Gerry Pennells, B.Sc. (University of Edinburgh, U.K.), M.Sc. (UBC)

Honoured by a Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 1999 and a Yale Teaching Award in 2006, Gerry Pennells began his career as a farmer and assistant manager of a 2000 acre estate in his native county of Kent, England.  Serendipity brought him to teaching, and the rewards of making biology memorable and meaningful for his students have kept him in the classroom.  Joining the Brentwood faculty in 1982, Mr. Pennells headed the Science Department and sponsored the Student Activities Council before being appointed as Director of University Counselling.  An Honours graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Mr. Pennells later earned his M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia.  In his free time, he enjoys hiking and hill climbing, and hopes to complete all the long distance paths in the U.K. before his knees give out.  Mr. Pennells is quick to point out that he was hired at Brentwood before his wife, and shares his Montypythonesque sense of humour with their two grown-up sons.