“Schneider’s Introduction to Public Health: Seventh Edition,” co-authored by a UB faculty member, will be the first glimpse many students have into the world of public health, providing them with an important foundation and acting as the stepping point for their journey in the field.

Jessica S. Kruger, clinical associate professor of community health and health behavior in the School of Public Health and Health Professions, is one of the three main co-authors on the seventh edition of the textbook, which has been nearly three years in the making.

“I was approached by the publisher (Jones and Bartlett) about two and a half years ago and was asked if this was something that I wanted to do,” Kruger says. “They reached out to me because they knew I taught an introductory public health course at UB and had written a textbook with my students in the past.”

Knowing that she needed a diverse group of public health professionals to cover all fields and concentrations, the textbook was a result of collaborative process with co-authors Andy Moralez, assistant professor at St. Lawrence University, and C. Eduardo Siqueira, professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston School for the Environment.

According to the publisher, the textbook covers the foundational knowledge required for undergraduate or graduate public health students, but with a focus on the present day.

“We included emerging topics, like artificial intelligence and health, and how social determinants of health impact aspects of public health, including systematic barriers for those to live a healthy life,” Kruger explains.

She says the co-authors also wanted to ensure the textbook aligned with the objectives of the Council on Education for Public Health so that students can gain an education that meets professional standards. Overall, the textbook puts UB at the forefront of public health programs.

“I think it is neat that I’ve taught this class for years and it informed how we structured and wrote the textbook. I think it also shows that we are leaders in this area, since the publisher identified me as an author. It reflects well on UB’s programs,” she says.

This textbook is available for purchase through Jones & Bartlett Learning.