(CENTREVILLE) – A long time instructor at Glen Oaks Community College has received a prestigious award.

Lori Hatfield, Professor of English, is the recipient of the 2023 E. J. Shaheen Chair for Teaching and Excellence award presented by the Glen Oaks Community College Foundation.

Hatfield began her Glen Oaks career in 2010 teaching English Composition and Developmental English classes. Today she teaches English Composition, Creative Writing and Mythology classes. It is said she allows her students the freedom to choose their topics whether it is creative writing or a research project.

Her nominators say Hatfield is very understanding, goes above and beyond to help her students and inspires them to work hard and take instruction to heart.

Hatfield received her Associate of Arts from Kalamazoo Valley Community College, her Bachelor of Arts from Thomas Edison in New Jersey, and her Master of Arts in English from National University in San Diego.

After graduation, she began teaching English and business for the Professional Development and Training Center in Kalamazoo, a state propriety business school primarily for adult learners to earn business skills. The school was grant funded but closed in 2010.

In the summer of 2010 Hatfield started teaching Developmental English and English Composition I at Glen Oaks, and all in person. Soon after, she was able to transfer some of her classes to online formats because of her exposure to the platform.

Since then, she has developed and now teaches Creative Writing I and II in addition to English Composition and Mythology classes. She also founded and served as an advisor to the campus Music Club but had to eventually step back off for health reasons.