Select Page

Grand Challenges Scholar, Spring 2024

Deepit Arora

Deepit Arora’s long-held fascination with autonomous systems and vehicles dates back to his childhood. 

Arora is now graduating as a Grand Challenges Scholar from the Fulton Schools Grand Challenges Scholars Program with a bachelor’s degree in engineering with a concentration in robotics. 

“Robotics isn’t just about the fun, futuristic robots we see in movies like R2D2 or WallE,” Arora says. “It spans vital areas like health care, prosthetics and manufacturing. Robotics and automation are omnipresent in our lives today, quietly making things better and more efficient in numerous ways from autonomous vehicles to advanced manufacturing.”

Arora says he came to the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University for its robust program for robotics engineering, prototyping facilities and large international student community.

He has held several leadership roles at ASU, including co-president of Fulton Ambassadors, student leader for GCSP, design lead of Devils Prosthetics @EPICS, structural lead of ChemE Car and Arm Team lead for SunDevil Robotics

He extends his gratitude to Tirupalavanam Ganesh, Fulton Schools associate dean of engineering education, and Amy Trowbridge, co-director of ASU’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program and a Fulton Schools associate teaching professor.

I benefited immensely from Ganesh’s continuous feedback and invaluable advice regarding my future endeavors, which significantly influenced my engineering journey,” Arora says. “Trowbridge’s unwavering support and guidance provided me with the necessary tools to navigate through my degree program successfully, enabling me to overcome challenges and grow both academically and personally.”

Thinking back on his university education, Arora says he fondly remembers feeling he was on the right path while working on an assignment to build an autonomous drone. 

“As I dove into the project, everything I had learned previously began to click into place,” Arora says. “The math, physics and programming classes suddenly made sense in a way they hadn’t before.”

Arora completed an Engineering Projects in Community Service, or EPICS, project with a team that developed accessible and affordable 3D-printed arm prosthetics for children. 

“This project is particularly close to my heart because it’s focused on significantly reducing the cost of prosthetics while providing much-needed assistance to those in need,” Arora says. “It’s incredibly rewarding to work on something that has the potential to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.”

Arora is continuing his education at ASU as he wraps up work to earn an accelerated master’s degree in robotics and autonomous systems.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2024 class here.

ASU Engineering on Facebook