Two Owls were nominated to serve on district courts and another released her debut album, while students made the best of an academic year like no other. 

Caring for patients by tackling their social needs
Across the U.S., hospitals and insurance programs are exploring ways to improve patients’ health by addressing their social needs. Last year, Temple Health launched a two-year program to help 25 homeless Medicaid patients who frequently use its emergency room by providing them with free housing, as well as case workers to help them access other services. “Housing is the second-most impactful social determinant of health after food security,” said Steven Carson, senior vice president, population health, Temple University Health System. “Our goal is to help them bring meaningful and lasting health improvement to their lives.”
WHYY｜May 28, 2021

Rome’s newest subway line digs up rare archaeological finds
Excavations for the Metro C subway line in Rome have unearthed vestiges of the city’s past, including the Theater of Pompey, where Caesar was assassinated, the Athenaeum, the school founded by Emperor Hadrian, and an aqueduct thought to be Aqua Appia, Rome’s first aqueduct. “When you get into such a dense urban context, you really don’t know what you’re going to find,” said Jan Gadeyne, a professor of archaeology at Temple University Rome.
Discover magazine｜May 26, 2021

Amy Goldberg discusses Temple University Hospital initiatives designed to help prevent gun violence
Over a decade ago, Amy Goldberg, now the interim dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, suggested hiring psychologist Scott Charles as Temple’s first full-time trauma outreach coordinator. Together they developed four initiatives aimed at preventing gun violence, including Safe Bet, which distributes free gun locks to community members and Turning Point, which assists gunshot trauma patients and their families. “We use victim advocates to help patients and their families—with doctors appointments, paying bills, services to assist them—and outreach to victim service agencies,” Goldberg said.
Montgomery Media｜May 25, 2021

Philadelphia Housing Authority board approves housing for students in need
The Philadelphia Housing Authority board has agreed to a plan to renovate two houses close to the Community College of Philadelphia, providing housing for more than a dozen students who otherwise wouldn’t have a stable place to live. The project is one of several housing authorities are exploring across the country. “It’s a sea change for housing authorities to go beyond encouraging students when they are young to attend college to actually getting involved in helping students who go to college succeed,” said Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor of sociology at the College of Liberal Arts.
Philadelphia Inquirer｜May 20, 2021

Temple researchers test pain-relieving CBD analog drug
As the U.S. continues to deal with the effects of the opioid epidemic, researchers have begun exploring alternative pain relievers, including cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive substance derived from the cannabis plant. Researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine and biopharmaceutical company Neruopathix are working on a new CBD analog, KLS-13019, that they hope will target chemotherapy-related pain in cancer patients. “We found that KLS-13019 interrupts opiate reinforcement in animals that were self-administering morphine,” Sara Jane Ward, assistant professor of pharmacology at the Katz School of Medicine said. “In other words, our compound had a way of changing and eliminating their motivation for morphine.”
Philadelphia magazine｜May 20, 2021

Celebrating Ruth Ost, who mentored Owls for a quarter century
Ruth Ost, CLA ’90, ’94 , senior director of the university’s honors program, has retired after 26 years with the program and helping thousands of young people find the career and path that was best for them. One of the students she mentored, reporter Kristen Graham, KLN ’00, remains grateful to this day. “How can we adequately thank people like Ost, who showed up for me at a time when I was figuring out how to find my way in the world?” Graham wrote. “She wasn’t my parent, but she believed in me. She wasn’t even my professor, but she taught me lessons I badly needed to learn.”
Philadelphia Inquirer｜May 18, 2021

In a year of college without the college experience, some students found a silver lining
Despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, some students feel they have thrived this academic year. Xanthe Stote, Class of 2023, felt she was able to manage her time more efficiently because there were so few distractions. “I had my best semester,” she said. “I didn’t have to worry about the little tidbits of getting up, getting dressed, going in person—it was very draining.”
New York Times｜May 16, 2021 

Owl joins WHYY as host
KYW Newsradio reporter Cherri Gregg, KLN ’12, who is a past president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists and was listed as one of the City’s Most Influential Black Women by the Philadelphia NAACP, is joining WHYY as an on-air afternoon host. “I truly respect the grassroots, in-depth approach to storytelling at WHYY,” she said. “I am excited about the opportunity to help engage the community in the many important conversations of our time.”
WHYY｜May 13, 2021 

Owls nominated to serve on the district courts of Massachusetts, New Jersey
President Joe Biden has announced he intends to nominate three new Court of Appeals nominees and three new District Court nominees, including two Temple graduates. Karen M. Williams, LAW ’92, would be the first African American district court judge to sit in the Camden courthouse of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. And Angel Kelley, LAW ’03, would be the second female African American judge and the second Asian American judge to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
White House Briefing Room｜May 12, 2021 

Temple musician makes her swinging debut
Hailey Brinnel, BYR ’18, a 2021 finalist in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, has released her debut album, I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles. “The Swing Era music cherished and played by her grandparents—a singer, a saxophonist, and a trombonist among them—has always been Brinnel’s spiritual home base,” Matt Silver wrote. “[The album] does, indeed, swing joyfully, wistfully, and nostalgically—but, to Brinnel’s credit, never anachronistically.”
WRTI｜May 10, 2021 

Owl founds dance company, so others can follow in her footsteps
A racist encounter once caused dancer Chanel Holland, BYR ’13, to break down in tears. In response, she founded the Chocolate Ballerina Company, which seeks to promote and encourage African American dancers. “I realized the Black community had little opportunity to display their dance talents, and there was even less knowledge of ballet in the Black culture,” she said. “Our company’s mission is to illustrate the struggles and successes of African American artists.”
Chestnut Hill Local｜May 5, 2021 

—Edirin Oputu