Flowers and trees understand something that perhaps humans haven't quite caught onto yet. A weather-prognosticating rodent is all well and good, but winter is going to end when winter ends and spring will follow in its own good time.When Philadelphia Flower Show preparation begins at Temple University Ambler each year, that's where Temple Horticulture staff and students come in. Their mission is to "trick" the plants into thinking that late February/early March is a perfect time to put their best blooming face forward for the signature event's 250,000 guests."The process of...
Following World War II, the boom time of the 1950s set suburbia awash with acres of developments comprised of cookie-cutter homes and equally uniform lawns. No one could ever accuse these settings of being ecologically diverse.Fifty years later, as new developments of single-family homes, townhomes and apartments continue to supplant forests, meadows and natural lands, that sea of sameness — well-manicured, chemically controlled lawns and over-managed trees, shrubs and plants — persists.That needs to change. At the 2020 Philadelphia Flower Show, Temple University...
After 30 years with the Environmental Protection Agency, Jeffrey Lapp has developed a true passion and respect for plants."In my early years working for the agency, I spent most of my time in the field, which took me to a wide variety of environments and ecosystems," said Lapp, Wetlands Branch Chief for the EPA Region III office. "I became particularly interested in northeastern bogs and the plants that grew there."Lapp's interest in wetland plants steers decidedly off the beaten path toward plants that have a very specific way to get the nutrients they need to survive —...
Elizabeth Shepard-Rabadam views her eclectic professional background "a bit like sedimentary stone.""You have a foundation and continue to build upon what has come before with something new — this makes the foundation more solid," said Shepard-Rabadam who brings more than 20 years' higher-education management experience at a variety of institutional types and settings to her new role as Associate Director of Temple University Ambler.When she began as a professional, "I really felt public history was a way to apply my interests and skills," said Shepard-Rabadam, who has an...
It's difficult for Vivien Wise to recall a time when she wasn't using her skills with fibers to turn ideas into reality."I've been on this path for a long time. My mom and my grandmothers were quilters — I finished my first quilt when I was eight," said Wise, a Fibers...
Overwatch. League of Legends. DOTA. Rocket League.
You may or may not be familiar with the names, but they are some of the most popular Esports games among competitive players who are constantly striving to improve their skills and connect with others of similar interests.
Esports — competitive, organized video gaming — has become a huge business. According to Fortune and Reuters, industry revenues topped over $1 billion in 2019, an astounding 27 percent increase from the prior year, and shows no sign of slowing down in 2020. Switch on ABC on any given weekend and you'll...
Exiting college to enter the working world, Nicole Westrick didn't envision a career dedicated to continuing education — but she probably should have."My very first job as a work-study student at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown was in the Continuing Education department," said Westrick, Associate Vice Provost for Temple's University College. "I was a teaching assistant in Excel and Lotus 1-2-3 classes; ushered summer camp students between buildings; and worked on some very early distance education classes that taught manufacturing systems to engineers. I've come...
Angela J. Davis believes in giving back to Temple University, a place from which her mother and son also graduated, and an institution where "so many genuinely good things happened to me as a result of being part of the Temple community."Davis' Temple career began when she started working for Temple University Hospital after graduating high school, which allowed her to work her way through her undergraduate studies.It was during this time, according to Davis, that her passion for Temple was kindled, a passion that she has turned into her life's work. She has ignited that same...
Take a walk through the woodlands. Travel the campus trails. Wander through the Ambler Arboretum gardens. Stroll to the center of the Healing Garden labyrinth.Breathe deep. Take a moment for yourself. Recharge. Reenergize."The benefits from getting outside and engaging in outdoor activities for the mind, body and spirit are well-documented and help to create a lasting connection to nature that help promote happiness and good health," said Ambler Arboretum of Temple University Director Kathy Salisbury. "The Ambler Arboretum and the Ambler Campus are an excellent resource to ...
When Temple University alumnus Moe Greene discovered the ProRanger Philadelphia program while completing his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice it was a true bit of serendipity."To be honest I'd say I lucked into it. A professor of mine in the Criminal Justice program had heard about it and referred me to the program. At that time, it had never even occurred to me that I could work for the National Park Service," said Greene, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology in 2012. "I grew up in Philadelphia; my knowledge of the Park...
