Prospect Park native Lauren Donovan, an Assistant Professor of Business at Delaware County Community College, was awarded the prestigious Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Donovan teaches business and marketing courses at DCCC. She currently co-leads the Quality Matters initiative which focuses on providing training to the school’s faculty who teach online courses.

She also redesigned the DCCC’s business communication course, making it more performance-based, which gives students the opportunity to experience real-world scenarios, such as interviewing and presentation design and delivery.

“I feel a great deal of gratitude for the amazing faculty that I work with at Delaware County Community College, who, in so many ways, have been my teachers,” said Donovan. “They have challenged me to approach each classroom experience as if it were a performance where students are the actors.

“They have provided insight that has helped me improve in so many ways, so that I am inspired to create more meaningful learning experiences for my students.”

Since 1961, the Lindback Award has been recognizing outstanding faculty members at 52 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Individuals are nominated based on their commitment to the intellectual and social development of students.

Their approach to teaching should be intellectually challenging, stimulating, and accessible, and their efforts should extend beyond the classroom.

In 2013, Donovan used a mini-grant from the college to work on a project aimed at raising awareness of the importance of getting enough sleep and the effects sleep has on overall health in college students. This included leading a team of business communication students in the creation, execution and promotion of Sleep Week.

The promotion of “Sleep Eight Feel Great” during Sleep Week reached approximately 150 students during finals week with the message that well-rested students perform better on final exams.