For some, their food concerns might not go any further than stopping at the local supermarket to determine what's for dinner that night.For officials and community activists in Norristown, their concerns center on the food security of a population of nearly 35,000, working to ensure that all residents have ready, affordable access to healthy food choices."Quality, affordable food is essential to the well being of any community," said Dr. Deborah Howe, Chair of the Department of Community and Regional Planning, whose undergraduate senior Community and Regional Planning Studio...
Temple University Ambler students are helping Philadelphia neighborhoods become more sustainable thanks to a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation.
The Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University received $25,000 to develop "Green Neighborhood Tool Kits" and train community-based organizations serving Philadelphia low-income neighborhoods "to educate and empower residents to take actions that improve sustainability," said Dr. Lynn Mandarano, Associate Professor in the Department of Community and Regional Planning at Temple and a Research Fellow with the Center...
Your ability to speak betrays you. You know what you want to say, but you're trapped on a single syllable. A wave of frustration, anxiety and embarrassment wash over you in quick succession as the group you are speaking to responds with a mix of patience and impatience, sympathy and discomfort. The harder you try, the more difficult it becomes. Your anxiety and frustration manifests physically, your lips quivering, your eyes closing unconsciously. A few moments feel like forever.One out of every 100 people will be affected by stuttering in their lifetime, according to Kim...
Twenty-Five 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 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 it. The...
You could say that Jiting Deng had a baptism by fire of sorts into University life — or more appropriately a baptism by football.One of her first experiences outside of the classroom at Temple was an Owls football game at Lincoln Financial Field. And she certainly didn't shy away from raising a giant foam finger or a cherry and white pom pom to cheer on her adopted team to victory."It was my first experience with American football. I figured, 'Why not?' — I always try to do things that are different, that are new to me," said Deng, 25, originally from Hohhot, the...
For Denise Snook everything is literally coming up roses.Upon completing her bachelor's degree in Horticulture at Temple in December, Snook settled into a career as the Horticulturist, Landscape Manager and Rosarian at Wyck, a National Historic Landmark house, garden and farm in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, which served as the ancestral home to the Wistar-Haines family for over nine generations."I'm responsible for the care, interpretation and propagation of the Wyck roses, which isn't something I take lightly. This is one of the oldest rose gardens in America...
Alain-Stephane Wognin Moulot has lived in more countries than many of us are likely to ever visit. Born in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, Moulot has a vision of the world that he would like to help come to pass."I come from a third world country; I've lived in three third world countries. All of these countries have great potential," said Moulot, 22, who will graduate from Temple with a bachelor's degree in Finance. "It's not just a problem of funding; you have to get the resources distributed to where they are needed most. I want to work in a field where I can influence the...
This year wasn't a hat trick for the Department of Community and Regional Planning — it was a step above. Matt Smith made it a fourpeat.Smith was the fourth semi-finalist for the Presidential Management Fellows program from Temple's Community and Regional Planning (CRP) program in four years and the third finalist during the same time frame — an almost unheard of accomplishment among planning programs in the country."This year they only selected 609 out of more than 7,000 candidates. I think this run of success says only good things for the Temple CRP program," said...
There is a garden in the Lawncrest section of Philadelphia that didn't exist two years ago.The 25-plot community garden required buy in from the niehgborhood, city officials and a variety of city groups, but with Temple University Landscape Architecture major Thu Ngan Han leading the charge, fresh vegetables will soon by popping up in abundance as the garden's second growing season gets underway."With Temple's landscape architecture program, we are given the opportunity to work on a lot of urban community-based projects in addition to being given a solid background in plants...
Before Jillian Brainard came to Temple University, she spent a few years with the CIA.In this case, however, her stock in trade was entrees, not espionage."I really fell in love with cooking when I was in high school," said Brainard, 28, of Philadelphia. "I decided to pursue a more culinary-based education and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. After graduation, I started working for Starr Restaurants."For several years, Brainard worked the front of the house — in addition to duties as a sommelier — at some of the most prestigious restaurants in...
