Temple University President Jason Wingard, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Mary Burke and Kornberg School of Dentistry Dean Amid Ismail were among five Owls named to City & State PA’s Higher Education Power 100 list. Wingard was listed at No. 3 on the list, Burke was No. 20 and Ismail was No. 24.

Released late last month, the list recognizes the most powerful educators in the state, highlighting “individuals who are redefining what it means to be a leader in this field.” City & State PA is a nonpartisan news organization that devotes its coverage to Pennsylvania’s state and local government, political and advocacy news.

Additional Owls recognized on the list include Will Jordan (No. 74), president of the Temple Association of University Professionals, and Manasa Gopakumar (No. 75), president of the Temple University Graduate Students’ Association. With its five honorees, Temple placed the second-most individuals on the list of any institution of higher education within the commonwealth.

The honor for Wingard comes less than one year after being named Temple’s 12th president on July 1, 2021. Since then, the Temple president has begun to implement his vision for the institution, focusing on three key strategic priorities: raising the reputation and profile of Temple University, adapting the curriculum so students are prepared for the future of work, and engaging with the Philadelphia community in a more definitive way.

He has also regularly contributed as a thought leader on national issues, publishing three separate op-eds in some of the country’s largest daily newspapers, including “Colleges can lead hot-button issues by pushing critical thinking,” (the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 18); “Want Black coaches? Get more Black managers,” (the New York Daily News on Feb. 15); and “Homicides near universities are a crisis that needs immediate action and long-term solutions,” (the Chicago Tribune on April 18).

In naming Burke to its list, City & State PA touted her record of fundraising prowess, specifically noting the work she had done for the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Foundation. The publication credited Ismail for the transformation of the Kornberg School of Dentistry, the second-oldest dentistry school in the country, and the role the institution plays as a research powerhouse.

The strong advocacy work done by both Jordan and Gopakumar as leaders of their respective unions was recognized by City & State PA. This is especially impressive given that Jordan and Gopakumar had the responsibility of leading their organizations through a pandemic during the past year.