Colin Justin
March 4, 2026
This is my second year teaching in the Innovation Fellows program, an experience I was introduced to by my colleague Keith Yocam. From our earliest conversations, we aligned on the importance of authentic, problem-based learning—giving students opportunities to engage with real-world challenges and undertake projects that feel meaningful beyond the classroom. Innovation Fellows embodies those values, particularly in how relevant and grounded the work feels for students.
This year, I’ve especially enjoyed watching students define their own projects and build relationships with community partners. Their motivation to make a tangible difference on campus is inspiring, and it is fulfilling to see their ideas take shape and evolve over time. Teaching in this program—and helping shape its curriculum—has been rewarding. I’ve loved brainstorming new ways to help students experiment, prototype, and engage with design thinking, particularly for those encountering the prototyping process for the first time.
Students are often surprised by how different this experience is from a more traditional academic model. Instead of a linear path of assignments leading to an assessment at the end of the term, Innovation Fellows emphasizes iteration, inquiry, and learning from setbacks. While this approach can feel uncomfortable at first, it’s essential. Students begin to understand that failure isn’t something to avoid—it’s a necessary part of the creative and problem-solving process.
"Students start with the users—not as consumers, but as real humans with real needs."
Students are often surprised by how different this experience is from a more traditional academic model. Instead of a linear path of assignments leading to an assessment at the end of the term, Innovation Fellows emphasizes iteration, inquiry, and learning from setbacks. While this approach can feel uncomfortable at first, it’s essential. Students begin to understand that failure isn’t something to avoid—it’s a necessary part of the creative and problem-solving process.
Beyond developing a human-centered design perspective, I’ve noticed that many of the competencies students develop are, fundamentally, leadership skills. They learn how to collaborate effectively, navigate group dynamics, and manage a complex project life cycle. Just as importantly, empathy is at the core of the program. Students start with the users—not as consumers, but as real humans with real needs. By engaging peers outside their majors and social circles, they gain new perspectives and often rethink their assumptions. I’ve seen firsthand how these conversations shift the way students think about their identity as members of the broader 91¶ÌÊÓƵ community.
This emphasis on empathy mirrors my own doctoral research, which incorporates research-through-design and participatory design methods that situate users as collaborators from the very beginning. When people help shape the direction of a project, the work becomes more action-oriented, more inclusive, and ultimately more impactful. That’s why I believe in this approach—and why I continue to find my work with the Innovation Fellows program purposeful and meaningful.