Sixteen University of Nebraska colleagues have been selected to participate in a system-wide program that aims to develop the next generation of higher education leaders.
NU’s “Developing Excellence in Academic Leaders” (NU DEAL) program, sponsored by the Office of the President with the system provost and campus chief academic officers, offers an intensive, two-year curriculum that helps participants develop their leadership skills, expand their networks and explore key issues and challenges facing the University of Nebraska and higher education.
The 2024-2026 NU DEAL fellows, selected by their campus leadership, are:
UNMC
- Jennifer Blackford, PhD, director of research, UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute
- Karen Gould, PhD, interim executive associate dean, UNMC Graduate Studies, interim assistant vice chancellor, UNMC Academic Affairs
- Joseph Khoury, MD, chair, UNMC Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, UNMC College of Medicine
- Tammy Webster, PhD, associate dean, UNMC College of Allied Health Professions
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, PhD, chair, UNL Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Thomas Burkey, PhD, associate dean, UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Charlene Maxey-Harris, associate dean, UNL University Libraries
- John Shrader, associate professor, UNL Department of Broadcasting, UNL Faculty Senate President-Elect
University of Nebraska at Omaha
- Kristin Girten, PhD, assistant vice chancellor, UNO Office of Research and Creative Activity
- William Melanson, PhD, chair, UNO Department of Philosophy; UNO Faculty Senate Past-President
- Troy Romero, PhD, chair, UNO Goodrich Scholarship Program
- Roopa Venkatesh, PhD, director, UNO School of Accounting
University of Nebraska at Kearney
- Megan Adkins, PhD, associate dean, UNK Office of Graduate Studies and Academic Outreach
- Derek Boeckner, PhD, chair, UNK Department of Mathematics and Statistics
- Angela Hollman, PhD, director, UNK Honors Program
- Whitney Schneider-Cline, PhD, chair, UNK Department of Communication Disorders
Over the course of the program, the fellows will hear presentations from University of Nebraska System representatives and members of the Board of Regents, visit each NU campus to engage with senior leaders and discuss timely higher education topics including:
- Strategic planning
- Philanthropy
- Higher education finances
- Facilities and infrastructure
- Opportunities and challenges related to teaching, learning and research
- Academic leadership skills and styles
The program seeks to build a cadre of senior leadership on all four campuses, composed of faculty who understand how the NU System works at the highest level, said Dele Davies, MD, UNMC interim chancellor.
“It is primarily about building critical high level leadership skills and bringing to life traditional leadership themes that may not be experienced often but could have dramatic impact, for better or worse, for the organization when they do occur,” Dr. Davies said.
Applications for the 2025-27 cohort of the NU Deal fellows will open next spring. More information about the program is available here.