Program description

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Revision as of 03:24, 12 February 2010

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What

In 2008, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) identified 14 Grand Challenges for the 21st century (NAE, 2008).  The purpose of these challenges is to serve as the focal point for society's attention so that we may move forward with purpose towards realizing the positive impact that solutions to these challenges will provide.

Motivated by the NAE's vision for the future as well as by increased calls to enhance and improve engineering education the Grand Challenge Scholars Program was proposed as a way to address the need to educate the next generation of engineers poised to solve these grand challenges. Coincidentally, the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) report titled The Engineer of 2020 recently demonstrated that students today are driven by a global perspective, motivating them to find solutions that will change the world.

Why

As one of the founding members of the Grand Challenge Scholars Program, Olin College pursues a new educational paradigm that may be replicated at many other outstanding engineering schools across the country. As an institution founded with the goal of transforming engineering education, we at Olin College now face a tremendous opportunity in helping shape and grow the Grand Challenge Scholars Program. we have great strengths in systems perspective and solving open-ended problems. include here?

We are charged with developing our own specific realization of the NAE’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program in addition to helping to define some of the ways to connect Olin’s specific realization to that of other future Grand Challenge Scholars Program schools. Therefore, by developing a Grand Challenge Scholars Program at Olin College, we not only directly contribute to the improvement of engineering education at all other Grand Challenge Scholars Program schools, but also can share ideas and best practices to improve Olin’s own understanding of educating engineers prepared to solve these Grand Challenges.

The participants of the Grand Challenge Scholars Program will benefit by giving clear purpose to their study that will add to their perspective on engineering. Grand Challenge Scholars at Olin College will be trained to tackle important global and long term issues, strengthening this aspect of an Olin education, which also already emphasizes doing well in the context of engineering, design and entrepreneurship regardless of the concentration. Additionally, Program Participants will benefit from a network of other participants and mentors who will be able to provide support, vision, and guidance to the individual student’s education.

The Grand Challenges are a clear set of problems that have a strong reason to bring together everyone who is involved in this program. The Grand Challenge Scholars Program gives structure in community to those who seek to tackle these issues and to gain a unique educational experience in the Grand Challenge Areas.

How

For the Grand Challenge Scholars Program to be achievable, sustainable, and impactful at Olin we believe that several program characteristics are essential. Wherever possible, we should leverage what Olin is already doing. To the extent that the Grand Challenge Scholars Program changes Olin, it should be in those ways that we believe will most directly benefit the institution or our students.

The program will be student-designed and student-led in order to weave existing student passions into the requisite administration. To ensure motivation and interest, scholars will be self-selected, and they will self-direct their learning through five outlined curricular components.

Every entering Olin College student has the potential to be an NAE Grand Challenge Scholar. Participating students will complete a Grand Challenge-related project, as well as interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial, global awareness, and service learning experiences. Students, alumni, faculty, and others will participate in “Challenge Groups” in which members will support and mentor each other through work surrounding a particular Grand Challenge or Grand Challenge Area.