History major Sherrice Johnson's educational journey has literally taken her to the other side of the world and back again. All the while, she was learning about history, making some of her own and helping others chart a new path to their future."When I came to Temple, I learned about an intergenerational learning program that teaches seniors to read. I felt compelled to volunteer for it — all of our seniors are living history and there is so much we can learn from them if we just take the time to listen," said Johnson, 39, who will graduate with her history degree from...
Coming to the United States, Master of Landscape Architecture student Hamed Lavasani discovered a calling that he hadn't been exposed to prior to coming to the northeast."Studying ecological design, ecological restoration isn't really taking place in Iran yet," said Lavasani, 33, who received his bachelor's degree in architecture while living in Tehran, where nine million people live in the city and 16 million live in the wider metropolitan area. "I was looking to continue my studies in something similar to my undergraduate program. I knew I wanted a graduate program that...
Landscape Architecture graduating senior Ani Knauff recently received a very special message from her father.
"My dad sent me a picture of my grandma (his mom) with an email saying 'Your Grandma would be very proud. She always wanted to be a landscape designer. She admired the work of Edna Walling,'" said Knauff, 36, who grew up on a farm in Nar Nar Goon North, Australia, not far from Melbourne. "Edna Walling was a well known Australian landscape designer."
Knauff's grandmother, Lesley Evaline Sargeant, "had an impressive cut flower garden for a small suburban house...
There are hobbies and then there are careers. It is the fortunate few that can successfully turn the former into the latter.Temple Adult and Organizational Development graduate Hollie Axel is one of those happy, fortunate few."I am doing what I love to do and teaching it to others in a way that I never thought I would. I truly love it," said Axel, 54, of Wyndmoor. "I like to think of Adult and Organizational Development (AOD) as educating individuals outside the box without them realizing it. Everyone has a different road to take — how you get there isn't as important as...
How do you plan on celebrating Earth Day this year?
EarthFest 2019, Temple University Ambler's annual outdoor educational festival celebrating Earth Day, will be held on Friday, April 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.
"This will be our 16th year and our 17th EarthFest celebration. This is a tremendous achievement! EarthFest has become an essential part of sharing what Temple University Ambler does best — promoting environmental stewardship in our communities," said EarthFest Co-Coordinator Susan Spinella Sacks. "I think the success and impact of EarthFest is...
When Temple University Biology major Victoria Uritsky begins her job scribing at Abington Hospital, she'll be entering familiar territory.The 22-year old has already put in hundreds of volunteer hours at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital working in a diversity of areas from corporate compliance to clinical research to the emergency department."I can trace my interest in biology to my high school anatomy class. Even though the material was challenging, I kept going back to it and it fueled my interest in higher level science classes," she said. "I knew that was the field I...
Derek Suomi knows a little something about multitasking.While serving for four years in the United States Coast Guard in Portsmouth, Virginia, keeping waterways clear of ships he also completed courses in landscape design and horticulture by taking classes at night at nearby Tidewater Community College.Today, the tasks hit even closer to home. While diligently completing designs and documentation for his landscape architecture studio classes at Temple University Ambler he has an essential job to do at home as well — being a great Dad to three-month old Rowan."Being...
Horticulture major Megan Bazin would be perfectly content living off the land given the opportunity."I've thought about what I would like to do after graduation so much. I would be happy with any job that involves plants and the outdoors," said Bazin, who will head on to her next stop after graduating from Temple University's Horticulture program in May. "I think what I would truly like to do is be a homesteader! If I could just provide for myself and live off the land, I'd be just fine."Modern life — bills to pay, responsibilities to meet — sometimes get in the way...
Horticulture major Benjamin Snyder didn't just "Fly in Four." He flew in 3.5, completing his degree at Temple University a full semester early.Graduating in December 2016, Snyder has already arrived at his next stop and he didn't have to go far to get far. He is now the full-time Greenhouse Horticulturist at the Temple University Ambler Campus Greenhouse."It couldn't have been a more natural transition. I am convinced that my Temple education has thoroughly prepared me to fulfill this responsibility well," said Snyder. "I'll be overseeing the academic side of horticulture at...
How do you plan on celebrating Earth Day this year?
EarthFest 2017, Temple University Ambler's annual outdoor educational festival celebrating Earth Day, is just a few days away!
EarthFest 2017 will be held on Friday, April 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.
"This will be our 15th EarthFest celebration. This is a tremendous achievement. EarthFest has become an essential part of sharing what Temple University Ambler does best — promoting environmental stewardship in our communities," said EarthFest Coordinator Susan Spinella-Sacks. "I think the success and...
