Abby Wilwerding, '26
Communications Major, Retail Studies and Real Estate Minors
Be a Change Agent for Santa Clara University!
Innovation Fellows are committed to improving the SCU community. Over three quarters, Innovation Fellows work in interdisciplinary teams with SCU stakeholders to address a pressing challenge on campus. The first quarter is an introduction to the elements of the design thinking process, with a heavy emphasis on empathy. In the second and third quarters, students design and test prototypes of their solutions. The ultimate goal is for Innovation Fellows to identify creative solutions that endure well beyond their time at SCU.
Now in its fourth iteration, the Innovation Fellows Program collaborates with SCU organizations and students on various issues, including healthy eating, mental health, peer groups, school spirit, international students, campus spaces, transit, sustainability, cross-major collaboration, and career services. Below are examples of past issues addressed by Innovation Fellows:
2024-2025 Cohort:
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Fostering Belonging at SCU
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Improving Waste Management
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Encouraging Sustainable Behavior
2023-2024 Cohort:
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Managing Excess Goods
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Improving the Admissions Onboarding Process
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Supporting the Office of Multicultural Learning
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Improving Academic Support Services
2022-2023 Cohort:
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Supporting Mental Health for Male Students
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Increasing Engagement with SCU Athletics
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Improving Event Planning
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Managing Excess Food Waste
Apply!
Applications are now closed for Fall 2025.
FAQs
- Who can apply for this program?
SCU students who are rising Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors (current First Year, Sophomores, and Juniors) are eligible to apply.
- What is the time commitment?
Students commit to a 3 unit course, offered 1 unit each quarter. There is a time commitment associated with and equivalent to a 1 unit course each quarter for a full academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring).
- Can students participate in both Innovation Fellows and SCU Study Abroad?
Students will not be able to participate in Innovation Fellows if they are committed to SCU Study Abroad in the Fall Quarter of the same year as the Innovation Fellows application cycle.
- What topic will be the focus?
This program will be driven by the students and the groups engaged. The theme is Santa Clara University, and this is a great program for students who want to continue to improve and grow the SCU community.
- Has this course happened before?
As Design Thinking experts, the program continues to be improved upon.
A two year version of this program and a one year version of this program has been offered to previous cohorts of undergraduate students. Additionally, a version of this program has been offered to graduate students in the ECP at SCU. An elective (non-credit) version has been offered for 4 years prior for undergraduates, the program has been well received by participants and students have asked for the creation of a larger for-credit version.
- What majors is this program open to?
This program is open to all majors and will be interdisciplinary.
- Can students be a LEAD Peer Mentor and be an Innovation Fellow?
We love and welcome LEAD scholars to apply, however, students cannot be LEAD Peer Mentors for LEAD Week and be in Innovation Fellows.
