Dr. Kurt 'Kailash' Bruder, Trainer of Communication Professionals
Testimonials
Here is a collection of letters written on my behalf by supervisors, colleagues, and students with whom I've been privileged to work.
Supervisors
Jeff Boyd
Professor of Communication
New Mexico Military Institute
Supervisor, 2021-2022
I am writing this letter as a professional reference for Dr. Kurt Bruder. Dr. Bruder came to work at New Mexico Military Institute in the Fall of 2021 to serve as an Associate Professor of Communication in the Humanities Division. I served as his supervisor during his first year. Dr. Bruder taught three sections of high school speech classes and several junior college courses including Journalism and Interpersonal Communication. He also created new course offerings such as Intercultural Communication and Introduction to the Communication Field.
Dr. Bruder brought with him a vast teaching history and experience as demonstrated by his very diverse resume, having taught all over the globe. His experience of having taught in many different cultures was a welcome addition to the NMMI faculty as we have students from all over the world in our small (600) student body.
In the last two years, Dr. Bruder has been willing and eager to take on additional responsibilities beyond his classroom duties. He went above and beyond by reaching out across the campus to offer his insight and wisdom to faculty who were seeking new ways to connect with their students. He also provided numerous lectures to the entire Corps of Cadets during Commandant’s Time on ways to become better listeners, to relate well with others different from themselves, and to develop empathy as life-long learning skills.
He is proactive in problem solving and looks for novel ways to communicate the curriculum to his students to ensure the learning outcomes are being met. He is constantly looking for the best materials that will be the most conducive to student success. His students responded positively and were actively engaged whenever I observed his class. He was well-liked and cordial with his colleagues, providing informal mentorship for some of the younger hires.
I highly recommend Dr. Bruder for consideration as a member of your faculty. He would be an excellent addition to your school. He brings with him a unique and fresh perspective in addition to his fount of experience and wisdom.
If you have further questions, please contact me at (575) 840-4530.
Sincerely,
Jeff Boyd
New Mexico Military Institute - Humanities
(575) 840-4530
Mary Joyce
Late Gianneschi Professor of Nonprofit Marketing, Department of Marketing, College of Business and Economics, California State University-Fullerton
Department Chair, 1999-2001
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Dr. Kurt Bruder’s capabilities as a productive scholar. I am now at Cal State Fullerton, but knew Kurt quite well as his Chairperson and faculty colleague while at Emerson College.
Dr. Bruder has published research in the area of discourse analysis, as you can see on his curriculum vitae. He is well trained in qualitative techniques, having studied such methods at the University of Texas. Dr. Bruder’s work is interesting and relevant to interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, and the health care environment.
In addition to his research, Dr. Bruder served as the Graduate Program Director for the Health Communication Master of Arts program that is a collaborative one between Emerson Coliege and Tufts University School of Medicine. In this capacity, he coordinated curriculum offerings, advised M.A. candidates, identified internship opportunities and oversaw student internships, and was an external liaison to the health communication field. As liaison, he canvassed governmental and non-governmental organizations to identify how the program in Health Communication might serve these institutions’ needs as well as how such organizations might provide a backdrop for student learning. His efforts were global, and he is comfortable in this capacity.
Students viewed Dr. Bruder as rigorous in his evaluation and intellectually stimulating. Dr. Bruder challenged students to find their own truths through exposure to alternative perspectives in the literature. This is particularly important in the communication field, where alternative perspectives must coexist in a complex, ever-changing environment. Dr. Bruder and I both believe that learning only happens when students struggle to understand the unknown, as opposed to reinforcing what they already know. While this is uncomfortable for the weaker students, the serious scholars in the program appreciated this perspective.
I visited Dr. Bruder’s classes each semester in my capacity as Chairperson. Dr. Bruder was always well prepared, inclusive in his questioning, and thought provoking. Moreover, he created an open environment for class discussions, making sure that alternative perspectives were heard and respected. Dr. Bruder is gifted at letting his students find their own truths, something weaker instructors have a difficult time doing.
Dr. Bruder was always available to his students, helpful when they struggled with course material, and worked hard to help his students to bridge theory and practice through appropriate project-based work. I am a big promoter of service-based learning, and Dr. Bruder did a good job of using these contexts for his courses in health communication, intercultural communication, and research. Dr. Bruder willingly shares his research ideas with colleagues. He participated in the research seminars in the Department of Communication at Emerson College, and continues to be an active member of the National Communication Association and International Communication Association, to name a few. He maintained an impressive research agenda while juggling his many administrative and teaching responsibilities in the department. I am impressed with his organizational and time management skills.
Dr. Bruder brings an interpersonal and intercultural communication perspective to any program. I am happy to answer any questions you have regarding Dr. Bruder’s capabilities.
Best regards,
Mary Joyce
Orson Webber-McCollaum
Assistant Professor of Languages
New Mexico Military Institute
Supervisor, 2022-2023
I am writing to recommend Dr. Bruder. He worked with us at the New Mexico Military Institute as an Associate Professor of Communications and reported to me in my position as Department Chair.
