Biography
Dr. Kevin Wesley joined the College of Business team in 2016 as an Assistant Professor of Practice in Management. Dr. Wesley’s doctoral research focused on identifying the factors that motivate workers. His research applied a leadership and motivation model developed by Frederick Herzberg to assess the motivation level of workers at a manufacturing company in Lincoln, Nebraska. In addition to Herzberg’s research approach, Dr. Wesley developed a mixed-methods research design incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods that analyzed and merged data from interviews, observations, and surveys. Prior to his appointment to the College of Business, he was an Adjunct Professor teaching Public School Law, and served as the Title IX Deputy Coordinator for UNL.
Dr. Wesley teaches Employment Law (undergraduate and graduate levels), Human Resource Management, Introduction to Leadership and Management (Business Majors / Minors / Honors Academy), and Organizational Behavior. He is also the Faculty Leader for the International Study Abroad program in Aixe-en Provence, France, and the Faculty representative for the Student Ethics Board.
Previously, Dr. Wesley (Commander Wesley) served 24 years as an active duty Naval Flight Officer flying the EA-6B Prowler, an aircraft carrier-based jet, and completed multiple combat deployments to various locations. In his final operational deployment as a Fleet Marine Force Qualified Officer, he was embedded with the 2/25th and 1/8 Marines conducting both security and Iraqi First missions in western Iraq. In addition to operational duties, Dr. Wesley served on the European Headquarters Command staff in Stuttgart, Germany and was a direct adviser to the Commander, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) as a Non-Strategic Nuclear Force officer. His final active duty assignment brought him to “The Good Life” as the Executive Officer of the Navy/Marine Corps ROTC Unit, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from UNL’s Education Administration Department. Following his retirement from active duty, Dr. Wesley earned his J.D. from Creighton University School of Law while interning with the Lancaster County Prosecutor’s office. Dr. Wesley is a licensed attorney and member of the Nebraska State Bar.