Radford University
Bernd Kupka
Assistant Professor, Special Purpose
Management, Dept of
- Phone:
- (540) 831-2456
- Address:
-
Kyle Hall 378
Box 6954 - Email:
- bkupka@radford.edu
Biography
My name Bernd Kupka. Originally, I’m from (East) Germany. I used to work for the biggest brewery in Germany in HR and International Business.
I like Radford students because they are generally polite, kind, and respectful. I try to mirror that in my interactions with our students.
I teach using experiential education methods. No exams, no textbooks, no test – only real-world experiences. Prove to me and a professional you can do what you’ve learned in the classroom – that’ll get you ready for the professional world.
The best part of my job is when I see the “light go on” in a student’s mind. When I can see how things come together for a student, can see them enjoying the learning and outcomes/success of their work, and when they realize they’ve contributed meaningfully through their projects.
Outside of RU, I enjoy photography, specifically landscape and wildlife photography. It’s the greatest joy for me to photograph the beauty of Yellowstone National Park, or Alaska’s beauty. I hope to make it back to New Zealand in the not-so-distant future. Other photography targets I’d like to visit are: Botswana, Patagonia, and Kamchatka.
Some of my favorite movies are: Dead Poets Society, Braveheart, Dances with Wolves, Good Will Hunting, Pay It Forward, Platoon, Scent of a Woman, Shawshank Redemption, The Great Dictator, The Edge, The Guardian, The Last of the Mohicans, We Were Soldiers, What Dreams May Come.
My favorite TV-Shows are: 1883, Yellowstone, Last Man Standing, Seinfeld, Mom, House, Frasier, Becker, 3rd Rock from the Sun.
Education
Ph.D. in International HR, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
M.S. in Corporate Communication, Radford University, Radford, VA
B.A. in Communication, University of Hawaii at Hilo, HI
Recent Research and Engagement
I am currently engaged in research on improved experiential teaching methods and large scale societal and managerial challenges.
Courses Taught
MGNT 223 Introduction to Human Resource Management
MGNT 322 Organizational Behavior
MGNT 361 Managing Professional Communication & Negotiation
MGNT 452 Business Consulting
MGNT 472 Independent Study
Publications - Journals
Kupka, B. & Westover, J. (2025). Suits - Developing consulting-based service-oriented HR programs to create the next generation of HR professionals. Transformative Social Impact: A Journal of Community-Based Teaching and Research, 1, 1, 1-16.
Witter, R. & Kupka, B (2025). The integrative coherence model (ICM): A multidimensional approach to expanding personal and organizational potential and agency (prepared for Academy of Management Review)
Witter, R. & Kupka, B (2025). Caught in the matrix - Global regularization framework for socio-economic stability (prepared for Academy of Management Review)
Westover, J. & Kupka, B. (2025). Gen Z business student professional competencies: Perceptions of community service-learning partners (prepared for Journal of Experiential Education)
Publications - Chapters
Kupka, B. (2011). Training day - Intercultural communication training for expatriates in German MNCs – The quest to improve intercultural communication competence. In Mariano et al. (eds), International business and Management, Vol 27, The role of expatriates in MNCs knowledge mobilization. pp. 193-228. (ISBN 978-1-78052-112-1–10).
Honors and Awards
2024 Most Influential Teacher in Honors Program at Radford University (voted by honors students)
2023 Most Outstanding Teacher in Davis School of Business & Economics (voted by graduating seniors) at RU
2017 Recipient of the Dan Wilson Community Engagement Award at UVU
2017 TRIO Student Support Service Award at UVU
2016 SHRM Certificate of Recognition at UVU
2013 Recipient of the Civically Engaged Scholar Award at UVU