Owls in the Twitterverse
<p>Here are our picks for the top 25 Owls to follow on Twitter. Read about their feeds in 140 characters or fewer.</p>
Story by:
Hillel J. Hoffmann and Maria Raha
Energetic. Surprising. Smart. Savvy. The stories Temple’s top tweeters tell are strikingly similar to the university’s story IRL (in real life). Industry leaders, entrepreneurs and cutting-edge scholars across the country share insights and discoveries, expertise and research.
This list also reveals a lot about Philadelphia, the evolution of which over the past 10 years runs apace with the changing face of Temple. With Owls at the forefront, the city is quickly becoming home to a fleet of young professionals and startup owners whose fresh takes on business have sparked coworking spaces like the Hive, media outlets such as Technical.ly Philly and companies including ROAR, which makes safety and crime-prevention accessories for women.
Temple has been transformed, too. With entrepreneurial think tanks and new scientific research labs, campus life is generating the cutting-edge ideas that make Philadelphia run.
Not surprisingly, our top 25 also reveal that Temple alumni in the national media are driving the nation’s culture—and its conversation.
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@dlboardman David L. Boardman, dean of the School of Media and Communication: Boardman is an astute and passionate commentator on the state of media. He formerly led “The Seattle Times.” -
@JohnAllenPaulos John Allen Paulos, professor of mathematics: If you like math and science mixed with whimsy, commentary and philosophy, follow this mathematician, author and national columnist. -
@JessicaHische Jessica Hische, TYL ’06: Get the lowdown on lettering from this typographer who creates fonts used by the likes of Wes Anderson and “Vanity Fair.” -
@CoachMattRhule Matt Rhule: Matt Rhule, head coach of Temple Football, has enough energy and optimism to light the entire campus—and it shows in his tweets. -
@KNegandhiESPN Kevin Negandhi, SMC ’98: An ESPN anchor, Negandhi provides perspective on national sports (with a little Temple pride thrown in). -
@TamronHall Tamron Hall, SMC ’92: Hall, a co-anchor on “Today,” provides followers with light humor, news updates and a backstage view of NBC. -
@stevenljohnson Steven L. Johnson, assistant professor of management information systems: Johnson's feed is a priceless resource for fun and useful information about social media, the online community, gamification and more. -
@iJesseWilliams Jesse Williams, SMC, CLA ’03: “Grey’s Anatomy” lead Williams also provides social commentary to media outlets like CNN. He plays both roles on Twitter. -
@CordesLab Erik Cordes, associate professor of biology: Cordes brings a fresh voice to Twitter, using his feed to educate followers about oceanography and his work in the Gulf of Mexico. -
@socworkpodcast Jonathan Singer, assistant professor of social work: Singer’s research focuses on suicide, but online he offers views on the fields of social work and education accessible enough for laypeople. -
@newskag Kristen Graham, SMC ’00: Graham, a Pulitzer Prize–winning education reporter, might be the hardest-working tweeter at “The Philadelphia Inquirer.” -
@kurtisalee Kurtis Lee, SMC ’09: Lee is a reporter for the “Los Angeles Times” who’s passionate about politics. As a presidential race ramps up, he’ll keep you informed. -
@exploringmusic Bill McGlaughlin, BYR ’67, ’69: This host of the radio show “Exploring Music” gracefully blends Twitter with what might be its polar opposite: classical music. -
@TEMPLEmadeRay Ray Smeriglio, Class of 2015: Need a dose of school spirit and news about student initiatives? Follow Temple Student Government President Ray Smeriglio. -
@SteveCapus Steve Capus, SMC ’86: “CBS Evening News” Executive Producer Capus delivers news updates, previews and the occasional newsroom shot.
Another Owl: Thomas Dixon, EDU ’14, relies on Twitter to recall what he did yesterday. In a private account with nearly 21,000 tweets, is a log of moments in Dixon’s life since December 2010, a month after he suffered a traumatic brain injury that led to memory loss. Read more.