Introduction
Rick Kunkel is an engaging and innovative educator who teaches primarily in the undergraduate program at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. He challenges himself to keep improving his courses with appropriate use of new technologies and innovative teaching methods. He strives to create an energetic and stimulating classroom environment that incorporates use of multiple forms of quizzing, discussion, team based learning, online videos and other appropriate technologies to bring business law concepts to life. Kunkel is committed to delivering courses that challenge his students to do their best work.
Kunkel is a strong advocate for international education. He has served as a faculty director of the London Business Semester in 2004 and 2010, as well as directing three St. Thomas J-Term programs in Australia. He was awarded the university's Distinguished Educator Award in 2007.
Kunkel is active in the St. Thomas shared governance system, serving as the first chair of the Faculty Senate. He also has served as the university's chair of the faculty affairs committee, and has served as the chair of the Opus College of Business curriculum committee for three years.
Kunkel is a St. Thomas alumnus from the class of 1980. He earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1984 and worked in private practice with two firms in the Twin Cities, focusing on real estate law. Before joining St. Thomas as a full-time business law faculty member in 1990, he worked as a program attorney for Minnesota Continuing Legal Education. He recently completed a cybersecurity and privacy law certificate program at Mitchell Hamline Law School in 2017. Kunkel's research focuses on technology law, copyright, privacy, data security, e-commerce, the liabilities of Internet intermediaries and pedagogical research.