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From Salad Bowl to Physics Lesson

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:31:33 +0000

From Salad Bowl to Physics Lesson BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 06/09/2026 - 10:31

��רע��Ʒ�� instructor grows special cucumber to illustrate lesson

June 10, 2026

Brian Benson, G'23

Most people view cucumbers as an ingredient on their salad. Paul Fredette sees cukes as a tool for teaching physics.

Determined to bring real-world examples into the classroom, Fredette grew a special variety called the “squirting cucumber” in partnership with BSU’s Greenhouse. The plant, which is inedible, launches its seeds more than 30 feet at a velocity of around 45 miles per hour.

“I just happened to see an article, and it turned into a direct connection to a lesson plan on projectile motion [for an introductory physics class],” said Fredette, who brought his students to the Greenhouse to see the plant. “I try to relate the material, not just teach it.”

Fredette became a part-time instructor after retiring from a long career in telecommunications. He served as an engineer in the Navy before leading startup companies that made modems and developed video conferencing technology.

Now, he is thrilled to be teaching physics, electronics, computer networking, and math classes at ��רע��Ʒ��. His students appreciate his unique instructional approach and infectious positivity.

“He’s got a contagious laugh, and he’s a very optimistic guy, and that makes me feel really good,” said aviation science (flight and management concentration) major Charlie Gruetzner, ’27, who took the introductory physics class with Fredette. “He gives me the confidence because he teaches; he doesn't really critique.”

Growing the cucumber was a first for Greenhouse manager Emma Welch, who encourages professors from across the university to incorporate the facility into their classes.

“Any class can utilize the Greenhouse, either to inspire students or directly support what the students are learning,” she said.

That willingness to collaborate is emblematic of what Fredette sees across BSU.

“There is a remarkable vibe around Bridgewater State,” he said. “It’s a credit to the whole organization that we do, in fact, connect with each other.”

Before the Greenhouse visit, students gathered in a nearby outdoor classroom as Fredette explained how the cucumber releases its seeds at the ideal 45-degree angle to maximize distance. On another day, he used a miniature trebuchet – a medieval siege weapon that used a counterweight and swinging arm to hurl heavy projectiles at long range – to launch objects across a classroom.

These demonstrations left a lasting impression on Victoria Hunt, ’28, an aviation science major (flight concentration).

“Hands-on learning has always been a great way for me to understand concepts,” Victoria said. “Seeing how it’s applied in the real world is great because everyone asks that question ‘Why does it matter?’ Well, because it's all around you.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Hands-on learning has always been a great way for me to understand concepts. Seeing how it’s applied in the real world is great because everyone asks that question ‘Why does it matter?’ Well, because it's all around you.

Victoria Hunt, ’28

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Photo by Jane Sitek Shaver, '28

Professor Honors Pioneering African American Poet

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:09:53 +0000

Professor Honors Pioneering African American Poet BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 03/12/2026 - 09:09

Dr. Emily Field was a featured speaker at unveiling of new Black Heritage stamp

March 12, 2026

Brian Benson, G’23

A stamp can be viewed as a soon-forgotten transactional item. But Dr. Emily Field hopes the U.S. Postal Service’s new Phillis Wheatley stamp sparks people’s curiosity.

The stamp, which is part of the USPS’s Black Heritage series, honors the first published African American author.

During the stamp unveiling, Field spoke to an audience gathered at the Old South Meeting House in Boston, the place where Wheatley was baptized and attended church services.

“I was honored to be part of an event for an author who I admire and have been really interested to study,” said Field, a BSU English and African American studies professor. “I think she has so much to teach us.”

The study of African American history and literature, she added, “is deeply enriching and ennobling to everybody.”

Field said she started researching Wheatley because her story is so compelling for BSU students. Born in West Africa and brought to Boston on a slave ship, Wheatley became a renowned colonial-era poet. As leaders such as Samuel Adams decried Great Britain’s heavy-handed rule that made colonists metaphorical slaves, Wheatley drew attention to the actual slaves living in the colonies. She published her poetry in 1773, the same year that she was freed from slavery.

“She is both a survivor of the Middle Passage (slave trade) and someone who was deeply read,” Field said. “She really changes the way students think about African American literary tradition and about slavery.”

