New University Innovation Fellows aim to empower, connect and support student success
The newest cohort of University Innovation Fellows (UIF) at MSOE are eager to make an impact on campus. Each year, three MSOE students are named to the program which is run by Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). They join 164 students from 44 other universities across 13 countries. This year’s cohort includes Zachary Burke ’27, user experience; Benjamin Leshin ’26, user experience and Mai Nguyen ’26, electrical engineering.
MSOE’s UIF students will focus on implementing changes on campus to help expand resources to students. Each Fellow will have a primary project but will also offer support to their peers on their projects.
Zachary Burke will be working on ways to help the population of commuter students at MSOE by proposing solutions and additions to spaces on campus where commuter students can relax and study in order to create more “Personal Recharging Spots” for them in between their classes and extracurriculars.
“As an agent of change for MSOE, I want to apply my abilities as a Fellow to improve the student experience for current and future students just as my predecessors have,” said Burke. “Our goal is to create comfortable, private areas that help commuter students feel more connected to campus life, reduce stress and make it easier for them to engage with peers and events.”
Benjamin Leshin is focusing on improving awareness of different maker spaces across campus. His “I.D.E.A” Initiative (innovation, development, engagement and access) will create a guide so students, faculty and staff at MSOE can have an easy understanding of what tools and maker spaces are available on campus for their creative pursuits.
“This initiative is about creating a strong network that bridges between the different silos of each department, breaking down the barriers between us to build one cohesive community of experiential learners,” said Leshin.
Mai Nguyen plans to work with the Raider Center for Academic Success (RCAS) to see how they can create better incentives and retention strategies for tutors. She is also working to add tutors in subjects and majors that currently are not staffed in order to reach a broader student population that is seeking help.
“I look forward to empowering students from different backgrounds and disciplines to lead, continuously learn and embrace the servant leadership mindset to strength our tutoring network and MSOE community simultaneously,” said Nguyen.
If you are interested in assisting these UIF students with their projects or have any additional information that will benefit their projects, feel free to reach out to them via email.