GLOBAL Alert Overide

Vight condensed lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergr sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consedipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua.

Add Text
Second Button
Skip to main content
Parent Department University of Florida

Idea to Impact

By Alexandra Zubkus

To join the Innovation Academy (IA), you need to fully understand what innovation is. There are many definitions available on the internet, but the one I found most suitable was: “The process of creating value by applying novel solutions to meaningful problems.” (https://www.manifold.group/insights/what-is-innovation). This definition encapsulates what it means to innovate and be part of this aspect of the University of Florida.  

Alexandra headshot

Within each IA student’s freshman year, they are required to take two courses that teach them design thinking, Arduino, 3D modeling, and how to take constructive criticism as a blessing rather than an insult. These two courses challenge your mindset and skillset, as you are required to demonstrate and learn new things rapidly and with effort.  

    In my freshman year, during the first course, “Creativity & Design Thinking for Innovation”, there was a competition to create an exhibit for a museum that showcased Florida’s growth through climate change in the future. My team created a 3D model that would physically flood with water and show the future of Florida’s land on the current track. There was a slider that you could move to show the process over the span of decades. This project allowed my team to be chosen out of 75 teams to present in front of ThemeWorks Inc. and compete against four other teams. We won a Green Light Go Award, which translates to the project most ready to implement without changes.  

    Within the second course, held in Freshman year summer semester, “Innovation in Action”, a company pairs with the Innovation Academy and gives the students a goal that needs to be met with innovation. When I took this course, the company that paired with IA was COX Internet. They had been close to their zero-waste goal prior to COVID, but after COVID, they had been struggling with meeting it. The IA students were tasked with finding ways to further cut waste beyond what they were already doing.  

    I worked with a team of four to find an innovation that would lessen waste for COX. We decided to target styrofoam, as many other teams targeted trash cans. The packaging they received for their internet boxes came with copious amounts of styrofoam, and we were determined to put a stop to it! We put in research and created a 3D model to represent the machine we had created, which would allow the company to turn a metric ton of styrofoam into a chemical that can be used in commercial products such as perfume. We won the People’s Choice Award as the crowd’s favorite.  

    The fall semester of my junior year, I applied to intern through IA and was given the pleasure of interning with ThemeWorks Inc., the very company I competed in front of and won an award from my freshman year. In one semester, I created an inventory system for them to help them keep track of parts and stay organized. This is no easy feat, as they do not repeat projects and work for museums and amusement parks, so their inventory ranged from giant sheets of metal three times the height of my body, tiny screws that could get lost in the palm of your hand, and even items such as dinosaur heads. I worked on learning different types of software and even tested the inventory system within their warehouse. Learning how to adapt to new environments and accept feedback from higher-ups prepared me for further ventures in my academic career.  

    The summer before my senior year, I interned abroad as a Junior Risk and Compliance Officer for a company in Singapore. I was able to use design thinking, constructive criticism, and my ability to adapt to new environments. These teachings led to me receiving letters of recommendation from my bosses, beaming reviews of my work sent to the University of Florida, and even being given the opportunity to attend international conferences that assisted my understanding of international law.  

    Many employers and interviewers have asked me about my minor: Innovation in Artificial Intelligence and have spent the entire conversation engaging me only on this portion of my resume. I have learned many skills and niche growth points from this program.