Faculty spotlight: Bridget Stomberg, Undergraduate Program Faculty Chair

Bridget Stomberg believes education is transformational. As the Undergraduate Program Faculty Chair, professor of accounting, and Glaubinger Chair for Undergraduate Leadership, Bridget plays a role in the education of many Kelley students.

“Education is a mobilizer, it’s a big contributing factor to economic mobility, particularly for women, people of color, and people coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds,” Bridget said. “Having an education is something that can really change your life. It certainly changed mine.”

Bridget grew up in a single parent household with her mom, who did not go to college. “I didn’t have that benefit of someone navigating me through the process.” It’s something shared by many students today.

After college, Bridget spent seven years in accounting practice at PwC, P.F. Chang’s, and a technology company called Insight Enterprises. After earning her PhD in accounting, she taught for four years at the University of Georgia before a colleague encouraged her to come to the Kelley School in 2017.

“It wasn’t until I arrived at Kelley that I began understanding the concept of ‘hidden curriculum,’ and how we evaluate students based on things we aren’t teaching them—concepts they have to learn from their parents or peers—like how to prepare for class, take notes, or ask for help,” she said. “I realized how much this can disadvantage students who don’t have access to those social ties and support networks.”

Bridget recognized that the traditional teaching practices she’d been exposed to weren’t helping as many people as they could. This became something she wanted to change in her own classroom. She also wanted to educate other faculty who likewise may not have been trained to teach a diverse group of students. She looks for easy-to-implement, practical tips to help faculty create a more inclusive environment for their students, such as using an inclusive syllabus.

“The syllabus is often the student’s first impression of the faculty and course. Academic research shows that if a syllabus has a cold or punitive tone, students go into the class expecting that they won’t do well, and that the professor is going to be unapproachable. It doesn’t put students in a good mindset,” Bridget said. “With an inclusive syllabus, you can break down power dynamics and create a space that’s more welcoming. This doesn’t mean you’re lowering your standards or making the class easier. You can hold students accountable and set boundaries while still making the classroom more inviting.”

In her free time, Bridget co-hosts a bimonthly podcast, “Taxes for the Masses,” with her friend and accounting colleague Lisa De Simone. They break down current events and headlines related to taxes in ways people can understand. And people are listening: episodes gain about 600 downloads. “Whenever I meet somebody who I do not know who listens to it, it’s great!” she says.

As for her time at Kelley, Bridget says among her favorite moments was when graduate accounting students selected her for the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2022.

“That award meant a lot to me because only about 10% of students go into tax careers, so I teach a lot of students who aren’t inherently interested in this subject matter,” Bridget said. “The fact I was able to make that experience enjoyable for them meant a lot to me. I enjoy having opportunities to interact with students, and when I feel like I’ve helped a student or made their day a little bit better, that always makes me feel great.”