Temple students supported small businesses hit by the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare workers received the COVID-19 vaccine and Owls inspired their communities with poetry and socially conscious ice cream. 

Temple cardiologist helps women in North Philadelphia fight heart disease
Deborah Crabbe, a cardiologist, attending physician and professor of medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, is dedicated to addressing disparities in healthcare, especially those that affect women. “We have to have a complete focus on creating a culture of health for the residents of North Philadelphia,” she said. “Providing good medical care for a community only accounts for 20% of all the things that contribute to the overall health of the people in the community. These other factors—how you live, what your circumstances are, your ability to care for yourself and be educated—all are a prerequisite for which way you go in life.”
Philadelphia Inquirer｜Jan. 6, 2021

Owl lifts Philadelphia’s spirits with poetry
Philadelphia poet laureate Trapeta Mayson, CLA ’93, has launched the Healing Verse Philly Poetry Line, a toll-free telephone line that offers callers a 90-second poem. A new poem will be featured each Monday throughout the year. With the coronavirus pandemic, presidential election and national conversation on race affecting us all in different ways, Healing Verse “offers a glimmer of hope because all those things impact us spiritually, mentally,” Mayson said. “And now, more than ever, we need spaces to process.”
Philadelphia Inquirer｜Jan. 6, 2021

Temple healthcare workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine
Whitney Cabey, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine and an ER doctor at Temple Health, took the vaccine partly because she wanted to set a good example. On the way home she started chatting with her Uber driver, who told Cabey she was nervous about taking the vaccine, even though a member of her family had gotten extremely ill from the virus. “I was really kind of struck by that, because she saw the face of COVID, she would never want it for herself, she wants to protect her mom and the rest of her family, but still the fear is there and the fear is very real,” Cabey said. “It just makes me aware and humble in terms of understanding that we do have this uphill climb.”
WHYY｜Dec. 28, 2020

Owl golfer earns second PGA Tour Latinoamerica win
Brandon Matthews, EDU ’16, just finished his fourth year as a professional golfer with his second career win, at the Puerto Plata Open in the Dominican Republic. “I’m really proud of myself, really proud of my team, sponsors, everybody,” he said. “It’s been a full team effort to get to where I am right now.”
Philadelphia Inquirer｜Dec. 25, 2020

Temple Made ice cream that’s “woke”
Thereasa Black, KLN ’09, believes in social justice. That’s why each pint of her Amore Congelato ice cream also comes with facts printed on the side about issues with the U.S. criminal justice system. “These are things that aren’t meant to divide. They’re things everyone can agree are messed up,” she said.
Washington City Paper｜Dec. 23, 2020

Olympic track star hasn’t let the pandemic slow her down
When the coronavirus pandemic postponed the 2020 Summer Olympics, Ajee Wilson, CPH ’16, was disappointed but not disheartened. The current American indoor and outdoor record-holder for the 800-meter run, Wilson has been using her unexpected free time to focus on other things, including buying a home. She signed up with Jumpstart Germantown, a development program that aims to revitalize communities and tackle urban blight through training, mentoring and networking. “That’s what drew me to it,” she said. The program is “not all about making money. It stresses both the importance of our homes and giving back to the community.”
Philadelphia Inquirer｜Dec. 22, 2020

Owls create web presences for small businesses
Students at the Institute for Business and Information Technology have created websites and e-commerce stores for small businesses and nonprofits for free, helping them weather the financial challenges posed by COVID-19. “The best thing to see was after we were done working with the clients, my favorite part was hearing them say, ‘Oh, I’m not nervous anymore.’ They would say, ‘I’m so excited, I feel like I’m ready to get started,’ and that is the best feeling,” said Kunal Duggal, Class of 2021.
KYW News Radio｜Dec. 22, 2020  

Building an app to help patients with diabetes
Temple researchers led by Daniel Rubin, associate professor of medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, are working on an app to identify diabetes patients with a high risk of repeat hospital visits. “We want to keep people home and out of the hospital. Of course, patients would be in favor of that,” he said. “And also, part of the resources that you would be applying to keep people out of the hospital would be giving them more support, making sure they have the right medications, phone follow-ups, those sorts of things. So, their medical care would be better.”
KYW News Radio｜Dec. 21, 2020  

Philadelphia Inquirer’s vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is Temple Made
Jameel Rush, FOX ’07, has been named the Philadelphia Inquirer’s vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and will help support diversity efforts throughout the company, including in the newsroom. “I am a native son of Philadelphia and am passionate about seeing that equity is represented everywhere,” he said in a news release.
Philadelphia Inquirer｜Dec. 17, 2020  

WRTI, WXPN and REC Philly offer grants to artists to celebrate Philadelphia’s Black musical heritage
From John Coltrane to Gamble and Huff, Philadelphia has a rich Black musical history. WRTI, WXPN and REC Philly are honoring it with Black Music City, a new project that will award grants to Black artists to support and promote work inspired by Philadelphia’s unique heritage. “This project is a way to reflect back on the amazing music that has come out of the city and to make a statement about the current times in which we’re living and being able to get some money to artists who are making art now,” said WRTI’s general manager, Bill Johnson.
Philadelphia Inquirer｜Dec. 15, 2020

—Edirin Oputu