Donielle Lovell

Dr. Donielle M. Lovell is an Associate Professor of Sociology and the Director of Regional Programming at Western Kentucky University. Born on the Allegany Indian Reservation, home to the Seneca Nation of Indians, her parents and family instilled a strong belief that everyone should work to make sure our communities are a better place for the 7th generation. With that principle in mind, she has dedicated her life’s work to that idea. Areas of expertise include race, social class and gender within the context of community development. Dr. Lovell has facilitated research on racial and ethnic disparity in the juvenile justice system in Kentucky. She further leads a committee that centers on helping residents expunge their criminal record in order to gain employment, educate about the challenges of poverty in our region, and advocate for polices that will help the most vulnerable in our community. In 2019 she was awarded the President’s Award from the Hardin County NAACP. In 2020, she was awarded the WKU Potter College Service Award and recognized by Fort Knox for contributions to education. Married to her husband Jason and mother to Abigail, she is committed to making her Kentucky home more equitable for all people.