After a 10-month search, Temple Owls today met the university’s next president, Pennsylvania native Jason Wingard. With the unanimous approval of the Board of Trustees, Wingard became president-elect and will begin his role as the 12th president on July 1. 

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In his introduction to the Temple community, President-elect Wingard outlined his vision for the university while also describing his lifelong connection to Temple. His father, Levi, attended graduate school here, and as a child, Wingard himself participated in basketball camps led by former men’s basketball Head Coach John Chaney. He’s also a devoted listener of WRTI’s Bob Perkins. 

His links to Temple provide a strong foundation as he prepares to take the helm of the university. Looking ahead, Wingard shared three themes that will guide his presidency, starting with his eagerness to amplify the excellence of the institution by serving as the university's chief ambassador. 

“Temple represents excellence, full stop,” he said. “And if you don’t know that, you’re going to hear a lot more about that from me. We are going to be unabashed about celebrating and demonstrating the excellence Temple University has to offer.” 

In addition to Temple’s overall excellence, Wingard was also drawn to the university for its commitment to equity and access and the opportunity to advance innovation and learning to better prepare students to meet the changing demands of employers. By enhancing Temple’s value proposition, Wingard plans to ensure the education students receive at Temple aligns with the skills top employers desire, leading to strong employment outcomes for students and a pipeline of qualified Temple graduates ready to enter the workforce. 

As a longtime Philadelphia resident, Wingard also recognized the importance of Temple as Philadelphia’s public university. As such, he is dedicated to engaging authentically with the community surrounding Temple and deepening the university’s relationships in the city and the broader region.  

“Temple University is a pillar of strength for this region,” Wingard said. “I want to make sure that we take every opportunity to represent this region with the strength that we have.” 

Wingard, whose academic career includes teaching and senior leadership posts at Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, will succeed President Richard M. Englert, who is retiring after 45 years of service to Temple. Englert will return to the role of chancellor, which he has held since 2012.

As Temple’s 12th president, Wingard will lead an institution that is nationally recognized as a center of excellence in teaching, research and healthcare, with more than 17 schools across eight campuses, including Temple Rome and Temple University Japan, 600 academic programs, 37,000 students, 8,700 faculty and staff, 340,000 living alumni, and 1,000 physicians.

“I’m looking forward to an exciting new era, and I’m most excited about building on the platform of excellence that already exists,” he said.