Teaching Team
Prof. Kathy Sun
Co-Instructor
Keith Yocam
Co-Instructor
Brian Thomas
Program Director
Cristina Florea
Co-Instructor
Colin Justin
Co-Instructor
2025-2026 Cohort
Aaryana Poudel, '28
Business Undeclared
Aidan Kwapisz, '28
Business Undeclared
Amaya Lin, '28
Business Undeclared
Andreas Flierl, '27
Mechanical Engineering Major
Ava Stoddard, '28
Business Undeclared
Carolyn Nguyen, '28
Business Undeclared
Charles Lyons, '28
Business Undeclared
Clair Kim, '28
Political Science Major
Diana Garcia-Becerra, '26
Mechanical Engineering Major
Ellie Hong, '27
Web Design and Engineering Major
Erik Latchford, '28
Business Undeclared
Gabriel Nigussie, '27
Management Information Systems Major
Grant Du, '28
Finance Major
Gulraj Dhaliwal, '28
Finance Major
Isabelle Douchane, '28
Business Undeclared
Ishika Gupta, '27
Computer Science and Engineering Major
Izabella Diaz, '28
Business Undeclared
Jensen Welton, '28
Bioengineering Major
John Brooks, '27
Biology Major
Kaiya Lu, '28
Business Undeclared
Keerthi Gopinath, '27
Management Information Systems Major
Kylie Chang, '28
Finance Major
Lana Villegas, '28
Business Undeclared
Malia Hoey, '26
Neuroscience Major
Mateo Coulson, '28
Political Science Major
Matthew Law-Smith, '28
Business Undeclared
Meg Jones, '26
Sociology Major
Monica Reyes, '27
Computer Science and Engineering Major
Nicole Azar, '28
Political Science Major
Olivia Desire, '27
Computer Science and Engineering Major
Patrick O'Connor, '28
Studio Art Major
Peter Miao, '28
Biochemistry Major
Philip LoScalzo, '27
Finance Major
Quinn Moses, '28
Business Undeclared
Raahil Khan, '28
Business Undeclared
Ruth Janfa, '26
Psychology Major
Ryan Foster, '28
Economics (BS) Major
Sabrina Amaro, '28
Accounting and Information Systems Major
Sean Tsang, '27
Finance Major
Shayla Bansal, '27
Economics (BS) Major
Shreya Dusankar, '28
Business Undeclared
Sophia Ramos, '28
Business Undeclared
Stephanie Vu, '28
Mechanical Engineering Major
Swathi Giri, '27
Accounting Major
Teresa Bui, '28
Management Information Systems Major
William Baldwin, '28
Communication Major
Yuvraaj Bhatter, '28
Business Undeclared
Zara Raza, '28
Business Undeclared
2024-2025 Cohort
Alisa Cheng, '27
Accounting and Information Systems Major, Music Minor
Accounting and Information Systems Major, Music Minor
Andrew Joseph, '26
Neuroscience and Mechanical Engineering Majors
Neuroscience and Mechanical Engineering Majors
Anna Aldrin, '26
Computer Science and Engineering Majors
Computer Science and Engineering Majors
Asha LaManque, '27
Computer Science Major
Computer Science Major
Calissa Leong, '26
Bioengineering Major
Bioengineering Major
Charles Legge, '26
Accounting and Information Systems Major
Accounting and Information Systems Major
Connor Fox, '26
Finance Major, Real Estate Minor
Finance Major, Real Estate Minor
Cooper McCarthy, '26
Mechanical Engineering Major, Aerospace Engineering Minor
Mechanical Engineering Major, Aerospace Engineering Minor
Emily Han, '27
Business Marketing Major
Business Marketing Major
Emily Kang, '26
Accounting Major, Asian-American Studies Minor
Accounting Major, Asian-American Studies Minor
Ethan Yeh, '26
Finance Major, Asian American Studies Minor
Finance Major, Asian American Studies Minor
Evan Hackstadt, '27
Computer Science Major
Computer Science Major
Flavio Olivieri Villalvazo, '27
Mechanical Engineering Major
Mechanical Engineering Major
Francisca Gelman, '26
Communications and Spanish Double Major
Communications and Spanish Double Major
Gabrielle Ponciano, '27
Management Information Systems Major
Management Information Systems Major
Gavin O'Connor, '26
Finance and Computer Science
Finance and Computer Science
Henry Gewecke, '27
Business
Business
Irene Change, '26
Computer Science and Engineering
Computer Science and Engineering
Jason Wu, '27
Computer Science and Engineering
Computer Science and Engineering
Julia Philbrick, '26
Communications Major, Political Science and Entrepreneurship Minors
Communications Major, Political Science and Entrepreneurship Minors
Kiara Pech, '27
Economics Major
Economics Major
