Grand Challenge Scholars Program 2026 Annual Meeting in Rome
When 470 engineering students from 25 countries came together during Valentine’s week for the 2026 Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP) Annual Meeting at Sapienza University of Rome, one core value stood out: the enduring idea that engineering can address global issues.
Founded in 2009 as a collaboration among the National Academy of Engineering, USC Viterbi, Duke University, and Olin College, the GCSP has grown from a campus initiative in the United States into a global movement reaching over 100 universities. To earn the designation of a Grand Challenge Scholar, participating undergraduate students must look beyond traditional engineering coursework to incorporate the program’s “Five Mindsets,” (Research, Entrepreneurship, Multi-disciplinary, Multiculturism, Social Consciousness) in curricula and co-curricula activities. The work bridges the gap between theory and impact addressing universal human challenges in categories such as health and sustainable prosperity.
The visiting delegation from USC Viterbi included Dean Yannis C. Yortsos who was a co-recipient in 2022 of the National Academy of Engineering’s annual Gordon Prize for his role in starting and expanding the Grand Challenges Program to universities worldwide.
Yannis C. Yortsos, Rick Miller, Jenna Carpenter, Tom Katsouleas receive NAE’s Gordon Prize in 2022 , Photo by Steve Cohn
Yortsos said, “It is remarkable that GCSP has grown to so many universities worldwide and very rewarding to celebrate its impact for the first time in Rome, the eternal city!”
Throughout the week, student researchers from 44 different universities shared progress on mentored research through posters and presentations and discussed how to integrate ethics, policy, and entrepreneurship into their work under the theme of “Technology and Grand Challenges: Together for Global Impact.”
Thematic roundtables and workshops delved into critical areas like energy, healthcare and digitalization. The gathering also included the GCSP Awards and celebrations to honor student achievements.
Najm Meshkati, Professor in the Astani Department of Civil/Environmental Engineering and the Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Viterbi faculty in charge of the Grand Challenge Scholars Program said, “I am very proud of our six attending Viterbi GCSP students – Aava Abedinpour, Stephanie Bartholomew, Giancarlo Cedano, Aliya Daire, Malia Hotan, Mitchell Kirby, and Emily Mojica — they exemplified the best of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, and they were the embodiment of its five mindsets and competencies, par excellence.”
Grand Challenge Scholars at 2026 Annual Meeting in Rome: Photo courtesy of USC Viterbi John Brooks Slaughter Center
Fourth-year biomedical engineering undergraduate Aava Abedinpour joined the Grand Challenge Scholars program in her first year at USC. She sought out the program to approach engineering through a social science lens and holistic perspective.
Reflecting on her academic career which includes not just leadership roles on the Executive Board of the GSCP program but also experience in Megan McCain’s Living Systems Engineering lab to improve in vitro models of the uterine smooth muscle layer to engineer better medicines, Abedinpour said, “Being a Viterbi student is a model for being a Grand Challenge Scholar.”
During the Annual Conference in Rome, she connected with many engineering students who want to work to benefit and help humanity. Abedinpour, who is set to graduate this May, is committed to being an engineer who can impact health problems in the world. Engineering, she believes, will allow her to develop a solution that could impact many people in the world at once. With her path to work for Medtronic’s diabetes division, she is on a path to do just that.
Like Abedinpour, Giancarlo Cedano is majoring in biomedical engineering and sits on the Grand Challenge Scholars Program’s executive board. His presentation topic, which focused on leveraging an AI platform to design antibodies for treating neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, stems from his experience in Dornsife Professor Don Arnold’s lab. His poster in Italy won third place in the Innovation category.
Viterbi’s philosophy of “Engineering +” is a multidisciplinary framework that inspired him to seek out research opportunities in microbiology at USC Dornsife Colleges of Arts, Letters and Sciences. But the topic also fulfills his interest in taking on a “grand challenge,” like reverse-engineering the brain. He noted that the GCSP’s affiliation with the National Academy of Engineering, the premier engineering institution in the U.S. if not in the world, was an important draw. It lends the program prestige and rigor.
Cedano, who is applying to medical school says, “The Grand Challenge Scholars gives you different avenues for science and technology and its applications. It steers students in directions of approaching engineering studies in a multi-faceted way.”
The conference and the program itself, says Cedano, also allows you to learn from other students.
Nora Sandoval, Assistant Dean & Director of the John Brooks Slaughter Center leads the Grand Challenges Scholar Program at USC which is the headquarters for the global program.
Sandoval said, “In Rome, the 2026 GCSP Annual Meeting was more than a gathering of students and scholars—it was a powerful testament to the urgency and promise of global, multicultural collaboration in addressing the pressing challenges facing communities. Thank you to Sapienza University for being exceptional hosts and for challenging our students to push boundaries with purpose, solidarity, and shared resolve.”
Student scholars spent the time in Italy proving that engineering is more than a professional path; it is a commitment to service. The collaboration in Rome served as a reminder that while the challenges are global, the solutions are driven by individuals who possess the character and competence to address them.
Published on March 3rd, 2026
Last updated on March 4th, 2026