Clifton Strengths Institute Fellows Program
The CSI Fellows Program was created to bring together scholars whose work advances how people grow, lead, learn, and develop others. At the core is a simple belief: intentional investment in people through leadership development, mentoring, teaching, and coaching creates a lasting impact. CSI Fellows are selected faculty members at UNL and other institutions who share our goal to help people and organizations thrive and grow. They bring their own expertise and perspectives to advance research and improve practice.
Applications for the 2027-28 cohort will open at a later date.
Questions of Interest
1.
How can leaders and managers become more effective at developing others?
2.
What makes mentoring, coaching or teaching relationships genuinely impactful?
3.
What developmental experiences create lasting effects on individuals, teams, organizations and communities?
4.
How can research be translated into tools and resources that people put into practice?
About the Program
CSI Fellows serve a one-year term and may be renewed for a second year by mutual agreement. CSI and each fellow will establish specific timelines and deliverables at the start of the term.
Examples of fellows' contribution:
- Original research with clear implications for leadership, mentoring, education, or management
- Evaluating outcomes of CSI's developmental programs
- Teaching or facilitating workshops for students, faculty, or practitioners
- Developing practical tools or training materials that translate research into action
- Mentoring Clifton Builders, Student Strengths Coaches, or other CSI community members
Fellows receive an annual award: half at the midpoint review of the term and half upon successful completion, travel support, recognition, visibility and community.
The Fellows
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Stephanie G. Burrows
Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology
Stephanie Burrows is a counseling psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research examines how contextual and social identity factors shape career decision-making, and how career shocks affect people across the lifespan. She approaches this work from a multicultural framework, with a focus on occupational equity and well-being for groups underrepresented in vocational psychology.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lindsay Hastings
Clifton Professor in Mentoring Research
Lindsay Hastings holds the Clifton Professorship in Mentoring Research at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Her work centers on leadership mentoring, youth leadership, and community leadership development, with a particular focus on how mentoring relationships shape growth.
University College London, UCL School of Management
Anthony C. Klotz
Professor of Organizational Behavior
Anthony Klotz studies employee behavior, retention, and workplace well-being, focusing on how leaders and organizations can better support and develop their people. He is widely known for coining the term "Great Resignation" and is the author of Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why It Matters.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Brett H. Neely, Jr.
Assistant Professor of Management
Brett Neely researches leadership, organizational behavior, and human flourishing, with an emphasis on relational approaches to developing people, teams, and organizations. His work has appeared in Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, American Psychologist, and Leadership Quarterly.
University of California, Irvine
Sarah D. Pressman
Associate Dean & Professor of Psychological Science
Sarah Pressman is a health psychologist and Associate Dean at the University of California, Irvine. Her research examines positive emotions, stress resilience, and the connection between well-being and physical health. She brings rigorous, science-based insight into how flourishing supports healthier lives.
George Mason University
Ali A. Weinstein
Professor of Global and Community Health; Senior Scholar, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being
Ali Weinstein conducts human biobehavioral research on chronic illness and behavioral health, with additional focus on mental health and stress management. As a Senior Scholar at George Mason's Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, she connects health science to everyday well-being.
Selection Committee
Connie Rath, Ed.D.
President, Clifton Foundation
Connie Rath is president of The Clifton Foundation. Her career included research and education leadership. She is invested in the success of CSI and committed to research which includes other organizations studying successes of early leadership talent development.
Jim Harter, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Wellbeing, Gallup
Achiever | Focus | Learner | Relator | Futuristic
Jim Harter has been with Gallup for four decades, primarily leading research that focuses on applied human potential and organizational performance. He is excited about how the CSI Fellows Program will bring new discoveries that will impact workplaces globally.
Liz Codina, MPA
Vice President, Programs, The Sherwood Foundation
As Vice President of Programs at the Sherwood Foundation, Liz Codina leverages philanthropy to support the people, organizations, and partnerships creating opportunity across Nebraska. She oversees a grantmaking portfolio spanning general operating, capital, and program investments while advancing statewide initiatives. Passionate about helping people and communities flourish, Liz is especially committed to growing homegrown talent and building vibrant places where people can live, work, and play to their fullest potential. She is excited to learn from and collaborate with fellow CSI Fellows dedicated to creating lasting impact across Nebraska.
Tim Hodges, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Clifton Strengths Institute
Tim Hodges is the executive director of the Clifton Strengths Institute, the Joan Heiser Endowed Presidential Chair, associate professor of practice in the Department of Management 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.
Winnie Asamoah, M.S.
Assistant Director of Research and Operations, Clifton Strengths Institute
Winnie Asamoah is the Assistant Director of Research and Operations at the Clifton Strengths Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she leads the Institute's applied research and assessment agenda studying how strengths-based education shapes student development, engagement, and post-graduate outcomes. Through the Fellows Program, she hopes to build a community of scholars whose research becomes practical resources that change how people lead, learn, and develop others.
Fellows' Projects
Projects will be posted soon.