As an instructor, Dr. Bruder was always striving for excellence. During his time on my team, he was able to develop courses and implement curriculum at the high school and junior college level. I have always valued work ethic among my team members and Dr. Bruder never failed to deliver. He demonstrated this not only in curriculum development, but also in achieving General Education approval for new and existing Communications courses.
Dr. Bruder is a reliable and hardworking colleague who will be a valuable addition to your team. Should you have any further questions about him, feel free to reach me at 575-624-8204.
Best,
Orson Webber-McCollaum
Department Chair – Communications and Modern Languages
New Mexico Military Institute
575-624-8204
Stuart Sigman
Principal, The Sigman Group
Dean, 1999-2002
November, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing on behalf of Dr. Kurt Bruder. I have known Bruder for over ten years (our areas of scholarly interest overlap, and I hired him to a visiting position at Emerson College in Boston a few years back when I was the Dean of the School of Communication). I wholeheartedly recommend him to you.
Bruder is well trained in various aspects of interpersonal and intercultural communication. He can teach a range of courses in these areas (including small group and communication theory), and such service courses as public speaking and introduction to mass media. Having received graduate degrees from Michigan State and Texas-Austin, Bruder has sufficient grounding in, respectively, both quantitative and qualitative methods, and both psychological and social approaches to the study of communication. I believe he will be able to provide well-rounded service to your department.
Over the years, Bruder has published in some of the most prestigious communication and interdisciplinary social science journals, including Symbolic Interaction. Recently, Bruder’s cultural and spiritual pursuits have led to national speaking engagements, workshops, and a trade publication. The combination of scholarly and lay work promises to provide students with both rigor and depth.
In brief, I believe that Dr. Bruder has the disciplinary training, the teaching experience and the publications record appropriate for a communication faculty member. I encourage serious consideration of his application. Should you have any questions about this letter or Dr. Bruder’s application, please do not hesitate to contact me
Sincerely yours,
Stuart Sigman
310.476.9777, x. 502
ssigman@ajula.edu
Kalai Ponniah
Asst. Vice President for Malaysia Operations
Upper Iowa University
Supervisor, 2015-2016
I am pleased to highly recommend Dr. Kurt Bruder as a caring, skillful teacher and good-natured colleague. I have known Dr. Kurt since he interviewed with Upper Iowa University in October 2014. From the first, he impressed me as an individual motivated by the wish to equip students with understandings and skills that enhance their professional and personal lives. As his local supervisor, I have had an opportunity to observe Dr. Kurt’s interactions with students, both in and out of the classroom. He consistently encourages students’ sharing in class interaction, even by those who anxiously avoid participation.
Dr. Kurt proved himself to be a capable mentor and teacher. Despite the extraordinary challenges associated with teaching journalistic (and other sorts of) writing to non-native speakers of English, Dr. Kurt offered guidance that resulted in significant improvement in many students’ communication competence, including their ability to express themselves in their written work. In addition to his classroom activities, Dr. Kurt supervised many undergraduate participants in our capstone course, the Senior Project, during which students in his charge learned how to conduct original research. He is clearly able to transmit his passion and talent for learning to those training for professions in communication.
I am very grateful for Dr. Kurt’s contributions to our school. I’m confident that he has the intelligence, work ethic and communications skills to add value wherever he works. Dr. Kurt is a talented teacher and an outstanding mentor, well equipped to respond to challenges that he faces. His enthusiasm for learning, patience, teaching ability, and command of language suit him for any communication program.
In summary, Dr. Kurt would be a good catch for any department and I urge you to consider his candidacy seriously. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this outstanding educator.
603.922.62004
ponniahk@uiu.edu
Colleagues
Arun Pokhrel
Associate Professor, New Mexico Military Institute, 2021-2023
To Whom It May Concern:
It is my great pleasure to offer my unreserved and enthusiastic support for Dr. Kurt Bruder and his job application. Dr. Bruder is committed, hardworking, and dedicated to teaching, service, and research. I have had the pleasure of working with in the Humanities Division of New Mexico Military Institute for the past one and a half years.
Sharing deep interests in cross-cultural ideas and exchanges, intercultural communication, journalism, and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching, I have had the opportunity to read and critique his scholarly work as well as engage in intellectual discussions of philosophical, religious, literary, and cultural ideas on several occasions. From the time he joined the NMMI Humanities Division, I have been impressed not only with his intellectual acumen but with his diverse and far-reaching knowledge of intercultural communication, and the sheer passion and energy he brings to his teaching. Dr. Bruder is an outstanding candidate for any jobs he undertakes in the Communication field. Given his very long and varied teaching experiences inside and outside of the US in diverse academic and cultural settings, he is best suited to design, develop, and teach various communication courses.