Students in Field’s African American Literature 1 class respond to the joy and beauty in Wheatley’s poetry as she describes society and reflects on herself and God.

“The way she viewed the world despite her circumstances is the thing I’m most taking away from her,” said Rachel Moore, a secondary education and English major and psychology minor. “You can tell she was very appreciative of the world around her.”

Albert Dumont, ’27, also a secondary education and English major, appreciates Wheatley’s perseverance.

“She was taken at such a young age (from her parents) and sold into slavery, and yet she wrote such beautiful work,” he said. “She clearly is extremely well-educated in terms of religion and the classics.”

Albert and Rachel, who plan to become high school English teachers, credit Field with inspiring their future lessons. Albert appreciates the diverse views expressed during class as students share unique perspectives on literature.

Rachel hopes to teach her future students about Wheatley and other underrepresented authors. She praises the class for introducing her to the true breadth of American literature.

“In high school, the literature canon is old, white, rich men,” she said. “Bringing in people who do not fit that is so important because representation matters.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I was honored to be part of an event for an author who I admire and have been really interested to study. I think she has so much to teach us.

Dr. Emily Field

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English Professor’s Book Lands on Three Best of 2025 Lists

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 15:25:40 +0000

English Professor’s Book Lands on Three Best of 2025 Lists BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 01/28/2026 - 10:25

In Abbreviate, Dr. Sarah Fawn Montgomery explores the injustices of girlhood

January 29, 2026

Brian Benson, G'23

For her newest book, Dr. Sarah Fawn Montgomery turned to a genre and topic that especially resonates with her Bridgewater State students.

Abbreviate, a collection of short essays written in the style of lyric flash prose, explores the injustices girls face by drawing on stories from Montgomery’s experiences and those of her family and friends.

“I learn a lot about being a teacher by being a writer,” the associate professor of English said. “I have a lot of students who are really interested in flash (as a genre). It’s what they want to read and what they want to write.”

Abbreviate has been well received by readers who connect Montgomery’s stories to their own lives. Literary Hub, the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, and the Independent Book Review all included the book on their “best of 2025” lists.

Kirkus Reviews called Abbreviate, “an intense, unflinching and sometimes-dispiriting analysis of gender roles. … Montgomery grapples with the complexities of being a woman in a patriarchal society.”

“I was pleasantly and wonderfully surprised,” Montgomery said of making the best-of-the-year lists. “There are so many books that were published. I wasn’t expecting it would be recognized in this way.”

Lyric flash prose combines the structure of prose with the compactness, emotion and imagery of poetry. In her essays, which she describes as short enough to read on the train or between classes, Montgomery writes about issues such as domestic violence and sexism.

She writes how injustices make girls and women feel exceedingly small, as if their stories don’t matter. She also explores how girlhood can be saved through, as she writes in the book’s description, “the communal care of fierce female friends.”

The author hopes the book encourages readers to value even the small stories in their lives and helps girls become unafraid to speak up and exercise their voices.

“We’re seeing a lot of women’s rights being rolled back politically and socially, but also the right to speak up, the right to even voice a story,” Montgomery said. “I want to tell young people they have a tremendous amount of wisdom. Young people have a tremendous amount of voice.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

We’re seeing a lot of women’s rights being rolled back politically and socially, but also the right to speak up, the right to even voice a story. I want to tell young people they have a tremendous amount of wisdom. Young people have a tremendous amount of voice.

Dr. Sarah Fawn Montgomery

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Calming Effect

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 22:05:44 +0000

Calming Effect BBENSON@bridgew.edu Mon, 11/03/2025 - 17:05

Professor studies effectiveness of Plymouth County comfort dogs

November 4, 2025

Brian Benson, G'23

When a BSU student experiences a traumatic event, police officers often meet them with a four-legged companion. That pal is Mikey, a trained comfort dog whose presence creates a calming effect.

“Having Mikey there helps them feel a little bit better and tell us what happened,” said BSUPD Detective Capt. Robert McEvoy, who has been Mikey’s handler since the American black Labrador retriever arrived at BSU in 2022. “She’s there to assist.”

