January 2023

Happy New Year and welcome to spring semester 2023! I joined the staff of CEHD on December 1, and it has been a homecoming of sorts. 23 years ago, I moved to Philadelphia from northwest Ohio because my husband started his education at Temple. The campus may have changed, but not the gracious people that are still here. Everyone is kind and helpful. I look forward to meeting many more of you in the days to come.

Please know that my door is always open to you. I treasure hearing your stories and your Temple ‘why.’ It is my goal to ensure that we celebrate your alumni successes, while supporting new students during their college career, ultimately strengthening the legacy of learning that makes CEHD so incredible. This building of community is one of Interim Dean Davis’s priorities, too. He recently sat down with our student worker, Rayma Abdallah, for an interview about his higher education journey.

I digress for a moment, but how ‘bout dem Eagles? It’s exciting to see the hometown make the play-offs, and we get a first-hand glimpse of what it’s like to cheer them on from Eagles cheerleader and CEHD’s own James LaGette (Class of 2025) Go Eagles!

Lastly, faculty, staff and local alumni came together for the Martin Luther King Day of Service on January 16 to clean our public spaces, provide coats for those in need and send words of hope to our soldiers. Helen Keller said, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” I feel incredibly fortunate for this opportunity to be a part of your CEHD community.

With Gratitude,

Kirsten Halker-Kratz
Assistant Dean of Development and Alumni Relations