Dr. Bruder is a gifted teacher with an eclectic teaching record. At NMMI and multiple other academic institutions, he has taught a wide range of Communication and Media courses at different levels. Even with all of the demands upon his time, Dr. Bruder has contributed to and enriched academically diverse environments here at NMMI and beyond. In addition to teaching and research, he actively participated in and encouraged students to get involved in multiple extracurricular activities at NMMI. He recently gave a series of talks and lectures on pressing cultural topics to large groups of cadets and faculty. Similarly, he proposed and received an Innovation Grant entitled Very Different Indians. This shows how innovative, creative, and competitive he is, as this cross-cultural experience was designed to allow students to interact with people very different from themselves. Such activities are important in nurturing students’ intellectual growth, encouraging them to think creatively and to develop innovative solutions to crucial social, political, and cultural issues.
Dr. Bruder’s cross-cultural activities thus create connections between the classroom and the local, regional, and global community. They will help raise a critical awareness of students about different types of social and cultural issues as democratic global citizens. Such an interdisciplinary teaching approach is predicated on a problem-posing pedagogy that advocates for the holistic approach linking different cultural forms of knowledge grounded in both material realities and the quest for achieving a more just and sustainable society.
Both intellectually rigorous and culturally nurturing in relation to student needs, Dr. Bruder uses ethically significant and purposeful teaching methods that tremendously benefit students. Such methods clearly encourage experiential learning and help build a strong rapport with students, while inspiring them to the kind of eager thoughtfulness we all want to see in our students, enabling them to foster ethical and empathetic connections to marginalized cultures and communities.
I hope this letter begins to convey how deeply impressed I am with Dr. Bruder as a person, scholar, teacher, and, especially, cross-cultural thinker and leader in higher education. He is an outstanding ambassador both of his home country and culture and of a diverse global and cultural community, given his wide-ranging cultural experiences in and exposures to many different cultures for several years.
I strongly recommend Dr. Bruder without reservation and with confidence that he will make an excellent contribution to your educational institution’s commitment to excellence and academically diverse and inclusive environments through his teaching, service, and research.
Sincerely,
Arun Kumar Pokhrel, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of English, New Mexico Military Institute
Daniel McKay
Associate Professor, New Mexico Military Institute, 2023
I write in warm support of Professor Kurt Bruder, with whom I had a professional association at his most recent workplace. This letter will comprise three parts: a character reference, based on my status as one of Prof. Bruder’s former colleagues; an opinion of Prof. Bruder’s writing abilities; and a brief testimony to Prof. Bruder’s capacity in an administrative role.
To the first of these, I began my term at New Mexico Military Institute in January 2023, where Prof. Bruder had already been working for a year-and-a-half (both of us being members, at that point, of the Humanities Division). Although Prof. Bruder was a Communications Studies faculty member while I was an English Literature faculty member, his office in Lea Hall was located not far from my own and thus we ran across each other quite frequently in day-to-day work life.
Among the character qualities that impressed me the most in my new colleague was his immediate willingness to help an incoming faculty member feel at home in a foreign environment (I am from the UK and had not visited the Southwest region of the United States, nor had I ever had any employment in the United States). Prof. Bruder offered minor but important advice on self-presentation within a military environment; on those features in Roswell that makes the city an attractive living environment; and on the need to maintain one’s health in what is, of necessity, a partly sedentary profession.
Our association deepened when we journeyed to a resort town located to the West of Roswell. Given that this was shortly after Prof. Bruder’s work at NMMI had come to an end, it was both interesting and impressive to hear him speak of his professional ambitions in the years to come. I was further impressed by the number of ways in which Prof. Bruder had integrated his personal beliefs into his work life and vice-versa, so that the one seemed always to benefit from the other. Given the stress that today’s media places upon a ‘work-life balance,’ the idea of seeking and embracing ‘usable lessons’ – from each, for both, in the service of all – seemed to me a compelling alternative.
While I was on this trip, Prof. Bruder invited me to read an excerpt from his current book project. I was immediately taken with the quality of the prose (ironically, he later told me that he had been in a poetical frame of mind while composing it). The acid test for good writing of any sort is whether a newcomer to the topic can gain a clear and reasonably complete understanding from the writing without assistance. Prof. Bruder’s writing undoubtedly met this standard and, beyond that, proved to be interesting indeed in its content. On a more mundane level, there were no discernible stylistic, grammatical, or structural issues that I could identify. Even though it was only a relatively short passage, I had the impression that the writing represented a standard that was consistent with Prof. Kurt’s output. I may further add that if today’s scholars wrote in similarly lucid ways then academics across many if not all disciplines would find their work better appreciated by the general public.
This latter point raises the question of whether Prof. Bruder can engage with individuals beyond academia, and of this I have no doubt. Indeed, I may be something of a ‘test case’ when it came to his writing because, as I have mentioned, I am in a different discipline. Given the increasing emphasis in our profession on the importance of non-academic contributions to society, I have every expectation that Prof. Bruder can and will meet this challenge, most likely without the need of any extra thought that the rest of us will have to give to the question.
Lastly, I should mention that I was briefly part of a teaching assessment committee that Prof. Bruder chaired, its purpose being to judge, as much as three individuals could, the pedagogical expertise of another colleague: Professor Arun Pokhrel. In this capacity, Prof. Bruder showed a high degree of professionalism, recognizing as he did that the friendship he had developed with Prof. Pokhrel ought not to influence the assessment process on any level. His administrative competence was evident in his clear and precise emails, the carefully scheduled meetings, a methodical attention to the paperwork, and the soliciting of opinions from the other two committee members.
