Dr. Bernstein is a professor in the psychology department and has worked at MTSU since 1998. He received a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at Michigan State University in 1996 followed by a postdoctoral research fellowship at Wayne State University. Dr. Bernstein teaches classes in research methods, cognition, sensation & perception, statistics, and reading development. In all these classes, he uses instructional technology to create interactive and engaging experiences for students. He recently developed a flipped classroom version of a research methods class in which students complete interactive lectures online and spend their in-person time working collaboratively in small groups. Dr. Bernstein received the Educator of the Year award from the Stones River Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind in 2014 in recognition of using technology to adapt teaching statistics to students with visual impairments. Dr. Bernstein has also created service-learning experiences for students and has received grants to support this work from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and the Healing Trust. Dr. Bernstein was the co-recipient of the outstanding Experiential Learning Faculty Award in 2017 and the Volunteer of the Year award from Read to Succeed in 2013. Dr. Bernstein is also the faculty and advisor for the MTSU Fencing club and is vice-chairperson of the Tennessee Division of the United States Fencing Association.

Honors & Awards

Member of Graduate Faculty

Faculty Advisor for MTSU Fencing Club

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Farris, E. A., Cristan, T., Bernstein, S. E., & Odegard, T. N. (2021). Morphological awareness and vocabulary predict reading resilience in adults. Annals of Dyslexia, 1-25.  

Bernstein, S. E., Flipse, J. L., Jin, Y., & Odegard, T. N. (2020). Word and sentence level tests of morphological awareness in reading. Reading and Writing, 33(6), 1591-1616.  

Bernstein, S.E., Crooks, C., Pigg, V.L., & Edwards, M. (2017). Community based service learning: Measuring knowledge, behavior and skills following health literacy interventions. Journal of Research and Practice for Adult Literacy, Secondary,and Basic Education, 6(3), 19 - 34.  

Crooks, C., & Bernstein, S. (2014).  Addressing community health care needs by creating service learning partnerships.  Journal of Instructional Psychology, 41, 60 – 63. 

Boulware, B.J., & Bernstein, S.E. (2010).  A comparison of the orthographic knowledge of low-achieving readers with typically developing learners.  Focus on Inclusive Education, 7(4), 1 – 5.  

Bernstein, S.E. (2009).  Phonology, decoding, and lexical compensation in vowel spelling errors made by children with dyslexia.  Reading & Writing, 22, 307-331.  

Sawyer, D. J., & Bernstein, S. E. (2008). Students with phonological dyslexia in school-based programs: Insights from Tennessee schools. In V. Berninger, A. Fawcett, G. Reid & L. Siegel (Eds.), Dyslexia handbook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, p. 312 - 336.  

Bernstein, S. E., & Treiman, R. (2004). Pronouncing a novel grapheme: Effects of positional and phonemic context on children's reading. Memory & Cognition, 32, 905-915.  

Boulware, B.J., & Bernstein, S.E. (2010).  A comparison of the orthographic knowledge of low-achieving readers with typically developing learners.  Focus on Inclusive Education, 7(4), 1 – 5.  

Sawyer, D. J., & Bernstein, S. E. (2002). Do discrepancy models satisfy either the letter or the spirit of idea? In R. Bradley, L. Danielson & D. P. Hallahan (Eds.), Identification of learning disabilities: Research to practice (pp. 457-466). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.  

Bernstein, S. E., & Treiman, R. (2001). Learning a novel grapheme: Effects of positional and phonemic context on children's spelling. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 79, 56-77.   

Bernstein, S. E., DeShon, R. P., & Carr, T. H. (1998). Concurrent task demands and individual differences in reading: Discriminating artifacts from real McCoys. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 24, 822-844.  

Bernstein, S. E., & Carr, T. H. (1996). Dual route theories of spelling to pronunciation: What can be learned from concurrent task performance? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 22, 86-116.  

Reis, H.T., Wilson, I.L., Monestere, C., and Bernstein S. (1990).  What is smiling is beautiful and good.  European Journal of Social Psychology, 20, 259-267.

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VanTrease, T., Martinez, M., Bernstein, S., Davis, T., & Crooks, C. (2022, May). Examining Person and Item-Level Attributes Related to College Exam Performance. Presentation at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science. Chicago, IL.  

Farris, E., Cristan, T. I., Bernstein, S. E., & Odegard, T. N. (2019, July). The contribution of morphological awareness to literacy-based resiliency in college students. Talk presented at the 26th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading. Toronto, Canada.  

Bernstein, S.E., Cooper, J.L., & Odegard, T.N. (2017). Word and Sentence Level Tests of Morphological Awareness in Reading. Poster presented at the 57th annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Vancouver, BC.  

