Title
Honoring and commemorating the extraordinary life and legacy of Temple University President JoAnne A. Epps.
Body
WHEREAS, Long-time Temple force for good JoAnne Epps' sudden passing on September 19, 2023, shocked and saddened, not only the Temple community but everyone who had the opportunity to know her; and
WHEREAS, Remembered for her calming yet commanding leadership, President Epps spent the last 40 years of her career with Temple, serving first as a Law Professor, then Dean of the Law School; then from 2016 to 2021, she served as the Executive Vice President and Provost of Temple University; and
WHEREAS, In April 2023, Epps was voted unanimously by the Board of Trustees to serve as acting President to lead the University during a time of immense transition, and is now posthumously named as a full-fledged President; and
WHEREAS, During her time as Dean of Temple's Beasley School of Law from 2008 to 2016, she was?an outspoken advocate for legal education that emphasized institutional responsiveness over a one-size-fits-all curricular model; and
WHEREAS, Under Epps, the law school surged in national rankings, moving into the U.S. News and World Report Top 50; expanded its experiential offerings; and significantly enhanced its business and transactional law curriculum, while retaining its status as a national leader in trial advocacy. Epps also championed the creation of the Stephen and Sandra Sheller Center for Social Justice at Temple Law School, which has become a hub for social justice inquiry and advocacy in the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, As a result of her transformational tenure, Epps was named one of the top 10 most influential people in legal education by The National Jurist for five consecutive years; and
WHEREAS, Outside of the classroom, Epps put her legal acumen to work in the service of criminal justice reform. In 2001, Philadelphia Mayor John Street appointed her to serve as Chair of the Mayor's Task Force on Police Discip...
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