Grand Challenges Initiative - McKenna Bakken, Johanna Daerendinger, Bridgette Kohl, Leeyette Lolich, Grace Yang Archive - Grand Challenges Initiative

Single Use PLA Biodegradable Water Bottle McKenna Bakken, Johanna Daerendinger, Bridgette Kohl, Leeyette Lolich, Grace Yang

May 11, 2021 by Grand Challenges Initiative | Student presentations

Consumption of single use water bottles has significantly increased which has negatively affected the environment. PLA (Polylactide) plastic is an alternative to conventional plastics because of biodegradability. Our grand challenge is to minimize plastic pollution. One solution to this problem could be replacing conventional plastics with biodegradable PLA plastic. We created a biodegradable single use

COVID-19 and Obesity: The Relationship Between Two Pandemics Alex Baker, Nataly Reyes, Ricardo Espinoza Hernandez

May 10, 2021 by Grand Challenges Initiative | Student presentations

Understanding how COVID-19 can further extort preexisting complications in obese patients is our primary goal. This is a problem because patients who are obese or are at risk of obesity should be informed of ways they can help themselves and how COVID-19 will affect them. COVID-19 and Obesity: The Relationship Between Two Pandemics Poster

Saving the Endangered Mountain Gorillas Gabriella Levy, Jillian Fahey, and Ethan Slade

May 10, 2021 by Grand Challenges Initiative | Student presentations

We share 98% of our DNA with gorillas. A lot of the mountain gorillas residing in Africa get sick and die from human transmitted illnesses. This is a problem because without gorillas, entire forests wouldn’t exist as they help disperse seeds. With more animals going extinct, it is human’s responsibility to save the ones we

Reforming the Electoral College Hari Kumar, Chris Carlton, Jordan Bruce

May 10, 2021 by Grand Challenges Initiative | Student presentations

Our team’s goal is to reform the Electoral College to better represent the American people. The current Electoral College system discourages citizens to vote and does not accurately represent citizens’ wants. Reforming the Electoral College Poster

Positive news website: an alleviation of depression Bella Li; Jane Kim; Jasmine Mendez

May 10, 2021 by Grand Challenges Initiative | Student presentations

The negatively biased information from news leads to a negative mood in people such as anxiety and depression, creating even biased perspectives. To alleviate the negative mood and improve the positive psychological health, we decided to create a website that brings positive information to our website users, providing positive information that relieves their negative bias.

Tackling the Santa Ana Homelessness Crisis Abigail Baggelaar, Sydney Carlson, Kristiene Jumig, Emily McHorney, Caleb Wilkins, Nina Wolf

May 10, 2021 by Grand Challenges Initiative | Student presentations

Our idea is to use our $1.4 billion budget to create low income, transitional housing communities which would act as a bridge between homelessness and independence by providing homeless people with access to shelter, as well as mental health facilities and therapy offices. We would also like to implement resources like job fairs, financial advising,

Welcome to the 2021 Virtual GCI Showcase! Live Q&A with Student Teams May 14

May 10, 2021 by Rebecca Green | Student presentations

Welcome to this year’s virtual GCI Showcase! Projects will be online for viewing and judging all week, with live Q&A with student teams on Friday, May 14. Our program kicks off at 1 p.m. with welcoming remarks from Dr. Greg Goldsmith, Director of the Grand Challenges Initiative before attendees are invited to disperse into breakout

Artificial Intelligence and Improved Hardware Architecture GCI team aims to redesign the shape of the computer

April 26, 2021 by Monroe Roush '21 | Education, Internet, and Technology

The Grand Challenges Initiative (GCI) is the backbone of the first and second-year experience in the Schmid College of Science and Technology and the Fowler School of Engineering. Although the past year has brought many challenges, GCI teams are continuing to innovate from home. One sophomore team is finding ways to improve computer hardware design

Study finds hidden conflict in mutually beneficial relationship between legumes and rhizobia New research from Dr. Kenjiro Quides, a Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellow in the Grand Challenges Initiative

April 26, 2021 by Monroe Roush '21 | Environment and Sustainability

The mutually beneficial relationship between legumes and rhizobia, the nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria that make their home in legume root nodules and create nutrient-rich fertilizer for them, is one of the most well-known and agronomically important examples of symbiosis. New research from Dr. Kenjiro Quides, a Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellow in the Grand Challenges Initiative

Tackling the Opioid Crisis How one GCI team is developing a non-addictive opioid

April 26, 2021 by Monroe Roush '21 | Health and Medicine

First and second-year students in the Grand Challenges Initiatives are pushed to develop research-based solutions for real-world problems. The ongoing opioid crisis is a major challenge for medical workers, pharmaceutical companies, and policymakers alike. One GCI team is bringing their diverse experiences together to contribute to solutions for this issue. Angelina Sorensen (Biochemistry and Molecular