Hello, I’m Cooper Sloan, a mechanical engineering student with an innovation minor and a member of the University of Portland class of 2022. My initial grand challenge focus was Making Solar Energy Economical and has since evolved to the broader theme of Sustainability. My motivation to participate in the Grand Challenge Scholars Program stemmed from my interest in sustainable engineering. During my time at UP, I have studied engineering in Europe, designed and developed a marine hydrokinetic generator, and engineered sustainable cookstoves for Ghanaian co-ops. The Grand Challenge Scholars Program has provided me the opportunity to scrutinize and reflect upon these experiences, giving me a more holistic understanding of the societal and global impacts of sustainable engineering. As a grand challenge scholar, I feel well prepared and motivated to further advance sustainable technologies throughout the world.
My Grand Challenge Scholar’s portfolio includes elements from each one of the GCSP competencies. Initially, I was focused on the challenge of ‘Making Solar Energy Economical,’ however, I have since shifted toward the overarching GCSP category of Sustainability. Part of the reason that I decided to study engineering was so that I could contribute to the work being done within the renewable energy industry. In my time here at UP, I’ve learned so much about the world we live in, and how engineers fit into that world. This portfolio is a culmination of many of the lessons I’ve learned through my experience as a student. As I continue my career outside of UP, I will remember these GCSP competencies and the role that they each play in developing solutions to the global problems of today.
University of Portland
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