Dr. Doreen Loury wants to make sure women veterans have a voice. That voice should reach more people, with her appointment by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney to serve on the city’s Commission for Women.  

As a Marine Corps veteran who served during the Vietnam era, and a member of  the Air Force Reserves for eight years, Dr. Loury plans to also focus on veteran issues, noting that the Commission “did not have a veteran on the committee.” Dr. Loury anticipates addressing the growth in homelessness and poverty among veterans will be her first priority. 

“It’s not just about programming, it’s about having the ability to have a voice,” said Dr. Loury, assistant professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice and director of Pan African Studies. “I want to be there as the voice for veterans and specifically women veterans. We’re really not heard in D.C. or at the state and local government, so I want to make sure the women’s veterans voice is being heard.”

Dr. Loury also was recently appointed to the Defenders Association of Philadelphia board, where she works with the community director to continue her vision of empowering boys, men, and communities of color. As founder and chair of the Black Male Development Symposium, Dr. Loury has been committed to improving equity and inclusion in higher education.

Dr. Loury’s advocacy has garnered several regional awards, including the 2019 Black History in the Making (BHIM) Legacy Award, the Education Award from the Black Women’s Educational Alliance of Montgomery County in 2013, the Charles Henry Chapman award in 2012, and the Northwest CommUnity Coalition for Youth’s Good Neighbor Award in 2016. In 2018, Dr. Loury was named a Philadelphia “Sheroe” by 105.3 WDAS-FM. In 2010, she became the first African American professor at Arcadia to be awarded the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. 

The Philadelphia Commission for Women works to improve the lives of women, girls, and individuals who identify as female in matters including wage equity, education, violence against women, sexual harassment, entrepreneurship, and economic development.