How the University Innovation Fellows are shaping CMU’s future

Across Central Michigan University, innovation isn’t confined to classrooms or business plans—it’s a mindset. Through the University Innovation Fellows Program, CMU students are stepping forward as changemakers, applying design thinking to create lasting impact on campus and beyond.

“The University Innovation Fellows Program is a global initiative to create change makers on campuses around the world,” said Julie Messing, executive director of the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship. “It builds a network of students that are interested in making change in the betterment of innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship on their home campus.”

Each year, CMU selects a cohort of four Fellows who undergo six weeks of intensive design-thinking training developed by Stanford University. During this time, they complete a campus landscape analysis and collaborate to identify an area of need. Their mission: develop a project that sparks innovation or solves a problem for students across disciplines.

The 2025 cohort includes law and economics major Hoze Samson, finance and entrepreneurship double major Jackson Raymond, actuarial science and statistics major Shamita Devanand, and marketing: professional sales major Nicole Watts.

“Our team of four will develop one project that they want to do for the betterment of our campus,” Messing explained. “Typically, something that’s going to really spark innovation or be entrepreneurial, serve a need on our campus, but it’s not tied to any one college or degree—it’s very widespread.”

For senior Jackson Raymond from Gladwin, Mich., the UIF program offered a chance to grow beyond the classroom. “Being a double major studying finance and entrepreneurship, I knew this program could enhance my leadership and innovation skills through an intense six-week-long training program,” he said. “I have known others who have also been through the program, and seeing all the things they were able to do and accomplish made me eager to apply myself.”

Building a global network

After their training, CMU’s Fellows travel to the University Innovation Fellows Global Meetup—a dynamic gathering hosted most recently at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. “Fellows from all over the world come together for this meetup and go through more intensive workshop sessions and share on their projects,” said Messing. “They’re really becoming those change makers, learning how to problem-solve, learn design thinking, and bring it back to campus.”

Faculty Fellow Gustav Verhulsdonck, who co-guides the program, described the experience as transformative. “The University Innovation Fellows Program is a great way for students to develop leadership through innovative practices by identifying, hey, what does our campus need?” he said. “They learn how to think and innovate like a designer—how to empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. That’s what prepares them for the world.”

He’s seen Fellows’ ideas turn into tangible impact at CMU. “One cohort said, ‘We have all these scholarships, but no central place to learn about them,’” Verhulsdonck said. “They created a scholarship fair—completely new for CMU. It became a win-win for everyone.”

Raymond’s team is taking innovation in a new direction. “One of the projects that our group came up with was implementing virtual reality headsets on campus,” he said. “With the constant growth of technology, there are many opportunities to add VR into the classroom curriculum. These headsets can simulate what students may see post-graduation and provide real-world experience in a safe environment at a much cheaper cost.”

Innovation that lasts

This year, the UIF experience is expanding its reach within CMU’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. The IBIE continues to connect the program to other key initiatives such as the New Venture Challenge and SPARK Sessions—helping students grow from creative thinkers into entrepreneurial leaders.

“The Institute for Entrepreneurship serves campus-wide,” Messing said. “We’re blessed to be housed within the College of Business, but entrepreneurship spans all boundaries. That’s where the Innovation Fellows come in—it’s boundary-spanning, but supported through the College of Business.”

Verhulsdonck agrees that innovation education matters for everyone. “Design thinking is a methodology for innovation,” he explained. “Our students need to be conversant in it—able to empathize, ideate, prototype, and test. That’s what companies do in Silicon Valley and beyond. We’re teaching students not just to pass classes, but to change the world.”

Raymond said the experience has already reshaped his approach to problem-solving and teamwork. “Design thinking is a great tool for innovation and problem solving,” he said. “Since our schedules are so packed, we’ve found ourselves working late hours, even meeting at 10 or 11 p.m. to complete tasks. Making sure everyone has a role and does their part has been a very useful skill to develop.”

What does the future look like for UIF?

Messing envisions an even larger future for the program. “I’d like to see it continue to be funded in support and maybe even expand to where we can have two cohorts on our campus,” she said. “That could mean two projects, twice the impact, and even more students who leave a legacy of change.”

At its core, the University Innovation Fellows Program is about empowering students to take ownership of ideas—and their education. “It’s really about them developing those leadership skills and going, ‘OK, well, I think we should do this,’” said Verhulsdonck. “They become agents of change.”

Raymond encourages other students to take the leap. “Do it! The first six weeks are intense, but the overall impact and satisfaction you get when you find a problem and figure out a solution is unmatched,” he said. “Think about the impact you could have on the university and students. I’ve learned so much already, and I’m not even halfway done.”

From ideas to impact, these Fellows are shaping not only the future of CMU’s campus but also their own futures as innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders ready to take on the world.