Temple's historic weekend

Temple welcomed Dr. Jason Wingard as its 12th president during a weekend of inauguration events.

Story and layout by Jonny Hart
Photography by Ryan S. Brandenberg, Joseph V. Labolito, Betsy Manning and Dan Z. Johnson

A new chapter in Temple’s history began last week as the university officially welcomed Dr. Jason Wingard as its 12th president.

The celebration kicked off on Thursday, Sept. 15, with the first-ever Talks@Temple symposium, an event that will be a regular part of Homecoming activities moving forward. The symposium invited acclaimed filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and diversity thought leaders from a handful of leading Fortune 500 companies to speak to a Temple audience.

On Friday, Sept. 16, Wingard was formally inaugurated as president by Temple’s Board of Trustees at an investiture ceremony. The event was emceed by Trustee Tamron Hall, KLN ’92, and included a passionate and moving keynote address by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). The fanfare continued through the evening with the Cherry & White Access Gala, a brand-new Homecoming fundraising event that benefits Temple University students in their pursuit of a college education.

The inaugural events culminated on Saturday, Sept. 17, with Tailgate Village and TU Philly Fest, the biggest tailgate and community festival of the year, before the Owls took on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the 2022 Homecoming Game at Lincoln Financial Stadium.

The Talks@Temple symposium invited experts in fields ranging from the corporate sector to the arts and entertainment industries for bold discussions about the intersection of learning and work.

Talks@Temple Symposium

M. Night Shyamalan, an Oscar-nominated film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author, joined President Wingard for the first Talks@Temple symposium on Thursday. Shyamalan’s supernatural thrillers, such as The Sixth Sense, are celebrated worldwide, and his films have grossed more than $3 billion at the box office. The pair spoke about the future of visual storytelling and the ways that Temple can prepare its students for success in ever-changing industries, such as the film industry.

The second half of the event featured a panel discussion with diversity thought leaders moderated by Valerie Harrison, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Temple. Maxine Williams, Meta’s chief diversity officer; Reginald J. Miller, McDonald’s vice president and global chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer; and Erika Irish Brown, Citi’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, took to the stage to discuss the importance of diverse representation, the ways they achieve diversity at their companies and how Temple students can be equitable in the work they will undertake throughout their careers.

“In times of difficulty or challenge, what I find works best for people that are successful is doubling down on their value systems.”

—M. Night Shyamalan,
filmmaker, screenwriter,
actor, producer and author

“You will have a unique point of view because of your diversity, and I think that’s a wonderful thing and that can be your secret weapon. That can be what distinguishes you from the rest.”

—Erika Irish Brown,
chief diversity, equity
and inclusion officer at Citi

“What is incredibly valuable is to know the worth of your diversity, and to leverage that to be the person in the room who may see something others cannot see because of it.”

—Maxine Williams,
chief diversity officer at Meta

“At your level, at the local level, regardless of where you sit in this world—you can make a difference from the seat that you occupy. And I think that’s a really important thing to do because most change happens from a grassroots level, right?”

—Reginald J. Miller,
vice president and global chief
diversity, equity and inclusion officer
at McDonald’s

Investiture Ceremony

Temple community members, distinguished guests and members of the media gathered at the Liacouras Center on Friday morning to formally welcome Jason Wingard as Temple’s new president during an investiture ceremony. The event was emceed by alum, Temple trustee and Emmy award-winning journalist Tamron Hall, KLN '92, and featured speeches from Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Provost Gregory Mandel, Board of Trustees Chair Mitchell Morgan, FOX ’76, LAW ’80, Faculty Senate President Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon and President Wingard, among others.

“From our founding in 1884 to this very day, Temple University has stood for opportunity, transformation and the drive for excellence. It is our mission to provide an innovative education that prepares students to lead now and for years to come. Jason Wingard exemplifies this mission.”

—Tamron Hall, KLN ’92,
Emmy award-winning
journalist and Temple trustee

“I'm excited about our future with Dr. Jason Wingard leading us forward. I am confident that his relentless enthusiasm and his constant focus on improvements are going to raise Temple to new heights.”

—Mitchell Morgan,
FOX ’76, LAW ’80,
Board of Trustees chair

“You have the right university having the right president at the right time. This is an alignment that we so urgently need. [President Wingard] is one of those folks that knows that even though you are in a position like president of a university, you can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people.”

—Cory Booker,
U.S. Senator of New Jersey

“You arrived on campus with boundless energy, unbridled passion and the courage to embrace change. You brought with you a bold vision for how the future of higher education can meet the future of work, and how Temple can help mold that vision. I look forward to working with you and our faculty and staff to provide an education for our remarkable and diverse students that is affordable, accessible and most importantly, world class.”

—Gregory Mandel,
provost

“President Wingard has been one of the most involved presidents in student life. He meets with students, attends our events and makes authentic connections with the community. The true hallmark of a leader—that he has exhibited—is that he listens.”

—Gianni Quattrocchi,
president,
Temple Student Government

“His research on the future of work will no doubt make us think about what we do as faculty, researchers and clinicians in a new way.”

—Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon,
Faculty Senate president

“[President Wingard] will be strong, but not rude. Kind, but not weak. Bold, but won’t bully. Humble, but not shy. And proud, but not arrogant.”

—Levi Wingard,
father of President Wingard

“So many of you here today and on the livestream, you have mentored me. You’ve supported me. You’ve taught me. You’re my village, and you don’t become president of Temple University without a strong village. Fueled by an unparalleled aptitude and grit, Temple will lead the education revolution. The future of work is disruption. The future of learning is change. The future of Temple University is bright.”

—Jason Wingard, president

Faculty members in their academic regalia welcomed Jason Wingard as Temple’s 12th president at Friday’s investiture ceremony.

Alumna, Temple trustee and Emmy award-winning journalist Tamron Hall returned to Temple to emcee the investiture ceremony.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) spoke about his time at Stanford University with President Wingard during his keynote speech.

President Wingard and First Lady Gingi Wingard took to the streets of Main Campus for a parade following the investiture ceremony.

The celebration continued with a spirited pep rally at the Bell Tower on Friday afternoon.

Cherry & White Access Gala

The inaugural Cherry & White Access Gala was held on Friday night at the Met, just a few blocks from Main Campus. The event raised money for the Temple Access Fund, which will provide critical financial support for those who want to come to Temple and can’t afford it. The gala was highlighted by a performance from Grammy-winning performer and recording artist Ledisi.

Tailgate Village and TU Philly Fest

The biggest game of the year calls for the biggest tailgate of the year. Owls gathered outside Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday morning to get in the Temple spirit before the big Homecoming game against Rutgers. Alumni, campus partners and representatives from each of Temple’s schools and colleges had tables at the tailgate to show their school pride and connect with current students and families. Temple University Hospital was also in attendance administering free flu shots to the Temple community.

Temple First Lady Gingi Wingard received a flu shot at Saturday’s pep rally from Temple University Hospital, which was administering free shots as part of its ongoing effort to immunize the Temple community.

Tailgate Village and TU Philly Fest featured 42 campus partners, as well as tents from each of Temple’s schools and colleges.

Homecoming Game

The 2022 Homecoming game kicked off shortly after 2 p.m. on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. Students, families and fans packed the stands to support the football team and watch the Temple Diamond Marching Band’s 96th Homecoming performance. Despite a spirited effort and plenty of encouragement from the crowd, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights bested the Owls by a close score of 16-14.

Temple pride was on full display at Saturday’s Homecoming game, and the stands were packed for the contest between the Owls and Rutgers.

This year marked the 96th time that the Temple Diamond Marching Band performed at the Homecoming game.