Relive highlights from the past year, including the opening of Paley Hall, the Diamond Marching Band’s performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and much, much more.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
2025 was jam-packed with major milestones and memorable moments, elevating Temple as a provider of world-class education while also reaffirming the university’s commitment to access.
Check out these highlights from a year marked by historic gifts, new partnerships, groundbreaking discoveries and universitywide initiatives aimed at instilling pride, driving momentum and amplifying Temple's role in Philadelphia and beyond.
Innovative initiatives
Over the course of the year, the university began refreshing its Strategic Plan to reassess its current goals and strengthen its commitments. As part of the process, Temple solicited feedback and hosted town halls and listening sessions for alumni, faculty and staff.
Also, this fall, a new brand campaign launched to evolve and clearly define what it means to be Temple Made: Real Opportunity. Real Results. Real Success is Temple Made.
One of the year’s most visible new developments was the wave of cherry and white rolling across campus every Thursday. To celebrate school spirit, Temple introduced Cherry On Thursdays this fall, encouraging students, faculty and staff to display their Owls pride by wearing school colors or Temple logo gear on that day each week.
Building on its legacy of civic engagement, Temple created a universitywide volunteer program called Owls for Philly. Through this initiative from the Office of Community Impact and Civic Engagement, eligible nonfaculty employees can use up to eight hours of paid civic engagement time annually for volunteer activities. Faculty will be able to volunteer during nonteaching hours, and opportunities are available for students and alumni.
And in April, President John Fry presented his bold vision for Temple during his investiture ceremony.
Leading up to the ceremony, the university held a special Innovation with Impact series including panel discussions and presentations showcasing the important work of faculty and students from a range of disciplines. This series returned in December, opening with a conversation featuring professor and novelist Liz Moore.
Built for what’s next
Opening its doors in 2025 was Paley Hall, the new home for the Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health. The college was renamed in honor of the alum and university trustee in recognition of his historic $55 million gift—the largest in Temple’s history.
Inside Paley, Temple’s campus store, which offers a broader selection of items as well as meeting spaces, settled into its new nest.
Additionally, thanks to Barnett’s gift, the deanship at the College of Liberal Arts was endowed as Richard Deeg assumed his new position as the Christopher M. Barnett Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. And Temple established the Christopher and Julie Barnett Essential Needs Hub, named in recognition of the generosity of Barnett and his wife Julie.
Further campus development included the acquisition of Terra Hall, creating a southern anchor for Temple along the Avenue of the Arts and the groundbreaking of the Caroline Kimmel Pavilion for Arts and Communication. Scheduled to open in fall 2027, the facility is named in recognition of Sidney and Caroline Kimmel, who committed $27.5 million to this new building that will advance arts and culture at Temple and strengthen the creative legacy of Philadelphia.
Also advancing the arts, a $3 million gift from Joslyn G. Ewart, EDU ’80, established an endowed deanship for the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. Robert Stroker now holds the Joslyn G. Ewart Dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts.
Other generous contributions included a $1.5 million gift from Daniel E. Rosner, LAW ’83, to support the university’s highly regarded National Trial Team, now known as the Temple Rosner National Trial Team; United Concordia’s $100,000 donation to the pediatric dental clinic operated by the Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry inside the William D. Kelley School in North Philadelphia; and a $1 million gift from philanthropist Brook J. Lenfest establishing the Student Success Scholarship Fund to support students in good academic standing who face financial barriers while completing their degrees.
During the fourth annual Temple Giving Days, alumni and friends raised nearly $1 million, eclipsing the $600,000-plus that was raised during the event the previous year.
Moreover, Temple partnered with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to expand programming at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, and the university and WellSpan Health formalized an agreement that will establish a new regional campus for Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine in York County, Pennsylvania.
Research in action
Faculty continued their innovative research, including the discovery of 35 new species of lizards on Caribbean islands by S. Blair Hedges, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Biodiversity and director of the Center for Biodiversity at the College of Science and Technology, and Molly Schools, CST ’23.
