Grand Challenges Initiative Showcase: Celebrating Innovation and Collaboration
On Friday, December 5, 2025, the Grand Challenges Initiative (GCI) hosted its semi-annual Showcase the close of the fall semester. This event marked the culmination of three semesters of hard work for four student teams — though one team impressively completed their project in just a single semester! Each group presented innovative solutions to real-world problems, blending creativity, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
FETCH: A Synthesizing Smart Dog Collar
Inspired by the benefits of wearable technology, FETCH aims to help pet owners monitor their dog’s emotional health. The team consulted with a researchers at the Animal Welfare Education Centre to design a smart collar that synthesizes data to detect potential health issues early.
PhishFighters: Educational Game about Spam Email Identification
PhishFighters tackles the widespread issue of phishing scams through an engaging educational game. Drawing on advice from professional game designers, the team created an interactive experience that teaches users how to identify and avoid spam emails effectively.
Diabetes Destroyers: Question-Based App to Identify and Aid with Diabetes Risks
Combining their shared interests in health and technology, this team developed an app that uses a question-based approach to assess diabetes risk and provide helpful resources. Guidance from a computer science professional helped them refine the app’s functionality and user experience.
Small Oil: New Method to Identify Car Oil Changes via Lasers and Light
Motivated by concerns about oil waste and the continued presence of gas-powered vehicles, Small Oil introduced a novel method for determining when a car needs an oil change using laser and light technology. The team collaborated with fellow Chapman students passionate about automotive innovation bring their concept to life.
Beyond GCI: Engineering Innovation Across Fowler School of Engineering
The Showcase didn’t stop with GCI projects. Several other classes from the Fowler School of Engineering also presented their work, ranging from introductory Engineering 101 projects to advanced capstone courses. These projects demonstrated the breadth of engineering creativity at Chapman, with some teams even offering live demos of devices they built, giving attendees a hand-on look at the future of technology and design.
Join Us for the Spring Showcase
If you missed this event, don’t worry — the innovation continues! Join us for the Spring GCI Showcase on Friday, May 15, 2026, at the Sandhu Conference Center, where dozens more GCI projects will be on display. It’s an incredible opportunity to see how Chapman students are tackling the world’s grand challenges with creativity and purpose.
To learn more about the Grand Challenges Initiative or support the program, visit chapman.edu/gci.
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Check out the Schmid College of Science and Technology’s coverage on this event here: GCI-Fowler Joint Showcase Explores ‘Smart’ Dog Collars, Diabetes Risk Screening and More – Here’s What to Know About this Fall’s Grand Challenges Initiative Projects – Schmid College of Science and Technology
