SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2025: SUNY Poly – Jerome Niyirora

Dr. Jerome Niyirora is an Associate Professor in the College of Health Sciences at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly), where he has been teaching online and mentoring students for over 15 years. He has developed and taught numerous online courses and played a key role in establishing SUNY Poly’s fully online Master of Science in Health Informatics program, where he primarily teaches. Dr. Niyirora is also an active faculty member in the Health Information Management and Data Science and Analytics programs.

A passionate educator, Dr. Niyirora enjoys teaching and mentoring students, having guided several through research projects, capstone experiences, and career development. Over time, he has observed that while asynchronous resources like mini-lectures and instructional videos are valuable, many students benefit more from real-time interaction. As a result, he blends live lectures and dedicated office hours with asynchronous content to support diverse learning preferences.

Dr. Niyirora earned his Ph.D. in Systems Science from SUNY Binghamton, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from SUNY Buffalo, and an M.S. in Health Services Administration from SUNYIT (now SUNY Poly). His research focuses on integrating systems science, industrial engineering, and machine learning to optimize clinical processes and improve healthcare systems. His work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, including the European Journal of Operational Research, Naval Research Logistics, Medical Informatics and Decision Making, Health Informatics Journal, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, and Health Systems.