Returning to Serve

For more than 20 years Bridgewater State University has played a major role in the life of Brian Duchaney, ’02, G’07. This continues with his recent appointment as director of Military and Veteran Students Services.

For the past 14 years, the double bear has been an adjunct English professor, and while he enjoys teaching, Duchaney looks forward to making the transition.

“I love being in the classroom but saw this as an opportunity to help BSU’s military and veteran population,” he said.

Duchaney served in the US Army from 1996 to 2005, reaching the rank of staff sergeant. He understands firsthand how difficult it can be to balance a military career and school. Doing this both as an undergraduate and graduate student, he sometimes struggled.

“I had to handle deployments and disruptions to my education due to my military service,” Duchaney said.

He looks to support students by adding more programming, bringing back the BSU Student Veterans Club, and establishing services for students in need.

“Beyond that I will help our veterans and servicemembers transition from one career to the next so that Military and Veteran Student Services provides a pathway forward toward life beyond BSU,” he said.

Duchaney is most excited about the potential for progress and growth. 

“This position extends beyond the BSU campus and allows me to speak to the community about all that BSU has to offer military veterans, servicemembers and their families,” he said.

One final goal for Duchaney is to change the way some people view veterans overall.

“There is a perception that veterans are broken, that we are all beyond repair, or dangerous or cannot cope with reality. This is not the case,” he said. “Our military service makes up a small part of who we are as individuals. It doesn’t consume our identity in the way that many think it does.”

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