Thanks to the generosity of University Trustee Christopher Barnett, CLA ’10, the deanship at the College of Liberal Arts will now be endowed. Moving forward, Richard Deeg, dean of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), will hold the new position known as the Christopher M. Barnett Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University.
“As everyone knows, Chris has a tremendous Temple story. This is someone who was initially denied admission, only to persevere and later become one of our most successful alumni,” Deeg said. “What I am also particularly proud of is how Chris’ Temple story started here in the College of Liberal Arts. His incredible success illustrates how CLA helps produce socially aware citizens equipped with skill sets that can adapt to just about any field. It is truly an honor that CLA’s deanship will now bear Chris’ name.”
The endowment is part of a gift from Barnett, who attended both Temple and CLA and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with minors in economics and general business studies in 2010. Throughout his time at the college, he maintained a 4.0 GPA, which he would ultimately graduate with. He would later obtain a law degree from Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University and go on to launch ABA Centers, which has become the fastest-growing autism care provider in the world and currently provides services to families in more than 60 markets across 13 states and Puerto Rico. The organization employs more than 2,500 team members across the globe and since its founding, it has opened more than 40 autism care centers, including three throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.
CLA prides itself on creating leaders of the future who can thrive in an ever-changing global landscape. Barnett and his success are one of the best examples of that.
“The College of Liberal Arts taught me how to think critically, communicate effectively and see the world with empathy. Those lessons have helped to shape the success that I have experienced since my time at Temple,” said Barnett. “My hope is that this endowment will empower future generations of students to dream big, take risks and make an impact that reaches far beyond campus—and Dean Deeg is the perfect person to lead the way.”
This is now Temple’s second endowed deanship outside of its professional schools, joining the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. Endowed deanships are also held at the Beasley School of Law and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine.
The gift to endow CLA’s deanship will allow the college to further enhance several initiatives and programs. Specifically, at the discretion of the Christopher M. Barnett Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, it will be used to support academic programs, student support and success initiatives, faculty development, and research projects.
The endowed deanship is also just the latest example of how Barnett’s historic gift is broadly impacting the larger Temple community. In addition to the many ways in which it will support the Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health, the gift will also support the Christopher and Julie Barnett Essential Needs Hub.