Jennifer A. Meka PhD

Jennifer Meka

Jennifer A. Meka
PhD

Director, Medical Education & Educational Research Institute (MEERI); Associate Dean for Medical Education; Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine

Department of Medicine

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences


Specialty/Research Focus

Education

Contact Information
955 Main Street
Room 6153
Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: 716-829-5785
Fax: 716-829-2437
meka2@buffalo.edu



Professional Summary:

Jennifer Meka, PhD is the Associate Dean for Medical Education and Director of the Medical Education and Educational Research Institute (MEERI) at the Jacobs School of Medicine at the State University of New York SUNY at Buffalo (UB).
She earned her PhD from UB in Elementary Education and her master’s in Teacher Education from Canisius College. Prior to joining UB, Jennifer served as the Director of the Woodward Center for Excellence in Health Sciences Education at the Penn State College of Medicine providing support for faculty and other teaching health professionals seeking skills development and mentorship in their roles as educators.
Her current research areas focus on the impact of participation in peer observation of clinical teaching on observer teaching self-efficacy and clinical teaching practice; developing co-teaching partnerships — between clinician-educators and learning specialists — to enhance student learning; and using evidence-based educational principles for assessment of student learning.

Education and Training:

  • PhD, Early Childhood Education; Cognitive Theory, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo (2015)
  • MS, Teacher Education; Curriculum & Instruction, Canisius College (2004)
  • BS, Secondary Education - English, Canisius College (2002)

Employment:

  • Research Assistant Professor, Learning and Instruction, State University of New York at Buffalo, Graduate School of Education (2019-present)
  • Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Penn State College of Medicine Penn State (2019-present)
  • Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2019-present)
  • Director, Woodward Center for Excellence in Health Sciences Education, Penn State College of Medicine (2017–2019)
  • Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Humanities, Penn State University Penn State College of Medicine (2013–2019)
  • Vice President for Educational Systems Development, 3rd Learning/Performance Learning Systems (2008–2013)

Awards and Honors:

  • Gold Humanism Honor Society Faculty Inductee (2023)
  • Penn State College of Medicine Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2016)
  • Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society (2005)

Grants and Sponsored Research:

  • May 2019
    Student Perspectives About Learning
    Northeast Group on Educational Affairs (NEGEA)
    Role: Contributor

Journal Articles:

  • Laux, Thomas; Stephens, Mark; Meka, Jennifer. (2021) Student-generated learning objectives and curricular innovation. Journal of Regional Medical Campuses (May), 4(2)
  • Aubrie Swan Sein, Hanin Rashid, Jennifer Meka, Jonathan Amiel & William Pluta. (2020) Twelve tips for embedding assessment for and as learning practices in a programmatic assessment system. Medical Teacher (Jan).
  • Meka, J. & Vigliotti, A. (2018) Should crowdsourced unvetted content on Wikipedia be used in health sciences teaching and learning?. AMA Journal of Ethics (May), 11(20)
  • Meka, J. & Vigliotti, A. (2018) Should crowdsourced unvetted content on Wikipedia be used in health sciences teaching and learning?. AMA Journal of Ethics (Jan), 20(11): 1033-1040.
  • Meka, J. (2013) When caring isn’t enough: Meeting the needs of refugee children through culturally responsive teaching. International Journal of Early Childhood Education & Care (May)(2)
  • Jennifer O. Spicer, MD, MPH; Jennifer Meka, PhD; Lucy S. Witt, MD, MPH; Katherine C. Ujunwa, MPH; Holly C. Gooding, MD, MSc. (1900) Using Instructor-Developed Study Resources to Increase Evidence-Based Learning Strategies among Medical Students: a Mixed-Methods Study. Academic Medicine (Jan)

Books and Book Chapters:

  • Karen E. Segerson, Peter Weir, Earla J. White, and Jennifer Meka. (2023) Health Systems Science Implementation in Pre-clerkship Curricula. In: Health Systems Science Education: Development and Implementation. Elsevier, 35-50.

Professional Memberships:

  • Girls Education Collaborative; Executive Board Member (2019–present)
  • International Association for Medical Science Education (IAMSE); IAMSE abstract reviewer (2016)
  • Central Pennsylvania Endometriosis Support Group; Annual Conference Co-Chair (2015–present)
  • Medical Science Educator; ad hoc article reviewer (2015–present)
  • International Association for Medical Science Education (IAMSE); Member (2014–present)
  • International Journal of Early Childhood Education and Care; Editorial Board (2013–present)
  • Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE); Member (2013–present)
  • Girls Education Collaborative; Executive Board Member (2012–2014)
  • American Educational Research Association (AERA); Member (2011–present)
  • Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI); Member (2011–present)
  • National Writing Project fellow (2003–present)
See all (1 more)

Presentations:

