Debra Blair

School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management

Professor of Instruction and Director of Organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

debra-blair

Office Location

Speakman Hall 315

Direct

215-204-1077

Dr. Blair is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, specializing in Sports and Recreation Management. She teaches courses which focus on the areas of: Organizational Management of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion(DEI), Ethics, Disability Awareness and Sport and Recreation Management.

She earned her Ed.D. in Health Education at Temple University. She has been teaching since 1989 and joined STHM as an Assistant Professor in 2003. She has held a number of leadership roles within STHM including responsibilities for STHM’s Assurance of Learning assessment initiatives and serving as an STHM Ombudsperson. At the University level she serves on Temple University’s General Education Executive Committee as the Area Coordinator for Race & Diversity, Arts and Human Development courses and is responsible for course development, course (re)certification and support of various initiatives of the General Education administration. She also serves as Chair for the Faculty Senate’s Faculty Concerns on Disabilities Committee. She is the faculty advisor for STHM’s Rho Phi Lambda Honorary Society and Temple’s Special Olympics Student Organization.

Her industry experience spans over 25 years designing and implementing inclusive sport, tourism and leisure programs and events. She has served on numerous local, regional and national committees including the Board of Directors of the National Equality Forum, Philadelphia LGBT Affairs, Mid-East Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation, National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification: Job Analysis Committee, Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities, as well as, consulted with various agencies and committees regarding the development of inclusive practices. She has presented to various audiences at the local, regional and national level.

She has worked with a variety of organizations providing capacity building trainings around LGBTQ Awareness, Unconscious Bias, Disability Inclusion and other DEI-related topics.