Crooks, C. & Bernstein, S. (April, 2016). Implementing a Service Learning Program to Address Critical Needs in the Community. Keynote presentation at the Tennovation Conference at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN  

Todd, H., Bernstein, S., & Crooks, C. (2015).  Analysis of the Efficacy of a Health Literacy Intervention in Middle Tennessee.  Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Antonio, TX.

Crooks, C., & Bernstein, S. (2015).  Health Literacy Partnership.  Talk presented at the 2015 MTSU Institute of Experiential Learning, Murfreesboro, TN.

Thompson, D., & Bernstein, S. (2012).  Response time effects in the developing lexicon vs. the consolidated lexicon.  Paper presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, July 2012.  

Thompson, D., Bernstein, S., Anderberg, R., Orman, C., & Magne C. (2011).  Contributions of Prosodic Sensitivity and Morphological Awareness to Word Level Reading:  A Perceptual Task Development Study.  Paper presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, July 2011. 

Appleton, T.A., Hood, J.M., & Bernstein, S.E. (2001). How do Children Learn to Read Vowels?  Paper presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA.   

Bernstein, S. E. (2006). Dyslexia educational outcomes. Paper presented at the 5th Annual Tennessee Educational Leadership Conference, Nashville, TN.  

Bernstein, S. E. (2005). Vowel spelling errors by children with dyslexia. Paper presented at the International Dyslexia Association, Denver, CO.  

Bernstein, S.E. (2002). Time Course of Vowel and Consonant Activation in Reading.  Paper presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Kansas City, MO.   

Bernstein, S.E., & Sawyer, D.J. (2007, November).  Is phonology closing the gap? A longitudinal analysis of the progress of 100 students with dyslexia.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Dyslexia Association, Dallas, TX.   

Bernstein, S. E., Sawyer, D. J., & Hodgson, J. M. (2006, November). Students with phonological dyslexia in school-based programs: Insights from Tennessee schools. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Dyslexia Association, Indianapolis, IN.  

Bernstein, S.E., & Treiman, R. (2002).  Do Children Use Consonantal Context When Learning the Pronunciation of Vowel Graphemes?  Talk presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Chicago, IL.  

Bracy, J. C., & Bernstein, S. E. (2001). A Comparison of Spelligy by Dyslexic and Nondyslexic Children. Paper presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA.  

Gajewski, D. A., & Bernstein, S. E. (2001). Early Vowel-Consonant Associations in Word Identification. Paper presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Orlando, FL.  

Sawyer, D. J., & Bernstein, S. E. (2001). Do Discrepancy Models Satisfy Either the Letter or the Spirit of I.D.E.A.? Paper presented at the Learning Disabilities Summit: Building a Foundation for the Future, Washington, D.C.  

Gajewski, D. A., & Bernstein, S. E. (2000). Head and Rime Effects in Sublexical Repetition Blindness. Paper presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, New Orleans, LA.  

McGee, C. L., & Bernstein, S. E. (2004). Consonant Spelling Errors by Children with Dyslexia. Paper presented at the Seventy-sixth annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.  

Morris, R. E., & Bernstein, S. E. (2000). What's in a Sonido?  An Emprical Study of Sound Symbolism in Spanish. Paper presented at the Western Conference on Linguistics, Fresno, CA.  

Bernstein, S. E., Zorzi, M., & Topcu, M. (1999). Effects of consistency on the recognition of consonants an vowels. Paper presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Los Angeles, CA.  

Bernstein, S. E., Zorzi, M., & Topcu, M. (1999). Vowel and consonant activation in reading. Paper presented at the 71st annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.  

Bernstein, S. E., & Treiman, R. (1998). Analogy and Context Sensitivity in Children's Spelling. Paper presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, San Diego, CA.  

Bernstein, S. E., DeShon, R. P., & Carr, T. H. (1997). Concurrent task demands and individual differences in reading: Discriminating artifacts from real McCoys. Paper presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Philadelphia, PA, November 1997.  

Bernstein, S.E. & Carr, T.H. (1995).  Regularity, consistency, and release from competition: Using dual-task naming to figure out phonological assembly.  Paper presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Los Angeles, CA, November 1995.  

Bernstein, S.E. & Carr, T.H. (1992).  Dual-route theories of reading: A horserace of another color.  Paper presented at the meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago IL, April 1992.  

Bernstein, S.E. & Carr, T.H. (1991).  Dual-route theories of reading: When does a concurrent task facilitate pronunciation?  Paper presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, San Francisco, CA, November 1991.

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