The Grand Challenges Scholars Program is a unique experience for engineering and technology students at Arizona State University that encourages them to diversify their academic journey beyond engineering by exploring studies in culture, ethics, policy, human behavior, entrepreneurship and other related disciplines. In addition to earning engineering degrees, the program enables students to graduate with majors or minors in multiple areas of study or enhance their degrees with extracurricular research and service learning.
Known as GCSP, the program is offered by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU and gives students opportunities to address global concerns through competencies that enhance their ability to consider all aspects of a problem and generate solutions that benefit society.
“Our Spring 2023 graduates have accomplished a lot, and have left an impact on the ASU and Fulton schools community,” says Amy Trowbridge, director of ASU’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program and an associate teaching professor in the Fulton Schools. “But their impact doesn’t stop there; they’ve also had a positive impact on local and global communities, either through their leadership as Fulton Ambassadors, or through various projects they completed in Engineering Projects in Community Service, or Engineers Without Borders.”
Trowbridge says many GCSP students spent their time in the program deeply engaged in research, spending multiple semesters working with faculty mentors to analyze and develop solutions to help people and society. More than half, she adds, also graduated from ASU’s Barrett, The Honors College.”
This spring, 17 Grand Challenges Scholars have graduated through the program.
“Although the COVID-19 pandemic may have thwarted some of their plans to study abroad or implement international service projects, these students were still motivated to put their skills to use to benefit society any way that they could,” Trowbridge says.
“Nearly all of [this year’s GCSP graduating class] participated in EPICS, working on projects to improve medical care, sustainable farming, access to clean water or other important goals for communities in Africa, Vietnam, Kenya, Peru and here in Arizona,” she says. “Several of them used their leadership skills to inspire others to pursue engineering and give back to society as Fulton Ambassadors, through leadership in student orgs and outreach activities.”
To graduate as a Grand Challenges Scholar, students must exhibit five
competencies through research or a creative project, a
multidisciplinary learning experience, entrepreneurship, a multicultural
experience or a service-learning project.
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