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229 students named University Innovation Fellows for Fall 2017

229 students from 62 higher education institutions in 10 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 1,200 students since its creation.

Fellows are sponsored by faculty and administrators as individuals or teams of students, and selected through an application process twice annually. 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, they take part in events and conferences and have opportunities to learn from one another, Stanford mentors, and leaders in academia and industry.

“During training, Fellows gain skills, mindsets and knowledge to face ever-more complex challenges at their schools and in the world,” said Humera Fasihuddin, co-director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “They learn frameworks like design thinking and lean startup, which help them analyze their campus ecosystems, understand the needs of others, and uncover opportunities for change. As a result, Fellows design learning experiences that better prepare peers for their careers.”

“In traditional education systems, students have to wait until they graduate to make a difference. We don’t believe that,” said Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, co-director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “Students are uniquely equipped to make a difference while they’re in school; they know best what other students want and need. Our Fellows are working with their peers, faculty and administrators to co-design a different educational experience and bring about change where it’s needed most.”

The new Fellows join the program from the following schools:

  • Aditya Engineering College
  • Ambalika Institute of Management & Technology
  • Annamacharya Institute of Technology & Sciences
  • Boğaziçi University
  • Bucknell University
  • California State University, Fullerton
  • City College of New York
  • Clemson University
  • Dalhousie University
  • Dhanekula Institute of Engineering & Technology
  • Folsom Lake College
  • Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering
  • George Fox University
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Hartwick College
  • James Madison University
  • K L University
  • Kent State University
  • KKR & KSR Institute of Technology & Sciences
  • KLS Gogte Institute of Technology
  • Koç University
  • Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
  • Louisiana Tech University
  • Madanapalle Institute of Technology & Science
  • Michigan Technological University
  • North Dakota State University
  • Ohio University
  • Prairie View A&M University
  • QIS College of Engineering & Technology
  • R.V.R. & J.C. College of Engineering
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Sagi Rama Krishnam Raju Engineering College
  • Shri Vishnu Engineering College For Women
  • Siddharth Institute of Engineering & Technology
  • Sierra College
  • Smith College
  • Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam
  • Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering
  • Srinivasa Ramanujan Institute of Technology
  • Susquehanna University
  • Swarthmore College
  • Universidad Católica del Uruguay
  • Universidad de los Andes
  • Universidad del Desarrollo
  • Universidad del Turabo
  • University College of Engineering Kakinada
  • University of Colorado Colorado Springs
  • University of Delaware
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of New Hampshire
  • University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
  • University of St. Thomas
  • University of Tulsa
  • University of Twente
  • Utah Valley University
  • Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology
  • Vignan’s Foundation For Science, Technology & Research
  • Virginia Tech
  • Western State Colorado University
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • York College of Pennsylvania
  • Zhejiang University

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 here.

In November 2017, students will have the opportunity to participate in the Silicon Valley Meetup, which brings together all Fellows trained in Fall 2017. 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.

Applications for the Spring 2018 cohort of University Innovation Fellows are due on October 30, 2017. Learn more and apply here.

 

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

155 Students Named University Innovation Fellows by NSF-Funded Epicenter

For Immediate Release
February 22, 2016

Media contact:
Laurie Moore
Communications Manager, Epicenter
(650) 561-6113
llhmoore@stanford.edu

 

155 Students Named University Innovation Fellows by NSF-Funded Epicenter

 

(February 22, 2016) — 155 students from 47 higher education institutions have been named University Innovation Fellows by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter).

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, the 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. Fellows who joined the program in the 2014-15 academic year held 112 events and established 35 spaces at their schools.

The program is run by Epicenter, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWell. With the addition of the new Fellows, the program has trained 607 students at 143 institutions since the beginning of the Epicenter grant.

“We believe that students can be so much more than just the customers of higher education,” said Humera Fasihuddin, co-leader of the University Innovation Fellows program. “Fellows are acting as co-designers of the higher education experience, and they are actively collaborating with faculty and administrators to make lasting changes at their schools. They utilize their resourcefulness, creativity and national network to make measurable gains, both in the number of resources and the students served by the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

Individual Fellows as well as institutional teams of Fellows are sponsored by faculty and administrators and selected through an application process twice annually. Following acceptance into the program, schools fund the students to go through six weeks of online training and travel to the University Innovation Fellows Annual Meetup in Silicon Valley. Throughout the year, they take part in events and conferences across the country and have opportunities to learn from one another, Epicenter mentors, and leaders in academia and industry.