I strongly recommend Prof. Kurt Bruder to you on the bases mentioned in this letter and am certain that he would be a great asset to your institution. If you should wish to clarify any of the points that I have made, you may reach out to me via email (please state whether a telephone discussion would be helpful to you, as I would be pleased to do this as well if I am given advance notice).
Yours sincerely,
Daniel McKay
575-624-8208
Students
Upper Iowa University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2015-2016
Alayna Sreenivas
I am currently an undergraduate student at Upper Iowa University-Malaysia, and as a communications major, I had the great opportunity to take four subjects under Dr. Kurt Bruder. From the very beginning, Dr. Bruder has been a dedicated instructor. Whether inside or outside the classroom, Dr. Bruder was always generous with his knowledge. And as a lecturer of communications, his precise language and skills of articulation were good examples of effective communication. For a communications student, I appreciate this level of skill because it provided me with a good model of what a professional communicator should be able to do.
Throughout my time working in Dr. Bruder’s classes, I realized that he had an ability to always see the best in students and believe— often more than they did—in their capacity to grow and improve. He did this by workshopping drafts of our work and helping us find the areas where we could do better. It wasn't always easy to hear our mistakes, but the in-class discussions that Dr. Bruder facilitated were encouraging and helpful. He allowed us the room to ask questions and express ourselves. Most importantly, Dr. Bruder did what an educator is supposed to do—he cultivated within us a desire to learn, to not be afraid of mistakes, and to cherish and strive for excellence.
In all of the four classes I took with Dr. Bruder, I felt that I could not settle for mediocrity. I was pushed to give my very best. In our COMM310: Feature Writing class, he stressed the importance of being professional and producing work that was worthy of publication. With this mindset in place, every subject, interview, sentence and even every word, became imbued with a sense of mission. That mission was to be excellent and to produce good work. It is hard to say whether we did, but in the process of trying to do so, we shifted our gears from being mere receivers of education, to active and engaged learners. We were put in a mode of learning, where we were prepared to be honest about our skills that were wanting, but more prepared and willing to improve on them. It is this most important facet of a university education that I will always attribute to Dr. Bruder. He made us better students, better learners, and better people.
Aleysha Sreenivas
I've had the great opportunity of being a student in Dr. Kurt Bruder's classes and to have him be one of two supervisors for my final year project. It gives me great pleasure to be able to share with you my experience as his student.
To be a student in Dr. Bruder's class is a gift for the eager learner. His way of drawing from sources of information other than what was presented in our textbooks provided for rich classroom discussions and helped me to see how what we were learning was deeply connected to our world.
Dr. Bruder also made every effort to enhance our learning through the experiences of industry professionals. One example of this was in our Writing for Media class, where we were asked to read articles by writer Andrew Goldman and then had the opportunity to have a Skype call with the man himself.
Another aspect of his work as an educator that has greatly influenced my own passion for learning is his openness and his care for his students. While working on my final year project, I knew I had an idea for what I would like to explore, but I struggled to articulate it. He patiently assisted me through many iterations of the core question in order to settle on the topic, never once dismissing what I was proposing as too radical or too extreme. He also showed great patience and meticulous attention to detail in providing feedback for myself and the other students in our group - most of whom did not speak English as their first language.
More than the above, I think that my interactions with Dr. Bruder have inspired a sense of curiosity and an eagerness to learn about the world. He loves and encourages discussion in the classroom and strives to set assignments that are well thought-out and encouraging. I will always remember how he marked our papers meticulously, asked questions about them and when worthy of discussion, asked us to share the thoughts behind our answers with the class, fostering an environment of active learning that was open to all. I believe that this imparted in each of us a confidence to explore our subjects to the fullest and deliver the best that we could.
I truly believe that as an educator, Dr. Bruder has a lot to offer and has the capacity to inspire in his students great change on both an academic and personal level, as he has with me.
Charles Lopez
I would definitely recommend Dr Kurt Bruder as a lecturer. I first got to know him at Upper Iowa University-Malaysia. He clearly portrayed dedication when it comes to his teachings.
One trait that not every lecturer has is his ability to push and challenge students to their maximum potential, which I am forever grateful for. I would consider my English as “pretty okay,” but Dr. Bruder proved me wrong—in a good way of course. He taught me a lot regarding technical writing in English which I had no idea of at first. His instruction helped me realize that I have a lot more to learn; but it also equipped me to achieve that learning.
I know for certain that these valuable experiences were not unique to me, but had a similarly impact on my entire cohort of classmates as well. I only wish that I had more subjects I could take under Dr. Bruder.
Finally, I would like to say that Dr. Bruder’s teachings are life lessons—in or outside of class—that have shaped who I am today and who I will be in the future. He is that one significant individual that helped me to step out of my comfort zone and I believe not everyone can do that. Kudos and much love, Dr Bruder!
