A little more than a dozen University of Idaho graduate students competed in a pitching event to earn funding for research projects Friday at the Grand Challenge Scholars pitch event.
Students who passed a preliminary round for this event two weeks ago got the chance to pitch to members of the Academy of Engineers, sponsors for the Grand Challenge Scholars program, and others.
Program director Daniel Robertson explained the event to judges in the Borah Theater beforehand. The judges were instructed to spread throughout the commons area outside the Vandal Ballroom and wait for one of the thirteen students to approach them and give their pitch.
“There’s two things we use this pitch event for,” Robertson said. “One is so that the students get the opportunity to pitch and they get better at pitching. The other aspect is for (the judges) to judge them because that’s how we decide how to allocate funding.”
Five students participating visited James Ritter — a retired president, chairman, and CEO of Aviation Manufacturing Group LLC — and Byron Flynn — the Smart Grid Technical Director of GE Energy. These students included Omolala Bangudu, Ryan Burr, Jadzia Graves, Nicholas Pancheri and Bishal Thapa.
Burr’s research into creating stronger corn stalks could help decrease food waste and loss of crops. Graves’ research into using a new material could create safer car frames. Pancheri’s research into the effect of zero gravity environments on tendons could give insight into the health of tendons and how long-term space travel affects astronauts. Thapa’s research into creating cheap fertilizer could improve agricultural practices in Nepal.
Bangudu’s work toward creating a 3D model of a monkey’s brain and spinal cord could make it easier to research brain disease and how to administer drugs to the brain. She said she would use her funding to purchase a new computer that has the processing power to complete the work she needs for her research. Bangudu — a freshman Biological Engineering major — works under Bryn Martin.
“Neuropsychology is my end goal, so I care a lot about degenerative brain disorders,” Bangudu said. “My project is the prerequisite or base for that because disease occurs throughout the brain and we don’t understand it. With this, we can understand the (cerebrospinal fluid) and through that we can understand a lot of other things.”
Bangudu said she encourages anyone who is interested in helping the world to look into the Grand Challenge Scholars program. She stresses the importance of finding a mentor, making friends with faculty and building relationships through networking.
Robertson said he feels this pitching event allows engineering students to do just that.
“Tonight is really about helping (the students) learn a few business skills, a few entrepreneurial skills,” Robertson said. “We get them outside of their comfort zone and they have to stand up, introduce themselves and pitch their ideas to someone for funding, which is what you have to do if you’re an entrepreneur.”
Robertson said money is not the biggest takeaway from this event. He said he feels the opportunity for students to network, pitch their ideas and receive feedback on their pitches is the greatest part of the event.
The main events the program currently participates in are the annual pitch event, Society of Women Engineers Day, and Society of Women Engineers Exploratorium. There are, however, more events in the works.
Robertson said he expects the program to continue to grow in the future. According to Robertson, University of Idaho is the only school in Idaho to have a Grand Challenge Scholars program available and is one of only 100 schools in the United States to have applied for the program.
“Engineers are here to make the world a better place,” Robertson said. “Engineers don’t just build fast cars. They don’t just build cool robots. They don’t just build things, they solve problems for people and society. That’s what engineering is all about. It’s about trying to make our world a better place and using science to do that.”