The University of St. Thomas community mourns the passing of Associate Professor Mick Sheppeck, whose contributions to the Opus College of Business and to generations of students spanned more than four decades.
Opus College of Business Dean and Opus Distinguished Chair Laura Dunham shared the following:
Mick first joined St. Thomas as an adjunct instructor in 1980 and became a full-time faculty member in 1991, following a successful career in business that included leadership roles in human resources and organizational development at Honeywell Inc. and the National Bank of Detroit. He earned his doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of South Florida, a master’s degree from Western Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University.
Throughout his years at St. Thomas, Mick taught undergraduate and graduate courses in management, organizational behavior, and human resource strategy, including Business for the Common Good and Human Resource Strategy. He loved teaching – his greatest joy came from helping students connect what they learned in the classroom to the complexities and opportunities of the real world. His classes were known for his warmth, practicality and the personal attention he gave to his students’ development.
Mick was a longtime faculty adviser for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) student chapter and took immense pride in supporting students’ professional growth and confidence. His research focused on the links between human capital, organizational alignment, and strategy, and his work appeared in journals such as Human Resource Management, the International Journal of Human Resource Development & Management, and the Human Resource Planning Journal.
Colleagues remember Mick as a deeply collaborative and generous teammate. One faculty member who taught with him in the Executive MBA program recalled how Mick attended every session of the other professors’ courses that semester, so he could weave their content and insights into his own, creating a seamless and integrated learning experience for students. It was a reflection of his humility, respect for colleagues and commitment to collective excellence.
Mick’s service to the college was equally generous. He served as assistant dean of the Division of Executive and Professional Development from 2004-07 and on numerous university and college committees, including as chair of the OCB Faculty Advisory Committee. He was also active in professional organizations such as the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Society for Human Resource Management.
We are profoundly grateful for Mick’s decades of service, his dedication to students and his unwavering collegiality. His legacy lives on in the countless students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched through his teaching, mentorship, and example.
In celebrating Mick’s life, a memorial service will be held on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at St. Jude of the Lake Catholic Church, 700 Mahtomedi Ave., Mahtomedi, Minnesota, 55115.
Please keep Mick’s family and loved ones in your thoughts during this difficult time.
