Kevin Orangers — newly appointed Deputy Director of Temple University Ambler — took the scenic route to arrive at a career in higher education.
It's a road that included a bachelor's degree in Anthropology, a mentorship under the first graduate student of famed paleoanthropologist Dr. Mary Leakey, archeological digs, a 1700's era glass factory, a 37-foot-long Winnebago/mobile museum, educational outreach visits to the entirety of the New York City School District and "rubbing elbows" with the likes of Neil deGrasse Tyson.
"The first opportunity I had to teach students was...
Temple Owls know a little something about supporting their communities.
In 2023 alone, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offered at Temple University Ambler and Temple Main Campus has claimed about $500,000 in federal and state tax refunds for their clients. The expertise and guidance the VITA assistants are able to give is all provided with no expense to the individuals and families seeking assistance.
"Our certified volunteers — most of whom are Temple students — processed more than 500 returns in 2023," said Temple University...
To read the full story of EarthFest's 20-year history, visit here. During the weeks leading up to October 21 and 22, 2023, all eyes were on the weather forecasts as event coordinators put the finishing touches on Temple Ambler EarthFest's the Great American Campout and the Science of Scary, the capstone events for EarthFest's 20th year of providing environmental education programs to students, teachers and the region as a whole.It wasn't looking great."Cold and rain — a lot of it. That was the forecast we were staring at," said Jim Duffy, Content Manager for Temple...
As you walk through the gardens in the Ambler Arboretum each season this year you will notice changes and improvements everywhere, according to Ambler Arboretum Director Kathy Salisbury.
"This spring we are planning to begin the revitalization of two gardens heavily damaged by the tornado, the Woodland Garden and the Sustainable Wetland Garden, as well as installing a new Food Forest that will be created in part of the area where Cottage Hall used to be," she said. "These are just the beginning of installations of new garden spaces throughout the Arboretum ...
When students begin classes for the spring 2024 semester at Temple University Ambler, they will be met with a special week-long celebration!Temple University Ambler has planned several activities for students to help them start the semester off right by meeting new friends, having fun and acclimating to their new environment."Welcome Week activities allow new students to familiarize themselves with the campus and everything offered here. Returning students can reconnect and learn more about our programs for the upcoming semester!" said Krista DeLone, Assistant Director of...
Take a bite out of a succulent Georgia peach. Enjoy a tall, cool glass of orange juice with breakfast. Taste the sweet mess of a watermelon at your next picnic.Now thank the honeybee for all of the hard work she has put into pollinating one third of all of the food crops that we consume in the United States.Honeybees are an essential part of our ecological sustainability. Honeybees, however, are disappearing at an alarming rate. One way to help honeybees make a comeback is through "backyard beekeeping," according to apiculture educator and master beekeeper Dr. Vincent Aloyo,...
We are continuing our series introducing you to the Temple Ambler Field Station Research Interns as they share insights into their research and their experiences on campus.Meet Jack Brownfield, a freshman double majoring in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity in the College of Science and Technology and Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts. View his profile video here.Brownfield said he was drawn to Temple by the broad diversity of research taking place at the university."My goal in the future is to go into academic research. Temple is an R1 research university with so...
Michael Hitchings, Lead Horticulturist for the Ambler Arboretum, is well familiar with the rich history of the Arboretum and the Ambler Campus, recognizing in particular certain inflection points that steered the campus toward the future. "If you just look back at the timeline of the campus, you find these important changes, when the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women was established in 1911, when the campus became part of Temple in the late 50s and early 60s, these are truly significant moments in the history of the Arboretum," said Hitchings, a May 2022 graduate of...
If you happen to see Ambler Arboretum Gardens Manager Stephanie Bross traveling around campus visiting every garden and natural space on campus, that is just the start of her day-to-day routine."I do a lap of the Arboretum to see if anything has changed from the day before — hopefully nothing major has occurred," said Bross. "During the growing season, I like to see what's in bloom to see if any flowers have opened or trees have leafed out. I make tasks for the student workers and the horticulturists — weekly and day-to-day, with a lot of flexibility built into the...
When Diana Blasdel was an undergraduate at Temple University studying glass in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, she was provided a key "jolt of reality" that set her on her path connecting alumni with their passions and excitement to support the next generation of Owls."What brought me to Tyler in the first place was my passion for blowing glass," said Blasdel, the newly appointed Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Affairs for University College. "The second I got there, however, Professor Jon Clark, who founded that program and did my portfolio review,...
