At Temple University, Dr. Ruff served as an Instructor, Director, Faculty Advisor and Academic Advisor of the TUteach Program. Since 2013, this included teaching and student mentoring assignments in liaison with the School District of Philadelphia. His work and student support in Urban Education spans a myriad of schools throughout North Philadelphia. His continued services as an Associate Professor within the College of Science and Technology cite continuous Community Engagement ventures that support students with both internship and fieldwork experiences.
For eight (8) years, Dr. Ruff served as the Program Director of Temple University’s Alliance for Minority Participation Program (TU-AMP.) He served on the Louis Stokes’ LSAMP Executive Committee, a consortium of nine (9) higher education institutions. He participated in the consortium’s broadened alliance activities that aligned with National Science Foundation (NSF) guidelines.
Dr. Ruff’s commitment to supporting marginalized and underserved populations in higher education is also reflected by leadership and student success assignments at two Pennsylvania community colleges. He served as Director of the LEASE (Learning Empowers a Successful Earner) Program at Bucks County Community College and as Director of the LEAD (Learn, Encourage and Do) Program at Montgomery County Community College. Both were community-based programs that recruited under-served students from marginalized, minoritized communities.
Dr. Ruff also served for fourteen (14) years in public education, holding assignments as a certified teacher, assistant principal and school principal. His assignments in the Willingboro Township, NJ and Trenton, NJ school districts reflect his commitment and success with serving students in urban school environments.