GCSP Los Angeles Commission
GCSP Los Angeles Commission Program
Fall 2025 to Spring 2026
Greater Los Angeles is a region rich in culture and history. Its many neighborhoods and and inhabitants have provided countless and invaluable contributions to the social fabric of not only California, but to the world at large. The blend of homegrown folks and transplants is what creates a unique nature of our region, where arts, culture, business, science, and education come together to form humanity. However, in a region with so much cultural complexity to celebrate, we also know that greater Los Angeles has no shortage of complex problems that span across all domains.
The Los Angeles Commission seeks to bring together students to identify the key challenges of the region from the perspective of the next generation of change makers.
Charge of the Project
Students will deliver a list of Los Angeles region specific Grand Challenges aligning with each of the four themes of GCSP. List of challenges will include the following:
- Description of the challenge
- Specific area/community (as applicable)
- Information proving the challenge
- Description why it is important to address the issue
- What work is being done currently to address the problem, including named organizations (as applicable)
Goals
- To give students a collaborative opportunity to investigate important regional issues
- To provide next generation perspectives on the societal issues that matter the most
- Provide opportunity for students to better understand the greater Los Angeles community
- To gain experience developing problems of practice
- Expose students to Grand Challenge topics and themes
- Provide a list of challenges that can be used for other GCSP experiences and contests
- To provide students experiences to work in interdisciplinary engineering teams
Why Does This Matter?
The challenges students are tasked to solve in both their academic journeys and as new professionals are often previously identified and dictated to them. While this approach has great value, there is also great value in understanding the perspectives on the challenges from the viewpoint of those who are next in line to solve them. By allowing students to dictate the problems they see as major challenges for the future, we create not only an opportunity for innovation, but also foster purpose and passion that will driving engineering forward. We plant the seeds of community around problem solving that will foster ongoing collaboration towards creating a better world. With this, we can convert the theory and understanding into tangible results.
Students who earn the designation of Viterbi Grand Challenges Scholars receive the following:
- A transcript designation as a Viterbi Grand Challenges Scholar
- A medal to be worn at Commencement and all other end of year celebrations
- A recognition letter from the National Academy of Engineering's President
- Recognition from the international GCSP Network
- A Linkedin profile badge to display for resumes, employers, or graduate school opportunities
Participation in the Los Angeles Commission
Students will work in groups in groups based on interest in a particular GCSP theme (Health, Security, Sustainability, Enriching Life) to identify, research, and present challenges. Students will be guided through this process through a series of workshops and dedicated meet up times. Students will be expected to collaborate with their groups, as necessary, outside of the dedicated meetup time.
Students who are interested in participating in the Los Angeles Commission should fit the following description:
- Be an undergraduate student (progressive degree students are welcome)
- Have an interest in engaging with and better understanding complex issues related to society
- Want to participate in a collaborative experience
- Willing to commit to participating in scheduled sessions (schedule will be provided, reasonable accommodations can be made as necessary)
- Interested in the challenges of the greater Los Angeles region and willing to learn more
- Demonstrate cultural humility and a community first perspective
Participants of the Los Angeles Commission do not need to be from Los Angeles. This project is open to undergrads of all academic class statuses.
The results of the project will be made publicly available. Participating students will receive recognition for their role in the project, including a certificate of participation.
The work and sessions for the Los Angeles Committee will be spread over an academic year to accommodate to participants' curricular and co-curricular workload. This will allow students to manage their time between other opportunities they wish to concurrently pursue while participating on the Los Angeles Commission. However, we ask that all members be dedicated to fully engaging in the project and attending related sessions. Where necessary and reasonable, accommodations can be made to address scheduling conflicts.
Tentative General Timeline of Sessions and Milestones
Establish the committee
First meeting- introduction
Problem of Practice workshop
Dedicated meetup time
Check-in: do problems make sense? Are they demonstrated?
Domains and Dimensions workshop
Dedicated meetup time
Dedicated meetup time
Check-in: what are findings thus far
Dedicated meetup time
Dedicated meetup time
Present problems