Lauren Donovan Receives the College’s Highest Honor for Excellence in Teaching
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA • May 13, 2020)—Delaware County Community College recently awarded its 2020 Gould Award, the College’s highest honor for excellence in teaching, to Associate Professor of Business Dr. Lauren Donovan. A native of Prospect Park who now lives in Berwyn, Dr. Donovan has taught at the College for nine years and is program coordinator for the Business Administration program.
“This year’s nominee has been described by students as knowledgeable, energetic, passionate, responsive, compassionate, supportive of diversity and adept at using real-life examples to engage students in active learning,” said Donald Heller, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, during a recent virtual meeting of the College’s faculty members.
Usually, the Gould Award winner is announced at Commencement, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the College announced this year’s winner during a faculty meeting on Zoom that had more than 220 participants.
Named after the late Jerry Gould, a founding trustee of the College, the Gould award is presented each year to a faculty member whose achievement, dedication and love of teaching inspire both students and colleagues. Students are the primary nominators for the award. One student nominee said that Dr. Donovan “will continue to be a role model that I look up to regardless of where I want to go, or what I want to become in life.” Another student, who migrated to the United States about five years ago and took Dr. Donovan’s class at a low point in their life, said Dr. Donovan’s parent-like care provided the motivation for them to get up out of bed each morning, and put a smile on their face.
Dr. Donovan teaches Business Communication, Principles of Marketing, and Principles of Management. She is a 2016 winner of the prestigious Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, which recognizes outstanding faculty members at 52 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Dr. Donovan also is involved in the College’s Quality Matters initiative, which provides training to faculty members who teach online courses. Her Principles of Marketing course has been nationally recognized for meeting Quality Matters Standards.
Dr. Donovan redesigned the College’s Business Communication course, giving students more opportunities to experience real-world scenarios. She has assisted with fundraising and communication efforts for the College’s Student Food Emergency Resource Bank, and she once used a College Educational Foundation mini-grant to raise awareness among Business Communication students about the importance of getting enough sleep during finals week.
Dr. Donovan holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Wilmington University, a Master of Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s University and a Bachelor of Science from Mount Saint Mary’s College.