Divyashine Asok Kumar
Dr. Kurt Bruder was one of the most experienced communication lecturers in Upper Iowa University-Malaysia. He was my lecturer for four classes: Writing for Media, News Editing, Feature Writing, and Communication and Media Ethics. Dr. Bruder was also my advisor for my Final Year Project.
Being his student has made me more conscious in my writing. His guidance and teaching taught me that I should always proofread my work before submitting it. In the first class that I took with Dr. Bruder, I got a C+ which was such a blow to me. Nevertheless, it made me work hard until I got an A in the last class that I took with Dr. Bruder. His vast knowledge and high expectations made me improve in my writing—something for which I am really grateful.
I loved the Feature Writing class that I took with Dr. Bruder. His lessons in that class gave me new perspectives on how to interact with readers through our writing. I found that fascinating, as he gave many examples and related it with his own experiences. I had so much fun having Dr. Bruder as my advisor for my Final Year Project. He encouraged me to choose a topic I was passionate about. At first I was skeptical about choosing a topic I was passionate about, but soon I realized that it was immensely helpful for me. I was engrossed in the topic and I did not find the project tedious.
Dr. Bruder’s guidance has helped me more than I can express, and for that I will forever be grateful to him.
Ian Johnson
I am writing to recommend Dr. Kurt Bruder as an undergraduate studying at the Upper Iowa University, majoring in Communications. Learning with Dr. Bruder has opened my mind to a new level. His dedication enabled the development of my communication skills, and helped me get acquainted with and adapt to the expectations and etiquette that I will meet in future workplaces. He’s taught me how to make my writing more crisp and brief while conveying all necessary information. He has helped me to develop better editing skills, showed me how I can best pursue stories for news and feature articles, and helped me grapple with the issues of ethics in media.
One particularly memorable experience was when Dr. Bruder arranged a Skype session for us students to interact with a writer friend of his from the States. I was able to resolve many questions about how to stories for the media, information I used on subsequent writing assignments.
I always understood college communication courses should develop students’ knowledge and skills to equip them for future careers. I believe that Dr. Bruder is one of the few lecturers who have successfully fulfilled on that promise. His lessons “stick”; they become second nature.
These growing abilities have given me confidence to apply for an internship at the public relations firm, Weber Shandwick. From various accounts, I gathered it was no joke getting an approval, even for an internship, at this firm. Dr. Bruder’s classes prepared me for the expectations of this job, and this enabled me to get accepted.
Dr. Bruder’s way of working with students, morphing them while they sit in class slowly changing week after week without realizing it, is miraculous. Dr. Bruder has the ability to enable efficiency, talent, and good opportunities in the rising generations of students, for bright and sustainable futures.
Khaili Sopian
I’m writing in support of my teacher, Dr. Kurt Bruder, with whom I studied across four communication courses. In my last semester with Dr. Kurt I was going through, by far, my roughest patch with depression and anxiety. Nothing felt right, it was extremely hard to focus, and my mind was constantly in a state of discomfort. Being a “B student” in his previous classes, I didn’t know if he could tell if something was wrong, but I could feel that what I was handing in wasn’t enough. Every week I struggled to bring my best forward to my assignments and I would go through another episode of Dr. Kurt telling me that I needed to take my work to a higher level.
During those days, I couldn’t understand why. I couldn’t see what made him try so hard to push me. At the time I truly did not think that I was worth the effort. I once had the energy to keep trying and maybe I was just lucky to have experienced that part of me, but somehow along the way I became always tired without reason.
It wasn’t until I made a lifestyle change things began to look brighter. My potential began to grow and has moved to the forefront of everything I want to do. Now I am able to see the bigger picture of what Dr. Kurt was trying to show me: that my capabilities are real.
Dr. Kurt’s lessons are taught with a roar, but they are lessons I can say without a doubt that I will remember for a very long time. If you are looking for a lecturer, get a lecturer. But if you are looking for a life coach, a mentor, a parent figure and a leader who is more than generous with his heart and mind – look for Dr. Kurt.
Nur Amanda
Dr. Kurt Bruder was my communication professor at Upper Iowa University-Malaysia. He was my teacher in two courses, Writing for Media and News Editing.
Honestly, it was an honor for me to grasp knowledge from Dr. Bruder, who is someone I believe to be a rich source of communication expertise. He is overflowing with input to share with all his students. He is a reliable guide for anyone who wants to improve as a writer.
I have been particularly impressed by the high academic standards he maintains in his teaching and the assessment of his students. I would say that the feedback he gives to students on our written assignments is far more extensive and useful than that provided by any other teacher. This is how I learned and improve myself, slowly but surely.
Dr. Bruder is friendly and approachable. He has high level of patience for those who are committed to learn.
As a whole, it has been a pleasure for me to have Dr. Bruder as my professor and I highly recommend him for any position that requires a dedication to students’ growth in academic excellence.
Zameen Zhou Datta
Dr. Kurt Bruder was my teacher in several Communication classes in 2015-16 as part of my undergraduate American degree program in UIU-Malaysia.
I have found Dr. Bruder to possess a great deal of knowledge and a keen understanding of the real-life applications for each subject. Throughout his classes, I have learned a lot about how people actually use communication to accomplish their work and enhance their personal lives.
