Tulane Grand Challenge Events
Fall 2024
Grand Challenge Scholars meet our new Dean!
On 10.21.24 the scholars met with the new Dean of Science and Engineering, Dr. Hridesh Rajan.
Spring 2024
Class of 2024 Senior Showcase!
On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, the Class of 2024 Scholars presented their unique journeys as Tulane undergraduates, portraying how their experiences completed the five GCSP competencies and worked toward one or more NAE Grand Challenges.
On April 17, 2024, Dr. Aaron Maus joined us for a meeting where the scholars shared updates about their various spring projects.
Visited Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana on Saturday, April 6 to help with gardening and learning about the Pointe Au Chien Indians. We enjoyed a crawfish boil with them and other Tulanians. Thanks to Dr. Jelagat Cheruiyot for organizing our trip.
Watching an entrepreneurship lecture presented by Noam Platt
Students watched an Entrepreneurship lecture presented by Noam Platt, the founder of Make Good. Make Good is a collective of makers, designers, caretakers, innovators, and more, dedicated to pushing the bounds of design in the field of adaptive technology.
Wheelchair assembly!
Feb. 24, 2024 scholars worked in the Scot Ackerman MakerSpace assembling wheelchairs for children.
Grand Challenge Scholars met on February 21, 2024, to discuss and learn more about the GCSP Network.
Click here to learn more about the Grand Challenges Scholars Program! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMuFpG35Ud8
Volunteering at Zeus Place
On Saturday, February 17, 2024 the Grand Challenge Scholars volunteered at Zeus Place (https://zeusplace.com/).
Scholars met with Noam Platt from Make Good
The scholars met with Noam Platt from Make Good via Zoom to talk about his various projects on February 2, 2024. Make Good is a collective of makers, designers, caretakers, innovators, and more, dedicated to pushing the bounds of design in the field of adaptive technology.
Scot Ackerman MakerSpace
On January 29, 2024, our scholars visited the Scot Ackerman MakerSpace located on Tulane’s Campus. It occupies 4100 ft2 of design and construction space and includes multiple modern prototyping tools like laser cutters, a 4-axis CNC milling machine, a CNC lathe, and 3-d printers, along with traditional hand tools and power tools. It’s goal is to serve all makers, and potential makers, in the Tulane Community.
Fall 2023 Events
Senior Scholar Presentations December 6, 2023
Meeting with Computer Science Professor Dr. Aaron Maus
Volunteering at Glass Half Full NOLA!
On Saturday, October 23rd our scholars volunteered at Glass Half Full NOLA!
Dr. Reed meets with Grand Challenge Scholars
Thank you Dr. Reed for speaking with our scholars!
Grand Challenge Scholars Entrepreneurship Speaker Series
Schedule for 2023-2024
All sessions will be held via Zoom and recorded from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EST. Previous recordings can be found here. All are welcome to attend!
- September 21, 2023 – Clemson University
- October 19, 2023 – University of Southern California
- November 16, 2023 – Campbell University
- December: OFF
- January 18, 2024 – University of Notre Dame
- February 15, 2024 – Auburn University
- March 14, 2024 – Tulane University
- April 18, 2024 – North Dakota State University
Scholars met with Kathryn Santanilla from Career Services
Thank you to Kathryn Santanilla from Career Services for meeting with our scholars on September 15, 2023.
Spring 2023 Events
Senior Scholars Showcase, May 1, 2023
GCSP Class of 2023 Scholars presented their Senior Showcase presentations on Monday, May 1,2023 . The nine members of the Class of 2023 Scholars presented their unique journeys as Tulane undergraduates, portraying how their experiences completed the five GCSP competencies and worked toward one or more NAE Grand Challenges. Questions were asked after each presentation, and were able to elaborate on some of their experiences and share their plans after graduation. We are so proud of the Class of 2023 and look forward to seeing great things from them! The program for the showcase can be found here.
March 25 Trip to Pointe Au Chien
Meeting with Kathryn Santanilla from NTC Career Services March 2, 2023
Thank you to Kathryn Santanilla of NTC Career Services, who provided tactical information for the Scholars about the many different aspects of the job hunt. Kathryn answered the Scholars’ questions revolving around how to format a cover letter, how to best lay out your resume, and how to nail the job interview.
Meeting on February 2, 2023.
Scholars discussed their “personal grand challenges”!
Fall 2022 Events
Meeting on October 27th.
