Dr. Penwell's dissertation is on the intersections of Virtue Ethics, Philosophy of Emotion, and Philosophy of Literature. It is an argument in the defense of the humanities as necessary for the good life, inasmuch as literature provides a safe space in which to simulate emotional experiences unavailable to us because of the limitations of a human life. He has also presented papers and written articles on topics from Mark Twain to the artistic imagination. Most recently, his essay on "Education in the Virtues: Tragic Emotions and the Artistic Imagination" was published in the Winter edition of the Journal of Aesthetic Education. Dr. Penwell, recently named a 'Faculty Favorite' by his students at the University of Louisville, teaches courses such as Hum 509: Arts and Humanities and Hum 216: Introduction to World Religions.
In 2008, Dr. Penwell received the Black and Red Faculty Mentor Award at U of L, and has received numerous other recognitions including the Peace Award in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King and the Bell County Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership Award.
Dr. Penwell and his wife Susan Parks have three children, including a son in the Academy's Middle School.
Derek Penwell joins our faculty this year to teach the Survey of Visual Arts component of the Fine Arts curriculum. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Humanities at the University of Louisville, where he is an adjunct faculty member. Mr. Penwell has also been awarded a Doctor of Ministry and a Master of Divinity degrees from Lexington Theological Seminary. He has pastored several area churches and currently serves as senior minister at Douglas Boulevard Christian Church.
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