Dr. Bruder’s teaching style is refreshingly casual. While he talks a good deal, he also encourages all the students to take part and ask any questions they need both in and out of the classroom.
All in all, I wish Dr. Bruder the best in his future endeavors and hope that he continues to teach and inspire others for many years to come. His passion and experience are sure to be a credit at any institution.
University at Buffalo, SIM/UB Communication Program, Singapore, 2010-2012
Gauravi Lobo
I am an undergraduate student studying in the University at Buffalo program at Singapore Institute of Management University. I am majoring in Psychology and Communication. Professor Kurt Bruder was my lecturer for two modules, Principles of Persuasion and Communication Theory. I immensely enjoyed both these classes and learnt a lot.
Professor Bruder is an exceptional lecturer, primarily because his class made me question things outside the classroom context. His style of teaching opened my eyes to new ideas. Very often, I would find myself jotting down points that occurred to me while he was speaking and upon evaluating these points, I realized I would never have thought of them if it had not been for Professor Bruder’s unique perspective. As a part of the communication theory module, Professor Bruder has us identify a personal communication problem and use theory to try to solve it. Apart from making the theories a lot more interesting, this approach had a surprisingly substantial effect on my actual day-to-day communication. By the end of the module, I had identified a problem I didn’t know I had and found a way to deal with it.
Professor Bruder is a very engaging lecturer. He is like a treasure trove of knowledge and experience and I learnt things in his class that I have never come across in other lessons. He is extremely approachable and I loved to pick his brains after class hours and ask him lots of questions, that he was patient enough to answer. In all my years as a student, I would definitely consider him one of the best and most memorable teachers I have ever had.
Tay Jingyan Gerald
Dr. Kurt Bruder has been one of the most influential instructors in my undergraduate university life with the University at Buffalo. In the fall of 2010, I was in his class for the very fundamental yet crucial course, COM337: Communication Theory. Over the course of that semester, Dr. Bruder opened my eyes to the multidisciplinary yet independent field of Communication Theory studies. With extremely vivid, clear explanations and a lot of patience, he aided the class in fully grasping the roots of these theories.
I also believe that Dr. Bruder is a strong believer in the proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This was clearly displayed in the assignments that he constructed for our module, including a very intriguing individual project that required students to apply communication theory to a specific problem in their lives.
The most impactful interactions that I had with Dr. Bruder came along with the individual assignment. After already whetting my appetite with wellexplained theories and concepts, I would always consult Dr. Bruder after class regarding the individual assignment. Not once did Dr. Bruder show any signs of impatience with the multitudes of questions that I had to ask, but instead introduced me to many other works, outside of the class curriculum, that aided me in my individual project. He taught me what many other instructors tend to ignore-–to learn how to learn, independently.
Even after the semester was over, Dr. Bruder was still a very approachable instructor anytime he was spotted on campus. I remember having a chat with him once about my future prospects and choices, and something he said always stuck in my mind. Dr. Bruder, knowing of my insatiable thirst for knowledge, encouraged me to ‘keep the faith’ even if life gets busy, as not everyone possesses the patience or interest in pursuing such knowledge. He convinced me that I had a gift that was precious and unique to me, and for that he has my gratitude.
Ng Yu Jie
It is a great joy and honor for me get to write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Dr. Kurt Bruder. I had the pleasure of learning under Dr. Bruder for two separate modules, Communication Theory and Principles of Persuasion, in 2010. It was then that I recognized the passion which Dr. Bruder injected into his teaching, and his wisdom with regards to knowledge of the Communication field. His amicable and approachable personality is also fitting for the role of an educator. Dr. Bruder puts in considerable effort in planning out his class schedules and how the class should be run. He is concerned with his students’ learning progress, and earnestly seeks feedback from his students for constant improvements that caters to student’s ever-changing needs. He demonstrates a very sophisticated level of knowledge in Communication, and engages the class constantly with multiple examples to aid in the understanding of tougher course content. He welcomes students to approach him for help, and will always do his very best to aid his students along their learning journey. Dr. Bruder and I frequently spoke outside of our class times to discuss Communication theories more deeply. He was patient with me, even when I have a hard time understanding certain concepts, and even encouraged me to further my studies upon graduation. His enthusiasm towards teaching inspired me to take a step out of my comfort zone to explore uncharted waters, such as the pursuit of the Masters and Doctoral degrees in Communication. Dr. Bruder is a person of conviction, passion, and great wisdom. He possesses a wealth of communication knowledge at his fingertips, and is always ready to share with his students. He will be a valuable asset to any teaching institution, and I wish him well in his future endeavors.
Wong Kia Tuo
I write this letter to recommend Dr. Kurt Bruder as a teacher of communication. I am currently an undergraduate in the UB/UniSIM Communication Program. I consider myself blessed to have had the pleasure of being taught by Dr. Bruder for the past three semesters.
Dr. Bruder’s role in my life has been more of that of merely a teacher. I see him as a mentor. Although he may be strict about work and it is relatively tough to get high grades in his class, I still chose to bid for his class semester after semester.
