Martina joins Stanford University’s d.school program focused on enhancing innovation ecosystems at higher education institutions.
Alyssa Martina, director of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, joins the inaugural cohort of Faculty Innovation Fellows, a program of Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school).
In this two-year program, 20 educators from 16 higher education institutions around the world will design projects that enhance the innovation ecosystems at their schools and help students gain vital real-world skills and mindsets. They collaborate with one another to learn new change strategies, develop projects, gather feedback on ideas, and share resources.
Participants in the Faculty Innovation Fellows program are the mentors (called Faculty Champions) of students taking part in the University Innovation Fellows program. The student program has existed since 2012 and has always involved Faculty Champions, but this is the first year these mentors will work together across a global community to support their collective efforts.
“We designed this program to address needs expressed by the faculty and staff in our community,” said Humera Fasihuddin, co-director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “These campus leaders wanted similar resources and a community of practice just like their student Fellows have. So we’re thrilled to launch this new aspect of our program in 2020, a year when our higher education institutions need more than ever to be able to adapt to new opportunities and challenges.”
Since the program’s launch in September 2020, Faculty Innovation Fellows candidates have been meeting in small groups to review opportunities and ideas for projects that can make the most impact for students at their schools. Martina is working to find ways to actively support small and emerging student ventures capable of creating meaningful change through innovation and entrepreneurship, specifically those founded by women and/or students of color or those fall in or that promote the “creative class” on campus.
“I am honored by Stanford University’s d.school selecting me to join 20 other remarkable educators around the world to work on a project that can enhance the entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem here at Elon,” Martina said. “I look forward to expanding my role as a d.school Faculty Champion for our UIF student cohorts and developing new strategies for innovating as a Faculty Fellow.”