258 students named University Innovation Fellows for Spring 2018

258 students from 64 higher education institutions in 9 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 nearly 1,500 students since its creation.

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 the University Innovation Fellows Silicon Valley Meetup. Throughout the year, Fellows take part in events and conferences and have opportunities to learn from one another, Stanford mentors, and leaders in academia and industry.

“We believe students can help accelerate the pace of change in higher education,” said Humera Fasihuddin, co-director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “They have creative ideas, and are very resourceful. With proper training and mentorship, they are initiating positive lasting changes at their schools and making a difference in the lives of their peers.”

“Through this program, Fellows gain skills, mindsets and knowledge to face complex challenges at their schools and in the world,” said Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, co-director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “They learn how to analyze their campus ecosystems and identify learning opportunities related to innovation and entrepreneurship. In doing so, they identify gaps and strive to understand the needs of peers across disciplines, and the perspectives of faculty and administrators. Armed with this knowledge, they design strategies to take advantage of these opportunities for change.”

The new Fellows join the program from the following schools:

• Aditya Institute of Technology & Management
• Ajay Kumar Garg Engineering College Ghaziabad
• Annamacharya Institute of Technology and Sciences
• Audisankara Institute of Technology
• Berea College
• Binghamton University
• Colorado School of Mines
• Duke University
• Elon University
• Furman University
• Galgotias College of Engineering & Technology
• Galgotias University
• Godavari Institute of Engineering & Technology
• Grand Valley State University
• Indiana University Purdue University Indiana (IUPUI)
• James Madison University
• Kakinada Institute of Engineering & Technology
• Kettering University
• La Salle University
• Loyola University Maryland
• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts School of Art & Design
• Madanapalle Institute of Technology & Science
• Menlo College
• Mills College
• Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Morgan State University
• Nankai University
• Narasaraopeta Engineering College
• North Carolina A&T University
• Ohio Northern University
• Ohio State University
• Pace Institute of Technology & Sciences
• Peking University
• QIS College of Engineering & Technology
• Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies
• Rowan University
• Sagi Rama Krishnam Raju Engineering College
• Saint Louis University
• Santa Clara University
• Siddartha Institute of Science & Technology
• South Plains College
• Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering
• Union College
• Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología
• Universidad de Montevideo
• Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua, Managua
• University of Alabama, Birmingham
• University of Canberra
• University of Dayton
• University of New Haven
• University of Oregon
• University of Portland
• University of San Diego
• University of Technology, Sydney
• University of Tulsa
• University of Twente
• University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
• Utah Valley University
• Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology
• Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College
• Western Michigan University
• Wichita State University
• William Jewell College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

This cohort of Fellows includes students from 18 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 here.

In March 2018, students will have the opportunity to participate in the Silicon Valley Meetup, which brings together all Fellows trained in Spring 2018. During this gathering, Fellows will take part in immersive experiences at Stanford’s d.school and Google, and work with leaders in education and industry. They will 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.

Learn more about the work of the Fellows at universityinnovationfellows.org.

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