POLICE SHOOT SUSPECT NEAR HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS 

A 22-year-old man was shot and critically wounded by police last Thursday, 6ABC reported.

The shooting occurred at 15th Street and Allegheny Avenue where undercover officers attempted to approach the suspect about a shooting.

The suspect initially fled from the undercover officers but after they caught up to him, he then pointed a gun at the officers.

“When officers caught up to the male, that’s when the male pulled a gun from his waistband, and pointed it at police,” said Chief Inspector Scott Small. “Officers ordered him to drop the gun. He refused.”

One of the officers fired at the suspect, hitting him in the torso and leg.

The suspect was transported to Temple University Hospital and is currently in critical  but stable condition.

Police discovered that the suspect is wanted on three warrants for fraud and absconding.

Officials will conduct an investigation, but they believe that the officer followed department protocol.

-Jonathan Gilbert

U.S.  WILL NOT RECHARGE PHYSICS PROFESSOR 

The Inquirer reports that federal espionage charges levied against a Temple physics professor last year will not be re-filed, effectively ending a legal battle with the federal government that attorney Peter Zeidenberg said had “been awful” for his client.

In May, prosecutors alleged that client, physics professor Xiaoxing Xi, sold secrets about superconductor research to individuals in China. The federal government withdrew charges in September, but indicated that they could revive the case in the future.

Xi is the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Physics at Temple and worked at Pennsylvania State University since 1995 before coming to Temple in 2014.

-Joe Brandt

NEXT PHASE OF UNIVERSITY BRANDING CELEBRATES ALUMNI

The next phase of Temple’s brand campaign will be focused on Temple alumni who are innovators. The initial campaign, titled Take Charge, began in 2014 to launch Temple toward national recognition.

According to a university press release, this campaign will be shown on new advertisements that will appear on billboards, radio, TV and websites. These advertisements will include a diverse group of alumni who have contributed to ventures and solutions in the past.

Those who will be featured include a chemist who contributed to research that resulted in a HIV drug and an entrepreneur who created a jewelry line to help decrease violence against women.

The first phase of Take Charge included background of Temple and its story as an institution.

-Gillian McGoldrick

GRADUATE SCHOOLS CLIMB IN LATEST SCHOOL RANKINGS 

Multiple Temple graduate school programs have received higher rankings in U.S. News and World Report for 2017.

According to a university press release, these rankings are calculated by factors like employment rates, research activity and student-to-faculty ratios.

Beasley School of Law advanced to No. 50 in the Report’s Best Grad Schools. Tyler School of Art retained is spot within the top 15 graduate schools in the country for a fine arts ranking that is calculated every four years. Fox School of Business was also ranked among business schools, at No. 41.

Tyler School of Art had top-10 rankings for glass, painting and drawing and printmaking programs. Fox School of Business also saw rankings for its part-time MBA program at No. 16 and an information systems program ranked at No. 14.

College of Public Health, College of Engineering, School of Pharmacy, School of Social Work and Lewis Katz School of Medicine also had ranked programs in the Report by U.S. News.

Temple received its highest-ever ranking in 2016 from U.S. News, ranking No. 115 of Best Colleges.

-Gillian McGoldrick

CARVER HS STUDENT DIES 

The students at George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science mourned the loss of a classmate Wednesday afternoon.

Fifteen-year-old Jonathon Briggs died Tuesday of bacterial meningitis, a disease transmitted by close contact, 6ABC reported. The school informed students and parents they were not at risk.

6ABC reported the freshman was a member of the junior varsity basketball team, and that his coach plans to retire Briggs’ jersey, No. 44.

The high school held an informational meeting for parents Wednesday night who were concerned about the disease and wanted to learn more. That afternoon, students released balloons in memory of their classmate.

6ABC spoke to students who described Briggs as a “cool kid” who liked to joke around and have fun.

-Julie Christie