Mikey (along with fellow BSU canine Zach) is part of a team of comfort dogs that supports communities in Plymouth County through an initiative organized by the District Attorney’s Office. The dogs often work together when attending community events or responding to a major crisis affecting a school.

With funding from federal grants, Associate Professor Leslie Sattler of the School of Social Work is studying the effectiveness of the comfort dog program. Preliminary results from four school districts are positive: 85 percent of students said officer-comfort dog teams made them feel safe in school while 83 percent reported that the teams made them feel calm when stressed. Parents and school staff said the program motivated students to attend classes.

“People across the board really like having the officers paired with the dogs,” Dr. Sattler said, noting the program enhances communication and trust. “They feel like it humanizes the officers and helps build relationships.”

Sattler gravitated toward this project because of her longstanding interest in alternative therapies. She provided adventure and wilderness-based therapy and dedicated much of her career to working with adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system.

“For me, it’s all about how can we improve community policing so people see officers as a resource instead of someone to fear,” she said.

Some BSU students even met Mikey when they were in high school and rekindled that connection in college.

“We’re developing relationships with our students before they are even our students,” McEvoy said.

Earlier this fall, McEvoy presented at the New England Association of Chiefs of Police conference, where he spoke about the positive difference Mikey makes on campus.

“There’s no judgement from the dog,” he said. “It’s unconditional love.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

People across the board really like having the officers paired with the dogs. They feel like it humanizes the officers and helps build relationships.

Dr. Leslie Sattler

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BSUPD

New Addition

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:58:19 +0000

New Addition BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 10/14/2025 - 10:58

Alumna returns to BSU as math instructor

October 14, 2025

Brian Benson, G'23

When Jill Milton, ’94, arrived at Bridgewater State as a freshman, she had the passion to become a teacher but lacked the skills to first be a successful student.

Bridgewater, she recalled, was the perfect place for a first-generation student like her to grow academically.

“Bridgewater was well prepared to help me improve my writing and my research skills,” said Milton, who studied early childhood education. “I learned how to problem solve and time manage.”

Three decades later, Milton is back at her alma matter as a part-time instructor teaching math for aspiring elementary school educators. Her class helps students understand fundamental concepts at a deeper level, preparing them to effectively teach math in their careers.

Most of her students are in their first semester of college and remind Milton of herself as a college student.

“I have a lot of gratitude for what Bridgewater gave me,” she said. “I have a perspective now where I have the ability to help students as they transition from high school to college and build those skills they need.”

Milton encourages students to utilize the numerous academic and social emotional supports available on campus. She hopes to inspire them just as her professors left an indelible mark on her through their enthusiasm and commitment.

Milton credits an introduction to college class with establishing the foundational skills she lacked. While she initially had a low GPA, she became acclimated to a college environment and worked hard to steadily improve.

As she took classes within her major, she tapped into a longstanding passion for working with children. While growing up, Milton enjoyed spending time with her younger cousins and being a babysitter. As a Bridgewater student, she appreciated hands-on experiences in which she worked closely with Brockton youngsters.

“I remember leaving there and being a bit emotional,” she said. “I started to realize the opportunity I would have as a teacher working with students and having an impact on their learning.”

Milton began her career as an elementary school teacher and advanced to an administrator specializing in mathematics curriculum, data analysis and teacher professional development. Seeking more flexibility in her work life, Milton now runs a math tutoring business and teaches college classes.

She relishes the full-circle moments she experiences whenever she returns to her alma mater, a university she said was the essential backbone for all of her professional accomplishments.

“I love Bridgewater and its campus,” Milton said. “It’s a special place.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Bridgewater was well prepared to help me improve my writing and my research skills. I learned how to problem solve and time manage.

Jill Milton, ’94

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Cool Podcast

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 14:25:25 +0000

Cool Podcast BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 07/03/2025 - 10:25

English professor’s podcast teaches students about Icelandic sagas

July 10, 2025

Brian Benson, G'23

Dr. John Sexton had his students in mind when he recorded his first podcast episode about Icelandic sagas. A dozen years and more than 3 million downloads later, it’s safe to say the “Saga Thing” show has an audience far beyond the classroom.

The series is a collaboration between the BSU English professor and his graduate school classmate, Dr. Andy Pfrenger of the University of Mississippi. They planned to have students listen to episodes as homework in order to focus class meetings on discussions rather than lectures.

