Dean JoAnne Epps has been appointed Provost and Executive Vice President of Temple University, effective immediately. Professor Gregory Mandel will serve as Interim Dean pending a search for Epps’ successor.

Since becoming Dean in 2008, Epps has risen to prominence as one of the 25 most influential people in legal education. She has been an outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion within the legal profession, earning her the 2009 Sandra Day O’Connor Award and the 2014 Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association, the 2015 M. Ashley Dickerson Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers, and a 2015 Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association, among many other honors and recognitions.

During Epps’ tenure as Dean, Temple Law School has risen substantially in the national rankings, and is currently ranked by US News at #50, its highest position to date. The school has also significantly expanded its interdisciplinary and experiential offerings by establishing the Center for Health Law, Policy, and Practice, the Sheller Center for Social Justice, and the Center for Compliance and Ethics. Most recently, the school was the beneficiary of a $5 million gift by Leonard (LAW ’68) and Lynne Barrack to the President’s Strategic Fund, which will support a student scholarship program currently in development.

As the university’s chief academic officer, Epps will oversee a portfolio that includes Faculty Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management and Computer Services.

“I am honored to serve in this role and look forward to elevating the University to new heights,” Epps said of her appointment as Provost. “My love for Temple and my commitment to its mission of providing access to an excellent and affordable education will remain at the core of everything I do.”