Emerging Leaders Academy
The Ameritas Emerging Leaders Academy is an executive education program designed to develop leadership skills for advanced undergraduate students.
Each year, a cohort of 20 is selected and commits to professional training one day a month for seven months. Participants begin the academy with an understanding of their CliftonStrengths® and how to best use them for personal growth and effective leadership. Subsequent sessions include a breakdown of the Insurance Industry, change management, effective communication and innovation.
The cohort will spend the last two months of the academy working on prototype solutions for the challenges affecting the insurance industry. Final prototypes will be presented to Ameritas senior leadership during graduation.
This program is free to selected students.
Held One Friday a Month September 2026 - April 2027
Applications for the 2026-27 Academy Opens March 9, 2026.
Application Process
Key Dates
Application opens: Monday, March 9, 2026
Application closes: Monday, April 13, 2026
Admission Decisions: Mid-April
New cohort meeting: April 30, 2026
Who Should Apply?
- Undergraduate students of any major interested in developing leadership skills and learning more about the insurance industry
- Students able to make a commitment to fully participating and completing the program
- Students eager to gain valuable industry experience and network with local industry leaders.
Preference given to students in their third or fourth year
Steps to Apply
- Complete the online application between March 9 – April 13.
- Upload any required materials in the application.
- Watch for your admission decision in mid-April and follow the next steps provided.
2026-27 Academy Dates
| Session/Activity | Event |
|---|---|
| Introductory Meeting Thursday, April 30 3 – 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Informational meeting about the program |
| Session 1 (Part 1) Friday, September 11, 2026 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | HLH 202 | Positive and Strengths Based Leadership Dr. Tim Hodges |
| Session 1 (Part 2) Friday, September 11, 2026 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. | HLH Dean’s Suite | Kickoff Reception supported by NU Foundation |
| Session 2 Friday, October 2, 2026 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Ameritas Campus | The Insurance Industry Professors Susan Vagts and Heather Clemens |
| Session 3 Friday, November 13, 2026 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Change Management Dr. Steve Olson |
| Session 4 Friday, January 29, 2027 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Communicating Effectively Dr. Kathy Castle & Dr. Aaron Duncan |
| Session 5 Friday, March 5, 2027 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Innovating in Insurance Industry and Presentation of Innovation Prototypes by Ameritas Leadership Professor Susan Vagts, Dr. Samantha Fairclough, Dr. Sam Nelson |
| Session 6 Friday, April 2, 2027 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. | HLH 202 | Innovation Prototype Presentation Practice Professor Susan Vagts and Heather Clemens |
| Session 7 Friday, April 23, 2027 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. | HLH 202 | Innovation Prototype Presentations and Graduation Professor Susan Vagts and Heather Clemens |
| Project Coaching | 2 hours per team project coaching with Sue Vagts, Dr. Sam Nelson, and Dr. Sam Fairclough |
| Gallup Strengths Coaching | 2 one-hour one-on-one Gallup coaching with your assigned strengths coach |
View the 2024-25 Program
| Session/Activity | Event (All delivered at the College of Business except for Session 5 and 6, which will be delivered at the Ameritas Campus) |
|---|---|
| Session 1 (1 day) Friday, September 27, 2024 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Positive and Strengths-Based Leadership Dr. Tim Hodges 4 – 5 p.m. | Kickoff Reception supported by NU Foundation |
| Session 2 (1 day) Friday, October 25, 2024 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Change Management Dr. Steve Olson |
| Session 3 (1 day) Friday, November 15, 2024 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | HLH 215 | Communicating Effectively Dr. Kathy Castle & Dr. Aaron Duncan |
| Session 4 (1 day) Friday, January 24, 2025 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Insurance Industry Professors Susan Vagts and Heather Clemens |
| Session 5 (1 day) Friday, February 21, 2025 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Ameritas Campus | Innovating in Insurance Industry and Presentation of Innovation Prototypes by Ameritas Leadership Dr. Steve Olson Professor Susan Vagts, Dr. Sam Nelson and Dr. Samantha Fairclough Dinner with Ameritas Leadership supported by NU Foundation (Time TBA) |
| Session 6 (0.5 day) Friday, May 2, 2025 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. | HLH 202 | Innovation Prototype Presentations and Graduation Professor Susan Vagts |
| Project Coaching | 2 hour per team project coaching with Sue Vagts, Dr. Sam Nelson and Dr. Sam Fairclough |
| Gallup Strengths Coaching | 2 one-hour one-on-one Gallup Strengths coaching with your assigned coach |
View the 2025-26 Program
2025-26
| Session/Activity | Event |
|---|---|
| Introductory Meeting Thursday, May 8, 2025 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | HLH 202 | Informational meeting about the program |
| Session 1 (Part 1) Friday, September 5, 2025 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | HLH 202 | Positive and Strengths Based Leadership Dr. Tim Hodges |
| Session 1 (Part 2) Friday, September 5, 2025 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. | HLH Dean’s Suite | Kickoff Reception supported by NU Foundation |
| Session 2 Friday, October 10. 2025 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Ameritas Campus | The Insurance Industry Professors Susan Vagts and Heather Clemens |
| Session 3 Friday, November 21, 2025 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Change Management Dr. Steve Olson |
| Session 4 Friday, January 23, 2026 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | HLH 202 | Communicating Effectively Dr. Kathy Castle & Dr. Aaron Duncan |
| Session 5 Friday, February 20, 2026 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | HLH 204 | Innovating in Insurance Industry and Presentation of Innovation Prototypes by Ameritas Leadership Dr. Steve Olson, Professor Susan Vagts, Dr. Samantha Fairclough, Dr. Sam Nelson |
| Session 6 Friday, April 3, 2026 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. | HLH 202 | Innovation Prototype Presentation Practice Professor Susan Vagts and Heather Clemens |
| Session 7 Friday, May 1, 2026 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. | HLH 202 | Innovation Prototype Presentations and Graduation Professor Susan Vagts and Heather Clemens |
| Project Coaching | 2 hours per team project coaching with Sue Vagts, Dr. Sam Nelson, and Dr. Sam Fairclough |
| Gallup Strengths Coaching | 2 one-hour one-on-one Gallup coaching with your assigned strengths coach |
Learning Objectives
1
Develop the leadership and technical skills supporting career growth in the insurance industry.
