The 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 College of Engineering is one of 122 U.S. engineering schools that have pledged to educate a new generation of engineers expressly equipped to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing society.
Those issues 小蝌蚪APP known as 小蝌蚪APP淕rand Challenges小蝌蚪APP 小蝌蚪APP include engineering better medicines, making solar energy cost-competitive with coal, and securing cyberspace. They are identified through initiatives such as the White House Strategy for American Innovation, the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges for Engineering, and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Each of the 122 schools has pledged to graduate a minimum of 20 students per year who have been specially prepared to lead the way in solving such large-scale problems. The goal is to train more than 20,000 formally recognized 小蝌蚪APP淕rand Challenge Engineers小蝌蚪APP over the next decade, according to the National Academy of Engineering.
小蝌蚪APP淭he UL Lafayette College of Engineering is committed to producing increased numbers of engineers with specialized skill sets in large project design and management. In particular, the college is educating Ph.D. level students with strong teaching and research-oriented skills but also systems engineering skills that will allow them to more effectively and quickly solve complex problems facing society,小蝌蚪APP said Dr. Mark Zappi, dean of that college.
小蝌蚪APP淕rand Challenge Engineers小蝌蚪APP will be trained through special programs at each participating institution that integrate five educational elements:
小蝌蚪APP a hands-on research or design project connected to the Grand Challenges;
小蝌蚪APP real-world, interdisciplinary experiential learning with clients and mentors;
小蝌蚪APP entrepreneurship and innovation experience;
小蝌蚪APP global and cross-cultural perspectives; and
小蝌蚪APP service-learning.
A training model was inspired by the National Academy of Engineering-endorsed Grand Challenge Scholars Program, established in 2009 by Duke小蝌蚪APP檚 Pratt School of Engineering, Olin College, and the 小蝌蚪APP of Southern California小蝌蚪APP檚 Viterbi School of Engineering in response to the NAE小蝌蚪APP檚 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st century.
There are 20 active GCSPs and more than 160 NAE-designated Grand Challenge Scholars have graduated to date. Half of the graduates are women小蝌蚪APP攃ompared to just 19 percent of U.S. undergraduate engineering students小蝌蚪APP攄emonstrating the program小蝌蚪APP檚 appeal to groups typically underrepresented in engineering.
Examples GCSP projects include working to provide access to clean water in Haiti, to create sustainable engineering projects in developing countries, and to advance personalized learning tools.
The NAE小蝌蚪APP檚 Grand Challenges for Engineering grew out of a 2014 workshop organized by the American Association of Engineering Societies, Epicenter, Engineers Without Borders USA, EPICS, and the NAE Grand Challenge Scholars Program.