In April 2023, JoAnne Epps was named the interim president of TEMPLE University.
According to reports, Epps passed away on September 19, 2023, at the age of 72.
Who was Temple University’s acting president JoAnne Epps?
On May 28, 1951, JoAnne Epps was born in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.
Epps earned her undergraduate degree from Hartford, Connecticut’s Trinity College.
Epps continued on to Yale Law School to earn her Juris Doctor after receiving her bachelor’s.
The native of Pennsylvania started off at Temple University as a professor before rising to the position of associate dean for the academic affairs division.
Epps was chosen to lead Temple University’s Beasley School of Law in 2008.
In addition to her lengthy association with Temple University, Epps has contributed to a number of scholarly periodicals.
What happened to JoAnne Epps?
The Associated Press reported that JoAnne Epps passed out at a memorial service on the Temple University campus on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.
Epps was taken urgently to Temple University Hospital, where doctors later declared her dead.
Temple’s board chairman Mitchell Morgan released a statement speaking on the loss and legacy of Epps.
Morgan said: “There are no words that can describe the gravity and sadness of this loss.
“President Epps was a devoted servant and friend who represented the best parts of Temple. She spent nearly 40 years of her life serving this university, and it goes without saying her loss will reverberate through the community for years to come.”
At the time of writing, Epps’ cause of death has yet to be released.
How long has she been president of Temple University?
Following former president Jason Wingard’s departure in March, JoAnne Epps was appointed acting president in April 2023. She has a long career with the university.
Epps broke barriers as the first Black woman to hold the office, succeeding Wingard as the university’s first Black president.
In her inauguration address, Epps stated: “As acting president, it is my mandate to provide the necessary leadership to focus our collective intellect and energies on the immediate challenges of safety and enrollment.”
She oversaw 33,600 university students in her capacity.
