Dear Temple community,

Our Temple University family is stunned and deeply saddened to learn about the death of Katherine Kelemen, 22, a junior in the College of Liberal Arts, following an attack at her family’s home in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. Her mother, Sheri Kelemen, who is a Temple employee at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, is hospitalized because of injuries suffered during the same incident on Monday morning.

The circumstances surrounding this situation are tragic. We extend our thoughts and deepest sympathies to those who are closest to Katherine and Sheri, especially their family, friends, faculty, colleagues and classmates. We rally around Sheri and hope she will pull through her serious injuries to make a full recovery.

This is a senseless tragedy that affects our entire Temple community, and the devastating incident remains under police investigation. Temple University is committed to supporting our community during this challenging time. When we return from fall break, we encourage any student on campus who may experience difficulty to seek support through Tuttleman Counseling Services, located at 1700 N. Broad St. For more information on services and hours of operation, call 215-204-7276 or connect at the Tuttleman Counseling Services website.

Employees who are feeling overwhelmed or are in need of support are encouraged to take advantage of our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). LifeWorks provides free confidential counseling; referrals; and online access to articles, toolkits, podcasts, webinars and much more. 

Sincerely, 

Stephanie Ives
Associate Vice President & Dean of Students

Sharon Boyle
Associate Vice President, Human Resources