News

Aced it

A cornerstone of Forward with Purpose, Temple University’s Strategic Plan is Place-based Impact—reflecting the imperative that Temple serves as a vital, trusted partner in the city, leveraging its expertise to benefit the broader community. A new partnership with the School District of Philadelphia offers a compelling example of that work.

The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) and the school district approved a memorandum of understanding to establish the Temple Partnership Schools Network. Based upon the nationally recognized Professional Development School model, CEHD will now work directly with two public schools located near Temple’s Main and Health Sciences Center campuses, Tanner G. Duckrey School and Mary McLeod Bethune School, to create a community-embedded, practice-based learning environment that will ultimately strengthen the local schools and the entire North Philadelphia community.

“This is a true partnership,” says Temple President John Fry. “Tanner G. Duckrey and Mary McLeod Bethune are two schools that are located right in our backyard, and our partnership with those schools is an example of the coordinated approach we are taking in serving the North Philadelphia community. Together with the School District of Philadelphia, we are strengthening our local schools and creating additional pathways to higher education.”

Through the program, both undergraduate and graduate students will be able to pursue embedded clinical and applied learning experiences, such as teacher preparation, school counseling, school psychology, human development, and policy and organizational development. Faculty will also be able to conduct collaborative research at each school.

Two children being led into school while a crowd in Temple attire cheers

Temple Partnership Schools Network

Together, Temple and the school district aim to accomplish five goals.

Enhance pre-K–12 student success
Advance educator preparation
Strengthen learning for school-based professionals
Deepen family and community engagement
Generate research that impacts practice

“Thriving schools contribute to thriving neighborhoods,” says Monika Williams Shealey, dean of CEHD. “The partnership demonstrates our collective responsibility to ensure all children have access to equitable educational opportunities, and educators and leaders have the resources and supports they need to support the success of their learners and engage more effectively with families.”

—Stephen Orbanek

125 years of pharmaceutical excellence

Since its founding in March 1901, Temple’s School of Pharmacy has been a driving force of pharmaceutical education, innovation and service. Explore the history of Temple Pharmacy, the ways the School of Pharmacy continues to evolve and how Pharmacy alumni are shaping the future of healthcare.

Read the Full Article

a student conducting a lab experiment and a historical photo of students in a lab.

Answering the call

A historic $1.2 million gift has created scholarships for children of Philadelphia first responders at Temple.

The Neubauer Family Foundation will provide scholarship support for dozens of students from families of employees with the Philadelphia Police Department, the SEPTA Police Department and the Philadelphia Fire Department.

“No words can ever fully express our gratitude to first responders for the incredible sacrifices they make in service to others,” says Temple President John Fry.

Beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year, Temple will select up to 10 first-year undergraduate students annually through the 2028–2029 academic year to receive scholarships of up to $10,000 per year. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years, provided students remain in good academic standing and continue to meet eligibility requirements. Recipients will be known as “Neubauer Scholars.”

Speaking at the news conference where the gift was announced, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker expressed her gratitude.

“You have just given the City of Philadelphia a reason to say that access to economic opportunity for all is a tangible and real thing,” she says. “Thank you to the Neubauer Family for this contribution to the city. It matters.”

—Matt Petrillo, KLN ’12

“Thank you to the Neubauer family for this contribution to the city. It matters.”

—Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia mayor

A just cause

Richard Oller, KLN ’76, LAW ’79; his wife Amy Oller, EDU ’76; and their children, Benjamin Oller and Rebecca Oller, have committed $5 million to create the Oller Center for the Rule of Law within Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.

The historic gift joins the Kean Family Deanship gift, also $5 million, as the second-largest gift in Beasley’s history.

“This generous gift from the Oller family represents a significant moment in Temple and Beasley’s history as the Oller Center for the Rule of Law aligns perfectly with our strategic plan, Forward with Purpose,” says Temple President John Fry. “Students will take part in innovative new courses and pursue consequential research, becoming exactly the type of advocates for justice that we strive to produce at Beasley. This also provides us with an important venue to further our engagement with our city and community.”

The Oller Center is intended to serve as the Philadelphia home for a new national commitment to the rule of law and the principles of American democracy. Once fully operational, it will offer resources and a physical space where scholars, policymakers and advocates can work to advance the rule of law, the institutions and ideals that support it, and the civic engagement necessary to strengthen and protect democracy. Beasley will establish a faculty chair to direct the center.