2
Work with a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths coach, who will help participants understand professional strengths and how to use them to be a better leader.
3
In small groups, create an innovative solution to a complex problem facing the insurance industry.
4
Develop a network of professionals and Ameritas leaders who share similar leadership goals and principles.
Program Facilitators
Dr. Kathy Castle
Professor of Practice in Communication Studies, UNL
Castle earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication and a Ph.D. in Interpersonal and Family Communication. She studies and teaches in the areas of interpersonal, family, and organizational communication in personal, professional, and civic contexts. Dr. Castle is the current course director for COMM 286: Business and Professional Communication.
Heather Clemens
AMERITAS ACTUARIAL FACULTY FELLOW, SEACREST TEACHING FELLOW, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN ACTUARIAL SCIENCE
Heather Clemens received her Bachelor of Science in business administration with a major in actuarial science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and has over 18 years experience in the actuarial science field. She served as a consulting actuary for Compass Health Analytics, Inc., in Portland, Maine, where she assisted nonprofit managed care organizations with claim liability analysis, rate development, budget development and financial monitoring.
Dr. Aaron Duncan
DIRECTOR OF SPEECH AND DEBATE & PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES, UNL
Dr. Duncan is the director of the award-winning speech and debate team at UNL and Professor of Practice in Communication Studies. His research focuses on public speaking, persuasive messaging, public mythology, and political communication. As a competitor in speech and debate for Nebraska Wesleyan University, Duncan won over 50 tournaments at the collegiate level and was named to the 2003 National All-American Speech Team.
Dr. Samantha Fairclough
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP & ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN MANAGEMENT, UNL
Fairclough earned her Ph.D. in management from the University of Oxford in 2009. Dr. Fairclough has more than 10 years of experience as an environmental lawyer and an entrepreneur. She creates, markets and organizes classes, competitions, seminars, conferences and networking events and is passionate about helping others reach their creative potential and their entrepreneurial ambitions.
Dr. Tim Hodges
Joan Heiser Endowed Presidential Chair, Executive Director of the Clifton Strengths Institute and Associate Professor of Practice in Management
Tim Hodges, PhD is the executive director of the Clifton Strengths Institute, professor in the UNL College of Business, and a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach. He works with individuals and teams to maximize their strengths and increase performance, engagement, and well-being in their education, career, and throughout their lives. His work at Gallup has included leading research projects in strengths development, employee selection and employee engagement with a variety of clients in education and business.
Dr. Sam Nelson
Bauermeister Family Presidential Chair in Entrepreneurship, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, and Professor of Practice in Management
Dr. Samuel A. Nelson has served as director of the Center for Entrepreneurship since April 2015. He joined the College of Business in 2012 as an associate director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and assistant professor of practice in management. His research interests include corporate persona, entrepreneurship education and psychological capital.
Dr. Steve Olson
PRESIDENT, GENERATIVE CONSULTING & ROLLINS PROFESSOR OF EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
Olson has been a pioneering leader in executive education for more than 25 years. He has trained and coached more than 2,000 executives in the United States, Europe and Latin America. His teaching specialties include Innovation, Leadership and Ethics, and he is widely published in leading academic journals including the Harvard Business Review. He teaches innovation, leadership and ethics in MBA, Executive MBA and Executive Education programs. He also has done extensive consulting work with major corporations as well as local and international nonprofit groups.
Susan Vagts
Director of the Actuarial Science Program, Ameritas Actuarial Faculty Fellow, David P. Hayes Chair of Actuarial Science and Professor of Practice
Vagts earned her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with minors in actuarial science and business from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She came to the College of Business in 1999 with more than 8 years of experience in the insurance industry. Vagts worked as a pricing and product development actuary primarily in life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, and disability income insurance. She now serves as director of the Actuarial Science Program. Her teaching interests include Insurance and Individual Risk Management, Theory of Interest, and Actuarial Applications in Practice.