“Through this program, Fellows learn how to analyze their campus ecosystems for new opportunities, understand the needs of stakeholders at their schools, collaborate with peers from different disciplines, and solve problems that have no clear answers,” said Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, co-leader of the University Innovation Fellows program. “All of these mindsets and skills will help Fellows make a difference in higher education as well as in the increasingly complex world that awaits them after graduation.”

The new Fellows join the program from the following schools:

  • Beloit College
  • Berea College
  • Boise State University
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Case Western Reserve University
  • Clemson University
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • Converse College
  • Dalhousie University
  • Elon University
  • Florida Institute of Technology
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
  • Kent State University
  • Kettering University
  • La Salle University
  • Lawrence Technological University
  • Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Morgan State University
  • North Dakota State University
  • Ohio Northern University
  • Ohio University
  • Purdue University
  • Quinnipiac University
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Saint Louis University
  • Southern Illinois University Carbondale
  • Spelman College
  • Temple University
  • Tennessee Technological University
  • Texas Tech University
  • Texas Tech, South Plains College
  • Union College
  • University of Dayton
  • University of Detroit Mercy
  • University of New Haven
  • University of North Alabama
  • University of North Dakota
  • University of Oklahoma
  • University of Oregon
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • Utah Valley University
  • Villanova University
  • Washington University in St Louis
  • Western New England University
  • Wichita State University
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute

In late March, students will have the opportunity to participate in the Silicon Valley Meetup, which brings together all Fellows trained in Fall 2015 and Spring 2016. During this meeting, March 17-22, Fellows will take part in immersive experiences at Google and Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). They will participate in experiential workshops and exercises focused on topics including movement building, student innovation spaces, design of learning experiences, and new models of change in higher education.

This event will be the first of many times that the Fellows have the opportunity to engage with the d.school at Stanford. After Epicenter’s National Science Foundation grant ends on June 30, 2016, the University Innovation Fellows program will become part of the d.school. Visit bit.ly/UIF-future to read more about the transition.

Applications for the Fall 2016 cohort are due on May 2, 2016. Learn more about the University Innovation Fellows and find out how to apply at universityinnovationfellows.org. 

 

About Epicenter:

The National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWell. Epicenter’s mission is to empower U.S. undergraduate engineering students to bring their ideas to life for the benefit of our economy and society. To do this, Epicenter helps students combine their technical skills, their ability to develop innovative technologies that solve important problems, and an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset. Epicenter’s three core initiatives are the University Innovation Fellows program for undergraduate engineering students and their peers; the Pathways to Innovation Program for institutional teams of faculty and university leaders; and a research program that informs activities and contributes to national knowledge on entrepreneurship and engineering education. Learn more and get involved at epicenter.stanford.edu.

About Stanford University:

At Stanford University, the Epicenter collaboration is managed by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center in Stanford’s School of Engineering. STVP delivers courses and extracurricular programs to Stanford students, creates scholarly research on high-impact technology ventures, and produces a large and growing collection of online content and experiences for people around the world. Visit us online at stvp.stanford.edu. 

About VentureWell:

VentureWell was founded in 1995 as the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) and rebranded in 2014 to underscore its impact as an education network that cultivates revolutionary ideas and promising inventions. A not-for-profit organization reaching more than 200 universities, VentureWell is a leader in funding, training, coaching and early investment that brings student innovations to market. Inventions created by VentureWell grantees are reaching millions of people in more than 50 countries and helping to solve some of our greatest 21st century challenges. Visit www.venturewell.org to learn how we inspire students, faculty and investors to transform game-changing ideas into solutions for people and the planet.

 

150 Students Named University Innovation Fellows by NSF-Funded Epicenter

PRESS RELEASE

(October 26, 2015) – 150 students from 52 higher education institutions have been named University Innovation Fellows by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter).

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, the 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. Fellows who joined the program in the 2014-15 academic year held 112 events and established 35 spaces at their schools.

The program is run by Epicenter, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWell.

