In his 15th year at NYU, David Hollander is Assistant Dean of Real World and Clinical Professor with the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport. One of NYU's most popular professors, Hollander is the recipient of NYU’s highest faculty honor, 2019 NYU Distinguished Teaching Award. He's also been recognized with highest NYU School of Professional Studies Honors: Award for Teaching Excellence (2018, 2012) and Award for Outstanding Service (2021, 2016) (only full-time faculty to win either award twice). Hollander's signature innovative experiential program Real World is one of the hottest programs at NYU, partnering with 45 A-list organizations like Nike, Porsche, JetBlue, Ace Hotel, Samsung. Axios called Real World "the future" of higher education.

His only-of-its-kind humanities course "How Basketball Can Save the World" received international media attention including features from CBS News, SLAM, The Associated Press, The Washington Post and The New York Times. On Good Friday, April 12, 2022, major Italian media – la Repubblica, Corriere della Serra – credited Hollander and his class for helping sway the Vatican to recognize the first-ever Patron Saint of Basketball! For his extraordinary efforts in that cause, Hollander was awarded a “key to the city” by the Mayor of Porretta Terme.