Executive Director of Online Learning and Strategy Named

Duquesne has named Dr. Michael W. Bridges to fill the newly created position of executive director of online learning and strategy, effective Saturday, Aug. 1. Bridges will be responsible for providing proactive and strategic leadership for the University’s online programs in all disciplines.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Duquesne family,” said Bridges. “I am particularly excited to work with such an outstanding and dedicated community of educational leaders, faculty and staff to help create the very best learning environments for students.”

Working collaboratively with the deans of the University’s nine schools as well as with administrators and staff in the Department of Computing & Technology Services, Bridges will devise and implement a creative approach to online learning that reflects best practices in higher education and positions the University to deliver to new populations of students academic programs that exhibit the distinctive Duquesne character. Bridges will report to Dr. Alexandra Gregory, associate provost for academic affairs.

Bridges is currently executive director of education for Amber-Allen Publishing.

Prior to joining Amber-Allen, he served in a variety of roles at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In addition to regularly teaching courses in social psychology, Bridges has held administrative positions in academic survey research, and in faculty development and assessment. In 2011, he joined iCarnegie Global Learning, L.L.C., as vice president of educational strategy, where he led the development and delivery of educational support programs in settings as diverse as India, Qatar and Kazakhstan.

Dr. Timothy Austin, provost and vice president for academic affairs, expressed enthusiastic support for Bridges’ appointment. “Mike’s strong faculty credentials, the breadth of his experience and his infectious enthusiasm for all facets of eLearning fit him well to advise the leadership in the Division of Academic Affairs as we develop a new generation of identifiably Duquesne programs,” said Austin.

Bridges has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and mathematics from the University of Arizona and holds both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in social psychology from CMU.