Scholars and Fellows
Push The Boundaries Of Your Curiosity
For students who want to enhance their studies, Scholars and Fellows programs offer opportunities to pursue interests beyond a major or minor. Within six unique programs, students are building community through collaborative projects, developing career connections and pushing the boundaries of thought on topics they love.
Students admitted to UD can apply to multiple Scholars and Fellows programs through their student portal, My Blue Hen Home. Ultimately, they may only be admitted to one. The priority deadline for Scholars & Fellows applications is March 15, but students who apply after the priority deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.
Access:ABILITY Scholars
Do you want to be involved in creating an accessible and inclusive world? As an Access:Ability Scholar, you will have opportunities to expand your knowledge of disability and work toward improving access for all.
Incoming freshmen and transfer students admitted to UD's Newark campus are eligible for this program.
Program Highlights
The Access:Ability Scholars program combines a low number of course credits with experiential learning opportunities. Our students are making change in our community and beyond, forming disability-focused student organizations (All Ears, Disability Alliance), establishing an accessibility senator position in student government, designing a beach-accessible walker and piloting interactive accessibility maps. Access:Ability Scholars go on to pursue meaningful careers in physical therapy, human resources, entrepreneurship, medicine, education, disability advocacy and more.
Specialized Coursework
DIST 100: Access:Ability Introductory Seminar (required, 1 credit in fall of first year)
DIST 200: Access:Ability Experience (optional, variable 1–3 credits, repeatable)
DIST 301: Disability Studies: Special Topics (optional, 3 credits): Topics vary for this course, which is usually part of a study abroad program (e.g., Disability and Diversity in Thailand).
DIST 400: Access:Ability Senior Project (optional, 3 credits)
E-Portfolio
Up to 6 credits of Access:Ability coursework can be applied to the 15-credit disability studies minor.
For more information, contact Laura Eisenman at eisenman@udel.edu, and Sarah Curtiss at curtiss@udel.edu.
Climate Scholars
The changing climate impacts every aspect of life on the planet. To guide the world to a more sustainable future, we need leaders in every profession who are ready to make a difference.
As a Climate Scholar, you’ll not only gain an understanding of the challenges we face, but you’ll create solutions to our changing climate.
Incoming freshmen admitted to UD’s Newark campus are eligible for this program.
Program Highlights
- Work with others who share your passion about climate change
- Learn how you can develop tools to help adapt to and mitigate climate change
- Participate in a local community-engagement project related to climate change
- Address climate change at UD and in your career
meet the climate scholars: https://capture.udel.edu/media/1_qzs21g5c/
Specialized Coursework
- CLIM 110: Climate Scholars Community
- GEOG 215: Understanding Climate Change or GEOG 341: Climate and Climate Change
- Participate in a climate change seminar (like Climate Change and Food Security)
- CLIM 301: Climate Scholars Community Engagement Project
- CLIM 401: Climate Challenge Solution Project
For more information, contact Dana Veron at dveron@udel.edu or visit the program website.
Community Engagement Scholars
Interested in public service? Whether you’re an engineering major interested in infrastructure in developing countries, a science major interested in environmental issues, a business student interested in addressing income disparity, or a health major interested in health inequality, you can learn how to build connections and initiate positive change in your community.
Incoming freshmen and transfers admitted to the UD’s Newark campus and Associate in Arts Program (AAP) are eligible for this program.
Program Highlights
You will be immersed in community engagement throughout your four years at UD with special academic and career advisement. There are opportunities to receive funding for significant projects and present your work at conferences.
Specialized Coursework
Scholars participate in two courses as freshmen, as well as activities throughout their four years.
SPPA 100: Introduction to Civic Engagement
UAPP 110: Changing the World: The Role of Public Policy
The opportunity to receive funding to connect theory to practice through semester based and summer community engagement immersion programs
On-the-ground experience through alternative breaks and service-learning abroad opportunities
E-portfolio
Co-curricular service
For more information, please contact Leann Moore at lmoore@udel.edu or visit the program’s website.
Cybersecurity Scholars
The Cybersecurity Scholars Program integrates with any major and will train you to become a leader in cybersecurity. In this program, you will collaboratively assess and develop both cultural and technical solutions to the most pressing cyber-defense problems.
Incoming freshmen admitted to UD’s Newark campus are eligible for this program.
Program Highlights
Meet with policymakers, defense specialists and other experts in government and finance. Get connected with internships, mentoring and employment.
Specialized Coursework
You will enroll in a one-credit course (CPEG 302) each semester and select from a range of possible activities, such as:
Participating in simulated emergency situations, including national or corporate cyberattacks, where you will lead a team to address the crisis
Analyzing and creating case studies for “headline” attacks
Performing security audits of real companies and their policies
Examining legal cases with local law firms
Analyzing white papers published by defense think tanks
Meeting with key public officials in Washington, D.C.
Visiting New York City to work with financial security experts and corporate decision-makers
For more information, please contact Andrew Novocin at andynovo@udel.edu.
Delaware Innovation Fellows
Delaware Innovation Fellows brings together passionate and creative students from all majors who want to pursue new possibilities for a better future.
In this program, you will build your professional network and leadership skills within a community of innovators, identify your passions and put your ideas to action through an innovative capstone project.
Incoming freshmen admitted to UD’s Newark campus are eligible for this program.
Program Highlights
The Delaware Innovation Fellows program is designed to support students on an individual level that allows them to progress at their own pace. Our students find out what they are passionate about and work toward creating a project that has potential for global impact. Our students build close connections with peer fellows and live in the World Changers Living-Learning Community.
: youtube.com/watch?v=g227awDp8U4
Specialized Coursework and Experiential Learning
ENTR160 & ENTR161: Professional Development for Innovators
Complete self-guided exploration to identify and engage with the leadership problems and solutions that excite you
Put your ideas to action by creating and completing an innovative project of your choosing. (Mini-grants of $250 – $1,000 are available for students through our Innovation Fund)
- Showcase how your project can make a global impact
- Students are required to enroll in two one-credit courses centered around the program’s focus on innovation and leadership in their first year and then complete an entrepreneurship major, minor or certificate by the end of their four years at UD.
For more information, email dif@udel.edu at Laura Gasiorowski lgasio@udel.edu or visit the program’s website.
Grand Challenges Scholars for Engineers
Grand Challenges Scholars sets out to equip the next generation of engineers to take on today's most pressing issues, such as sustainable energy, creating better medicines, providing clean water and food for the nearly 1 billion people who lack it, securing cyberspace and advancing learning tools to deliver widespread education.
Incoming freshmen admitted to any engineering major at UD’s Newark campus are eligible for this program.
Program Highlights
The Grand Challenges Scholars Program is designed to provide UD engineering students like you with the opportunity to engage in the most pressing societal concerns of our time like healthcare, security, sustainability and quality of life. Over four years, you’ll engage in coursework and learning opportunities that integrate five core educational components: field project or research experience, interdisciplinary curriculum, entrepreneurship, global dimension and service learning. Administered by the College of Engineering, the world-class faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and well-established internships tied to this program provide students with an unparalleled education.
Specialized Coursework
You will have the opportunity to participate in entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary courses, such as:
ANTH 382: Anthropology and Business
CISC 356: Intellectual Property in the Digital Age
ECON 350: Economics of Entrepreneurship
ENTR/BUAD 352: Business Launchpad: Turning Ideas into Successful Companies
LEAD 300: Leadership, Creativity and Innovation
For more information, contact Tripp Shenton at shenton@udel.edu and Erin Davis erdavis@udel.edu, or visit the program’s website.