Lauren Raney, '25
Political Science Major, Economics Minor
Political Science Major, Economics Minor
Liv de Jounge, '26
Political Science Major, Economics Major, International Business Minor
Political Science Major, Economics Major, International Business Minor
Meg Rawson, '26
Engineering and Web Design
Engineering and Web Design
Mia Flores, '26
Political Science and Sociology
Political Science and Sociology
Michael Cooper, '26
Economics Major, Business Analytics Minor
Economics Major, Business Analytics Minor
Miranda Roche, '27
Business
Business
Pragna Bura, '27
Management Information Systems Major
Management Information Systems Major
Rahul Kaura, '26
Computer Engineering Major
Computer Engineering Major
Sandro Biscocho, '26
Accounting and Information Systems Major
Accounting and Information Systems Major
Sarah Floyd, '27
Finance Major
Finance Major
Sean Wu, '27
Computer Science and Engineering
Computer Science and Engineering
Sunny Tran, '27
Finance Major, Business Analytics Minor
Finance Major, Business Analytics Minor
Taylor Ogata, '27
Business
Business
Winston Qiu, '26
Accounting Major
Accounting Major
Yash Gaur, '27
Business Management Major
Business Management Major
Zach Carlson, '26
Engineering
Engineering
2023-2024 Cohort
Abigail Sauter, '26
Neuroscience Major
Neuroscience Major
Ahnika Mangalick, '26
Computer Science and Mathematics Major
Computer Science and Mathematics Major
Anushree Malhotra, '26
Psychology and Child Studies Double Major, Public Health Minor
Psychology and Child Studies Double Major, Public Health Minor
April Le, '26
Ethnic Studies Major
Ethnic Studies Major
Chelsea Nguyen, '25
Business Management Major Technical Innovation, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship Minor
Business Management Major Technical Innovation, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship Minor
Daniel Gustin, '25
Major in Economics and Minor in Technical Innovation, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship
Major in Economics and Minor in Technical Innovation, Design Thinking, and Entrepreneurship
Erik Keifer, '25
General Engineering
General Engineering
Ivan Carrasco, '25
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Jackson Dwelle, '25
Biochemistry Major, Entrepreneurship Minor
Biochemistry Major, Entrepreneurship Minor
Kelly Zhou, '25
Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Major
Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Major
Kendall Cox, '26
Undeclared
Undeclared
Kimberly Salas-Ruiz, '25
Child Studies Major (pre-health track)
Child Studies Major (pre-health track)
Patricia Landers, '25
Biology and Child Studies Double Major
Biology and Child Studies Double Major
Sabrina Gonzalez, '26
Economics
Economics
Samira Billow, '25
Biology Major, Public Health Minor
Biology Major, Public Health Minor
Sharmila Bhatt, '25
Psychology, Real Estate
Psychology, Real Estate
William Langdoc, '26
Sociology Major
Sociology Major
2022-2023 Cohort
Abem Lucas, '25
CS and Engineering
CS and Engineering
Ash Uyematsu, '24
Biology, Public Health, Japanese Minor
Biology, Public Health, Japanese Minor
Brian Wiebe, '25
CS and Engineering, Technical Innovation Minor
CS and Engineering, Technical Innovation Minor
Camren Kremers, '24
Finance, Real Estate Minor
Finance, Real Estate Minor
Evan Baerg, '25
Bio-Chemistry
Bio-Chemistry
Harvard Muhm, '25
Business, French
Business, French
Hriday Gurnani, '25
Finance, Economics
Finance, Economics
Jonathan Santosa, '24
CS and Engineering
CS and Engineering
Kaitlin Webster, '25
Neuroscience, WGST
Neuroscience, WGST
Karl Schumacher, '24
Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering Minor
Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering Minor
Khushboo Gupta, '24
COEN, Design Thinking and Innovation
COEN, Design Thinking and Innovation
Leo Illing, '25
Physics, Mathematics Minor, Art History Minor
Physics, Mathematics Minor, Art History Minor
Lillian Coan, '24
Marketing
Marketing
Nicolas Lyons, '24
Business
Business
Olivia Sargent, '25
Biochemistry, Public Health Minor
Biochemistry, Public Health Minor