Gateway Community College is proud to announce that Dr. Megan DeLivron, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, is the    recipient of the System-Wide, 2016 Connecticut State Board of Regents for Higher Education Teaching Award for the Community Colleges Board of Regents Teaching Award.

Dr. DeLivron (pictured here with Dean of Academic Affairs, Mark Kosinski, and Math/Science Department Chair, Rocky Tremblay) received the award in addition to the Board of Regents Teaching Award for Gateway Community College, at the April 7 Board of Regents meeting in recognition of her outstanding teaching and a track record of promoting instructional improvements for her program. “Dr. DeLivron breaks down ‘complex concepts to a level of understanding achievable by all students,” they explained. “Notable elements of her teaching include online pre labs, extra assignments, clear and concise lectures, problem solving strategies and online access to classroom activities.” Her dedication to student success resulted in the development of “rigorous but attainable learning outcomes which are consistently evaluated and assessed,” thereby improving upon typical content delivery methods through web-enhancement, digital lectures and carefully prepared lessons that help students grasp difficult concepts.

The Board of Regents System-Wide Teaching Award for the Connecticut Community Colleges recognizes faculty who have distinguished themselves as outstanding teachers for at least five years and have a minimum of two years' track record of promoting instructional improvements for the programs and departments. Each institution in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities nominates a campus and a system-wide candidate who is selected from the pool of nominees. 

DeLivron, who was both “humbled and honored” by her colleagues for the nomination explains that her teaching philosophy is “neither elaborate nor complex,” and that it simply the commitment to “meet students where they are at, and bring them to where they need to be.”

“Understanding that students have to balance coursework along with families, jobs and financial responsibilities is key to meeting the challenge,” she explains. Through the creation of digital lectures, DeLivron developed a way for students who need more time to revisit the content as many times as needed to grasp the material and to provide feedback.

Gateway’s Math and Science Department Chair described Dr. DeLivron as “a gift to our students, her colleagues, Gateway Community College, and the entire System,” citing her impact not only on the department, but across the campus and the community college system.

Upon acknowledgement of the award she states, “This (Gateway) is a very special college that provides the most rewarding and transformational educational environment that I have ever seen. Being a part of this faculty is an award in itself.”