Assistant Professor Mehdi Khanzadeh from the College of Engineering developed a method to produce stronger and more durable carbonatable concrete, an eco-friendly concrete alternative, as well.
Additionally, faculty members Gerard Criner, Sudhir Kumar and Sergei Pond were recognized as Highly Cited Researchers in 2025 by the global data and analytics company Clarivate.
And an article on Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis version 7 by Kumar, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Biology, hit the top 100 most cited scientific works in history from the prestigious scientific journal Nature.
The Lewis Katz School of Medicine and Fox Chase Cancer Center secured $1.36 million in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funding to implement an electronic symptom monitoring system for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
And, as the proud owner of a brand new, state-of-the-art scanning electron microscopes system, Temple will advance energy, biological, environmental and other materials research across the region, thanks to a $3.3 million award from the National Science Foundation. The instrument configuration will be one of just a few in the country and only the second at a university.
Moreover, supported by funding from Temple’s Office of the Vice President for Research, the Athletic Innovation, Research and Education (AIRE) Lab opened as a collaborative effort between Temple’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) and Temple Athletics. Its mission is to drive innovation in the management of athletic programs and college athlete development.
Also engaging in impactful research was Assistant Professor of History Bench Ansfield, who examined the 1970s landlord arson wave in their new book Born in Flames, which was named one of the 100 Notable Books of 2025 by the New York Times and one of the 100 Best Nonfiction Books of 2025 by Kirkus Reviews. As well, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, professor and senior fellow at Brookings, presented her research on playful learning and the Live and Learn initiative to Philadelphia City Council.
Academic rigor
The year included numerous academic successes. The university recorded a 9.2% increase in first-year enrollment when Temple welcomed the Class of 2029, the largest ever first-year undergraduate class.
Temple joined the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), a multi-university consortium working to improve student success and broaden participation in higher education for all students.
In the 2025 edition of the Best Colleges U.S. News and World Report, Temple ranked among the top 50 public universities for the third consecutive year. And the university ranked No. 102 in the National Universities category and No. 81 in the Best Value category. Additionally, Beasley School of Law and the College of Education and Human Development rose significantly in the Best Graduate School rankings.
Real Success is Temple Made
Student success was at the forefront as well in 2025. Temple was listed among just 21 colleges or universities nationally to receive a top designation for both research and student success in the updated 2025 release of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Temple also celebrated its first graduating class of the Cecil B. Moore Scholars Program, which creates a pathway to college for selected students who live in North Philadelphia, ensuring they have the financial support, resources, advising and mentoring needed to succeed. Moreover, the first cohort of Temple Promise students have found success at the institution. This last-dollar financial aid grant program aims to make a Temple education more accessible and affordable for talented and qualifying students from Philadelphia.
First-year nursing student George Lane received the prestigious Gates Scholarship, “a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households” that supports students all the way through graduate school. A North Philadelphia native, Lane chose Temple to make an impact in his community as he aspires to eventually study oncology and become a physician at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
In addition, Temple won nine 2025 EPPY Awards from Editor and Publisher Magazine, which recognizes outstanding achievement in digital journalism and marks the highest total of any university in the higher education categories.
Capping off its 100th anniversary year, the Diamond Marching Band performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Temple honored its 2025 30 Under 30 awardees. The program recognizes trailblazing young alumni who are redefining the standard in their fields and transforming the landscape of their professions.
Creative connections
Temple strengthened its commitment to the arts as the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection launched the Philadelphia Black Music Archive, which features a collection of artifacts, documents, interviews, photographs, recordings and sheet music showcasing the cultural contributions of Philadelphia’s Black musicians.
At Tyler, Jack Wolgin Visiting Artist Sam Van Aken led experiential workshops and seminars integrating art, science and horticulture, ultimately installing a rare Tree of 40 fruit—the first of its kind in the Philadelphia region—in Tyler’s central greenspace courtyard.
Also, graduate students from Temple’s one-of-a-kind musical theater collaboration master’s program premiered two new musicals, Goblin Market and Mystic Rapture, last spring.
And the university’s creative legacy across Philadelphia was highlighted in these profiles of alumni who are powering the city’s arts scene.
