After serving as Temple University’s interim provost since August, Gregory Mandel has officially been named the permanent senior vice president and provost of the university.

He was unanimously confirmed by Temple’s Board of Trustees on Dec. 21. With the confirmation, Mandel becomes the university’s chief academic officer and will oversee its broad portfolio, which includes 17 schools and colleges, and various administrative offices.

“In the months since I appointed him to the interim role, Greg has provided excellent leadership as the university’s chief academic officer,” wrote Temple President Jason Wingard, in a statement. 

Mandel replaces former Temple provost JoAnne Epps, who is currently taking a sabbatical before returning as a senior advisor to President Wingard and a Beasley faculty member.

In a press release, Mandel expressed how much he is looking forward to working with President Wingard, Temple faculty and staff to “deliver on the promise of an excellent, affordable education to a diverse student body that is primed for success long after graduation.”

“With Greg officially named provost, we can continue university-wide efforts to build on an existing platform of excellence to ensure that when students graduate with Temple degrees, they have the skills and competencies to be leaders in their chosen fields. Greg will be instrumental in positioning a Temple education as best in class,” added Wingard. 

Mandel has been a Temple faculty member since 2007 in several different roles. His decision to join the university ties to his roots, given the fact that he grew up in East Mount Airy. He most recently served as dean of Temple’s Beasley School of Law for five years and is a Peter J. Liacouras Professor of Law. 

He was also associate dean for research and authored some of the most influential and frequently cited intellectual property and patent law articles of recent years. 

As part of Mandel’s new role as provost, he will help lead the university’s effort to implement a task force on violence reduction strategies alongside Vice President for Public Affairs, Valerie Harrison.

More specifically, Mandel will help steer the group’s efforts in collecting data and making recommendations on key issues of campus safety and gun violence. 

Prior to joining Temple’s faculty, Mandel spent six years on the board of The Miquon Center, where he was vice president/secretary, before being promoted to president. He served as president from 2013 to 2015. His passion for education was heavily influenced by his father, who served as a longtime principal at The Miquon Center. 

Mandel was also associate dean for research and a professor of Law at Albany Law School.

Before entering academia, Mendel practiced law as an associate at the New York-based law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Mandel is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy, before earning a doctorate from Stanford University Law School.