Hello, I’m Graham and I am a mechanical engineering student who graduated in the University of Portland class of 2021. I was first exposed to the Grand Challenge Scholars Program the summer after my freshman year when I was invited to the Global Grand Challenge Summit in Washington DC. This experience opened my eyes to how I could have an impact on the world in the realm of renewable energy, which is one of the challenges that the program identified. Over the next few years at UP I was able to direct my studies to focus on renewable energy and solar energy, with experiences like studying abroad and a research project that helped me focus my goals due to the structure of the Grand Challenge Program. In my profile you will see how I approached the issue of viable and economical solar energy through the lenses that the Grand Challenges focuses on. I feel extremely lucky to have been part of this program and hope to continue to have an opportunity to explore and influence the future of sustainable energy as the world explores solutions to combat a warming climate.
The portfolio on this website encompasses the experiences that I have had through the Grand Challenge Scholars Program. Sustainability and the climate are things that have always been important to me, and I have been lucky to be able to explore how engineers can have a lasting impact on them through this program. Renewable energy, and solar energy specifically, is one of the best tools we have to fight a warming climate, but it has to be competitive with current energy sources, both from a capacity and economic standpoint. The essays in my portfolio examine the complexities of solar energy by looking at how energy should be stored and who it affects. As I’ve gone through this journey of learning more about renewable energy it is clear that this solution will not be easy, but it is something that I am passionate about and I am looking forward to seeing how the global community can have an impact on it in the coming decades.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
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