Mary Stricker received her Ph.D. in Sociology at Temple in 2001. I am politically, emotionally, and intellectually driven by issues of racial and economic justice. She believes in and actively participates in both electoral and movement politics. Mary just completed a collaborative racial auto-ethnography about the experience of teaching race studies courses with 4 of her friends/colleagues.

Mary lived in the Bella Vista neighborhood of Philadelphia for 25 years with her partner Dave, first with her two daughters, and now with her two dogs. A few of her favorite things: Unions (duh), ANTI (Deluxe), IPA (sorry, IPA haters), Green Tea, All Things Quinta Brunson, Green Curry, Cat Power, Too many shows to list, Anne Tyler, Amistad Movement Power, WFP, Dogs in the bed.

I chose to join the table team because I realize that it is up to us to make sure Temple doesn’t abandon its status as the ONLY 4-year public university in the Philadelphia area. Students need us to be present, to be invested, to be skilled, and to mentor them academically and otherwise. We cannot fulfill these needs while so many of us are constantly worrying about whether we will have a job in a month or in a year! We cannot invest in the students that need us the most, if Temple administration continues to throw their hands in the air and tell us the “sky is falling” while other University administrations work successfully to recover their enrollments! It is up to us to make sure we will be there for our current and future students, and assure that Temple will continue to offer the quality, accessible education every student deserves.