Ben Brachle didn’t attend college planning to eventually chair an academic department.
When he enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1998 as a graphic design major, he struggled to find his footing and began questioning his future.
“I worked hard, but I could never quite get my grades where I wanted them. Turns out, I suck at art, and no one ever told me that. I had to learn it the hard way,” the West Point native explained.
A friend’s suggestion and a pivotal conversation with a professor introduced him to industrial distribution. After switching majors, Brachle found his stride, earning a bachelor’s degree in the field.
“Once I switched, I started to thrive academically and enjoyed my classes,” he said. “It finally felt like I was where I was supposed to be.”
He later completed a Master of Business Administration from Bellevue University, a transition-to-teaching certification from UNK and a doctorate in human sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
After working in the field as a territory manager, family circumstances brought him back to Nebraska and into the classroom. Now halfway through his 12th year at UNK, Brachle serves as an associate professor of industrial distribution and chair of the Industrial Technology Department.
Talk about your path to becoming a UNK faculty member:
I was working as a territory manager for Black & Decker in Little Rock, Arkansas, when several family situations pulled my wife and me back to Nebraska. My dad was diagnosed with cancer; my sister was dealing with health issues; and my grandmother passed away. Emotionally, Nebraska was where we needed to be.
Shortly after we moved back, I had another life-changing conversation I remember quite well. I always thought teaching sounded fun, and during a conversation with one of my wife’s cousins, who is a teacher, I mentioned that idea. She immediately said, “You should look into it. I think you’d be great at it.” So, after looking a bit into it, I discovered UNK’s former Transition to Teaching Program (now the online Transitional Certification Program), which allowed me to earn a provisional license and teach while taking classes.
Through a connection, I spoke with an HR professional at Omaha Public Schools who told me my industrial distribution degree qualified me for both business and industrial technology endorsements. As luck would have it, she needed two part-time teachers in both areas, so they got me instead. She made me full time. A few weeks later, I was in the classroom.
Early in my teaching career, I attended a Nebraska Department of Education training on career clusters. When the presenter mentioned that the transportation, distribution, warehousing and logistics (TDWL) cluster was mostly limited to auto mechanics, I saw an opportunity. Along with a colleague, we developed one of the first TDWL-focused programs in the state. Industry interest was strong, and the program took off.
That work led to consulting opportunities nationwide, involvement with federal grants and collaboration with organizations like the Maryland Department of Education and Chicago Public Schools. I also helped Millard Public Schools launch their Distribution and Logistics Management Career Academy, providing college courses in the subject to secondary students. Eventually, I became a lead teacher in that academy and an adjunct instructor at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha.
I had a great experience teaching these MCC classes and began looking into what it would take to teach at the university level. I had already earned my MBA, and earning a Ph.D. sounded interesting to me. Then, the industrial distribution faculty position opened at UNK. I really enjoyed my undergraduate experience here, so I applied. I always joke that they couldn’t find who they wanted, so they got me instead. But that was just fine. I would embrace the opportunity.
UNK showed me the path to earning a Ph.D. while being a lecturer. It took some long days and perseverance, but I completed the degree. Eventually, I was given the opportunity to be on the tenure track and coordinate the industrial distribution program.
How do you incorporate your previous career experiences into your teaching today?
My experience in industry really helps bring the concepts I teach to life. It gives me a practical perspective on what knowledge truly matters and the level of rigor students need to be successful after graduation. I regularly draw on real-world examples and stories from my career to add context, make the material more relatable and help students better understand how what they’re learning applies beyond the classroom.
What classes do you teach?
During my time at UNK, I have taught a variety of classes, but currently I teach Industrial Distribution Branch Operations, Purchasing for Wholesale Distribution, Industrial Distribution Seminar and Leadership for Business and Technology.
What are your responsibilities as chair of the Industrial Technology Department?
My primary responsibility is to ensure the department runs smoothly and that both faculty and students have what they need to succeed. That includes a lot of things like managing departmental budgets, evaluating faculty, working with students to resolve issues, overseeing accreditation and helping programs continuously improve and update their curriculum. At the core, my role is to support the people in the department and then get out of their way.
What is unique about UNK’s industrial distribution program?
The whole program is unique. The industrial distribution program’s mission is to prepare students for careers in technical sales and leadership positions within manufacturing and distribution. We are one of the top industrial distribution programs in the nation. I can say that confidently because we’re also one of the only industrial distribution programs in the country.
More importantly, since it started in 1989, the program’s graduate placement rate has consistently been at or near 100% year after year. In fact, all programs in the Industrial Technology Department achieved a 100% placement rate last year. I like to say we can’t graduate students fast enough to keep up with industry demand. Company representatives routinely fly over Big Ten and Big 12 schools to come to UNK and hire our students. It’s a smaller campus, but a big education.
What do you love most about UNK?
The people, without a question. UNK has incredible faculty and staff, and I’ve had countless positive interactions over the years. I’m especially impressed with the people in my department and college, as well as the colleagues I’ve worked with across campus. There are too many great examples to name, which really says it all.
Share something unique about yourself:
My wife and I have five children ranging in age from 9 to 19, which means life is rarely quiet and never boring. As a family, we enjoy camping, fishing and spending time at the lake whenever we can. We love the outdoors. I also enjoy music. I play five different instruments, with the violin being my primary one.
