WellSpan Health and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (Katz) at Temple University have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a new regional campus in York County. The proposed arrangement will add the second regional campus to Temple’s medical school, which currently enrolls 880 medical students at the main Health Sciences Center campus in North Philadelphia and St. Luke’s University Health Network campus in Bethlehem, Pa. (read more)

Dear Temple community,  

Now that we have entered a new academic year, Temple University’s Department of Public Safety wanted to take a moment to remind students, faculty and staff of all of the available safety resources here on campus. The safety of both the Temple and North Philadelphia communities is of the utmost importance to us, and it is also foundational to the vibrant learning, working and visiting environment that we seek to provide.

We can help keep each other safe by following best practices and utilizing the numerous safety resources available here at Temple. Here are some best practices and recommendations that we encourage our Temple community to utilize.

• Save the Temple University Police Department’s phone number directly into your cell phone: 215-204-1234. Calling that number connects you with a Temple dispatcher, who will send a Temple police officer to you if needed. You can also call that number to report a crime.  
• Download the TUSafe app. TUSafe is Temple University’s one-touch personal safety app. It is available to all students, faculty and staff members at Temple’s U.S. campuses. The Temple community can use this mobile tool to connect directly with Temple’s Department of Public Safety.
• Register your cell phone to receive TUalerts here. TUalerts are an emergency notification system used to communicate with students, faculty and staff, as well as visitors, local residents, parents and the news media in the event of an emergency or impactful weather events.
• Students, faculty and staff can request a walking escort by calling 8-9255 from a campus phone or 215-777-9255 from a cell phone. This program allows students, faculty or staff to be escorted anywhere within Temple University Police Department’s patrol zone by a security or police officer. 
• Become familiar with medical amnesty. Temple University has a medical amnesty policy that states that no student will be subject to university discipline for seeking medical treatment for the effects of drug or alcohol use, and this amnesty will be granted to both the intoxicated student and the student seeking help for an intoxicated student.
• Utilize Flight, Temple’s free, nighttime shuttle loop service. With more than 50 stops within the campus patrol zone, Flight takes you where you need to go from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Flight service runs seven days a week, and you’ll never have to wait more than 15 minutes for a shuttle to arrive. Plus, Flight stops are easy to locate with their flashing strobe lights. The TransLoc app enables you to track when a shuttle is approaching the nearest stop.
• If you are a student living off campus, use Temple’s Best Nest Program, which offers students the ability to search off-campus housing options that meet certain safety, security and good neighbor criteria. The Best Nest Program allows properties to display recognition as either a cherry- or diamond-certified property on their listing, thus providing students with more information about the locations where they consider living. 

I also want to update you on our latest public safety initiatives. While our students were away for the summer, our team worked hard, and we invite you to continue to monitor our progress through the Safety Dashboard. Here is just a snapshot of some recent accomplishments over the last several months. 

• Temple is the first university in Pennsylvania to use license-plate reading cameras from Flock Safety.
• We have made major upgrades to the department’s records management and report system for the first time in more than 20 years. This new system, called the Automated Records Management System, or ARMS, improves communication between dispatchers and police officers, while providing rich data for analysis to allocate resources and direct strategy. 
• In an effort to better serve the Temple community, we expanded our Investigations Unit. We recently hired two new detectives, and promoted a sergeant of investigations.
• Seven police officers were recently hired. We continue recruitment efforts and are leveraging social media and advertising to expand our reach. 
• In addition to new or upgraded equipment, the department is also installing artificial intelligence gun detectors, which will mark the first time this specific technology is used on a campus in Pennsylvania. 

Our engagement unit also remains committed to continue building a bridge with the North Philadelphia community. We are proud to introduce the Temple 42, the prodigious 42 students from George Washington Carver High School entering Temple’s Class of 2028. This represents about 20% of Carver’s graduating class, and many of these students credit Temple Police Officer Leroy Wimberly as the reason why they chose to pursue a degree here.

We encourage all members of the Temple community to stay updated regarding the university’s available safety resources. The Department of Public Safety is also on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram, and we invite the community to follow us for safety updates.
 
Best regards,

Jennifer D. Griffin
Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police

We are thrilled to welcome Samar Khan as Project Manager for Strategic Initiatives at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Reporting to Kendra Kirk, Chief of Staff and Associate Vice Dean for Strategic Initiatives, Samar will play a crucial role in advancing the goals of our Inspiring Excellence 2024–2029 five-year plan.

Already a member of the Temple family, Samar brings over seven years of experience to the role, most recently serving as Associate Director in the Department of Finance at the Fox School of Business. Her extensive project management experience includes facilitating cross-departmental collaboration, processes and procedures to support institutional recruitment, programming and events. Samar also brings a background in data analysis and business communications to the role. She holds an MBA from Thomas Jefferson University, is pursuing a Post Master’s Certificate from Temple in Clinical Trials Management and is a Temple PhD candidate in Health Policy and Human Services.

In this position, Samar will collaborate with the Dean, senior leadership, Inspiring Excellence working groups and various departments to oversee the execution of our strategic plan, ensuring consistency, adaptability and continued alignment with the school’s long-term goals. Samar’s leadership will be key to the successful launch and management of projects that support Katz’s mission to advance our excellence in education, research, and clinical care.

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

It is with profound sadness that I share the loss of Geohaira Sosa, MD, who passed away in a tragic accident after recently starting her residency in psychiatry at UC Davis. Geo, as she was fondly known, was a beloved member of the Class of 2024.

A leader in her class, Dr. Sosa served as the Mentorship Chair of the Latino Medical Student Association and as the Class of 2024’s Block Representative. She made connecting to the North Philadelphia community through service a priority throughout medical school, participating in community vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and volunteering with a number of programs in the Center for Urban Bioethics.

Dr. Sosa left a lasting impression on all who knew her, and her loss is deeply felt by everyone who had the privilege of being part of her journey. Her co-interns at UC Davis have expressed how quickly she became a cherished friend and colleague. A fund has been established by the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry to support her family during this incredibly difficult time. To offer your condolences to Geo’s family, please use this link to share any photos, videos or memories, or express your sympathy. The memorial service for Dr. Sosa will be held on September 13, at 10 a.m. at Palms West Funeral Home in Royal Palm Beach, FL.

We mourn the loss of a promising physician and an extraordinary person who had so much more to give. As we come to terms with this heartbreaking news, we extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Sosa’s family, friends and all who loved her.

In moments like this, it is important to come together as a community to support one another. Let us honor Dr. Sosa’s memory by carrying forward the spirit of compassion, kindness and joy that she embodied in everything she did.

We encourage students to seek available support services through the university’s Wellness Resource Center and Katz Counseling Services at 215-707-4088, through the Tuttleman Counseling Center, or visit the Tuttleman Counseling Services website.

For faculty and staff members, our employee assistance program offers support and resources 24/7 online or call 1-888-267-8126. Employees and students can also contact Temple’s Psychological Services Center at psc@temple.edu, or 215-204-7100. More information can also be found on the portal at https://tuportal6.temple.edu/group/wellbeing. Dually employed TFP faculty can also access services through the Carebridge Employee Assistance Program (800-437-0911) or www.myliferesource.com, access code RBMNE. 

With deepest sympathy,


Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS
The Marjorie Joy Katz Dean
Lewis Katz School of Medicine