A global university, grounded in Philadelphia
The university fostered its connections to Philadelphia while expanding its global reach.
The university introduced the Temple Future Scholars program, a scaled college pipeline program supporting low-income, first-generation-to-college students in Philadelphia public middle schools.
Additionally, the Temple Community Gateway continued to benefit North Philadelphia community members by connecting them to resources and services. And 45 students from neighboring George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science joined the Class of 2029, in large part thanks to mentorship from Temple Police Officer Leroy Wimberly.
Internationally, Temple Rome announced it will offer four-year bachelor’s degree programs starting in fall 2026, while Temple University Japan opened a satellite location in Kyoto, officially named Temple University, Japan Campus Kyoto.
Powered by people
Our world-class faculty and staff achieved numerous honors and awards this year as well. Temple celebrated its annual faculty awards, recognizing excellent professors and scholars for their achievements and contributions to teaching, research, creative activity and service.
Mark Franko, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Dance at Boyer College of Music and Dance, was elected to the British Academy as an international fellow, one of the highest honors in the humanities. Betsy Leebron Tutelman, associate vice president for strategic university events and professor of media studies and production, was honored at the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards for her 25+ years of service.
Additionally, Bernard C. Watson Endowed Chair in Urban Education James Earl Davis was elected to the National Academy of Education, while Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology Philip C. Kendall won the 2025 American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Applications of Psychology. And Vice President and Chief of Police for Temple’s Department of Public Safety Jennifer Griffin was named Campus Safety Director of the Year by Campus Safety Magazine.
New appointments
Several staff and faculty were also appointed to important positions. Temple Health announced that Abhi Rastogi will succeed Michael A. Young as president and chief executive officer. Following a national search, Brian T. Keech was selected as vice president for government and community relations.
Al Checcio was named senior vice president of institutional advancement after serving as interim vice president of the Office of Institutional Advancement. And James Ponce became Temple’s chief audit executive, overseeing Internal Audits, which works to provide quality, independent evaluations as a service to both the university and its Board of Trustees.
Moreover, Temple’s Board of Trustees welcomed new members Christopher Barnett, CLA ’10; Leslie Anne Miller, LAW ’94; Ellen Cooper, FOX ’85; James “Jim” Schultz, CLA ’95; and Stanley “Stan” Middleman, FOX ’76.
Athletics
Temple Athletics continued to make waves and champion student-athletes, who posted a record-tying 95% graduation success rate.
Additionally, the university was one of three schools chosen to receive the 2025 NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant. The university is using this grant to build JournAI, a first-of-its-kind app supporting athletes’ holistic development and well-being.
Temple’s sports teams garnered national attention as women’s basketball point guard Tristen Taylor won the Kay Yow Servant Leader Award for her selfless leadership on and off the court.
And ahead of Temple football’s strongest start since the 2019 season, Head Coach K.C. Keeler expressed his commitment to establishing a winning culture in year one. Temple football also appeared in “Sneak Attack,” season five, episode two of Peyton’s Places on ESPN+ alongside Peyton Manning and Jason Kelce.
In response to the NCAA’s landmark House v. NCAA antitrust settlement, Temple Athletics Director Arthur Johnson explained its impact on Owl sports.
Celebrity sightings
Various celebrities visited Main Campus this year, including actor Patrick Warburton—from Family Guy, The Emperor’s New Groove and A Series of Unfortunate Events—who spoke with students from Temple’s School of Theater, Film and Media Arts. Director Dan Trachtenberg, TFM ’03, and his brother film editor David Trachtenberg, TFM ’94, also participated in a Q&A with students at The Reel.
David Muir, host of ABC’s World News Tonight, came to campus as well for a Student Conversation event before being honored with the Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award.
Additionally, Klein students and interim Provost and Dean David Boardman attended the 1,000th episode of the Tamron Hall Show to present Hall with her 2022 Gallery of Success Award.
And Temple announced that Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo will receive an honorary degree at Commencement in May 2026 and deliver the Commencement address to the Class of 2026.