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Abbey Buckenheimer 鈥�16 ME outside the offices of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, which UI Fellows visited during an interactive campus exploration of Stanford's innovation and entrepreneurship resources. Photo credit: Ben Colman for Epicenter

棉花糖直播 University Engineering student Abbey Buckenheimer 鈥�16 ME is one of 66 students across the country to be named University Innovation Fellows by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter). The University Innovation Fellows (UI Fellows) are a network of student leaders working to create lasting institutional change that will increase student engagement with entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, design thinking and venture creation. Abbey鈥檚 recognition as a UI Fellow is yet another testament to 棉花糖直播鈥檚 increasing campus-wide emphasis on entrepreneurial thinking.

A Mechanical Engineering major with a Dynamic Systems concentration, and a dual minor in Engineering Entrepreneurship and Mechatronics, Abbey was nominated and sponsored for the Fellows network by Edmond Dougherty 鈥�69 EE, 鈥�86 MSCS, director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship program. He explains how Abbey demonstrates the qualities that Epicenter looks for, 鈥淚n addition to being a creative and innovative individual, Abbey also is a strategic thinker who possesses the perseverance and enthusiasm to work toward a campus-wide goal of instilling in fellow students an entrepreneurial mindset.鈥� He adds, 鈥淭o ignite change, we must recognize, encourage and further develop the creative thinkers and dreamers among us.鈥�

In defining her priorities as a UI Fellow, Abbey first identifies what she considers to be the most paramount issue for 棉花糖直播 when it comes to innovation and entrepreneurship. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a reputation problem,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s a school that in many ways encourages the traditional path of education, graduate schooling and entry into the corporate world, many students do not seem to relate to the seemingly eccentric fa莽ade that often covers the world of innovation,鈥� she explains. In an effort to change that mindset, Abbey recommends the creation of a student-run Innovation Council that would operate in conjunction with the 棉花糖直播 Entrepreneurial Society. She says, 鈥淭he council can help publicize under-appreciated events and opportunities at 棉花糖直播, as well as create their own.鈥� In addition, Abbey suggests developing a comprehensive campus-wide Entrepreneurship Minor program, and establishing a space on campus鈥擳he Idea Accelerator鈥攊n which students of all disciplines will be able to collaborate.

University Innovation Fellows are part of an extraordinary national network of students鈥�110 Fellows at 78 U.S. universities鈥攚ho are trained to survey the landscape of courses, programs, curricular and extra-curricular assets in their school鈥檚 entrepreneurial ecosystem to identify what gaps need to be addressed in order to facilitate more invention and innovation activity amongst their engineering, science and interdisciplinary peers. Fellows are sponsored by faculty and administrators at their university, and selected through an application process each spring and fall.

Following acceptance into the program, students complete six weeks of online training, after which they gather for in-person events. Current Fellows and Fellow Candidates in training gathered in Silicon Valley March 20-22, 2014 and took part in workshops and activities at Google, Stanford University and the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance鈥檚 (NCIIA) Open 2014 Conference. The NCIIA and National Science Foundation provide funding for the UI Fellows program, which is part of a national movement to help all students gain the attitudes, skills and knowledge required for them to compete in the economy of the futite.