Professor Richard (Dono) George Donovan passed away suddenly on August 3, 2019, but his influence is still felt by countless colleagues, alumni and students, particularly those who participated in his Case Class.
According to Jaclyn Leebosh (BCom’11), Case Class was one of the most practical courses that she and her peers took during their time at McGill. “Case Class alumni are able to use the strategic framework and presentation techniques we learned from Dono to structure how we deliver information in the boardroom,” she affirmed. Leebosh calls Donovan a “true trailblazer for experiential learning” who demonstrated an immense passion for helping students reach their full potential. Thanks to the training she received in Case Class, Leebosh won first prize in a case competition during McGill Marketing Week, which awarded her an internship that launched her career.
Melissa Sonberg, Professor of Practice, Organizational Behaviour, who teaches Case Class today, emphasizes that no one can fill Professor Donovan’s shoes, but they can honour him for the impact he made. Recently established in his honour, the Richard G. Donovan Award in Case Excellence will recognize graduating students who have excelled in case competitions during their time at Desautels.
Leebosh and 139 other donors have already contributed a total of $45,000 to the fund. “Contributing to the Richard G. Donovan Fund presents an incredibly meaningful opportunity for us all to carry Dono’s legacy forward and ensure the continuity of his vision to develop and showcase McGill’s talent on the world stage,” she said. The inaugural recipients of the award are BCom students Anne Sophie Levee and Sara Duklas.
A Tribute to Richard Donovan
To honour the memory of Professor Donovan by helping the Richard G. Donovan Prize in Case Excellence Fund reach its $50,000 goal, contact the Alumni.mgmt [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Supporting%20Desautels) (Desautels Alumni Advancement team).
Article written by Ashley Rabinovitch
