University at Buffalo: SUNY Honors Faculty Member for Teaching Innovations

In Dr. Jessica Kruger’s undergraduate public health courses, students might be asked to submit a website instead of a traditional paper.

They toss around a small foam box equipped with a microphone to facilitate discussions in large lecture halls. And they’re afforded the opportunity to join a community group on a bicycle ride through a vastly misunderstood Buffalo neighborhood, or assist clients at a health clinic.

It’s these innovative teaching tools, among others, that have earned Dr. Kruger, a clinical assistant professor in the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions, recognition from the State University of New York (SUNY).

Dr. Kruger has been named the recipient of the 2019 Excellence in Instruction Award from the SUNY Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology (FACT2).

FACT2 awards one faculty member from a state operated or statutory campus, and one community college teacher. The Excellence in Instruction Award recognizes faculty members who have incorporated new or existing technology in ways that enhance the curriculum and engage students using methods and strategies that are scalable and adaptable to other settings.

“I’m honored to be chosen for this award. I had an amazing group of people to nominate me, all of which have helped me to become a better teacher,” Dr. Kruger said. “Reflecting on this accomplishment, I realized that my teaching style is a culmination of my mentors from all levels of education.”

Since joining UB in 2017, Dr. Kruger has incorporated a variety of innovative tools into her teaching. She does this without sacrificing student engagement at the expense of technology, even though she teaches some of the largest sections of the undergraduate public health curriculum.