“We didn’t realize at first that anyone else would be listening,” said Sexton, who still uses the podcast as originally intended despite its much broader reach. “A few months in, we first started getting comments on the episodes and it just rolled from there.”

Sexton and Pfrenger are working through 40 Icelandic sagas. The narratives chronicle the lives of Icelanders mostly in the ninth through 11th centuries. The sagas share the struggles of early Icelandic settlers and include adventures in foreign lands. They provide detailed histories of specific regions and families.

Each saga spans multiple podcast episodes as Sexton and Pfrenger review major characters and offer their thoughts on topics such as the best bloodshed, best section of dialogue and most creative nicknames. They sometimes touch on archeological findings, sailing techniques, cooking and a host of other topics. Listeners offer their own insights through a Discord community. Sexton has a scholarly focus on disability studies while Pfrenger investigates topographical data of the sagas.

Sexton traces his interest in sagas to his childhood when he received a book of Norse mythology as a gift and became enthralled by the tales. He continued to pursue ancient writings by exploring medieval literature in graduate school and now podcasting.

“This very much reoriented the way I think about scholarship. The point of scholarship is about communication,” Sexton said. “The podcast became a much more public-facing way to produce scholarship.”

Sexton offers his Bridgewater State students the same opportunity to express their academic work in unconventional ways. In an upper-level English class about the sagas, students even produce their own podcasts.

“I’m giving them a chance to take ownership of their thought process and scholarship in ways that aren’t just writing another paper,” he said, adding, “I’m hoping to teach my students not just literature, but the excitement about the literature.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I’m giving them a chance to take ownership of their thought process and scholarship in ways that aren’t just writing another paper. ... I’m hoping to teach my students not just literature, but the excitement about the literature.

Dr. John Sexton

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Teaching and Showing

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:20:10 +0000

Teaching and Showing HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Mon, 04/28/2025 - 10:20

Cambridge art exhibit features work by two faculty members

April 29, 2025

Heather Harris Michonski

Now through May 17, members of the ��רע��Ʒ�� community can travel to the Photography Resource Center (PRC) in Cambridge, where BSU art professors Douglas Breault and Amy Lovera’s work is on display as part of the PHOTO/FACULTY exhibit curated by Catherine LeComte Lecce.

“To be part of this exhibit, to be included with so many amazing artists, I feel honored,” said Lovera, an associate professor in the department.

The show features the work of 52 photography faculty members from 14 institutions. The work ranges from conceptual explorations to documentary storytelling. According to PRC’s online description, the exhibit is intended to honor educators who shape the future of photography through their dual roles as artists and mentors.

“Sometimes being a professor or artist can feel isolating,” Breault said. “To be brought together through this exhibit, it’s revitalizing to see how others approach things. It offers us a chance to share ideas and take suggestions that help to keep that creative energy flowing.”

"18 Wishes"

Lovera’s piece featured in the exhibit, “18 Wishes” was created using an older process where an object is placed on top of photographic paper then exposed to light to create a “white” shadow. The 16 X 20 piece is part of a larger “Securing Shadows” series that Lovera has been working on for the past four years.

“The whole series is about childhood from my perspective as a mom. The temporality of childhood,” she said.

Instructor Breault’s piece, “Slow Swirl at the Edge of the Sea” focuses on the idea of memory, how things change, evolve, and fade over time. He created it as the pandemic began to slow down and his son was just a newborn.

“I was in this period where I was alone and up at night a lot, thinking about how to make things, what happens when I have reflections with mirrors and manipulate scenes,” Breault said.

Aside from having their work featured, both professors look forward to networking with the other artists, many of whom they admire and respect and bring new ideas, generated from conversations, back to their BSU classrooms.

“Our photography program at Bridgewater is unique,” Lovera said. “We have a large dark room, something that not a lot of universities have anymore.”

Located in Hunt Hall, the department also features newer equipment, which allows students to work fluidly between the digital world and other photography techniques.

"Slow Swirl at the Edge of the Sea"

“We spend a lot of time teaching multiple media practices,” Lovera said. “Our students work physically, digitally…it all helps create something magical, an alchemy.”

