Dr. Timothy and Debi Peterson

Dr. Timothy Peterson and his wife Debi are passionate about teaching students to view the city from a caring perspective.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Timothy's journey before coming to MCPC is quite interesting. He received his undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Lewis and Clark College, while later earning a Masters of Arts Degree in Greek and Theology from Western Baptist Seminary. He also completed a Ph.D in Urban Studies from Portland State University.

Since then, he has had a number of wonderful experiences to credit his career. For eight years he and Debi contributed to both the curricular and co-curricular life at Malone College in Ohio. At Malone, Timothy became involved in developing and implementing a tropical and environmental research and study program in Belize, Central America. He and his wife also spent a semester at the American Studies Program in Washington, D.C before making 2026 North Broad Street their home in 2000.

Together, the Petersons combine class theory with real-life situations, allowing students to learn and engage the many happenings in the neighborhood. Angela Levasseur, a psychology major from the class of 2005 says of one of Timothy's courses, "Learning about the education system in Philadelphia opened my eyes to the many needs in the school system. We don't really think about these things, but it's right here and needs attention."

Timothy was awarded the Smith Outstanding Teacher Award in 2007 as an acknowledgement of his teaching success. With a professor who genuinely encourages students to use the outside world as a textbook for the classroom, Timothy's URB301 World-View Perspectives of City Life and IDST 300 Urban-Eco Footprints add much to the MCPC student experience.

Debi teaches URB 310 Urban Field Experience and the Internship classes. She exposes students to the professional opportunities available in Philadelphia. Students often comment that she is the "mom" of MCPC because of her care and concern for each individual.