Feature Stories Alumni: From cranberry fields to classrooms: Monika Schuler ’89, MS ’12 embraces new career paths

CAS and CNHS alumna that now works as nursing faculty
Monika Schuler '89, MS '12
Feature Stories Alumni: From cranberry fields to classrooms: Monika Schuler ’89, MS ’12 embraces new career paths
From cranberry fields to classrooms: Monika Schuler ’89, MS ’12 embraces new career paths

Schuler turned her passion for biology into a nursing educator career, inspiring her to give back to UMass Dartmouth as an Alumni Association member.

For many in the UMass Dartmouth community, Ring Road is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from home, but for Monika Schuler ’89, MS ’12, it was a plane ride across the Atlantic. Born and raised in Germany until she was five, Schuler didn’t land in Massachusetts until her mother married a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Devens in Ayer, MA. Located just 25 miles inland from the coast, Ayer became the place where Schuler’s passion for biology blossomed, leading her to pursue a degree in the field at UMass Dartmouth. 

Schuler never anticipated how deeply UMass Dartmouth would become woven into the fabric of her life. It was here she met her first husband, Mark Weldon ’88, inspired to attend by his father, Harris Weldon ’60, a Bradford Durfee College of Technology graduate. Schuler and Weldon’s children, Evan Weldon ’18 (history) and Janice Weldon ’17 (civil engineering), also became Corsairs, creating a three-generation legacy that would forever bind her to the University.  

“As someone who grew up in a very challenging environment, UMass Dartmouth became my refuge and offered me opportunities I never imagined,” said Schuler. “I just fit in. It was a safe place. It was home. My gosh, I probably knew every single nook and cranny of that library. It just made so much more possible for me than I ever could have imagined.” 

From student to cranberry scientist, to nurse, educator, and researcher, Schuler has never forgotten the university that guided her in discovering not one, but two life-changing callings. 

Knocking on new doors of opportunity 

Fireworms and fruitworms might send most people sprinting for the hills, but not Schuler, who faced them with calm curiosity in countless cranberry bogs. After diving into the world of cranberry biology at Ocean Spray and founding Clean Sweep Cranberry Consulting, she wasn’t just focused on integrated pest management (IPM)—she was pioneering sustainable agricultural practices. 

From advising companies to integrating cranberries into environmental initiatives on Russia’s Sakhalin Island, Schuler's work crossed continents and industries, making a significant impact along the way. But the declining cranberry market altered her career path, prompting an unexpected pivot to nursing and bringing her back to where it all began: UMass Dartmouth. 

Though switching careers felt daunting, Schuler found confidence in her alma mater’s unwavering presence in the SouthCoast. Its stature had only grown to new heights of academic excellence since her undergraduate years, reinforcing her belief that UMass Dartmouth would continue to support her as she chased this new dream of becoming a nurse. After earning her associate’s degree in nursing from Bristol Community College, she returned to Ring Road as a student in 2012 for her master’s degree in nursing, where her passion for biology grew into a broader commitment to helping others, extending beyond hospital walls and into classrooms. 

“As I delved deeper into nursing education, I noticed some instructors instilled more fear than anything else,” said Schuler, who progressed her studies with a PhD in nursing from Northeastern University in 2015. “I remember the constant worry of making a mistake and potentially causing harm to patients. That’s when I thought to myself, there has to be a better way to teach nursing—one that builds confidence instead of fear." 

Schuler knew where she wanted to make a difference and couldn’t think of a better place to launch her nursing education career than UMass Dartmouth, the university that opened more than one door of opportunity for her. In 2016, she joined as a tenure-track College of Nursing & Health Sciences (CNHS) faculty member and now chairs the Community Nursing Department. Her research, influenced by her work with patients experiencing substance use disorder  in the emergency room at St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, MA, focuses on improving care and reducing stigma, having previously secured a nearly $600K grant to develop simulations addressing these issues.  

“Everything just goes back to UMass Dartmouth,’ said Schuler, who has remained so connected to the University that she’s never lived more than 20 minutes from campus since her time as a student and decided to further her involvement by joining the Alumni Association. As a proud member, she is dedicated to helping future generations of Corsairs find success while embodying the transformative mission of the University. “Last year, I attended the Alumni Awards, and I was deeply moved by the incredible stories shared. It made me realize that I have a story to tell and a way to give back, too. 

“Being part of the Alumni Association allows me to go beyond CNHS and spread the word about how truly impactful this institution is,” Schuler continued. “It’s also about honoring my children’s grandfather and leading by example for my own kids. I want everyone to know that if someone like me, who started with so little, can achieve success, then anyone can."