University Innovation Fellowship Student Profiles

Meghan Reynolds

Engineering ’19
Landed: 1st choice grad program at Duke, after gaining admittance to 7/7 grad programs applied

UIF was unique. In most other clubs and activities, you are mostly working in conjunction with other students. However, in UIF you are collaborating with Deans, faculty, students, and many other individuals on Loyola’s campus. Even beyond campus, as a UIF you are communicating and working with other fellows across the country and the UIF organization, as a whole. It provides a network of support that few other experiences on Loyola’s campus does.

UIF has had a huge impact on my career/job search and in my grad school interviews. I have been able to speak about my time in UIF in nearly every interview because innovation and entrepreneurship are   such timely areas in the job market. UIF as a whole has also given me the confidence to voice my opinion and speak with individuals in higher positions. My time in the program has been invaluable, and I’m sure will continue to play a role in my career and life because. the experience allowed me to learn how to actually create meaningful change, even as an individual who isn’t necessarily in a position of power.

Eric Muchisky

Engineering ‘19
Landed: Associate Cyber Systems Engineer, Northrop Grumman

The UIF program allows for grassroots innovation. It gives students the chance to create real change by utilizing design thinking techniques. Before UIF, I had no idea what design thinking was, but I had a feeling that it was going to be instrumental to my life, my career, and my impact on Loyola.

After I became a University Innovation Fellow, my Loyola experience was transformed, as I found myself heading up efforts to open a student makerspace, and using design thinking/user-centered design I learned through UIF to facilitate problem-solving sessions for students and faculty. So much of what I did, so many people who I met, were all centered around the impact that UIFs and other students could have on Loyola. 

I made so many connections and channeled my own enthusiasm toward the impact we UIF could have as change makers at Loyola.

Pictured L-R: Suzanne Keilson, Eric Muchisky, Meghan Reynolds, Bahram Roughani