A familiar name in Temple University leadership is taking on the role of temporary president to the North Philadelphia university.
Richard Englert, the current Temple chancellor and former president, will assume a "transitional leader" role, according to a Temple Now news release Tuesday. The Board of Trustees voted for Englert to "provide a steady hand of leadership while the search for Temple’s next chief executive continues."
Englert served as the 11th president of Temple from 2016 to 2021, before announcing plans to retire. He has spent nearly half a century at Temple, first arriving on campus in 1976 as an assistant dean in the College of Education, according to Temple.
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Since Englert left office, Jason Wingard had a turbulent run as president before leaving the school. JoAnne Epps served as Temple's interim president for several months following Wingard's resignation until her sudden death after falling ill during a university event last week.
The announcement comes just days before Epps will be memorialized in a series of public viewings and a "Celebration of Life" service on campus.
"During this time of deep sorrow, we are immensely grateful to Dr. Englert for answering the call, as he always has, to lead the Temple community forward," wrote Temple board chairman Mitchel Morgan. "We anticipate completing the ongoing search and announcing the next president of Temple University in spring 2024."
Shortly after reassuming the role of president on Tuesday, Englert said in a letter to "members of the Temple Community" that he is "honored to again lead this outstanding institution."
"In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to engaging with you, hearing your perspectives and working together to achieve our shared goals," Englert wrote. "Let us harness our strengths, foster scholarship and learning, and build a brighter future for Temple University."
EDITOR'S NOTE: A member of Temple University's Board of Trustees shared a message with the Temple community that stated the board would formally remove the "acting" notation from JoAnne Epps title and recognize her as the 13th president of the university on Oct. 10.
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