Reviewing the current state of grand challenge scholars programs across the United States

Abstract

In 2008, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) identified the Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century representing the fourteen most pressing issues facing modern society requiring engineering innovation. To equip the next generation of engineers with the tools to address these challenges and create global sustainable solutions, engineering education must expose students to these Grand Challenges during their undergraduate studies. More than 120 engineering schools across the country have committed to producing at least twenty students specifically equipped to tackle these challenges through the NAE's Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP). The GCSP aims to progress undergraduate engineering around global issues rather than isolated disciplines and help students in the program develop skills in five components: Research Experience, Interdisciplinary Curriculum, Entrepreneurship, Global Dimension, and Service-Learning. To date, there are no specified requirements for each of the program components; students attaining the NAE Grand Challenge Scholar designation can achieve this recognition in a variety of ways based on the institution's requirements. For example, at one institution students are required to have industry experience outside the United States for Global Dimension, while at other institutions students are required to study abroad or take cross-cultural courses. In an effort to understand the variation between the thirty-five active GCSPs and corresponding variant student capabilities, each institution's program and student requirements were analyzed via information provided on the NAE GCSP website and available from individual institutions' websites. In this paper, the authors highlight the range of experiences and immersion required for each program component and detail unique and innovative practices. Ultimately, the goal of this work is to track similarities and differences between Grand Challenge Scholars Programs and drive towards a more thorough understanding of student-learning outcomes and experiences.