  • "Residents as Teachers" School of Dental Medicine Orientation (2022)
  • "Developing Inclusive Practices for Case-Based Learning" School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (2022)
  • "Examining Assessment in Phase 1: Opportunities to Enhance Basic Sciences and Step 1" Spring Curriculum Retreat, University of Arizona - Tucson (2022)
  • "Successful Remediation: Approaches and Strategies for Identifying and Supporting Learners" Medical Education Grand Rounds, Albany Medical College (2022)
  • "UB School of Pharmacy Faculty Development Workshop" UB School of Pharmacy Faculty Development Workshop (2022)
  • "2022 Core Competency in Health Inequities" (2022)
  • "Creating Transformative Learning Environments | A Multi-disciplinary Panel Discussion Highlighting Best Practices and Resources in Teaching and Learning" Dental School (2021)
  • "Creating a Community of Clinician Educators Through Longitudinal Faculty Development" Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Annual Conference; Society of Teachers of Family Medicine; Workshop (2019)
  • "Intentional Collisions: Applying Learning Principles in Health Sciences Education" Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME); Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME); Webinar Speaker (2019)
  • "Learning from and with one another: Peer Observation to Improve Teaching Skills" Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Conference on Medical Student Education; Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM); Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) (2019)
  • "Applying an Assessment Continuous Quality Improvement Framework to Foster Student Learning" Medical Education Learning Specialists (MELS) Annual Conference; Medical Education Learning Specialists (MELS); Workshop Session (2018)
  • "Intentional Collisions: Learning Principles in Health Sciences Education" Invited Grand Rounds speaker; Wilson Centre; Wilson Centre (2018)
  • "Development of a curriculum for teaching glaucoma to ophthalmology residents: A needs assessment" National Meeting; Association for Research in Vision and Opthamology (ARVO) Annual Meeting; Association for Research in Vision and Opthamology (ARVO) Annual Meeting (2018)
  • "Learning for Now and Later: A practical approach to teaching students evidence-based learning principles" Harvard Macy Institute for Medical Educators; Harvard Macy Institute for Medical Educators; Workshop Session (2018)
  • "Development of a Curriculum for Teaching Glaucoma to Ophthalmology Residents: Needs Assessment & Current Practices Survey" Poster Presentation; Penn State College of Medicine; EdVenture 2018 (2018)
  • "Evidence-based education: Informing assessment of student learning policies and practices to promote long-term understanding and retention" Northeast Group on Educational Affairs (NEGEA) Annual Conference; Hofstra University School of Medicine; Northeast Group on Educational Affairs (NEGEA) Annual Conference (2018)
  • "Learning for Now and Later: A practical approach to teaching students evidence-based learning principles." Annual Conference; Hofstra University School of Medicine; Northeast Group on Educational Affairs (NEGEA) (2018)
  • "Learning for Now and Later: A practical approach to evidence-based learning principles" Annual Conference; Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM); 2018 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Conference on Medical Student Education. (2018)
  • "Monitoring Student Progress and Remediating Struggling Learners: It takes two…or more!" Annual Meeting - Table Topic Discussion; American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC); American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) (2017)
  • "Clinician and learning specialist co-teaching: unique perspectives to enhance student learning" Poster Presentation; International Association for Medical Science Educators (IAMSE); International Association for Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) (2017)
  • "Examining Assessment Practices from Evidence-Based Learning Principles" Workshop Session; International Association for Medical Science Educators (IAMSE); International Association for Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) (2017)
  • "Supporting Struggling Learners from Theory to Practice. Harvard Macy Scholar Program for Medical Educators" Elective Workshop Session; Harvard Macy Scholar Program for Medical Educators.; Harvard Macy Scholar Program for Medical Educators. (2017)
  • "Student Approaches to Preparing for USMLE Step 2 CK" Poster Presentation; Penn State College of Medicine; EdVenture 2017 (2017)
  • "Supporting Struggling Learners: From Theory to Practice" Breakfest Session; Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM); Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Conference on Medical Student Education (2017)
  • "Medical Student Perception of Wellness Retreats: The Penn State Experience" Poster Presentation Annual Conference; Learning Communities Institute Annual Conference; Learning Communities Institute Annual Conference (2016)
  • "Monitoring Student Progress and Remediating Struggling Learners: It takes two…or more!" Annual Meeting; American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC); American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Annual Meeting. Table Topic Discussion Facilitator (2016)
  • "Supporting Struggling Learners from Theory to Practice" Elective Worskshop Session; Harvard Macy Scholar Program for Medical Educators.; Harvard Macy Scholar Program for Medical Educators. (2016)
  • "Examining Assessment Practices from Evidence-Based Learning Principles" Regional Meeting; Northeast Group on Educational Affairs Regional Meeting; Northeast Group on Educational Affairs Regional Meeting Workshop Session (2016)
  • "Fostering Interactive Learning in Neuroscience for 2nd Year Medical Students" Oral/poster presentation; Pennsylvania Regional Innovations In Medical Education Meeting; Pennsylvania Regional Innovations In Medical Education Meeting (2015)
See all (19 more)

