Thirteen years prior to receiving one of the nation’s most prestigious awards in engineering education, Yannis Yortsos, dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, helped launch a program that would redefine how engineers are prepared for the challenges of the 21st century. The Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP), co-created in 2009, has since expanded to 97 engineering schools and graduated 1,760 engineers equipped to address pressing global issues identified by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
On May 6, 2022, Yortsos stood alongside USC President Carol L. Folt and NAE President John Anderson to receive the NAE’s Gordon Prize, awarded for “creating an innovative education program that prepares students to become future engineering leaders who will address the NAE Grand Challenges of Engineering.” The timing was symbolic: earlier that day, USC’s 2022 class of Grand Challenge Scholars had been inducted, marking the culmination of years of multidisciplinary study and applied problem-solving.
The GCSP is structured around 14 global challenges, ranging from making solar energy more economical to advancing personalized medicine. Students work toward five core competencies: research, multidisciplinary understanding, entrepreneurship, a global mindset, and social consciousness. By the time they graduate, they present a portfolio of accomplishments demonstrating mastery in these areas, earning the distinction of Grand Challenge Scholar.
In 2022, more than 300 undergraduates nationwide achieved this honor. At USC Viterbi, 32 students were recognized, each receiving a diploma and commemorative medal from Yortsos and Anderson. The ceremony featured five speakers from the graduating cohort, each illustrating how their academic journey embodied the program’s principles.
Jessica Santos, graduating in chemical engineering, focused on carbon sequestration—capturing and safely storing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use. Her work combined environmental justice advocacy with technical research, supported by USC Viterbi’s virtual iPodia program and partnerships with local organizations combating urban oil drilling. “One of the factors that attracted me to USC’s engineering program was an emphasis on Engineering+, the idea that you are an engineer and so much more,” Santos said. “When I heard that the GSCP also values the multidisciplinary aspects of engineering education, I took this opportunity to push the boundaries of what Engineering+ could be, and I challenged myself to learn as much as possible within my eight semesters here.” She will continue at USC in the Masters of Public Health program.
Gauri Madhok, earning a degree in computer science, addressed the challenge of personalized learning. Her honors thesis developed a device to help blind students learn STEM subjects, blending design innovation with business planning. In USC Viterbi’s Innovation in Engineering: Design for Global Crises course, she contributed to Remedy, a wearable prescription holder for unhoused individuals in Los Angeles. Remedy later won the USC Min Family Challenge, securing a $50,000 investment for the non-profit. Madhok will join Microsoft after graduation.
The Gordon Prize, established in 2001, recognizes educators who make exceptional advances in engineering and technology education. Yortsos shared the honor with co-founders Tom Katsouleas, former dean of Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering; Rick Miller, president emeritus of Olin College; and Jenna Carpenter, founding dean of engineering at Campbell University and incoming president of the American Society for Engineering Education.
Speaking at the ceremony, Yortsos emphasized the philosophy underpinning GCSP: “Both the NAE Grand Challenges and the Grand Challenges Scholars Program emanated from the important belief that human ingenuity and innovation, if properly summoned and nourished, can solve the grand challenges of our times, based on scientific, engineering and technological advances. It is this belief in purposeful, human-centric, engineering pursuits to engineer a better world for all, that permeates GCSP throughout its history and sets the background for its growth and flourishing.”
The award presentation was followed by a dinner on the Epstein Family Plaza, attended by NAE representatives, USC faculty, staff, students, and guests from across the country. USC President Carol Folt underscored the program’s broader mission: “Universities have a duty to prepare our future leaders and shape our global citizens. Because of this program, students at institutions like Duke, Olin, Campbell, ASU and USC can reimagine what’s possible for our planet and society.”