Three Clemson University students selected as University Innovation Fellows

Three Clemson University students were selected as University Innovation Fellows, a global program that empowers student leaders to increase campus engagement through design, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The students are: Megan DeGrezia, majoring in marketing and minoring in entrepreneurship; Hayden Roof, majoring in computer science; and Brianna Sebastian-Olazabal, majoring in mechanical engineering. All three are on track to graduate in 2026.

University Innovation Fellows is run by Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.

Faculty advisors at Clemson are John DesJardins, Hambright Distinguished Professor in Engineering Leadership, and John Hannon, director of the Brook T. Smith LaunchPad.

University Innovation Fellows’ organizers wrote in a press release that the program aims to empower students to become agents of change at their schools.

“Fellows work to ensure that all students gain the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to navigate a complex world and build the future,” according to the release. “These student leaders from schools around the globe create opportunities to help their peers build the creative confidence, agency, and entrepreneurial mindset needed to address global challenges.

“Fellows create student innovation spaces, start entrepreneurship organizations, facilitate experiential workshops, work with faculty and administrators to develop new courses, and much more. They serve as advocates for lasting institutional change with academic leaders, lending the much-needed student voice to the conversations about the future of higher education.”

This year’s crop of fellows numbers 261 from 68 higher education institutions in 15 countries.

DesJardins said DeGrezia, Roof and Sebastian-Olazabal are well positioned to accelerate the culture of leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship at Clemson.

“We are excited to witness their journey in becoming agents of change on campus and beyond,” DesJardins said. “Through their participation in the University Innovation Fellows program, Megan, Hayden and Brianna are poised to inspire and guide their peers towards transformative action.”

Hannon said the fellows are not just pursuing degrees but also actively shaping the future of higher education.

“University Innovation Fellows will help them gain the skills and mindset needed to address global challenges and contribute to lasting institutional change,” he said. “We congratulate Megan, Hayden, and Brianna for their commitment to building a more innovative and dynamic academic community at Clemson.”