Scholars discussed their travels to Peru.
GCSP meets again on September 29th
During this meeting the group met with Whitney to discuss her studies abroad in Denmark. If you would like to learn more about Whitney’s trip to Denmark click here.
On September 22nd, Dr. Murray met with and presented to GCSP members.
Thank you to Dr.Murry for speaking with the Grand Challenge Scholars!
Whitney was selected for the Research Assistantship on International Arrhythmia Screening.
Check out Whitney’s blog from Denmark here.
Scholars volunteered at Glass Half Full Nola on Saturday, September 17th.
The Scholars volunteered with Glass Half Full Nola again as their service event this fall 2022 semester! The students helped sort glass at drop off and were able to get a glimpse of how the glass is processed into sand.
Congratulations to the Class of 2022 on their Senior Showcase Presentations!
View details of the GCSP Class of 2022 Showcase here.
Tulane GCSP will host the March Grand Challenge Entrepreneurship Speaker Series – March 17 at 6:00 PM!
Zoom Link to Join:
https://clemson.zoom.us/j/91031164723
ID: 910 3116 4723 | Passcode: 737901
Applications for Class of 2024 are OPEN! Deadline to apply is March 14!
Rising Juniors can apply now to be in the GCSP Class of 2024 Cohort! Tulane faculty can also nominate students they think would benefit from being a Grand Challenge Scholar.
Save the Date! GCSP Class of 2022 Showcase on Friday, April 8, 2022 from 12:00-2:00 PM!
Lunch will begin at 12:00, with presentations tentatively beginning at 12:30 PM Central Time. Room location and Zoom information details to come soon.
Spring 2022 Meeting With Dean Kimberly Foster
The scholars were able to squeeze in a meeting with SSE Dean Kimberly Foster! Discussion ranged from scholarly interests to what the future of engineering and scientific research looks like. We hope the scholars were inspired and even more ready to take on these 21st Century Grand Challenges!
GCSP Volunteers with Glass Half Full Nola
The Scholars volunteered with Glass Half Full Nola as their service event this fall 2021 semester! The students helped sort glass at drop off and were able to get a glimpse of how the glass is processed into sand.
GCSP Meets with Franziska Trautmann, Founder of Glass Half Full Nola
Thank you to Franziska Trautmann for speaking with the Grand Challenge Scholars on how she began and is growing her company Glass Half Full Nola, which recycles glass into sand in the New Orleans community.
Scholars Learn Job Hunting Tips
Thank you to Kathryn Santanilla of NTC Career Services, who provided tactical information for the Scholars about the many different aspects of the job hunt. Kathryn answered the Scholars’ questions revolving around how to format a cover letter, how to best lay out your resume, and how to nail the job interview.
GCSP Fall Retreat 2021
On Sunday, October 10, the Tulane Grand Challenge Scholars were able to meet in person for the Fall Retreat. The Scholars were able to meet with Steering Committee faculty, Dr. Shusheng Wang and Dr. Beth Wee, and work with them on a design-thinking project that centered around local issues of New Orleans. It was great to see the Scholars work collaboratively and creatively to create some innovative solutions to some of the problems New Orleans faces!
Tulane GCSP Class of 2021 Senior Showcase
GCSP Class of 2021 Scholars presented their Senior Showcase presentations on Monday, April 26, in the LBC Qatar Ballroom to both an in-person and Zoom audience. The five members of the Class of 2021 Scholars presented their unique journeys as Tulane undergraduates, portraying how their experiences completed the five GCSP competencies and worked toward one or more NAE Grand Challenges. Questions were asked after each presentation, and were able to elaborate on some of their experiences and share their plans after graduation. We are so proud of the Class of 2021 and look forward to seeing great things from them!
Applications for Class of 2022 and 2023 Cohorts are OPEN! Deadline is Friday, April 2, 2021
Rising Juniors and Seniors can apply now to be in the GCSP Class of 2022 or 2023 Cohort! Tulane faculty can also nominate students they think would benefit from being a Grand Challenge Scholar.
Save the Date! GCSP Class of 2021 Showcase on Monday, April 26, at 4:00 PM
Starting time is tentatively at 4:00 PM Central Time. Room location and Zoom information details to come soon.
