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NU System Leadership Development Program Names New Fellows

Sixteen University of Nebraska (NU) System colleagues have been selected to participate in a system-wide program that aims to develop the next generation of higher education leaders.

Photo Collage. Four square headshot photos. Top left: Kristin Girten, Top right: William Melanson, Bottom left: Troy Romero, Bottom right: Roppa Venkatesh. UNO Icon on the right side of the the headshots

NU’s “Developing Excellence in Academic Leaders” (NU DEAL) program, sponsored by the Office of the President together 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:

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

UNMC

  • Jennifer Blackford, PhD, director, UNMC Research at 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, College of Medicine
  • Tammy Webster, PhD, assistant dean, UNMC College of Allied Health Professions

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, PhD, chair, UNL Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Thomas Burkey, PhD, associate dean, UNL College of Agricultural Sciences & 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 Kearney

  • Megan Adkins, PhD, associate dean, UNK Office of Graduate Studies & Academic Outreach
  • Derek Boeckner, PhD, chair, UNK Department of Mathematics & 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

"I am incredibly proud of the UNO faculty selected for this program,” said Phil He, Ph.D., Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Their dedication to academic excellence and leadership development will not only benefit their personal growth but also strengthen our entire university community. Congratulations to all the participants in this year’s cohort!"

Applications for the 2025-27 cohort of the NU Deal fellows will open next spring. More information about the program is available here.