics, or videos to understand the material covered. The material covered in class is often learned at different rates for students; this will, unfortunately, gradually cause students to stop their effort to learn because of how easy or hard the material covered is; regardless, learning a new concept is a complicated process. This process often requires profoundly studying and a strict studying schedule. There must be an approach to reduce the difficulty of learning concepts for students in any academic environment.

What are your plans after graduation?
I plan on going to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in either Mathematics or Software Engineering.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
I decided to join after talking to someone who was already apart of the program. After that initial conversation, my interest in the program really peaked. It seemed like a good opportunity to get more involved on campus, but also just in the community. The grand challenges are issues for everyone and it is important to me that people get the skills needed to communicate their ideas to help solve these problems. In addition, after talking to members of the program, it seemed like a good fit for me. I really love the mission of the program and to be able to come into such a great community was really important to me. Lastly, learning more about interdisciplinary work is something I am really passionate about. I believe that it is really important that everyone has the skills needed to work with other disciplines in order to solve a mutual problem.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
The Grand Challenge that interests me the most is engineering better medicines. The ability to create personalized medicine for each patient is vital. Each patient should be able to get a healthcare plan that is tailored specifically to them. This hopefully would cause less mistakes to be made by doctors who do not listen to patients and their needs.

What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I would like to obtain my MD/PhD. I hope to get my PhD in biomedical engineering.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
I want to be in a program that is dedicated to interdisciplinary work and collaborate with people that want to contribute to the big problems affecting people on a global scale.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
I am most interested in advancing personalized learning because I have been volunteering with computer science education initiatives for the past two years and I think it is very impactful. People learn differently and it is important that the educational system addresses this.

What are your plans after graduation?
Attending graduate school for Human-Centered Computing research.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
I saw GCSP as an outlet for me to be creative with engineering. My main coursework does not tend to teach me about the important values and skills to hold and possess as a future engineer. GCSP has taught me to be introspective, and look at what traits I have that set me apart yet also make me a great engineer. GCSP has also allowed for me to ensure that I am gaining experience in the 5 main aspects of engineering.

Which of the Grand Challenges you interest you most, and why?
Enhancing virtual reality interests me the most due to its broad range of applications. VR allows for me to combine my tech and artistic skills to find innovative solutions to the problems of the world. Today, virtual environments are becoming increasingly necessary, and may soon be our main source of communication. It is important that we make VR accessible to all, and that we find ways to continue to share our culture and abilities.

What are your plans after graduation? 
Upon graduation, I intend to pursue a graduate degree that allows for me to learn more about robotics or virtual reality.

Why did you decide to join the Grand Challenge Scholars Program?
I chose to participate in the Grand Challenge Scholars Program because of the exposure to problems challenging the world and the community the program provides. I want to change the world and this program will provide me with the background information necessary to start on this goal. The community within the program provides mentorship opportunities which will help me learn more about the experiences I should complete and potentially the field of study I want to pursue. The Grand Challenge Scholars Program puts a large emphasis on international issues that are plaguing the world. I love to travel, and I knew that this program could help me learn more about some of the places I want to travel to and help.

Which of the Grand Challenges interest you most, and why?
The Grand Challenge I have chosen to focus on is Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery. I chose this challenge because of how important new scientific discoveries are to our society. I am very interested in learning new things and this challenge will push me to these discoveries. I am uncertain about my field of study post graduation, but I know I want to do something out of the box and exciting. I think the challenge of Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery will provide me with the flexibility to find my passion and pursue it while contributing towards solving the unknowns of nature. While I am still uncertain about my specialization in mechanical engineering, I am considering the aerospace industry. Space is such a big unknown that I am interested in learning more about. My one hesitation with this field is that it does not directly improve people’s lives. I want to do something that makes a difference, and I am not sure if aerospace would fulfill that desire. I know that the Grand Challenge of Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery will help me to find my focus in mechanical engineering. It has already helped me to find a general direction to focus my ideas in and I know it will continue to help me find the path I want to pursue.

What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I am planning on pursuing a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Afterwards, I plan on working in industry. As of now, I am uncertain about what field I want to pursue, but I am certain that my opportunities from UMBC and the Grand Challenge Scholars Program will provide me with the skills to succeed.

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