Biography

Michael Bridges, Ph.D., is the Executive Director Online Learning and Strategy at Duquesne University.  In this capacity he is responsible for the strategic vision, institutional resources, and enterprise-wide processes that support all online educational activities.  Prior to joining Duquesne University, Dr. Bridges served as the Executive Director of Education for Amber-Allen Publishing, the Vice President of Educational Strategy for iCarnegie Global Learning, the Director of Faculty Development for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, St. Margaret Hospital, and as the Associate Director for Educational Support at Carnegie Mellon’s internationally recognized Eberly Teaching Center. In his varied roles, he has consulted with hundreds of faculty on issues including curricular design, course development, student culture, motivation, faculty development, educational research design, and online learning. In addition to his expertise in teaching and learning, Dr. Bridges has extensive experience in research design, methodology and analysis. He was the Director of Operations and a Senior Analyst in the Survey Research Program at the University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) at the University of Pittsburgh. He also served as the Project Director and Senior Analyst for two large, federally-funded studies involving young women diagnosed with breast cancer and older men undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgeries.

Dr. Bridges teaches in the Heinz College of Information Systems, Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. He is co-authored of the book, How Learning Works: Seven Research-based Principles for Smart Teaching, which ties the research findings from the scholarship of teaching and learning to practical strategies for successful teaching. He frequently speaks on curricular design, the role of technology in the classroom, innovative approaches to handling difficult learning situations, and creating an intellectually safe environment for learning.

Dr. Bridges earned a Ph.D. in Social Psychology, with a focus on stress and coping, from Carnegie Mellon University