National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation Names Reid Fuente University Innovation Fellow

2016 Mar 30

Reid Fuente is one of five University of Dayton students the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation named a University Innovation Fellow for their potential to change the face of engineering education.

Reid is among 155 students from 47 schools the center selected to work toward creating more opportunities for students at their schools to develop innovation, entrepreneurship and design thinking skills.

"These five represent some of the best innovative and entrepreneurial student minds we have on campus," said Ken Bloemer, director of the University of Dayton Visioneering Center and sponsor of the University of Dayton students. "I am confident they will make significant contributions to the national discussion of entrepreneurship in engineering education and to our efforts in that area at the University of Dayton.

The University of Dayton group would like to create a student-run incubator for advising students in the early stages of project development and create a database of innovators students can tap for partnerships. They also want to develop a new innovation and entrepreneurship course open to all first-year students. They hope these will create excitement for innovation and entrepreneurship among students. The University of Dayton group has outlined their specific goals and strategies at the related link.

The National Science Foundation funds the University Innovation Fellows program, which is directed by Stanford University and VentureWell. Overall, the program has trained 607 students from 143 schools.