The Philadelphia Center

Who We Are

Deborah Leibel

Deborah Leibel has been a full-time faculty member since 1990. She teaches the City Seminar Urban Political and Social Systems, Issues, and Practices. As a Social Worker, she has worked in the fields of criminal justice, human rights and education. Her primary interests are in social justice teaching and practice. Deborah also facilitates anti-bias programs that teach strategies to challenge prejudice and discrimination, promote intergroup understanding, and to better equip participants to live and work in a diverse society. Deborah has worked extensively with indigent defendants in the criminal justice system. She was a field supervisor for students of the Philadelphia Center and other academic institutions. Her own experiential learning includes internships in New York City at a women’s prison on Riker’s Island, a court diversion project with the Manhattan Criminal Court, and an alternative youth program in Spanish Harlem. Deborah received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work at New York University.