SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2024: Genesee – Karen Wicka

Karen Wicka is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Genesee Community College (GCC) and has been a full-time faculty member for fifteen years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from SUNY Potsdam College and a Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School.   She has over 23 years in the criminal justice field.  Her primary area of concentration includes Criminal Law, Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure Law.

Ms. Wicka has been designing curriculum for in person, hyflex and online courses for many years. Ms. Wicka has been teaching online since 2009 and using the hyflex format since 2019. Like her traditional classes, her focus in both the online classes and hyflex classes is to create a learner centered, interactive, collaborative learning environment that motivates students to dive deeper into critical thinking and teamwork.

Ms. Wicka is the co-advisor of GCC’s Criminal Justice Club, where she works closely with students to organize activities that promote academic exploration, fun and social engagement. Ms. Wicka is also a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Faculty Service.