Michaela Rikard, a senior studying biomedical engineering, was invited to the White House and met President Barack Obama while representing the NC State Grand Challenge Scholars Program last week.
Rikard was chosen out of all 18 universities in the program as one of five leaders to represent the group at the White House, according to David Parish, assistant dean of the College of Engineering and director of the Grand Challenge Scholars program at NC State.
The group delivered a letter to the White House with the pledge of more than 120 engineering deans across the country to educate a new generation of engineers equipped to tackle pressing challenges facing society in the 21st century.
The Grand Challenge Scholars’ trip to the White House coincided with the National Science Fair at the White House Monday, which gave Rikard an opportunity to meet the president.
“We met with the president before he walked around the Science Fair to see some of the projects,” Rikard said.
Rikard described her experience with meeting the president as a short but positive one.
“We didn’t get to talk to the president very long,” Rikard said. “I just got the chance to introduce myself and shake his hand. The president was very personable and seemed very genuine in his concern for STEM education and asked what he could do to help our program.”
Rikard also met with the National Academy of Engineering.
“On Tuesday, we had a meeting at the National Academy of Engineering, with over 60 deans present who had signed the letter of commitment,” Rikard said.
Rikard was partially chosen to represent the program because of her accomplishments. A White House press release noted Rikard as having “conducted research to improve the use of nanotechnology to detect and treat cancer, and has worked with the military to help soldiers with amputations that are suffering from complications.”
“Michaela was invited by the White House to attend,” Parish said. “There are a lot of universities across the country that have the Grand Scholars Program. She was just the one selected to go.”
Currently, there are only three students in the program at NC State.
The Grand Challenge Scholars program, which began at Duke University, is designed to tackle issues presented by the National Academy of Engineering.
“It is a program that trains engineers specifically to tackle the grand challenges of engineering as described by the National Academy of Engineering,” Rickard said.
The challenges aim to solve real-world problems.
“One of the Grand Challenges is providing access to clean water, for example,” Parish said.
Getting into the Grand Challenge Scholars program is not without its challenges. To be in the program, students must meet five requirements in research, interdisciplinary, entrepreneurship, global and service learning categories of the Grand Challenge Scholars program.
“It is a scholarship program, so there is funding for students who are selected for the program,” Parish said.
Although NC State’s program is still small, there are more students currently applying.
“We would like to increase the program,” Parish said. “We would like to have more students come and explore their opportunities to become a Grand Challenge Scholar.”