“We’ve trained over 450 students at 130 institutions in the last four years,” said Humera Fasihuddin, co-leader of the University Innovation Fellows program. “Faculty and administrators are funding a consistent supply of students to go through the program because they can count on Fellows to make a big impact. Fellows understand the big picture and use their resourcefulness, creativity and national network to make measurable gains on campus, both in the number of resources and the students served by the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

“It’s been so inspiring to see these changes at such a large scale,” said Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, co-leader of the University Innovation Fellows program. “The Fellows themselves are learning to be leaders and creative problems solvers, and they’re bringing other students along with them on this journey to make a positive difference at their schools and in their communities.”

Individual Fellows as well as institutional teams of Fellows are sponsored by faculty and administrators and selected through an application process twice annually. Following acceptance into the program, schools fund the students to go through six weeks of online training and travel to the University Innovation Fellows Annual Meetup in Silicon Valley. Throughout the year, they take part in events and conferences across the country and have opportunities to learn from one another, Epicenter mentors, and leaders in academia and industry.

The new Fellows join the program from the following schools:

  • Bucknell University
  • California State University, Northridge
  • Clemson University
  • Dalhousie University
  • Florida Institute of Technology
  • Furman University
  • George Fox University
  • George Mason University
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Grand Valley State University
  • James Madison University
  • Kent State University
  • Michigan Technological University
  • Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Morgan State University
  • New Mexico State University
  • North Carolina A&T State University
  • North Dakota State University
  • Northwestern University
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Prairie View A&M University
  • Purdue University
  • Rockhurst University
  • Skidmore College
  • Southern Illinois University Carbondale
  • Temple University
  • Texas A&M University
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
  • University of Connecticut
  • University of Delaware
  • University of Florida
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Louisville
  • University of Maryland, College Park
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • University of North Dakota
  • University of Notre Dame
  • University of Portland
  • University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
  • University of the Virgin Islands
  • University of Virginia
  • University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Wake Forest University
  • Washington State University
  • Western Michigan University
  • Wichita State University
  • William Jewell College
  • Xavier University of Louisiana

This year, the University Innovation Fellows launched a national STEM initiative called #uifresh (University Innovation Freshmen). Participating institutions are exposing incoming first-year students to innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking and creativity in order to attract and retain more students in STEM disciplines. The initiative was launched in March 2015, during the White House Science Fair, and 20 schools held activities for new students during orientation in August and September. Read more about the schools and their activities at http://bit.ly/uifresh-news.

This November, students will have the opportunity to participate in two University Innovation Fellows Regional Meetups at Kent State University and James Madison University. These events are designed by Fellows at a host school and attract Fellows from nearby states as well as other local students. The events feature local thought-leaders and showcase the school’s efforts to promote  innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking and creativity.

Learn more about the University Innovation Fellows at http://universityinnovationfellows.org/.

 

About Epicenter:
The National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWell. Epicenter’s mission is to empower U.S. undergraduate engineering students to bring their ideas to life for the benefit of our economy and society. To do this, Epicenter helps students combine their technical skills, their ability to develop innovative technologies that solve important problems, and an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset. Epicenter’s three core initiatives are the University Innovation Fellows program for undergraduate engineering students and their peers; the Pathways to Innovation Program for institutional teams of faculty and university leaders; and a research program that informs activities and contributes to national knowledge on entrepreneurship and engineering education. Learn more and get involved at epicenter.stanford.edu.

About Stanford University:
At Stanford University, the Epicenter collaboration is managed by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center in Stanford’s School of Engineering. STVP delivers courses and extracurricular programs to Stanford students, creates scholarly research on high-impact technology ventures, and produces a large and growing collection of online content and experiences for people around the world. Visit us online at stvp.stanford.edu.

About VentureWell:
VentureWell was founded in 1995 as the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) and rebranded in 2014 to underscore its impact as an education network that cultivates revolutionary ideas and promising inventions. A not-for-profit organization reaching more than 200 universities, VentureWell is a leader in funding, training, coaching and early investment that brings student innovations to market. Inventions created by VentureWell grantees are reaching millions of people in more than 50 countries and helping to solve some of our greatest 21st century challenges. Visit www.venturewell.org to learn how we inspire students, faculty and investors to transform game-changing ideas into solutions for people and the planet.

 

Media contact:
Laurie Moore
Communications Manager, Epicenter
(650) 561-6113
llhmoore@stanford.edu