358 students named University Innovation Fellows for Fall 2018

358 students from 96 higher education institutions in 16 countries have been named University Innovation Fellows.

The University Innovation Fellows program empowers students to become agents of change at their schools. Fellows work to ensure that their peers gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to compete in the economy of the future and make a positive impact on the world.

To accomplish this, Fellows advocate for lasting institutional change and create opportunities for students to engage with innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking and creativity at their schools. Fellows design innovation spaces, start entrepreneurship organizations, host experiential learning events, and work with faculty to develop new courses.

The program is run by Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). With the addition of the new Fellows, the program has trained more than 1,800 students since its creation.

“Higher education needs to change faster to meet the needs of students and industry today,” said Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, co-director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “As the key stakeholders of higher education, students should be active participants of a change process that helps them learn the skills and mindsets necessary to create the future. The students who participate in our program are ideally poised to help accelerate the pace of change at their schools. They are highly motivated to make progress quickly, as they’re only on campus for a short time, and they care deeply about their schools and the experience of all students.”

“Through this program, Fellows gain skills, mindsets and knowledge to face complex challenges at their schools and in the world,” said Humera Fasihuddin, co-director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “During training, Fellows analyze their campus ecosystems and identify learning opportunities related to innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking, and creativity. They work to understand the needs of peers across disciplines and the perspectives of faculty and administrators. Armed with this knowledge and perspective, they design strategies to take advantage of these opportunities for change.”

The new Fellows join the program from the following schools:

• Abu Dhabi University
• Aditya Institute of Technology & Management
• Ajman University
• Annamacharya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Rajampet
• Arizona State University
• Audisankara College of Engineering and Technology
• Boise State University
• Brigham Young University
• Bucknell University
• California State University of Fullerton
• City College of New York
• Clemson University
• Colorado School of Mines
• Colorado State University
• Columbia University
• Elon University
• FH Salzburg
• Fordham University
• George Fox University
• Godavari Institute of Engineering & Technology
• Grand Valley State University
• Hamburg University of Technology
• IE University
• Indiana University Purdue University – Indianapolis
• Iona College
• James Madison University
• Johnson C. Smith University
• K L University
• Kakinada Institute of Engineering & Technology
• Khalifa University of Science and Technology
• KLS Gogte Institute of Technology, Belagavi
• Lancaster University
• Lingnan University
• Louisiana Tech University
• Loyola University Maryland
• Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science
• Michigan State University
• Michigan Technological University
• Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Morgan State University
• Narasaraopeta Engineering College
• Ohio Northern University
• Ohio University
• Peking University
• Prairie View A&M University
• QIS College of Engineering and Technology
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Sagi Rama Krishnam Raju Engineering College
• Saint Joseph University of Beirut
• Santa Clara University
• Smith College
• Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
• South Plains College
• Southern Illinois University
• Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam
• Sri Vasavi Engineering College
• Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering
• Srinivasa Ramanujan Institute of Technology
• Susquehanna University
• Swarthmore College
• The Ohio State University
• Union College
• United States Air Force Academy
• Universidad Católica del Uruguay
• Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología
• Universidad de los Andes
• Universidad de Montevideo
• Universidad Tecnológica del Uruguay
• University College of Engineering JNTUK Narasaraopet
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• University of California, Davis
• University of Dayton
• University of Delaware
• University of Economics – Varna
• University of Nebraska Omaha
• University of New Haven
• University of North Alabama
• University of Oregon
• University of Portland
• University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
• University of Saint Thomas
• University of Technology Sydney
• University of Tulsa
• University of Twente
• University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
• V R Siddhartha Engineering College
• Varna Free University
• Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology
• Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering
• Vignan’s Institute of Information Technology
• Virginia Tech
• Western New England University
• Wichita State University
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Youngstown State University
• Zhejiang University

Fellows are sponsored by faculty and administrators as individuals or teams of students, and selected through an application process each year. Following acceptance into the program, schools fund the students to go through six weeks of online training and travel to one of two in-person Meetups to continue their projects and skill building. Throughout the year, Fellows have many opportunities to learn from one another, Stanford mentors, and leaders in academia and industry. Fellows also present their work and facilitate workshops at events and conferences around the world.

In Spring 2019, Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in one of the program’s two signature events: the Silicon Valley Meetup in California or the Eastern Hemisphere Meetup, which will be held in Dubai. During these gatherings, Fellows take part in immersive experiences at local universities and organizations, and work with leaders in education and industry. They participate in experiential workshops and exercises focused on topics including movement building, innovation spaces, design of learning experiences, and new models for change in higher education.

This cohort of Fellows includes students from 20 schools in India, who are partially funded by Google to take part in the University Innovation Fellows program. Read more about the program’s work in India at universityinnovationfellows.org/india.

Media contact:
Laurie Moore
Communications Director
University Innovation Fellows Program
(650) 561-6113
laurie@universityinnovation.org