GCSP Class of 2020 Showcase
April 17, 2020
GCSP Class of 2020 presented their final Showcase virtually to an audience of over fifty Tulane faculty, staff, School of Science and Engineering board members, friends, family, and supporters. The Scholars answered questions following their pre-recorded video presentations of their accomplishments at Tulane allowed them to complete the five GCSP competencies and tackle one or more Grand Challenges. We are so proud of everything the Class of 2020 Scholars have accomplished and know their futures are bright!
LinkedIn Workshop
March 11, 2020
Class of 2021 Cohort received tactical advice from Tulane Career Services Career Adviser and SYE Coach Scott Cohen and Career Peer Mentor Caroline Hymes.
Design Thinking Workshop at Sci High
February 19, 2020
Scholars brought a Design-Thinking workshop for high school sophomore students at Sci High, just down the street from Tulane’s campus. Both 2020 and 2021 cohorts worked to develop the framework for this workshop. Arjun, Asha, Diego, Lydia, and Carly were able to attend and assist in moderating the high school students through the design-thinking process to develop a solution to the proposed problem.
Dean Foster of Tulane School of Science and Engineering
February 12, 2020
Dean Kimberly Foster of the School of Science and Engineering met with the scholars and engaged in a range of conversation topics to kick off the spring semester.
Girls in STEM at Tulane (GiST) Workshop – The Human Eye
November 16th, 2019
Scholars developed and led a new workshop exploring different aspects of the human eye, focus, and attention. The workshop originated from Jessica’s psychology research which utilizes eye-tracking software to assess infant attention. Miguel, Liz, Asha, and Marco all assisted with the development and execution of the activities.
Conversation with Dean Bordnick – Virtual Reality in Research
November 11th, 2019
The Scholars were joined by Dean of Social Work Dr. Patrick Bordnick to discuss the past, present, and future of virtual reality applications in research, treatment, and beyond. Scholars and guests even had an opportunity to try out the VR for themselves!
GCSP Entrepreneurial Experience: Sustainability
Don’t sit at home all summer! Join other Grand Challenge Scholars Program students from many institutions this June 2019 in Tempe, Arizona to explore the GCSP theme of sustainability while researching, designing and developing a product/service and a business plan. As a participant, you will collaborate on a multi-institution team to:
All expenses paid, including travel, meals, housing, and prototyping supplies!
Find out more information about this opportunity!
Class of 2019 Scholar Showcase
Our Scholars graduating in May 2019 presented their final projects on Thursday, April 4th from 4:00-6:00 pm in Richardson Memorial building room 204.
Roundtable with Prof. Richard Campanella
Roundtable with Dr. Guy Norton
Roundtable with Dr. Michael Moore
The focus of Dr. Moore’s laboratory is to develop in vitro models of neural growth, physiology, and disease by manipulating the chemical and physical extracellular microenvironment. Toward this end, they employ a number of microengineering technologies such as microscale tissue engineering, novel nanomaterials, microfabrication, digital light projection microscopy, and optical modes of electrophysiological stimulation and recording.
Check out the Neural MicroEngineering Laboratory website
Roundtable with Dr. Julie Albert
Among the next generation of technologies, Dr. Albert expects medical diagnostic devices that are more accurate and portable; electronic devices that are faster, smaller, and capable of storing more information; and energy sources that are cleaner without sacrificing capacity or power. She believes that polymers with tunable nano- and micro-structured morphologies can address these challenges. The Albert research group is interested in developing these types of materials for research applications related to present-day challenges in energy, health, and environmental applications.
Through the natural relationships between material properties, surface interactions, and morphology design, their work with polymeric materials encompasses research related to the following areas:
- Nano- and micro- structured materials
- Confined crystallization
- Solvent vapor processing to control polymer morphology
- Surface chemistry
- Nanoporous membranes for oil/water separations
- Biocompatible and functionalized surfaces and scaffolds for cell culture
Check out the Albert Research Group website
Roundtable with Dr. Venable
K. Brent Venable currently holds a joint appointment as associate professor of computer science at Tulane University and research scientist at IHMC. Her main research interests are within artificial intelligence and regard, in particular, constraints, preferences, temporal reasoning and computational social choice. In particular, her research is dedicated to providing a solid framework for the design and deployment of intelligent systems able to reason about preferences.
See the projects Dr. Venable is currently working on.
2017 GCSP Annual Meeting
November 27th-28th, 2017
National Academy of Sciences
Washington, D.C.
Global Grand Challenges Summit (GGCS)
July 18th-20th, 2017
Washington, D.C.
Check out highlights from the summit!