Dr. Michael (Mike) Bridges is the Executive Director of the University Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. In this role, he is responsible for supporting the university’s efforts to promote excellence in teaching through the implementation of best practices in course design and evidence-based pedagogy, the appropriate use of educational technology, the design and support of effective learning spaces, and innovation and advancement in educational practices in the face-to-face, hybrid, and online learning environments.

To this role, he brings over 30 years of higher education experience, with expertise in faculty development, program architecture and design, course design, educational technology, and online learning. Prior to joining the University of Pittsburgh, Mike was the Executive Director of Online Learning & Strategy at Duquesne University. He was previously the Vice President for Educational Strategy and Excellence at iCarnegie Global Learning and has held leadership roles in faculty development at Carnegie Mellon and UPMC St. Margaret Hospital.

He frequently speaks at other institutions, and his book How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching (co-authored with past colleagues), synthesizes the research on how people learn into a set of fundamental principles that can guide instructors in the design, development, and delivery of their courses. He earned his PhD in Social Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University, where he still teaches a course in survey research design.

Office: 824 Alumni Hall
Email: mbridges@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-383-4281