(10/19/07)
Dr. Patrick Hopkins, associate professor of philosophy at Millsaps College, has been awarded the 2007 Humanities Teacher Award by the Mississippi Humanities Council. As the Humanities Teacher Award recipient, Hopkins will give a public lecture, entitled “Unnatural Ethics,” on Thursday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. in room 215 of the Ford Academic Complex at Millsaps. A reception will immediately follow in the Lewis Art Gallery.
“Anytime someone tells you that you are good enough at what you do to win an award, you have to feel good,” said Hopkins. He added: “Of course, as a proper self-effacing Southerner, I also have to pooh-pooh it as nothing to get all excited about.”
Hopkins received his bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss and his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. His courses cover material as diverse as ethics, biotechnology, gender studies, history of philosophy and epistemology. He is currently working on several scholarly projects, including a book called “Nature, Culture and Technology in Moral and Political Discourse.”
“Dr. Hopkins is widely respected at Millsaps for his intellect and incisive questions,” said Dr. Richard A. Smith, senior vice president and dean of the College. “He is a great teacher with a special gift for framing questions about ethics and other complex issues in ways that engage and excite students.”
The Humanities Teacher Awards, given to one humanities faculty member at each institution of higher learning in Mississippi, are distributed each October to commemorate Arts and Humanities Month. The title carries a cash prize of $500, which is matched by the nominating institution in providing promotional costs and a reception following the public presentation.