Welcome to the nest

Several new Owls have been appointed to key leadership positions.

Elizabeth A. Wentz joins as senior vice president and provost. As Temple’s chief academic officer, Wentz leads a broad and complex academic enterprise that spans 17 schools and colleges; multiple domestic and international campuses; a diverse array of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs; and several academic and administrative offices that support and collaborate with the academic operation.

Richard J. Sobieray joins as senior vice president and chief operating officer. He brings to Temple a strong track record of leading large, complex organizations through financial and operational transformation with more than two decades of experience in higher education and academic health systems.

Evelyn Thimba joins as vice president of enrollment management. She oversees the Enrollment Management division including admissions, student financial services and the Registrar’s Office and collaborates closely with the offices of Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs on student success.

Lonnie T. Brown Jr. joins as the Kean Family Dean of Temple’s Beasley School of Law. In this role, he oversees a degree and program portfolio that includes Beasley’s juris doctor program, seven master of law programs, a doctor of juridical science and three certificate programs. His appointment comes at a time when Beasley has significant momentum as the institution recently rose to No. 49 in the 2026 U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law School rankings.

Christopher Hansen joins as dean of the College of Engineering. A strong advocate for access and student success, he brings a significant track record of scholarship and leadership to the position. Partnering with external entities to amplify research has been a hallmark of Hansen’s career. His research expertise focuses broadly on advanced manufacturing and translating fundamental innovations into real-world applications and impact.

Heather Servaty-Seib joins as vice provost for undergraduate education. A champion of integrated, collaborative and student-centered approaches prioritizing retention and persistence through universitywide initiatives, she has been highly engaged in national networks, including the University Innovation Alliance.

Joshua Steele joins as Temple’s inaugural vice provost for online and digital learning and executive director of Temple Online. A nationally recognized leader in online education, Steele leads the development, growth and stewardship of the university’s online and digitally enabled academic portfolio.

Elizabeth A. Wentz

Richard J. Sobieray

Evelyn Thimba

Lonnie T. Brown Jr.

Christopher Hansen

Heather Servaty-Seib

Joshua Steele

Heartfelt headliner

Colman Domingo, a multi-Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner, imparted advice to the Class of 2026 in his spirited address at Temple’s 139th Commencement ceremony in May.

The West Philadelphia native is himself Temple Made. He attended the university in the early 1980s and majored in journalism before pivoting to a career in theater. As an honorary degree recipient, he is celebrated for his contributions to arts and entertainment.

Throughout his speech, Domingo encouraged graduates to seek diverse and rich life experiences and reminded them that real success lies in the cultivation of one’s character and integrity.

“Your softness is not a liability. Your tenderness is not weakness,” he said to the several thousand attendees. “In a world that rewards sharp edges, I want you to be the velvet.”

—Kiki Volkert

Colman Domingo was the keynote speaker at the 139th Commencement ceremony.

“Go out into this world as your whole self. Your Philly self. Your complicated, brilliant and unstoppable self. And when they ask you, where did you learn to be this resilient, this compassionate and this ready, tell them: ‘I’m Temple Made.’”

—Colman Domingo

On point

Nikki Franke, CPH ’78, ’88, received the prestigious 2026 Pat Summitt Award, one of the NCAA’s highest honors, in recognition of her lifelong commitment to developing college athletes and making a positive impact on their lives.

Temple’s all-time winningest women’s athletics coach, Franke amassed 898 wins during her 50 years at the helm of the women’s fencing team and led the Owls to the 1991–1992 NCAA Women’s Foil Team Championship. Under her leadership, the program became a fixture in top 10 national rankings, with 37 fencers earning 66 NCAA championship selections and 25 fencers earning 35 All-America honors.

Even while coaching, she continued to compete in fencing at the highest level, earning a spot on the 1976 and 1980 U.S. Olympic teams and winning the United States Fencing Association’s National Foil Champion titles in 1975 and 1980.

Franke retired in 2022, having earned her doctorate and served more than 30 years as an associate professor in the College of Public Health.

“For five decades, Coach Franke not only built one of the nation’s premier fencing programs, but she also shaped generations of women through mentorship, education and opportunity, leaving an indelible legacy at Temple University,” says Arthur Johnson, vice president and Debbie and Stanley Lefkowitz ’65 Director of Athletics.

—Brent Baum, KLN ’12

Nikki Franke, Temple alum and former women’s fencing coach and professor, received the NCAA’s 2026 Pat Summitt Award.