Cat Meholic, the newest addition to the Temple University Ambler community, believes that there was no one "Ah ha!" moment that instilled in her a passion for plants.
"I've wondered about that sometimes. I have three sisters and I'm definitely 'the plant one,'" laughed Meholic, who recently joined the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University staff as the Curatorial Horticulturist. "I think initially it came from the people I encountered who took an interest in me. They had a great impact on my perspective on plants, on horticulture as an art and science — indoors and outdoors...
Mike Stokes considers himself among the very fortunate. He had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Jeffrey Featherstone, Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University, for more than 30 years.
When Featherstone went to work for the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) in the 1980s, Stokes thought of him as the “the young guy” even though Featherstone was two years his senior.
“There were the old engineers working with their slide rules and in comes this young guy with new skills and a new approach to planning,” said Stokes, Assistant Director of the...
Newly minted Temple Ambler Owl Heather Earlin has a specific motivation for pursuing her degree in Psychology."When I look at things from a psychological standpoint, the world makes much more sense to me," she said. "I can analyze why people do what they do and why they say certain things or chose to approach situations the way they do. It gives me a better understanding of the world around me."A recent transfer student from Montgomery County Community College, Earlin initially started her college career with the idea of becoming a nurse, another avenue that would have allowed...
A printmaker, a health and wellness coach, a cardboard manufacturer sit in a classroom among other classmates with two major things in common. All are veterans and all are entrepreneurs ready to grow their business. A study by the SBA Office of Advocacy found that veterans are almost 50 percent more likely to be self-employed than non-veterans. Veterans may turn to entrepreneurship as a way to establish work-life balance and financial independence or due to dissatisfaction with available workforce opportunities.Military training can provide the discipline, leadership,...
Temple University Horticulture major Katie Roberts' educational career began at Temple Ambler as many other journeys do.It started with a road trip."I was a business major for one and a half years but I knew early on that simply wasn't what I was meant to do with my life. I had a professor in Florida who was teaching a horticulture course and I simply fell in love with the program — his passion for the subject inspired me," said Roberts, 21, who transferred to Temple from Florida Southern College in spring 2018. "I wanted to get closer to home (Middletown, N.J.) and I...
To say that Antony DiBruno knows a bit about business is like saying there's water in the ocean. It's not wrong, but it's certainly underselling reality."I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When I was 17, I started my own business — I opened a steak and hoagie joint inside a pool hall in South Philadelphia. It lasted about four years," said DiBruno, Temple University Ambler's new Conference Services and Business Development Coordinator. "I moved on to banking and then to the nightclub and bar industry. I was a managing partner of a place in Old City called 'The...
Karl Kraus has some general advice for entrepreneurs just starting out on their road to creating a new business."Define what you are offering, who your market is and what value your business offers to the customer," said Kraus, Senior Business Specialist and Manager of Temple's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the Ambler Campus. "Draw up a plan and seek out independent advice."That's where the Small Business Development Center comes in. The SBDC, an outreach center of the Fox School of Business and Management, has been working to help fledgling businesses bridge the...
Thirty years ago, John F. Collins, FASLA, and a dedicated group of faculty built on 75 years of environmental education offered at Temple University Ambler to create prestigious four-year undergraduate programs in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture that have generated dedicated leaders in every field of the green industry.In practice with his own landscape architecture and environmental planning firm for 25 years prior to coming to Temple, Collins "needed some soldiers," in the battle to preserve the environment."I wanted students that would look at nature, not pave over...
Think of Liz Windhaus as a train engineer, ensuring her charges get to their destination by the most direct route possible.
In this case, that destination happens to be one of the most important decisions they'll make in their lives.
As the new Enrollment Coordinator at Temple University Ambler, Windhaus will be among the first people with whom a prospective student or applicant will interact. She will be on the front lines of generating and converting quality leads into enrolled students.
"There is no question that for a student the enrollment process can be complex....
The benefits from outdoor play for mind, body and spirit are well-documented and create a lasting connection to nature and wildlife that help promote happiness and good health.Unfortunately, as the hustle and bustle of everyday life seems to become more and more hectic, connecting with nature and the outdoors is often left out of the equation. Temple Ambler EarthFest and the Ambler Arboretum are hoping to reverse that trend.On July 13 and 14, the Arboretum and EarthFest will partner to host the Great American Campout on campus, an evening of camping, tours, stargazing and more...
