Stories & Updates

From adaptive equipment access and wildlife tracking to beauty accessibility and safer winter weather solutions, the Delaware Innovation Fellows brought a wide range of student-led ideas to life at the 2026 DIF Innovation Showcase.

Horn Entrepreneurship rolled out the welcome mat for the Class of 2029 with the Ignite! early move-in program, a three-day adventure designed to make the first days on campus unforgettable. From move-in boxes to backyard games, students got a true taste of Blue Hen life and the entrepreneurial spirit that defines Horn.

Third-year Delaware Innovation Fellows students present final-phase projects at annual showcase

The spirit of creativity, problem-solving, and social impact was on full display at the Delaware Innovation Fellows (DIF) Innovation Showcase, held on Wednesday, May 14 in Trabant University Center. The event spotlighted the final-phase projects of DIF students, capping their three-year journey through Horn Entrepreneurship’s signature enrichment program.

Many great innovations, societal changes and inventions begin with the question, “what if…?” Fourteen Delaware Innovation Fellows (DIF) hailing from 11 majors presented answers to their “what if” questions at the 2022 DIF Innovation Showcase. Their answers were the basis of their capstone innovation project and the culmination of work completed during their three-phase fellowship.

Article by Christine E. Serio-Shively | Photos by Lindsey Mix | Photo illustration by Heidi McDonough

Once a molecular biology major, Lynn Roberts’ academic journey and interests took a drastic turn from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) when she delved deeper into the University of Delaware’s Horn Entrepreneurship.  

First impressions are everything; we have heard the old adage from our parents, professors, and bosses. We have learned to dress smartly, make eye contact and offer a strong handshake. But how does an entrepreneurship education program make a first impression? How does Horn Entrepreneurship shake hands with its newest students?

We are sharing this highlight of Delaware Innovation Fellow Miranda Petti and her journey serving abroad as a Senior Airman of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command while enrolled in her sophomore year at University of Delaware. Read the full story on UDaily.

Horn Entrepreneurship celebrated the success, creativity and ingenuity of nine students at the Delaware Innovation Fellows (DIF) Spring Showcase. The showcase marked the culmination of a multi-year, multi-phase enrichment program designed to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and skill set in its fellows. The DIF students in this cohort hail from six majors and many other academic programs throughout the university, and their Innovation Project topics varied from nutrition to real estate to sustainable architecture to healthcare. 

This past spring’s Delaware Innovation Fellows Senior Showcase included 10 different innovation projects from students of the program’s first graduating class.