Southeast : Community College Teacher Named Top in Nation

A Cerritos Community College economics instructor has been named the “community college teacher of the year” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Diane Keenan, the first community college teacher in California to receive the award, was selected from among 500 instructors nominated from around the nation.

The 48-year-old instructor, who has taught at the college since 1988, is known for teaching with a colorful mix of games and workshops. She was selected for her creative approach to economics and her ability to inspire students, said Tony Pals, a spokesman for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, which works in conjunction with the Carnegie Foundation.

“It’s a wonderful honor,” Keenan said in a telephone interview from Washington D.C., where she traveled this week to receive the award.

Keenan uses tangible objects such as baseball cards to discuss supply and demand. She has written two books about economics, including a workbook titled “Slam Dunk Economics,” which illustrates how theoretical concepts in economics have a practical effect on professional athletes and musicians.