Students take part in meetup in Netherlands

The University of North Georgia's (UNG) inaugural cohort of University Innovation Fellows (UIF) traveled recently to the annual UIF meetup at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

The three students also participated in professional development while on campus, as the UIF cohort is housed in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Mike Cottrell College of Business. Evan Cantrell, UNG program coordinator for UIF, also traveled to the Netherlands with the group.

Kian Esmaeili, a senior from Woodstock, Georgia, pursuing a degree in cybersecurity, originally joined UIF at UNG to seek help with his plan to develop a phone application that can help students find study buddies based on majors and minors.

"We are learning how to use design thinking," Esmaeili said. "I learned a lot about myself throughout this process, seeing what I'm thinking about. I wasn't reflecting enough."

Esmaeili appreciated the chance to be around students from around the world at the UIF meetup, learning from their perspectives.

"As change agents, we go around and change what we don't like," he said.

Ella Ann Lucina was a May graduate with a degree in management with a concentration in entrepreneurship. The Oakwood, Georgia, resident previously served as president of Enactus, an entrepreneurial and service club, at UNG's Gainesville Campus.

The UNG students' work with UIF has centered on creating workshops that bust myths about artificial intelligence and help other students see how they can use it for good. Lucina was glad to be part of the first UIF group at UNG.

"I'm excited about how it will turn out for other fellows," she said. "I look forward to seeing how the fellows implement new ideas at UNG."

Samuel Farrell, a senior from Dallas, Georgia, pursuing a degree in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in business and social sciences, was grateful to see the innovation on display in the Netherlands. Such strategy is necessary with two-thirds of the country's population living below sea level. Gathering with other students to exchange ideas at the UIF meetup was meaningful for Farrell.

"There are a lot of people who are genuinely making change on their college campuses. There are a lot of people who want to see sustainable universities," Farrell said. "It was fun to see how close people can become in a short amount of time when you have a common mindset of growth and connection."