History

The roots of the Center for Leadership are in the Undergraduate Leadership Program (ULP), which was founded by Professor Paul Arntson in 1990 with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Under Arntson’s leadership, ULP quickly established itself as a popular academic certificate that brought students together with leaders from all sectors of society and from all walks of life. Professor and Pulitzer Prize winning historian Garry Wills also taught in the program, leading to the 1995 publication of Certain Trumpets: The Nature of Leadership.

Since that time over 2,500 students have participated in ULP. With generous support from the University and the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, ULP grew to work with nearly 170 students annually.

In 2009, the Division of Student Affairs, The Graduate School, and the Provost funded a competitive Leadership Fellowship for advanced Ph.D. students and high potential staff. This allowed the existing program to serve more studentsalso led to the establishment of the Center for Leadership which serves as an umbrella for ULP, the Leadership Fellowship, Leadership Portal, and our other services.

The Center serves students, faculty and others from across Northwestern University. It reports to the Office of the Provost and its academic programs are sponsored by the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

We want to hear from you!

To learn more about our services, or to request a consultation, please contact The Center for Leadership.

Do you have a question?

Have a question about your leadership, or about how to work with another leader? 300 characters maximum

The Center for Leadership serves the Northwestern community. Its academic programs are offered through the McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science.