Ernest “Bub” Kovacs

Ernest Kovacs

Associate Professor of Public and Global Affairs, Coordinator of the Masters of Arts in Student Services Administration International School of Hospitality, Sports and Tourism Management: Sports Management

CONTACT INFORMATION

Courses

• Capstone: Seminar in Strategic Planning Group
• Dynamics for Teams Research Methods
• Human Resources for Sport Organizations
• Youth Sport Administration
• Master Project
• Senior Honors Project

Research

• Alternative Dispute Resolution for Transportation Infrastructure Projects
• Public and Non-Profit Organizational Change
• Planning for Public and Non-Profit Organizations
• Youth Sports Administration
• The Decline of Adult Sport Participation

Education

• BA, Rutgers College Sociology
• Med, Pennsylvania State University-Higher Education
• EdD, Rutgers University-Higher Education Administration

Academic Profile

‘Bub’ Kovacs is an Associate Professor in the SPGA. His research interests are in the area of inter-organizational relationships, alternative dispute resolution, and project partnering. He works with many public agencies including the New Jersey State Police, Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Turnpike, and the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. He has worked with several non-profit organizations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police.

Along with his wife Emma he has served as the Executive Director of the largest youth sailing organization in the world. He has an interest in understanding the decline of participation in adult sports.

Prior to his work at Fairleigh Dickinson University he worked for over 30 years in a variety of settings in the Public Sector. He was formerly the Manager of Training and Organizational Development at the New Jersey Department of Transportation. His work included the development of the Department Strategic Planning Process, Managerial/Executive Performance Management Systems, and Reorganization/Change initiatives. Previously he was a faculty member for the Human Resource Development Institute. As a member of the Management Training Team, his work focused on management and organizational development programs. Instructor for the Certified Public Manager Program and MPA affiliated with Rutgers University.

Earlier in his career, Bub was a public manager for 15 years in a variety of positions in Higher Education. At The College of New Jersey, he supervised the areas of Residence Life, Campus Life, the Student Center, and other student service programs. While a full-time administrator he also taught in the School of Business.

Bub is married to Emma Davis who is recently retired as the Director of Nutrition and Food Distribution for the NJ Department of Agriculture. They have a son Kyle who is an Assistant Professor of Retinal Surgery at Weill-Cornell.