NU, Creighton announce undergraduate program to combat brain drain

The University of Nebraska and Creighton University on Tuesday announced the start of the Nebraska Leaders Program to combat brain drain.

Undergraduate students will be selected from the UNL, UNO and Creighton campuses in a merit-based process including academics, extracurriculars and a Gallup-developed assessment to identify leadership skills and potential. The program will connect them with leadership development opportunities, mentorship, internships and careers. It will start in the fall.

NU President Jeffrey Gold said in a news release that it's an investment in Nebraska’s future.

“By identifying extraordinary talent early on in their collegiate careers and surrounding those students with talented faculty, mentorship, opportunity and purpose, we are creating a clear and compelling reason for our future leaders to build their careers and lives here in Nebraska,” Gold said.

In an interview with Nebraska Public Media News, Gold further said it will help recruit and retain talent in the state.

"The concept of "brain drain" has been a very concerning area for us of losing high-quality people to other states, not just on the coast, but even surrounding states as well," Gold said.

Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, president of Creighton University, said in the news release that most of Creighton’s students come from out of state. He added that connecting with experts and peers makes a difference both for students and for Nebraska.

“Creighton is proud to partner in a program that reflects our mission to educate and nurture future leaders who can shape the communities they serve,” Hendrickson said.

The program will begin as a multiyear pilot, according to the news release. It also includes collaboration from Nebraska’s top employers, which will help to provide mentorship, internship and employment opportunities for the students involved in the program.

Ken Bird, founder and former chief executive officer of Avenue Scholars and former superintendent of Westside Community Schools, will be interim chief executive officer of the Nebraska Leaders program. He told Nebraska Public Media News that he hopes students will benefit from the experience, and that Nebraska will start to address its brain drain problem.

"People are competing to keep their talent home, and they're competing to pull talent away from others in here," Bird said. "I think from the foundational message here on the program is we've stopped talking about it, and we're doing something about it."

Bird said he's excited to be part of the program and provide students with opportunities to connect with their peers and business leaders. The first cohort will have around 50 students, with the hope to grow.

"I don't want anyone to think we have all the answers," Bird said. "We don't, but at least we want to start something and start the dialogue, and start working on it in a very concrete, student-focused manner."

The board of directors includes representatives from several companies with offices in Nebraska, including Kiewit, Deloitte, Gallup and Burlington Capital.