{{for|the United States Air Force general|Thomas E. Kunkel}} '''Thomas Kunkel''' (born September 24, 1955) is an author, journalist, educator and past president of St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.
== Career ==
Kunkel earned his B.A. in political science at the University of Evansville in 1977 and his master's degree in humanities from there in 1979. He spent much of his early career in the newspaper industry, working in editorial and managerial roles for newspapers, including the ''San Jose Mercury News'', the ''Miami Herald'', ''The New York Times'', and ''The Cincinnati Post''.
From 1997 to 2000 he served as editor and director of the Project on the State of the American Newspaper.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tom Kunkel, Dean, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland|url=https://www2.ku.edu/~acejmc/ASCENT/11_2/bios/kunkel.html|publisher=The University of Kansas|accessdate=29 August 2015}}</ref> From 2000 to 2008, Kunkel was dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism and president of the ''American Journalism Review'' at the University of Maryland.
In 2008, Kunkel became the seventh president of St. Norbert College.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Counter |first1=Mike |title=Thomas Kunkel appointed next president of St. Norbert College |url=https://www.snc.edu/news/pressrelease/883/ |website=St. Norbert College |accessdate=13 March 2019}}</ref> He retired from the college in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Counter |first1=Mike |title=St. Norbert President Announces College Retirement Plans |url=https://www.snc.edu/news/pressrelease/2826/ |website=St. Norbert College |accessdate=8 November 2019}}</ref> Kunkel was named CEO of the Year by unanimous vote in the 2015 Council for Advancement and Support of Education District V Chief Executive Leadership Award program.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chief Executive Leadership Award |url=https://www.case.org/districts/district-v-great-lakes/awards-scholarships/chief-executive-leadership-award |website=Council for Advancement and Support of Education |accessdate=8 November 2019}}</ref> The association represents 383 Midwestern colleges and universities.<ref>{{cite web |title=About CASE |url=https://www.case.org/about-case |website=Council for Advancement and Support of Education |accessdate=8 November 2019}}</ref>
Kunkel has authored or edited seven books. His most recent, ''Man on Fire: The Life and Spirit of Norbert of Xanten'', published in 2019 by St. Norbert College Press in association with the Center for Norbertine Studies, was named 2020 Best Book by a Small Publisher in the Catholic Book Awards.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 Catholic Book Award Winners |url=https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.catholicpress.org/resource/resmgr/awards_2020/results/2020_book_awards_winner_list.pdf |website=Catholic Media Association |accessdate=7 December 2020}}</ref> His 2015 book, ''Man in Profile: Joseph Mitchell of The New Yorker'', won the prestigious Sperber Prize from Fordham University for the best media biography of the year.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vergel |first1=Gina |title=Thomas Kunkel's Man in Profile: Joseph Mitchell of The New Yorker wins Sperber Prize |url=https://news.fordham.edu/in-the-news/thomas-kunkels-man-in-profile-joseph-mitchell-of-the-new-yorker-wins-sperber-prize/ |website=Fordham News |date=September 2016 |publisher=Fordham University |accessdate=13 March 2019 |ref=4}}</ref>
== St. Norbert College == In his inaugural speech, Kunkel spoke of maintaining the core values of the Catholic, liberal arts college: reflection, service to others, and a sense of community.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kunkel|first1=Thomas|title=The Education of a Freshman President|url=http://agb.org/trusteeship/2010/marchapril/the-education-of-a-freshman-president|publisher=Trusteeship|date=March 2010}}</ref>
In his nine-year tenure, he oversaw new developments at the college,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Susan |title=The Pursuit of Excellence, Made Real |url=https://www.snc.edu/magazine/2017spring/pursuitofexcellence.html |website=St. Norbert College |accessdate=8 November 2019}}</ref> including the introduction of the Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Liberal Studies graduate programs; the launch of the Donald J. Schneider School of Business & Economics; a partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin; the implementation of a new core curriculum; and the establishment of a biennial academic conference titled “Sport and Society in America” that is co-sponsored by the Green Bay Packers.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}
He raised more than $150 million, resulting in the construction of a new science facility, enhancement of existing campus facilities, an increase in the school’s endowment, additional support to faculty and student programs, and increased financial aid for students.<ref>{{cite web|title=Campaign Priorities|url=http://giving.snc.edu/priorities/|website=Campaign Priorities|publisher=St. Norbert College|accessdate=31 August 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912202853/http://giving.snc.edu/priorities/|archivedate=12 September 2015}}</ref>
During Kunkel’s tenure, the college constructed and renovated facilities, including the Gehl-Mulva Science Center, Michels Commons, Schneider Stadium, the Mulva Library, Gries Hall, the Ariens Family Welcome Center, Todd Wehr Hall and the Cassandra Voss Center.
Kunkel retired in the summer of 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Counter |first1=Mike |title=St. Norbert President Announces College Retirement Plans |url=https://www.snc.edu/news/pressrelease/2826/ |website=St. Norbert College |accessdate=13 March 2019}}</ref> He subsequently completed a biography of the college's founding saint, Norbert of Xanten (1075-1134). ''Man on Fire: The Life & Spirit of Norbert of Xanten'' was published in 2019.
== Works == * ''Genius in Disguise: Harold Ross of The New Yorker'' (1995) * ''Enormous Prayers: A Journey Into the Priesthood'' (1998) * ''Letters From the Editor'' (Editor, 2000) * ''Leaving Readers Behind: The Age of Corporate Newspapering'' (Editor, with Gene Roberts and Charles Layton, 2001) * ''Breach of Trust: A Crisis of Coverage in the Age of Corporate Newspapering'' (Editor, with Gene Roberts, 2002) * ''Man in Profile: Joseph Mitchell of The New Yorker'' (2015) * ''Man on Fire: The Life and Spirit of Norbert of Xanten'' (2019)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{C-SPAN|1012617}}
=== Book reviews === * [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/books/review-man-in-profile-studies-joseph-mitchell-of-the-new-yorker.html?_r=0 New York Times Review of Books] * [https://lareviewofbooks.org/review/progress-stories LA Review of Books] * [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/04/27/the-people-you-meet-books-charles-mcgrath New Yorker] * [https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/man-in-profile-stirs-controversy-over-the-work-of-a-new-yorker-great/2015/04/29/b4eef174-ea98-11e4-9a6a-c1ab95a0600b_story.html Washington Post] * [https://www.cjr.org/first_person/joseph_mitchell_new_yorker.php Columbia Journalism Review]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunkel, Thomas}} Category:American male writers Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Heads of universities and colleges in the United States Category:St. Norbert College people