MULTIDISCIPLINARY

FSE 150 – Grand Challenges for Engineering

What I Did

FSE 150 was the first course I took as part of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program. I expected it to be mostly introductory, but it ended up shaping how I approach engineering problems in a lasting way. The course introduced the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges and made it clear that solving them requires more than technical skill. Social realities, economic limits, and ethical responsibility all influence whether a solution actually helps people.

Early in the semester, I created my GCSP plan. I studied the program manual, reviewed the five competencies, and mapped out how I would complete them in a way that aligned with my academic goals rather than simply meeting requirements. That planning process helped me see GCSP as a structured path instead of a checklist.

I wrote a Grand Challenges theme paper where I took a clear position and supported it with academic research. Presenting it pushed me to explain technical ideas in a broader context, which strengthened my ability to communicate beyond a purely technical audience.

The main project was the Future Solutions Project. My team identified a problem, analyzed stakeholders, proposed a solution, set technology milestones, and evaluated social tradeoffs. After peer feedback, we revised our draft and finalized a project poster. My work focused on IoT security, exploring how AI based threat detection could be combined with stronger encryption to protect home and small business networks. What stood out to me was that even the strongest security design fails if it is too complex or expensive for real users. Balancing protection with usability became central to my analysis.

What I learned and why it matters

This course changed how I evaluate engineering work. Instead of asking only whether something functions, I now ask who depends on it, what constraints shape it, and what risks appear over time. The theme paper strengthened my ability to support claims with research. The project gave me a structured way to move from problem to impact in a disciplined manner.

Connection to my GCSP theme, Joy of Living

My Joy of Living theme is about improving daily life through systems people can depend on. FSE 150 helped me understand that trust is designed. It does not happen automatically. My IoT security project connects directly to this theme because privacy and safety inside homes are tied to quality of life. If people cannot trust the systems they live with, everyday life becomes stressful and unsafe.

Value to my academic and professional goals

The perspective I developed in FSE 150 carries into my later coursework. I now naturally consider stakeholders, long term reliability, and adoption barriers when designing systems. That mindset supports my goal of building large scale systems that people trust and rely on.

Artifact

The final Future Solutions Project poster is included below as supporting evidence of the design process, analysis, and reflection completed in this course.

SOC 334 – Technology and Society

What I Did

In SOC 334, I studied how technology and society shape each other. We analyzed how digital systems affect labor, communication, inequality, and power.

One early assignment was an interview essay. I conducted an interview and identified themes about how technology shapes daily life. I connected those themes to course readings and supported them with research in an annotated bibliography.

Later in the semester, I wrote a research essay based on the book Uberland. I focused on how algorithmic management affects gig workers. I examined how platforms use algorithms to assign work, determine pay, and evaluate performance. I connected the book’s arguments to scholarly studies on worker stress, autonomy, and engagement. This required developing a clear thesis, reviewing literature, and explaining tradeoffs.

Weekly discussion posts also required applying sociological concepts to real examples, including issues in the gig economy and digital labor.

What I Learned

This course changed how I think about digital systems. I began to see that technology is not neutral. Design decisions reflect values and power structures.

Through the interview assignment, I learned that different groups experience technology differently based on income, age, and access. Through the Uberland research, I learned how algorithmic systems can shift power away from workers while appearing efficient. That awareness stayed with me.

Connection to My Broader Focus

My broader focus is on building systems that improve everyday life. SOC 334 showed me that stability and trust are social concerns, not only technical ones. A system can function well and still create inequality if fairness is ignored.

Value to My Academic and Professional Goals

As a computer science student, it is easy to focus only on performance and scalability. This course trained me to also ask who benefits, who carries risk, and who has control. That perspective now influences how I approach technical projects and complements my capstone work.

Artifact

The full research essay for SOC 334 titled “The Impact of Algorithmic Management on Gig Workers” is attached below.