Although I was disappointed that Dr. Bruder was the first lecturer to give me the first B-minus in my entire academic life, by the end of the semester, I reflected on how much effort I put into the module during the course of the semester and realized that I deserved the grade. Moreover, I felt challenged to improve and push myself beyond the boundaries. His lessons far surpassed the ordinary. I always left his class feeling enriched with new perspectives, as opposed to being dulled by the monotony of textbook information.
Dr. Bruder adopts an interactive approach in teaching by allowing his students to freely express themselves. I found this very useful as it kept me engaged and valued as a student, knowing that my opinion mattered. On several occasions, he had assisted me with several academic requests of my other modules. His readiness and willingness to help me out has touched me in many ways, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Terence Tong Zhi Yong
While I was an undergraduate studying at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, I was fortunate enough to have taken two modules under Dr. Bruder. As a college professor, Dr. Bruder was extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter that he was teaching, and often made classes intriguing by adding in his own real life examples and experiences. Dr. Bruder’s classes were challenging and students had to make a strong effort to achieve the grades that they wanted. In order to fully grasp the concepts that were brought up in class, students had to ensure that the readings allocated were read and understood before classes commenced. Many of my fellow students who expected to be led by the hand were unable to keep up with the depth of the subject matters brought up in class. I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Bruder’s classes and looked forward to hearing his keen analysis and opinions of the concepts that we were studying. His deep understanding of the concepts meant that he had a lot to offer to students as long as students were mindful of their work. My time spent with Dr. Bruder was enriching, enlightening, and even inspiring. I look up to him not only as a professor, but also as a warm-hearted individual who is always willing to lend a helping hand. I wish him all the best in his endeavors.
Koh Wei Ru
Dr. Kurt Bruder was my professor for three of the Communication classes that I took during my second through fourth semesters in SIM-UB. I have benefitted much from my interactions with him both inside and outside the classroom setting.
Deeply knowledgeable about the study of communication, Dr. Bruder’s classes are enriching and filled with valuable information. He introduces many new and interesting concepts to aid and engage us in our understanding of the subject matter. By encouraging people to speak up during his lessons, Dr. Bruder provides an interactive platform to effectively absorb the load of information, an aspect that is not present in every professor. I have certainly benefitted from this style of classroom interaction, as it gave me a chance to actively voice my opinions, as well as clarify my doubts immediately. Also, the questions raised by other students have also offered me new perspectives on the course content. Credit for this is indeed due to Dr. Bruder and his keen facilitation of this interactive activity. I am thankful to been given this opportunity to build up my confidence when speaking up in public forums. I have been gradually applying this skill in my lessons with other instructors.
Outside the classroom setting, Dr. Bruder has also been instrumental in my growth into a more mature individual. As he often shares personal experiences in his lectures and in our conversations outside of class, I have received several valuable life lessons from this professor. For instance, Dr. Bruder taught me the importance of cherishing life and he reminded me about the need to “live life to the fullest, with no regrets” every day. I am grateful for these life lessons, and I believe that Dr. Bruder will be a valuable mentor to anyone who has an open heart to receive these gifts.
All in all, I have truly enjoyed my time under Dr. Bruder’s “wing.” Enthusiastic and passionate about his job, Dr. Bruder is a professor that is ever willing to share his knowledge and expertise about various aspects of communication. Among his strengths are his expertise in interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, and persuasion techniques. The classes have certainly been impactful in my education, and they have also allowed me to hone my skills as a communicator. I am thankful for having met a professor who is as helpful and as knowledgeable as the esteemed Dr. Bruder.
Jeremiah Maximus Lim Zhi Guang
This letter serves as a testimonial to my positive experiences in Dr. Kurt Bruder’s classes. I have been taught by Dr. Bruder for COM337 (Communication Theory) and COM231 (Principles of Persuasion) at the University at Buffalo, Singapore. In my time spent in Dr. Bruder’s classes, I personally feel that his vast wealth of knowledge has contributed much to my learning and has even somehow boosted my cognitive abilities.
Dr. Bruder’s classes were very challenging, and I could tell that many of the students were not very pleased about the classes. This was because many of the students wanted to be spoon-fed, and refused to put in the additional effort required for Dr. Bruder’s class. In my opinion, I saw that the challenges presented to us in Dr. Bruder’s class through his quizzes and assignments were meant to boost our knowledge and abilities as communications students which would ultimately help us when we graduated. His written assignment about identifying our own communication problems as students was a really tough one; even I had trouble with it. But I saw the importance of an assignment like this because it taught me not only how to rectify my own communication problems, but it also taught me humility, and that the only way to improve oneself is to recognize and admit one’s own flaws. Over the weeks, as we worked on our assignment, Dr. Bruder also gave us his utmost support. He showed his dedication as a professor, working longer than expected to help us out with our papers. All we needed was to ask for his help and he would never turn us away.
