Bruce Maki

Bruce Maki possesses expertise in postsecondary education, academic design and delivery, student assessment, adult education, and career-focused learning. In his primary role, Dr. Maki serves as a biology subject matter expert involved in the development of a nationally administered, high-stakes, standardized assessment for a confidential client. 

Outside of this work, Dr. Maki is interested in the use of innovative strategies (e.g., emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence) to enhance the quality of postsecondary education for career-focused learners. Specifically, Dr. Maki seeks to implement solutions that enhance access and success in STEM programs and related professions.

Prior to joining AIR, Dr. Maki served as a faculty member at Trocaire College (Buffalo, NY), which provides a career-oriented education for individuals interested in health care, business, and/or technology professions. In the classroom, Dr. Maki utilized innovative instructional approaches to bridge scientific content with clinical application. 

At the institutional level, Dr. Maki assisted with the college’s MSCHE accreditation by serving as co-chair of the Standard III Self-Study team. Further, Dr. Maki held roles serving as co-chair of the Distance Education and Educational Technology Advisory Committee, vice president of the Trocaire Faculty Association, and member of the Academic Planning and Curriculum Committee.

Dr. Maki remains active in biomedical research, in which he has published works in the Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Scientific Reports. Much of this research has focused on the role of a ubiquitous brain protein, the NMDA receptor, in human physiology and disease. Specifically, Dr. Maki’s work has implicated the NMDA receptor as a potential mediator of neurological injury during mechanical events (e.g., concussion and traumatic brain injury).