By The Associated Press on September 19, 2023.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Temple University acting president JoAnne A. Epps has died after collapsing at a memorial service at the university Tuesday afternoon, the university said. Epps was transported to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, the university said. “There are no words that can describe the gravity and sadness of this loss,” board chairman Mitchell Morgan said in a statement. “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.” Epps, the university’s former law school dean and provost, was named to the post in April following the resignation of Jason Wingard, Temple’s first Black president. Wingard resigned in March after leading the 33,600-student university since July 2021. 5