The 2017 Global Grand Challenges Summit was held July 18-20 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Students from 115 different universities from the US, UK, and China attended the meeting. Around half of the attendees were students.

Of the 49 undergraduate posters that were accepted to present at the summit, four of these were students from TCE:

• Sarah Davis, Nuclear Engineering: Accelerated Thermal Aging Cable Systems for Nuclear Power Plants
• Chris Haseler, Nuclear Engineering: Analyzing the Use of Variable Cylindrical Moderation for Neutron Source Detection and Localization
• Christopher Neal, Chemical Engineering: Characterization of Membranes for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
• Christina Sanford, Civil Engineering: Rush Strong Elementary School Recirculating Sand Filter Rehabilitation Project

Neal expressed his appreciation for the student support offered by the summitt.

“From supplying travel grants to paying for food and housing, the academies seem genuinely interested in engaging young scholars,” Neal said. “Additionally, I quite enjoyed the plethora of speakers that the NAS, RAS, and CAS supplied, not only from their own members but from academia and industry alike.”

Dean Wayne Davis and Associate Professor Kevin Kit also attended the summit, which focused on the four themes of the NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering: Sustainability, Health, Security, and Joy of Living, as well as Education, and Public Engagement related to the Grand Challenges.

The event was sponsored by the US National Academy of Engineering, the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Read about the summit