Building the physician pipeline down the shore

One year after signing an agreement with WellSpan Health to open a regional medical school in York County, Pennsylvania, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine is establishing a new regional campus in Atlantic City, New Jersey, thanks to a recent agreement with AtlantiCare.

Once open, the AtlantiCare campus will become one of four principal locations for Katz, joining the Health Sciences Center in North Philadelphia; the St. Luke’s regional campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and the WellSpan regional campus in York, Pennsylvania.

“The launch of a new regional campus with AtlantiCare, our first in South Jersey, represents an exciting milestone for the Lewis Katz School of Medicine,” says Amy J. Goldberg, the Marjorie Joy Katz Dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. “Our partnership with AtlantiCare expands where and how our students learn while strengthening our commitment to training physicians who serve communities across the region.”

The first class of students is expected to start at the AtlantiCare campus in August 2029 with an expected graduation date of May 2033.

The targeted size for each class at the AtlantiCare campus will be 40 students, bringing total enrollment across Katz campuses to 1,200 students when all regional campuses are fully implemented. The campus is also expected to accommodate third- and fourth-year MD students rotating during spring 2027.

This new site will play a key role in helping address physician pipeline challenges in southeastern New Jersey and within the AtlantiCare health system. Based in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, AtlantiCare is an award-winning integrated healthcare system that serves more than one million residents across 110-plus locations in five southern New Jersey counties.

For Temple, the new campus represents another way to extend the university’s impact beyond Philadelphia, bringing its mission of education, discovery and service to more communities across the region.

—Stephen Orbanek

Providing the essentials

Temple has opened the Essential Needs Hub as part of the university’s commitment to supporting holistic student development. Phase one of this resource facility was completed last year, and with phase two now complete, the Hub is fully operational.

Located in the lower level of the Howard Gittis Student Center, this 26,000-square-foot centralized space offers new and expanded resources to address needs such as food, housing, transportation, clothing, mental and physical health, financial aid, technology access, and more. Hub staff and student resource navigators provide personalized guidance to individuals seeking these services.

“We designed every square foot of the Hub to make it easier for students to get help and to make seeking that help as commonplace as going to the library,” says Jodi Bailey Accavallo, vice president for student affairs. “Students should know where to start, feel comfortable walking through the door and leave connected to the resources they need. Through the Hub, we’re establishing an ethos of care where asking for help is a normal part of the student experience.”

—Maria Klecko

The Essential Needs Hub on Main Campus

Strengthening Philly’s cultural corridor

Temple has joined forces with three of Philadelphia’s leading cultural institutions—The Philadelphia Orchestra, Ensemble Arts and Opera Philadelphia—to expand educational opportunities, strengthen arts programming, and energize and enrich the Avenue of the Arts.

The proximity created by Terra Hall, which Temple acquired in February 2025, deepens these partnerships, enhancing student access to world-class artists, performances and professional experiences.

The collaboration also supports enhanced arts education programming for pre-K–12 students, particularly within the School District of Philadelphia. It comes on the heels of Temple and its Tyler School of Art and Architecture beginning a partnership with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA).

“We will not accomplish our goal of creating a dynamic and vibrant environment along the Avenue of the Arts on our own,” says Temple President John Fry. “That goal will only be achieved with the help of partners like Opera Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Ensemble Arts and PAFA. We look forward to working with all these organizations to amplify our impact in this city.”

—Stephen Orbanek

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Check this out

Pending final approval of the merger between Temple and the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Library Company will have access to the university’s extensive research support, grant-writing expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and robust administrative functions.

“I am excited as this affiliation will allow the two institutions to better advance and sustain their educational and research missions,” says Joe Lucia, dean of Temple Libraries.

As a division of Temple Libraries, the Library Company of Philadelphia at Temple University will retain its collections, staff members and identity as well as its location on 1314 Locust St. in Center City, Philadelphia.

Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, the Library Company is the oldest cultural institution in the United States, and it is home to one of the most significant collections of 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century books, print materials, manuscripts and graphics in the country.

An affiliation with Temple Libraries is the latest step in its evolution since it launched as America’s first subscription library in the 18th century.

“This merger of these two historic Philadelphia institutions presents an exciting opportunity,” says Jessica Chopin Roney, director of the Library Company. “I believe each has the capacity to strengthen the other.”

—Stephen Orbanek