Horticulture Assistant Professor Dr. Sasha Eisenman doesn't have to go far to find research ideas."Sometimes it's just a matter of looking out my window on campus. I started to research Staphylea by seeing it outside and wondering if anyone had ever used its seeds for food or oil," said Eisenman, who has an extensive background in medicinal plants and medicinal plant chemistry — his research has taken him to some very out of the way places, such as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. "There are records of the seed oil from a related species in China being used in the production of...
Pennsylvania is not known for its earthquake activity, but they happen more often than you might realize."There are little quakes that happen all of the time. I think most of us felt a shake from the Mineral, Virginia quake from a few years ago," said Dr. Jonathan Nyquist, Director of General Education at Temple University and the Weeks Chair in Environmental Geology in Temple's Department of Earth and Environmental Science. "Any earthquake of magnitude 7.0 or greater is going to be felt from a long way off. There are huge jumps in energy between magnitudes — a magnitude...
To say that Chris Willard wears many hats at Temple University is a bit of an understatement. It wouldn't be too surprising if she began handing out postcards instead of business cards to fit her many roles in training members of law enforcement.Assistant Director of both the Temple University Criminal Justice Training Programs and the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program and Training Coordinator for Temple's Deputy Sheriffs Continuing Education Program, Willard recently added another important title — Director of the Temple University Municipal Police Academy."I...
Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Making of Nieuwpolders: Regenerating the Dutch Custom of Land Recovery!
Months of hard work, dedication and teamwork have certainly paid off for students and faculty in Temple's Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture in the Tyler School of Art.
Their 2017 Flower Show Exhibit, Nieuwpolders: Regenerating the Dutch Custom of Land Recovery, was recognized with a treasure trove of awards.
"I think this recognition confirmed the suspicions that we had about our exhibit, that our message was clear and that our...
Temple University's Office of Non-Credit Continuing Education is introducing test preparation courses to prepare students for the GRE, GMAT, and LSAT exams.The GMAT Prep Course starts Tuesday, March 28 and continues Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 to 9 p.m., through Thursday, April 20. The GRE prep course begins Wednesday, March 29, and continues Mondays and Wednesdays, 6 to 9 p.m., through Monday, April 24. The LSAT Prep Course starts Wednesday, April 26, and continues Mondays and Wednesdays, 6 to 9 p.m., through Wednesday, June 7.Standardized test scores on exams such as the GRE,...
Students taking classes in the evening at Temple University Ambler and Main Campus will have more inter-campus travel options during the fall 2017 semester."After months of data gathering and analysis to determine when Temple Ambler students need inter-campus bus service the most, we have realigned the bus schedule to provide the best service for our students," said Dr. Vicki Lewis McGarvey, Vice Provost for University College and Executive Director of Temple University Ambler. "All changes have been made to correspond with the scheduling needs of Ambler Campus students. The...
Reverend Sharon Washington Risher never asked to be placed into the spotlight. She never asked to become an advocate or spokesperson. She never asked to be pulled into the maelstrom of the nation's gun debate.
On June 17, 2015, however, Reverend Risher's life was tragically and irrevocably changed.
"I was living in Dallas, Texas, at the time, working as a chaplain and trauma specialist at Parkland Hospital" she said. "By about 10 p.m., the news reports started to come in and the telephone started to ring. Then, everything changed. I was completely blown away by everything...
The Center for Sustainable Communities has undertaken a multi-year project to evaluate stormwater control structures along the heavily traveled I-95 Corridor. Supported by a $1.8 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the two-year study will examine stormwater management best practices with the intent of helping to improve water quality in the municipalities along the corridor.Temple and Villanova universities will implement an "applied research program to assist and inform PennDOT and its consultants on stormwater management design and maintenance...
In the 16 years since its inception, the Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University Ambler has become a leader in researching and planning how to make communities safer, greener and healthier, partnering with state, federal and local organizations to implement plans to leave the region a better place than the Center found it."The Center and our researchers, faculty and students are extremely active, a clear indication that our funders are confident that we can do the job," said Susan Spinella Sacks, Assistant Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities. "...
If you happen to ask Dr. Laura Toran "how's the weather" she'll be able to tell you in minute detail.Her wireless weather station in the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University provides detailed, real-time reports on temperature, humidity, wind, sunlight, dew point and more (anyone can follow it online)."Temple Ambler is perfectly situated as a central point between several watersheds, making it a great location for the study of urban hydrology," said Toran, Professor of Earth and Environmental Science in Temple's College of Science and Technology. "The weather station on campus...
