Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP)

The Nuclear Guys
Students: Horacio Delgado, Justin Gonzalez, Tao Shan 
Course: FSE 150 Perspectives on Grand Challenges for Engineering

This project creates underground repositories, like the Onkalo facility in Finland, the world’s first permanent deep geological repository for high-level nuclear waste. Onkalo is a pioneering project designed to store spent nuclear fuel, and the goal is to improve the vitrification process by using nanotechnology to enhance the structural integrity of the glass, ensuring it withstands the test of time. The team plans to create a model of the repository, print it, and present it alongside a poster that explains the layout of our vision and how the improved vitrification process will work.

Nuclear Management
Students: William Layja, Logan Maelstrom, Nick Spurlock
Course: FSE 150 Perspectives on Grand Challenges for Engineering

The value to the community lies in developing a safer and cleaner nuclear energy source to improve energy output and efficiency, while minimizing concerns about radiation and waste associated with traditional nuclear power plants.

Early Detection of Genetic Disorders
Students: Praghathi Arun Senthil, Georgiana Barefield, Saumya Mahur, Alex Rivera
Course: FSE 150 Perspectives on Grand Challenges for Engineering

Through the Huntington’s disease early detection model, this team aims to provide more affordable healthcare access for families across America. By utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, they can deliver instant results for disease detection. The technology analyzes a patient’s DNA sample—whether from urine or blood—by comparing it with hundreds of DNA samples to determine if the patient has the disease.

Muscle Degradation in Space Exploration
Students: Analise Anaya, Ava Calcaterra, Bruce Myers, Asadbek Ruziev, Bryson Vicuna
Course: FSE 150 Perspectives on Grand Challenges for Engineering

This project involved the use of a full body muscle stimulation suit using EMG wearable testing internal measurement units.

Robomimic
Students: Arthur France Adecer, Aadish Lele, Arnav Sharma, Stellan Smith-Rel
Course: FSE 150 Perspectives on Grand Challenges for Engineering

As the availability of lethal weapons grows, alongside unstable political tensions and rising crime rates, it is crucial to find ways to protect soldiers and law enforcement from dangerous situations while maintaining their capabilities. The solution we propose is the Robomimic, a humanoid robot remotely controlled by a pilot using motion-tracking technology and a VR headset. This technology would reduce long-term costs while ensuring the safety of soldiers and law enforcement officers, allowing them to operate effectively from a distance.

Students: Tristan Dunton, Luis Ruiz, Andrey Podoprigora

This team used miniaturized satellite, or a space drone, for deep-space exploration that utilizes the pressure exerted by solar radiation as a form of mobility.

Students: Harrison LaBell

The challenge of this project was to keep a standard plant alive without requiring a human to have a daily involvement or commitment to the plant. The goal is to use a single Arduino UNO to control the apparatus, for it to fit on a standard-sized desk and for the plant to survive for at least one calendar month after being placed in the design.

Students: Kushagra Dashora, Shaurya Manglik, Kevin Shah

The aim of this project was to make the lives of people all over the world easier and safer via a high-tech exosuit that has multipurpose and multi-tasking capabilities.