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Profile

Ken Palen began his teaching career at the University of Dayton in 1992. His background in journalism and graphic design makes him an ideal instructor for publication design, media writing and feature writing courses.

Ken worked as a graphic designer and editor for the Dayton Daily News for 28 years. Since retiring from the newspaper, he has done freelance graphic design work and communications work for area churches.

In the design classroom, he emphasizes fundamentals of good presentation with a concentration in the area of typography. Students in his writing classes learn to write clearly, concisely and accurately to engage readers.

Prior to his work with the Dayton Daily News, Ken served as a sports writer and copy editor for the Springfield Daily News. His expertise as a graphic designer earned him recognition as Cox Newspapers' Page Designer of the Year. In 2008 and 2016, Ken received the Don Morlan Adjunct Professor of the Year Award in UD's Department of Communication.

Faculty perspective

"The students make it fun for me. Seeing someone develop new skills and discover new talents is a great reward and motivator. Watching a student discover a love and passion for writing or design is an amazing experience and something quite rewarding."

Research interests

• Graphic design
• Journalism

Other interests

• Recording studio operations as a producer, engineer and musician
• Distance runner