Iona University Pins 2026 University Innovation Fellows at Hynes Institute Ceremony
New Rochelle, N.Y. — Iona University recognized its 2025-26 cohort of University Innovation Fellows (UIF) during its annual pinning ceremony on Friday, Jan. 23, at the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, celebrating students committed to driving positive change on campus and beyond.
Hosted through the University of Twente in Enschede, Netherlands, the UIF program brings together student leaders from institutions around the world to develop the skills, mindset and networks needed to identify challenges and create meaningful solutions within their university communities. This year, four Iona students were selected, and completed, the program as a cohort: Adrian Vazquez ’27, Jack Kinas ’27, Aidan Rodriquez ’26 and Daniel Lima ’26.
For newly pinned fellow Vazquez — a criminal justice major with a minor in sociology — the program marked a turning point in how he approaches leadership and problem-solving.
“UIF transformed my mindset from a static one to a dynamic one,” Vazquez said. “I looked at every opportunity, and I saw not a problem, but an opportunity for change.”
When reflecting on the conversations and solutions formed within his cohort, Vazquez underscored the importance of student engagement in sustaining Iona’s close-knit campus culture.
“Iona is a very tight-knit community,” Vazquez said. “To maintain that community, you need students who are passionate, and the biggest way to create passion is through involvement.”
Faculty leaders at the Hynes Institute echoed that UIF’s impact extends beyond technology or startups, focusing instead on people and purpose.
“Everybody thinks innovation is technology, but the reality is, what is the humanity behind innovation?” said Lendynette Pacheco-Jorge, associate director of the Hynes Institute and a UIF Faculty Innovation Fellow. “That is what we bring to the forefront. It is not just about teaching students to be change makers; we must be change- makers ourselves.”
Christoph Winkler, founding program director of the Hynes Institute and a UIF Faculty Innovation Fellow, noted that the program’s strength lies in its global reach and student-driven approach.
“The University Innovation Fellows Program brings together student innovators from across the globe to become change agents on their respective campuses,” Winkler said.
Through UIF, Iona’s student fellows collaborate with peers worldwide while working to better understand the needs of their own campus community, an experience Vazquez described as both empowering and personal.