Breault said he looks forward to bringing new ideas back to his students, that were created through conversations with the other faculty-artists featured in the exhibit.

“We get to use photography as a communication tool. To tell stories and learn from each other. The challenge is to keep it innovative, to have the ability to engage and respond with students in real time,” he said. “I look forward to helping students figure out their own path, being able to use my knowledge to help them figure out what they want to be.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

We get to use photography as a communication tool. To tell stories and learn from each other. The challenge is to keep it innovative, to have the ability to engage and respond with students in real time.

Douglas Breault

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Photo by Benjamin Eng

Photographic Memories

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 12:44:28 +0000

Photographic Memories BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 09/19/2024 - 08:44

Instructor uses art to help youngsters deal with loss

September 19, 2024

Brian Benson, G'23

As a summer camp photographer, Doug Breault, ’12, captures the pure joy of kids at play. But for the children he typically photographs, joy can be an emotion that too often feels distant.

Breault volunteers for a program that serves children who are grieving the death of a loved one – a feeling he knows all too well.

“When I was a Bridgewater student and I lost my dad, I realized the only thing that made me feel better was helping other people,” said Breault, who earned a degree in studio art from Bridgewater State and now teaches part-time at his alma mater.

That’s exactly what he has done for the past two summers at a Maine camp for boys who have lost a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. The program is part of Experience Camps, a nonprofit that operates across the country.

Breault documented traditional camp activities and poignant moments where campers reflected on their experiences. Just as important, he became an empathetic mentor ready to listen to the campers and help them grow.

“It’s really challenging to be in an environment where every kid has had this impactful loss,” he said. “They’re trying to regain some social confidence, try new skills, and even just talk about it at first.”

Breault faced similar challenges after his father died by suicide. Instead of summer camp, he found comfort in Bridgewater State art classes, where his artistic endeavors became an outlet for his grief.

“I never took an art class before coming to Bridgewater,” said Breault, who initially explored writing and psychology as potential majors. “I took photography as an elective and I realized I was spending more time on that class than the others. I haven’t looked back since.”

Breault earned a master’s degree in fine arts from Tufts University and returned to Bridgewater in 2018 to teach. He’s a professional interdisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in photography but includes other media. Breault is also exhibitions director for the Cambridge nonprofit Gallery 263.

He models his teaching after his experience in Professor Mary Dondero’s BSU classes. Like Dondero, he helps students become self-guided learners who are not dependent on someone else to tell them the answer.

“My goal is for students to be independent problem solvers navigating their ideas and experiments,” he said. “Failure is part of the learning curve. It’s okay to make something that’s not your favorite piece of artwork, but you can learn from that.”

As a Bridgewater student, Breault also found solace through community service activities as part of the alternative break program.

“Just by helping other people ... you’re more proactive in your grief,” Breault said. “That was a major outlet to feel like I’m doing something.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

(At BSU,) I took photography as an elective and I realized I was spending more time on that class than the others. I haven’t looked back since.

Doug Breault, ’12

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Photo by Kristen Mallen

Lessons Beyond Class

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 18:32:36 +0000

Lessons Beyond Class HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Fri, 04/19/2024 - 14:32

Professor Misti Neutzling’s devotion to students recognized with state award

April 23, 2024

Heather Harris Michonski

Since arriving at ��רע��Ʒ��, Professor Dr. Misti Neutzling has made it her mission to support students beyond the classroom.

“I really love helping students beyond the (academic) content,” she said. “It boils down to the fact that I deeply, genuinely care about the presence of each student and their future. I get in early and leave late so I can help them. I love that part. It makes me excited to drive to campus each day.”

Neutzling’s above-and-beyond attitude was recently recognized when she was selected as the Massachusetts Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Honor (MAHPERD)Award recipient. The Honor Award is given to someone who has made significant strides in the association’s areas of focus.

Dr. Karen Richardson, professor and chairperson of the College of Education and Health Sciences, will accompany and introduce Neutzling at the annual MAHPERD awards banquet on April 28. As a colleague of the honoree, Richardson said the recognition is deserved.

“Misti is caring, she has high expectations for herself and her students,” Richardson said. “She has dedicated her time to helping students learn within our program and has established herself as a leader at BSU and in our health kinesiology department.”

