Service after serving: Koehler Slagel's impact on student leadership
When Koehler Slagel steps into the classroom, he shares lessons drawn from beyond a business degree. For applying his military experience to the classroom, the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation recently named him one of ten nationwide recipients of the 2026 Everyday Hero Award.
The award, presented in partnership with USAA, honors veterans who make invaluable contributions in their transition to the civilian workforce.
Before entering academia, Slagel served in the United States Marine Corps from 2004 to 2012, where he worked as a communications chief and gained the rank of sergeant. That background shaped his approach to education and leadership at Virginia Tech.
Slagel now serves as an assistant professor of practice in the Pamplin College of Business, and his courses focus on helping students develop the critical thinking, confidence, and entrepreneurial skills to navigate today’s challenging and uncertain business world.
"Professor Slagel was one of the best professors I've had during my time at Virginia Tech," one student wrote in a recent course evaluation. The student also added, "His structure, expectations, and support created an environment where it felt possible to succeed in a course that many students find challenging."
In addition to his work in the classroom, Slagel is the academic coordinator for Innovate, one of over twenty Living Learning Programs at Virginia Tech. These communities provide students with immersive residential experiences tailored to their career and academic goals or shared cultural interests.
Innovate in particular focuses on allowing students to explore entrepreneurship as a shared community. In his academic coordinator role, Slagel creates opportunities for students to explore entrepreneurship through experiential learning, and they receive dedicated career mentorship exceeding what they might receive from class alone.
"Koehler Slagel exemplifies the spirit of SHRM's Everyday Hero Award through his leadership, service, and meaningful impact on students and faculty in the Pamplin College of Business," said Michelle M.H. Şeref, Pamplin’s associate dean of undergraduate programs and a collegiate professor of business information technology.
Slagel’s professional background also includes founding the companies Not Average Inc., and Branded78, through which he has served as a consultant and fractional chief marketing officer for various startups and nonprofits.
These external ventures allow him to bring current business challenges directly to his students as case studies and instructional material. He helps them understand not just the theory behind their lessons, but the practical "why" behind the concepts.
"I'm honored and grateful to be recognized as one of the Top 10 recipients of the 2026 Everyday Hero Award from the SHRM Foundation, in partnership with USAA. I'm grateful to be recognized alongside such an incredible group of veterans," Slagel said.
For Slagel, the transition to higher education was a way to find a new mission of service. He continues to live out Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), through every student he mentors. His journey shows that leadership is not defined by a career but by the commitment to using his life experience to help others succeed.
Said Wendy Glass, adjunct professor in Virginia Tech's Department of Management: "Through my teaching at Virginia Tech, I've witnessed his profound dedication firsthand. He is the first to raise his hand to help a colleague, and he never shies away from a challenge.”
