This Saturday at 6 p.m., the Temple University Alumni Association will host its annual dinner, the Founder’s Celebration, where alumni and friends will gather at the Pennsylvania Convention Center to celebrate Temple’s traditions and supporters.

The event honors 17 Certificate of Honor awardees, alumni from each of the university’s schools and colleges who have distinguished themselves in their fields, as well as four additional awards, the Stauffer Award for Outstanding Faculty Service; the Alumni Distinguished Service Award, the TUAA’s highest alumni honor; the Russell H. Conwell Award, for outstanding University service by a non-alumnus or -alumna; and the F. Eugene Dixon Jr. Inspiration Award, for outstanding support of the university’s student athletics program.

Master of ceremonies for the awards program will be Philadelphia Eagles’ play-by-play announcer and Temple alumnus Merrill Reese. For more information about the dinner, call 215-204-7521.

Stauffer Award for Outstanding Faculty Service

On the first day Ira Shapiro arrived on Main Campus, he was warned that it’s possible to get hooked on Temple. Thirty-six years later, he admits he’s addicted. And because of his strong commitment to his students and the countless hours he has spent participating in numerous committees, Shapiro is being recognized for his service.

As a professor in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, he has made major contributions to the university, to his profession and to the community.

“This award has a very personal meaning for me,” he said, explaining that his mentor and former Dean of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (HPERD) Joseph Oxendine had previously been given the same honor.

Shapiro said that when Oxendine hired him, he gave him some advice that he never forgot: to be as active and visible within the university community as possible.

“I feel like I’m receiving this award for remembering exactly what Dr. Oxendine had advised,” he said. “It’s hard to believe that I am receiving an award for doing what I love — serving Temple University.”

During his 36-year career at Temple, Shapiro has served on more than 65 committees at the university level, 20 committees at the school and college level, and more than 25 committees at the departmental level. He even served on a committee examining the reasons why there were so many committees.

In addition, Shapiro has served on more than 30 different committees at the national level, 45 at the state level and 20 at the local level.

“I guess you could call me the ‘Mr. Committee’ of Temple University,” Shapiro joked. “But seriously, I feel honored to have been elected so many times by my peers to serve in leadership roles.”

Shapiro has had a lot experience taking on leadership roles. He was elected to five, three-year terms on the Graduate Board; he has been elected eight times to serve on the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, and he has been elected 15 times to serve on the Representative Faculty Senate. Beyond Temple, Shapiro has been elected to four two-year terms on the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society.

“The resourcefulness of Temple students and the energy that I get from them allows me to keep my passion for the Temple community alive,” he explained.

While Shapiro said he loves the urban atmosphere of Temple’s Main Campus, he revealed that his university experience has also taken him to new locations that he had never even imagined visiting on his own.

“I’ve spent the last three summers teaching at Temple University Japan, and that opportunity has been one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my career,” he said. “Experiencing different cultures and working with people at that campus have kept me energized and have given me new perspectives to incorporate into my teaching and service.”

With plans to head back to Japan again this summer and no signs of retirement in the near future, Shapiro is still enjoying his time in the classroom and the awards are just icing on the cake.

“All the good things that can happen to a professor in higher education have happened for me right here — tenure, promotion, merit. Some may have to go to several institutions to receive that acclaim, but I’ve gotten that right here at Temple,” Shapiro said proudly.

Ambler College Certificate of Honor

When Jenny Rose Carey put down roots at the Ambler Campus as a student in 2001, she had no idea her career would blossom into what is today. As the director of the Landscape Arboretum there, she has used her experience as a former student and knowledge of “all things green” to aid in the growth of the program.

After two years as director, Carey is being honored by the alumni and friends of the university for all the hard work she has done at the Arboretum.

“I was very excited when I heard I would be receiving this award,” she said. “The alumni and students of Temple have been so supportive of the work I’ve done.”

Carey has implemented numerous new initiatives, such as a volunteer program that allows students and residents from outside the community to take part in the gardening process at the Arboretum.

"This program gives people from outside the university an opportunity to learn more about gardening techniques and skills, while we get the benefit of their contributions,” Carey explained.

In addition to her creative initiatives, Carey also brings a wealth of knowledge and resources to the director’s position with a background in research of historical Philadelphia gardens and women’s role in the development of gardens and horticultural styles in the early 20th century. She is a frequent lecturer on a variety of horticulture topics ranging from trees to herbs.

“I love that I have an opportunity to educate a wide range of people, from kindergarten students to senior citizens, about the wonderful and beautiful gardens we have here,” she said.

Carey has taken on a number of projects at the Arboretum including new designs for the gardens, irrigation, lighting, signs, tagging and accessibility. She also is responsible for working with academic and administrative units to provide educational programs for the community in addition to supporting the curricula of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the use of the Arboretum and its facilities across academic disciplines.

“My vision for the future is to see the Arboretum continue to thrive as a teaching garden, while encouraging community groups to visit campus and utilize all it has to offer,” Carey said. “The next few years in the development of the Arboretum will set the foundation for success.”