Service Activities:

  • Providing recommendations for design and development of program for School of Dental Medicine; Resident as Educator "Consultant" (2022)
  • Developing professional development and mentoring opportunities for medical education learning specialists; Mentoring and Professional Development Committee (2022–present)
  • School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences; Consultant/Subject Matter Expert (2022)
  • Member of the "Blue Skies" Curriculum Revision Team for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Member of the "Blue Skies" Curriculum Revision Team for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (2022)
  • Association for Medical Educators Europe (AMEE); Reviewer for AMEE Annual Grants (2022–present)
  • Faculty Member participant in Residency Interviews; Faculty Member participant in Residency Interviews (2021–present)
  • Learning Management Review Committee for University; Learning Management Review Committee for University (2021–2022)
  • Member, Presidents Advisory Council on Race (PACOR): Curriculum and Pedagogy Sub-Committee; Member, Presidents Advisory Council on Race (PACOR): Curriculum and Pedagogy Sub-Committee (2021)
  • Presidents Advisory Council on Race (PACOR): Curriculum and Pedagogy Sub-Committee Working Group Chair for Pedagogy; Sub-Committee Working Group Chair (2021)
  • African American Health Equity Task Force; African American Health Equity Task Force (2021–present)
  • Diversity, Inclusion, and Learning Environment (DIALE); Teaching Sub-Committee; Diversity, Inclusion, and Learning Environment (DIALE) (2021–present)
  • Association for Medical Educators in Europe: Faculty Development Grants; Grant Reviewer (2021–present)
  • Medical Education Scholarship and Research Group (NEGEA Sub-Group); Grant Reviewer (2021)
  • Department of Medicine Teaching Competency Committee; Committee Member (2021–present)
  • Medical Education Learning Specialists; Northeast Representation (2020–2022)
  • Diversity, Inclusion, and Learning Environment (DIALE) Sub-Committee in response to student resolution (2020–2021)
  • Co-chair for the Jacobs School curriculum revision and redesign; Co-Chair Curriculum Revision and Redesign (2019–present)
  • UB Teacher Residency Advisory Committee; UB Graduate School of Education (2019–present)
  • Annual Day of Scholarship; Facilitator (2019–present)
  • Phase 1, Phase 2, and Curriculum Committee (2019–present)
  • Girls Education Collaborative; Advisory Circle (2019–present)
  • Girls Education Collaborative Executive Board Member; Board Member (2019–present)
  • Search Committee for Associate Dean for Faculty & Professional Development; Chair (2018)
  • Search Committee member for Chair, Department of Humanities; Member (2018)
  • Medical Education Learning Specialists; Member (2018–present)
  • Penn State Health & College of Medicine Learning Consortium; Member (2017–present)
  • Penn State Health & College of Medicine Executive Learning Board (ELB); Member (2017–present)
  • Interprofessional Collaboration and Teamwork Advisory Group; Member (2016–present)
  • Health Systems Sciences Academy (HSSA); Member (2016–present)
  • Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP); Member (2016–present)
  • LCME Sub-Committees I, IV, VI, IX and XI; Member (2015–2018)
  • Institutional Mentoring Task Force; Member (2015–2016)
  • Competencies and Milestones Development Committees; Member (2015)
  • Central Pennsylvania Endometriosis Support Group Annual Conference Co-Chair; Co-Chair (2015–present)
  • Medical Education Learning Specialists Interest Group (SIG); Coordinator (2015–present)
  • Competency Progress Committee; Member (2015–present)
  • Medical Education Leadership Team (MELT); Member (2015–present)
  • Secretary, Faculty Organization; Member (2014–2018)
  • Culture of Respect in Education Committee; Member (2014)
  • Planning Committee for Harrell Library Renovation; Member (2014)
  • Medical Education Learning Specialists (MELS). MELS will foster a community of professionals by providing a forum for discussing best practices and concerns relating to academic support in medical and health professions schools.; Co-founder; serving on mentoring program design team (2014–present)
  • Humanities Integration Project Committee; Member (2014–present)
  • Disability Services Committee; Member (2013–2018)
  • Curriculum Evaluation Sub-Committee (CESC); Member (2013–present)
  • Organization for the Advancement of Women; Member (2013–present)
  • Girls Education Collaborative Executive Board Member; Board Member (2012–2014)

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Contact Information

955 Main Street
Room 6153
Buffalo, New York 14203
Phone: 716-829-5785
Fax: 716-829-2437
meka2@buffalo.edu