There are momentous occasions in a person's life that you simply have to stop and celebrate. A wedding. A new job. A new house. A new baby.Ray Saavedra, who recently joined the Temple Ambler team as an Academic Advisor 2, just happened to celebrate them all in one year."So much happened this past year. I got married to my wife Tori, I got a promotion, I moved, I had a baby (three-month-old Rowan)," said Saavedra. "All of life's stressors sort of happens all at once. Then I ran the Broad Street run — I'm definitely getting my Philly experience in. Next thing I have to do...
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. The Ambler Arboretum, Temple Ambler EarthFest and Temple Ambler's Office of Recreation, Outdoor Education and Wellness are hoping to reverse that trend.For the first time since 2019, The Great American Campout will return to campus in...
It goes without saying that some things in nature are simply frightening. Coming across a snake in the wild will definitely overheat your fight or flight (mostly flight) response in no time!Just because something seems scary, however, doesn't mean that it is harmful! Celebrate the fall season in a different way by learning about the science behind the things in nature that may scare you but are essential to their environment.Temple University Ambler EarthFest, the Temple Ambler Field Station and the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University will host The Science of Scary on...
More than 100 Temple students from the Main and Ambler campuses spent their 2nd Annual Wellness Day in October taking a deep breath and de-stressing. View the event gallery on the Ambler Campus Facebook page!
Whether it was painting, coloring or taking part in yoga in the Formal Gardens, taking a tour with Ambler Arboretum Director Kathy Salisbury, or taking a nutrition and cooking class, there was a something for everyone.
Planting succulents? Head to the Conifer Garden. Engage in mindfulness? You’re looking for the Healing Garden. Team Building? The Low...
Temple Ambler student Jarett Figlin, a sophomore majoring in Psychology in Temple's College of Liberal Arts, has always had a keen fascination for how the mind works."The idea of what goes on in your mind was always of interest to me. I think that I have an empathy for people who are going through certain very difficult mental situations, and I want to use that to help people that may not be able to help themselves," he said. "In my sophomore year of high school, I took an introductory psychology class that further sparked that interest."An AP psychology class during his senior...
Richard Albrecht has dedicated his professional career to serving the needs of individuals and communities. Having seen people at their best and at their worst, he has remained focused on working with individuals to develop the best course of action to provide them with the help and support they need most.That was true when he was a corrections officer and corrections treatment specialist at the Franklin County Jail; true when he was a protective services investigator and deputy director for the Franklin County Area Agency on Aging; and it has been true ever since he arrived at...
If you've ever seen the popular anime series My Hero Academia, you know what a quirk is. For the uninitiated, quirks are essentially superpowers, and they can run the gamut of possibilities.In Danielle Smith's case, her quirk is an uncanny ability to identify any bird she hears and spot bird's nests that would otherwise remain hidden to most everyone else."There are two woodpeckers chasing each other over there," said Smith while on the Ambler Campus trails. "There's been cardinals and flickers and two or three red-bellied woodpeckers fighting — they are very territorial...
Psychology major Josh Palackal feels like he's been a Temple Owl since day one and that could be taken literally.
"I was born at Temple University Hospital. My mom is a nurse there," said Palackal, who will be the Ambler Student Life Board President during the 2023-24 school year. "Temple is in my blood. I feel I've always had a spiritual connection to Temple as an institution."
Palackal said he was initially drawn to the field of Psychology in high school, "where I was involved in a lot of mental health advocacy with a student organization called Be a Part of the...
When students begin classes for the fall 2023 semester at Temple University Ambler, they will be met with a special week-long celebration!
Temple University Ambler has planned several activities for students to help them start the year off right by meeting new friends, having fun and acclimating to their new environment. Keep track of all of the week's events with this downloadable poster!
"Welcome Week activities allow new students to familiarize themselves with the campus and everything offered here. Returning students can reconnect and learn more about new programs for...
How do you have an arboretum without any trees? It was a question insensitively posed to Kathy Salisbury, Director of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, by a visitor to campus not long after an EF2 tornado felled hundreds of trees on campus on September 1, 2021.Salisbury, her dedicated staff, Temple Facilities Management, students, and an army of arborists and volunteers have been answering that question since September 2, 2021 — replant, regrow, recover. Read the full story about the Ambler Arboretum's recovery here.Coupled with a vital and diverse collection of...
