Collaborating across disciplines to solve today’s most pressing social challenges.
Through UB's Social Impact Fellows program, MBA and MSW students from the School of Management and School of Social Work, along with graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, spend the summer learning about and creating social innovation in Western New York. Presented in collaboration with UB’s Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars, the program brings together students for a fellowship at a mission-driven organization, where they collaborate to address pressing social issues and make an impact.
The program has received philanthropic support from the Charles D. and Mary A. Bauer Family Foundation, the School of Management Alumni Association, the UB President’s Circle and several generous alumni and friends of the university.
Learn more about social innovation in the School of Management and School of Social Work.
Be part of the 2020 Social Impact Fellows program. Applications for students and partner organizations are now open.
Applications are due Jan. 31, 2020. To apply, visit bit.ly/20SIFStudent.
Important Dates
For questions about the student application process, contact Jessica Wangelin, Social Impact Fellows coordinator, at jbiegaj@buffalo.edu or 716-881-8967.
Organization proposals are due Jan. 6, 2020. To apply, visit bit.ly/20SIFOrg.
Important Dates
For questions about the host organization process, contact Maureen Hammett, vice dean and chief of staff, School of Social Work, at hammett@buffalo.edu or 716-645-9113.
A team of Social Impact Fellows developed a plan to sustain the Service Collaborative’s Beds for Buffalo initiative—and got their hands dirty constructing beds too. Photo: Onion Studio.
The Social Impact Fellows program prepares students to address social issues using principles of entrepreneurship and social innovation.
Another Social Impact Fellows team worked with Stitch Buffalo, a nonprofit that empowers refugee women through textile arts. Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki.
Across the globe, social innovation is rapidly growing, as companies, nonprofits and governments partner to tackle sweeping challenges. That’s the spirit that guides the Social Impact Fellows program—and benefits all involved.
During the third year of the program, 10 student teams helped their partner organizations enhance business performance and address gaps to better serve and strengthen their communities. Each team included an MBA student, an MSW student and a graduate student researcher from another discipline, who provided additional context to help ensure their solution was sustainable.