KENT, OHIO - FEBRUARY 12, 2016
Ian Reede, sophomore business major at Kent State University’s College of Business Administration, was named a University Innovation Fellow by Epicenter, along with three other Kent State students.
The University Innovation Fellows program empowers students to increase campus engagement with innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity and design thinking. Fellows work to ensure their peers gain knowledge, skills and attitudes required to compete in the economy of the future and make a positive impact on the world.
Reede is studying business with a focus in entrepreneurship and a minor in computer science. He has spent his time at Kent State working with Hacksu, a student organization focused on web and mobile technologies, who sponsors Kent Hack Enough, a weekend event bringing students together for coding, designing and inventing.
As a University Innovation Fellow, Reede aspires to build an infrastructure around the needs of students struggling to find their way in the current educational climate. His goal is to create an understanding of how people of different backgrounds work, create and play together, as well as build a business solely using resources and students, available on Kent State’s main campus.
“The purpose is not only to build a viable product in the Kent State entrepreneurship ecosystem that would benefit the student population, but also develop a better understanding of how far we have yet to go,” Reede said. “While I still have much to learn, my journey and continued progress is my favorite part.”
"A movement is afoot at Kent State, which is why we are excited to have added four new Fellows there,” said Humera Fasihuddin, co-leader of University Innovation Fellows. “During our visit last March, it was evident to us the excitement felt by the student body, faculty and administration about empowering every student to achieve their creative potential.”
Additional Kent State students named Innovation Fellows include Samantha Glass, Kristen Boye and Paul Dilyard.
Glass is a junior computer science major with a minor in digital sciences at Kent State Stark. She is an officer of the Stark Computer Club, a Kent State University Google Student Ambassador and a member of Hacksu. Glass also volunteers for Girl Coder Club, teaching middle school girls how to code at Stanton Middle School in Kent.
As a University Innovation Fellow, Glass’ main focus is the involvement of innovation and entrepreneurship at the Kent State Stark Campus and she hopes to create resources, such as a tech lab or innovation space.
Boye is a senior aeronautics studies major. She is president of Alpha Eta Rho's Kappa Alpha chapter—the International Aviation Fraternity—and is actively involved in Undergraduate Student Government as the senator for the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology. Boye is a private pilot and she flies at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. After she graduates, she will be attending Naval Officer Candidate School and flight training.
As a University Innovation Fellow, Boye plans to create a student and alumni mentorship in the College of Technology. She also plans to incorporate free-standing bulletin boards in the college in order to improve communication and create career information packets to assist Aeronautical Studies majors in deciding their career paths.
Dilyard is a senior digital sciences major with a concentration in software development and a minor in computer science. Dilyard is the co-leader of Hacksu and co-lead organizer of Kent Hack Enough. He also co-founded The Fridge, a co-working space on the second floor of the Kent State University Library. He has interned at Flashstarts, IBM Design and American Greetings.
As a University Innovation Fellow, Dilyard plans to expand the community of “makers and doers” in The Fridge.
Epicenter is a program funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWelp. Other Kent State students previously named Innovation Fellows include Matthew Allen, Sravan Kumar Karpurapu, Tapti Saha and Robin Bonatesta.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INNOVATION FELLOWS AT KENT STATE
Kent State University’s College of Business Administration is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) and one of the largest colleges of business in Ohio. The college has more than 4,300 students representing 50 countries with over 89 full-time faculty from16 countries.
The college grants undergraduate through graduate degrees, and is one of only three colleges in Ohio with a comprehensive Ph.D. program. The MBA program is offered with nine concentrations and five dual degree options. The Executive MBA program offer two tracks: one targeting corporate professionals and the other healthcare executives. The M.S. in Accounting and M.A. in Economics are specialized master’s degrees for those seeking advanced study in these disciplines. The college boasts nine undergraduate majors, 12 minors and a Professional Sales Certificate program.
The college is listed as a Best Business School by Princeton Review, ranked as a Best Business College by U.S. News and World Report, one of only 23 accounting programs worldwide to be endorsed by the IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), ranked Top-Tier for Executive Education in North America by CEO Magazine and ranked fourth by the SEF (Sales Education Foundation) in Ohio for Professional Sales Education.
The college boasts an onsite Career Services Center and International Programs Office dedicated to business students, and operates the Global Management Center, the Center for Information Systems and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation all propelling scholarly research, establishing innovative industry partnerships and providing outreach to Northeast Ohio and beyond.
Media Contacts:
Michelle Parrish Manning, Director of Marketing Communications, 330-672-2717, mparris3@kent.edu
Ashley Cowles, Marketing Communications Specialist, 330-672-1279, acowles1@kent.edu