DI Student Fellows Program

The Design Innovation (DI) Fellows Program supports students by developing their collaborative innovation skills and empowering them to become leaders of meaningful, positive change. DI Fellows engage in a series of facilitated experiences, projects, and student-to-student learning opportunities that teach them how to embed design innovation into their daily lives and future careers.

The application deadline for acceptance into the program for the 2024-2025 academic year is August 1.

Apply to be a DI Student Fellow

The primary goal of the DI Fellows Program is to promote diversity in teams (diversity of disciplines, demographics, thinking, and skills) as a powerful force for innovation and positive change. Students in the DI Fellows Program demonstrate this by using team-based human-centered-design processes and methods to tackle complex societal problems. By participating in this program students learn how to become effective collaborators and leaders, develop the ability to implement challenge-based innovation experiences and projects, and become ambassadors for cross-disciplinary innovation.

  • Application & Selection

    Application & Selection

    The DI Fellows Program accepts KSU student applicants from any major, class level, or Kent State University campus. DI Fellows Program students are selected annually based on their demonstrated willingness to engage with, and advocate for, Design Innovation at Kent State.

  • Levels of Achievement

    Levels of Achievement

    As part of the DI Student Fellows program, students embark on a “quest” that guides them through the 11 elements of the DI Toolkit, the “recipe” for Design Innovation at Kent State.

  • Responsibilities

    Responsibilities

    Once selected, DI Student Fellows are expected to fulfill a series of responsibilities based on their achievement level. Successfully fulfilling these responsibilities will earn the student additional privileges, including a semesterly stipend. 

  • Stipend & Privileges

    Stipend & Privileges

    All students selected into the DI Fellows Program who successfully fulfill the responsibilities associated with their achievement level will receive a semesterly (twice per academic year) stipend as well as privileges based on their level of achievement and continued participation in the program.