Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kenneth Heckel will become director of the Office of Military & Veterans Affairs (OMVA) at the University of Notre Dame, effective Apr. 10.
Kenneth Heckel
Heckel is currently director of regional development at Notre Dame. Previously, he has been director of academy advancement, assistant professor of economics, and officer accessions program manager at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Graduating from Notre Dame’s Army ROTC program, Heckel served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina as a member of the Army’s finance corps; and held two command assignments at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Heckel has been given the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, the Combat Action Badge, and the Senior Parachutist Badge.
“Even in his previous role in development, Ken has been a resource for OMVA and Notre Dame students associated with our military,” said Rev. Robert A. Dowd, vice president and associate provost for interdisciplinary initiatives. “He has been instrumental in securing current and future funding for the office, and has worked to develop relationships with students, faculty, alumni and external partners at the Department of Defense, the military academies and other universities.”
Heckel holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Notre Dame and a master’s degree from the University of Virginia.
