Deborah A. Sieger, LSW, RN, Ph.D.

Bio Statement:

Deborah A. Sieger, Professor, is both a Registered Nurse and Licensed Social Worker in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She holds the PhD in Social Policy from the Union Institute in Cincinnati. She has taught at Kutztown University since 1979.  Her professional practice area is community organizing and planning and administration. She was the first executive director of Lutheran Services of the Lehigh Valley, a two-county social service agency of the Lutheran Church in America, and was elected President of the National Organization for Women in Pennsylvania.  For a decade she was a member of the Joint Planning Commission ofLehigh and Northampton Counties and served as Chair and Treasurer of that Commission. Currently, Dr. Sieger serves as Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Work and Director of the Social Work Program.

Dr. Sieger delights in learning, and her passion is to use education as an empowering tool to increase people's options in life. She is an avid environmentalist and organic gardener. She also enjoys rehabilitating houses and has "recycled" five dwellings during her lifetime. Lately she has begun to explore the use of art as a mechanism for personal value clarification and social change.

Teaching interests:

Dr. Sieger enjoys teaching from a wholistic perspective--a "systems" approach--and continually explores ways to help students conceptualize classroom learning for life and career choices. Her strong belief is that higher education must help students think differently about the world than they ever could have without having engaged in this learning experience.

Research:

Dr. Sieger is interested in the use of narrative as a mechanism to teach abstract concepts, particularly with young people who have limited life experience. Her practice research also includes the use of legal redress of injustice for social change.

Professional Involvement:

Dr. Sieger enjoys planning and problem solving, especially regarding social issues. She has assumed leadership roles at the University on Strategic Planning, Women's Leadership Development, and Student Retention efforts. Her community involvement centers around minority population and women's issues.