Originally from Florida, Neutzling played volleyball at Florida Southern College where she earned her undergraduate degree. She also holds a PhD from the University of Northern Colorado.

She started her career in education as a high school teacher and coach before transitioning to higher education.

In every role, her goal has been the same, to help her students reach their full potential.

“One thing I really dedicate a lot of my time to and attention to, is to be thoughtful and try to understand who my learners are,” she said.

For example, Neutzling said this generation is very tech savvy. They want information expedited and expect answers to be delivered immediately.

“Sometimes I lean on them to better understand certain things, to get to know them in a way so I can create experiences for them that maximize their strengths,” she said.

Relationship building is also key when it comes to better understanding her students.

“I truly work to get to know each student on a level beyond their name, to develop meaningful relationships with them,” she said. “Students appreciate that. They are more excited to come to class when you care about them.”

To be acknowledged for her work has been humbling and to receive the MAHPERD award serves as motivation.

“We don’t do our jobs to receive praise, but it does feel good. It encourages and inspires me to work even harder and do more,” Neutzling said.

Do you have a BSU story idea you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

We don't do our jobs to receive praise, but it does feel good. It encourages and inspires me to work even harder and do more.

Dr. Misti Neutzling

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Overseeing Success

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:49:38 +0000

Overseeing Success BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 01/17/2024 - 10:49

Award-winning professor mentors future teachers in classroom

January 18, 2024

Brian Benson, G'23

Dr. Adam Brieske-Ulenski’s undergraduate students don’t have to travel far to practice their literacy education skills. That’s because Brieske-Ulenski teaches the Bridgewater State class inside a local elementary school.

“They get to immediately apply (what they study) with elementary students and they have me by their side to provide suggestions and feedback and even to model what it looks like,” said Brieske-Ulenski, a BSU associate professor of literacy education in the Elementary and Early Childhood Education Department, who recently received a national academic award. “I don’t just leave my students to be out in the field. I want to be there with them.”

The American Reading Forum presented Brieske-Ulenski with its Early Career Literacy Scholar Award. The accolade recognizes the impact of Brieske-Ulenski’s research on literacy coaches, who serve as in-house trainers and professional development experts for school districts. But his students know he shines just as much in the classroom.

“I will never forget his friendly support and hearing his calm validation of what I did well and what I could try next in just a matter of a few minutes,” said Elizabeth Cheesman, ’23, adding: “He creates opportunities for students to step outside of a textbook and take control of their own learning experiences.”

Brieske-Ulenski has published 17 academic pieces since he came to BSU in 2017 and presented in front of an international audience of hundreds. School districts use tools he developed, and he discusses his research with Bridgewater graduate students aiming to become reading specialists or literacy coaches.

“My research addresses why literacy coaches do what they do and how we can best support them in their role and also support classroom teachers in delivering high-quality education,” he said.

Attracted to BSU partly because of its close partnerships with K-12 schools, Brieske-Ulenski teaches BSU’s undergraduate reading course at Gilmore Elementary School in Brockton, Ames Elementary in Easton and Wilkins Elementary in Stoughton.

The benefits of these partnerships extend beyond the course. Brieske-Ulenski acts as a professor-in-residence for partner schools as he observes what is happening in classrooms and offers professional development workshops for school staff.

Some of his students even stay in the school district to student-teach or work after graduation.

“My students get to understand the culture. They get to meet teachers and get to meet the administration,” he said. “They’re already starting to develop that professional network and connections because they’re there twice a week.”

The class helped Cheesman find her passion for teaching reading. Cheesman and her peers grew confident in their ability to meet their future students’ individual needs, she recalled.

Now teaching third grade at Lakeville’s Assawompset Elementary School, Cheesman often thinks back to Brieske-Ulenski’s lessons about teaching vocabulary, reading comprehension and writing. She strives to build a safe learning environment just as Brieske-Ulenski does for BSU students.

“He taught me many things as a developing educator,” she said, “but what I remember most today is that he always believed in me no matter what.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

(Brieske-Ulenski) creates opportunities for students to step outside of a textbook and take control of their own learning experiences.

Elizabeth Cheesman, ’23

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