Douglas Vardakas will be the first to admit he’s someone who likes to have goals.

的 物理 instructor at 蒙哥马利县社区学院 is constantly looking to reach objectives that he sets out to achieve whether it be in life or in the classroom. For example, as a long-term goal, the 62-year-old from Hatfield still has a goal to 获得博士学位. As a short-term goal, he is finding ways to teach 学生s in his 物理 classes about modern concepts in 物理 discovered during and after the 爱因斯坦时间.

Yet there’s one achievement Vardakas recently attained that he didn’t plan for at 所有.   

At this year’s Commencement ceremonies, Vardakas learned he was named the recipient 2024年林德巴克杰出教学奖 奖. 的 奖 recognizes full-time faculty whose teaching is intellectu所有y stimulating, accessible for 所有 学生s, and demonstrates a commitment to the well-being of 学生s 课堂内外都有.

“It’s a bit overwhelming; I never expected it in a million years,” he said of the 奖. “As I’ve given it some thought, I’m able to digest it. 它告诉我，也许我 successful at what I’m trying to do, which is teach. 我想了一下 多一点，也许我做的是对的. 我来这里的唯一原因就是教书 如果是这样的话，我很兴奋.”

Vardakas started at the College in 2015 as an adjunct instructor, after working for more than 30 years at IBM, beginning when he was 20 years old.

“我不是最优秀的高中生. 那时候我还没进学校. 高中毕业后，我想要更多，”他说. “我喜欢数学和电子，所以我 went to RETS Electronics School in the Radnor area and did I did well. 我毕业 在班上名列前茅. 那时我还是个孩子，19岁. 我有四分之三的头发 在我的背上. 我有点叛逆.”

IBM representatives were scheduled to come to campus to interview 学生s to begin working at the development labs in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 在面试那天， there was a huge snowstorm, which prevented them from coming. 而瓦尔达卡斯没有 planned on interviewing for the job at the time, a faculty member at his school suggested he throw his hat in the ring anyway and go up to Poughkeepsie to interview.

“‘I also recommend you cut your hair,’ he said to me,” said Vardakas, “and I did.”

He nailed the interview and just after his 20^th birthday in April 1982, Vardakas started his career at IBM. 在那里他完成了 a two-year degree from Dutchess County Community College by taking classes at night. 的n he enrolled in the Mid-Hudson V所有ey Degree Completion Program from New York Polytechnic University (now New York University). 这个节目是我和他之间的安排 IBM and Marist College, NYU, and Syracuse universities to help 学生s seeking a degree in electrical engineering provided they passed an entrance exam.

Believing he was finished with school, Vardakas and his wife, Maureen, moved back home to Philadelphia to work at IBM’s campus there. 然而，他不知道的是，有一个 of his professors at NYU, Engineering Professor Donald Hunt, reached out to the dean of engineering at the University of Pennsylvania about accepting Vardakas as a graduate 学生.

“He invites me to his office,” said Vardakas. “他说‘你被录取了. 如果唐推荐 你，你被录取了.“那是在夏天. “你九月份就可以走了，只是 发送申请.’”

By 1992, he finished his master’s degree from Penn and continued working for IBM through 2018, when he decided he’d like to begin teaching 物理 as an adjunct instructor. 幸运的是，MCCC有一个空缺.  

“的 professors at Pottstown校园 interviewed me and before I got home, I got a c所有 to be ready to start Wednesday,” said Vardakas. “我就是这样开始的 这所学校.”

In 2020, he retired from IBM after 38 years and accepted a full-time teaching position 在mcc的STEM部门工作.

“Sharing my experiences with 学生s and nurturing their educational and professional 增长成了我的使命。. “Fortunate to secure a full-time teaching position, I now have the privilege of inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders at Montco.”

毕业典礼上，博士. 蔡斯威特，副总裁 Academic Affairs and Provost, read from the 学生 nominations that helped Vardakas to receive the Lindback 奖.

“In their nominations 学生s noted that instructor Vardakas is one of the most interactive, enthr所有ing, kind and respectful teachers I have ever had,” read Dr. 甜蜜的. “他是 very knowledgeable in his area of teaching and watching him teach is truly poetry.”

“All of his classes are fun and exciting,” she continued. “每节课都很有意义， and I can confidently say that in every class, I learned something. 他确保 to use interesting, applicable examples to work through, as well as having demonstrations 还有更复杂的话题.”  

Vardakas said he was overwhelmed by his 学生s’ words.

“I’ll keep doing the same things I’m doing which is constantly changing things up. I’m constantly trying to learn new techniques to teach the 学生 population. 再一次。 我感到很幸福. For the family I have, to have the opportunity to teach and keep teaching. 我受宠若惊，也很幸运. 获奖前我也有这种感觉. 这感觉像是一种认可.”