The late JoAnne Epps, a 1969 graduate of Cheltenham High School and the former acting president of Temple University who died unexpectedly in September 2023, has a growing undergraduate scholarship fund in her name, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

According to the story, Temple’s board of trustees has collectively pledged over $1 million to the fund, which currently stands at $912,000. The scholarship would go to undergraduate students “who exhibit Epps’ values. Incoming or current students with financial need are eligible; students who have engaged in service, leadership and social justice work in their community or are pursuing careers aimed toward the public good are preferred,” The Inquirer said.

One student got the scholarship this year, the article said.

“We have a lot of Joanne admirers,” vice chair Phil Richards told The Inquirer. “When she passed, that was more significant and painful than the outside world knew.”

Epps “has been credited with restoring calm, smooth operations, and unity to the university after a tumultuous year that saw the resignation of a president, a graduate student worker strike, and the shooting death of a Temple police officer while on duty,” The Inquirer said.

“It’s a grand remembrance of a woman who sadly we lost, who bled Temple University,” Richards said. “She had cherry in her veins.”

To donate to the fund, you can click here.

For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.