The many class discussions we’ve had during both COM231 and COM337 were very interesting, and Dr. Bruder chose topics which were very relevant to us as students, thus being able to pique my interest both as a student, and a Singaporean citizen. I found myself contributing often to these productive class discussions which happened during most of the classes, and even staying back in class to discuss a little more about the topic. Having finished both modules, I find myself being able to process more complex material, as well as to apply what I have learnt in Dr. Bruder’s classes to real life. I find that my thought processes are much quicker than before, and I am that much closer to being an effective communicator. I have thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Bruder’s classes and would not hesitate to recommend his classes to students who are willing to take on the challenge, and take their learning to a higher level.
Cassandra Loh
I am writing this as a testimonial for my professor Dr. Kurt Bruder, whom I had the honor to have as my professor of two modules, Interpersonal Communication, and Intercultural Communication. Having taken both modules under Dr. Bruder, I have indeed acquired knowledge that is beyond the textbook.
Dr. Bruder always delivers his lectures with real life experiences to make the content more applicable and understandable for us students. Therefore, what we gained out of his class was more than just textbook knowledge, but valuable lessons that a textbook can never deliver. I remember doing an assigned project to explore a specific culture. My group and I were very interested in exploring the escorting culture, which has become very prevalent in the recent years. However, we were apprehensive as we were not sure if Dr. Bruder would give us his support, since this was a controversial issue. Surprisingly, Dr. Bruder was very open-minded about the topic, and even offered us much guidance throughout the project. As the topic was controversial, it was challenging for us to do our research, but Dr. Bruder was always ready to assist us with our work.
Dr. Bruder is not only a good instructor in the classroom, but he is equally encouraging out of class. He always stayed back for a while after every lecture, even when there was no student left, to make himself available for consultation. Even when I had problems regarding matters out of school, he was always there to give his insights and opinions. Thanks to Dr. Bruder and his constructive feedback, I made right decisions regarding my education route, and the modules that I decided to take. Now, looking back as a graduating student, I see Dr. Bruder as one of the professors that really impacted my university life.
I wish Dr. Bruder all the best in his endeavors, and am confident that he will impact people in wherever he goes. He is the kind of instructor that will definitely inspire students to discover more than what the textbook has to offer. With Dr. Bruder’s passion and experience, he is certainly a gem in both the education and communication field.
Samuel Ng
My name is Samuel Ng and I graduated “summa cum laude” from the University at Buffalo (SUNY). During my time there I had the honor and pleasure of learning from Professor Kurt Bruder. Professor Bruder’s Communication Theory and Principles of Persuasion courses were among the most in-depth and fulfilling courses that I have taken. Here is an instructor who not only teaches, but instills in his students the curiosity to learn. By taking the effort to go beyond the syllabus, Professor Bruder definitely made the experience worth the money and effort. He has a way of making each lesson easy to follow and easy to relate to on a personal level.In order to expand our learning horizons, constantly cites credible sources outside of the textbook, including his own writings such as “Relation: A Defining Theme for Communication Studies.” Professor Bruder encourages and assists students to develop their own style of learning. He takes the role of the “shepherd,” guiding the students’ learning journey, leading them back on track when they stray, but all the while allowing them to learn at their own pace and in their own way. Balancing theory and real life application is the cornerstone of Professor Bruder’s teaching. I feel that, through his lessons, I have not just grown in the knowledge that I have gained, but grown as a person. “Principles of Persuasion” in particular has been very useful in later modules that involved persuasive presentations and even job interviews. With an infectious passion for the material he teaches, and a keen focus on depth and breadth, Professor Bruder is a true master of his craft. He is both an exemplary instructor and a credit to his students.
Roy Chan
Professor Kurt Bruder was my instructor for three courses: Communication Theory, Intercultural Communications, and Principles of Persuasion. His lessons were amazing and interesting, giving me the motivation to choose him as my instructor for three of my communications modules.
Professor Bruder is very knowledgeable not only with the syllabus, but also--and more importantly--with real life experiences and sometimes obscure general knowledge which he never fails to inject into his lessons. For example, during Communications Theory, he ties seemingly abstract theories with his experiences doing communications research in a monastery, interesting information about different faiths, to the ancient origins of today’s English words. This has added spark to the class, keeping me riveted and enabling me to see the interconnectedness of the theories beyond the realms of modern media. His ability to speak extemporaneously at length during lessons never fails to amaze me.
With regards to the creation of projects, Professor Bruder has never failed to push us beyond our comfort level, such that we would not only learn more about the subject at hand, but also gain a deeper understanding about ourselves. In Intercultural Communication, we were asked to search for cultural groups we were unfamiliar with and interact among them to learn more. Through the process, we not only gained a deeper sense of knowledge about the groups, but through Professor Bruder’s careful dissection of our assumptions and perceptions, we left the class with an increased awareness of how our unquestioned thoughts can cloud our perceptions of the world.
Finally, I love Professor Bruder’s approach to lessons because he does not merely adopt a textbook-centric delivery of the material. Instead, he takes his time to dive deeply into the material, carefully piecing apart the components, and generalizing it to a much wider world. Through this we gain a deeper understanding beyond the confines of academic instruction.
I have truly enjoyed Professor Bruder’s lessons. He will truly be missed.