John Lennon famously sang "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."Terry Cinque is living proof. In January, Cinque completed a 16-year journey that has culminated in an Associate's degree in Horticulture.While it's been an epic quest that would make Odysseus envious, Cinque's answer to the question "Why so long?" is quite simple — "Family first.""I had been working full-time as a radiologic technologist for more than 25 years at Nazareth Hospital and the Fox Chase Cancer Center. When my kids were born, I began working part-time so when one went...
For most of her life, Allison Hanna didn't think college was in the cards for her. That is until she hit it big in Vegas."When I was a freshman in high school, I went through a career evaluation and found horticulture and landscaping might be for me — that's when I found out all there is you can do in the landscape architecture field," said Hanna, 21, from Mechanicsburg. "In my junior year at the local (vocational technical) school, two teachers saw potential in me and suggested that I started entering competitions. They sent me to Las Vegas — they threw me right...
Temple's Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture — celebrating the 25th anniversary of the department's four-year degrees in 2014 — has a long history of academic excellence.The work of its students certainly hasn't gone unrecognized. The department was honored with a treasure trove of awards presented to graduate and undergraduate students by the Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.Landscape Architecture and Horticulture students were honored with the following accolades through the PA/DE ASLA's Student Awards...
When Shawn Smyth-Toner was born two months early to March of Dimes Ambassador family Patti Smyth and John Toner, he weighed just a little more than three pounds — a bag of sugar weighs five.When Patti Smyth saw her son for the first time, he was enmeshed in padded sunglasses and a complex array of tubes assisting his tiny frame with breathing and eating. Forth-three days later, he was finally able to leave the newborn intensive care unit and come home.Shawn's family is among the thousands helped by the March of Dimes each year. Thanks to March of Dimes funded research on...
A warm, beautiful spring day helped welcomed 6,500 visitors for a day of celebrating the Earth at Temple University Ambler's EarthFest 2016 on Earth Day, April 22.
"We couldn't be more pleased with how EarthFest turned out this year," said EarthFest Coordinator Susan Spinella Sacks, who is also Assistant Director of event host the Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC). "Our visitors and exhibitors fully embraced the day as an opportunity to learn about and share information that will be beneficial for this and future generations."
EarthFest is one of the most highly...
When: Friday, April 25, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Temple University Ambler, 580 Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, PA
Flooding is the number one disaster in the United States and the world. As local neighborhoods and communities can attest, this region of the country is particularly susceptible to the devastating impact of floods.
At EarthFest, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will have activities for students young and old focused on identifying flood risk and making better decisions on how to reduce it. Students will be able to see firsthand if their home,...
Where: Temple University Ambler, 580 Meetinghouse Road, Bright Hall Circle When: Sunday, April 27, Registration: 9 a.m.; Walk: 10 a.m.Premature birth is the number one obstetric problem in the United States. It is very likely that you know someone — perhaps someone in your family — that has struggled through the heartache of worry that prematurity can bring.To help reduce the staggering number of premature births, hundreds of heroes will be lacing up their walking shoes for the Eastern Montgomery County March of Dimes March for Babies 2014, which will be held at...
Spring has sprung! It's time to put your detective skills to work and hunt some eggs!The Criminal Justice Society at Temple University Ambler will host a Spring Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., beginning in Bright Hall Lounge. This family-friendly free event is open to all students, faculty, staff, and the general public."Every semester, we try to host an event that is geared toward the community. In the fall, we held our popular Operation Safe Trick-or-Treat program," said Criminal Justice Society President Brianna Chiaradia. "This semester, our goal was...
To understand how deeply committed the Southwest Belmont Community Association, Inc. (SWBCA) is to empowering and uplifting underserved neighborhoods in the Philadelphia region, all you need to do is look at their history and their continuing mission."Our mission has been to empower youth, adults and families to promote a positive self-image and to develop their capacity to be effective leaders, communicate with efficacy and strengthen family systems," said Charmayne Purnell, President of the SWBCA Board of Directors, an organization that traces its founding to 1870.Purnell...
The Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University has been awarded a $1.235 million grant from the William Penn Foundation to provide oversight, expertise and support for what could potentially be dozens of restoration projects in the suburban portions of five watersheds in the Philadelphia region.
"The Center will have a lead technical role in managing William Penn's watershed protection effort for what the foundation has designated the Upstream Suburban Philadelphia Cluster of watersheds — one of the most complex watershed regions in the Delaware River Basin due...
