Charles Le Clair

1966: Founder of Temple Rome

Le Clair, Professor and Dean of the Tyler School of Art, received help with building the foundation of Temple Rome (formerly Temple University Tyler School of Art in Rome, Italy) from Romas Viesulas, Professor of Printmaking, Dr. Paul R. Anderson, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and later President, and Albert V. Scaturro, head of Temple's Purchasing Department.

Richard Callner

1966-1972: Founding director

Callner, born in Lithuania, was an Associate Professor of Art at the Tyler School of Art and founding Director of Temple Rome. 

Hermann Gundersheimer

unknown-1973: director

Dr. Herman S. Gundersheimer founded Temple University's Art-History program and directed the Tyler School of Art in Rome, alongside of Jacob Gruber, director of the Liberal Arts program in Rome (reference). 

Jacob Gruber

1972-1973: director

Gruber was the co-founder of the Anthropology Department at Temple University. In Rome, he established Temple's long-running Liberal Arts program and instituted a program of student tours, many of which he led to southern Italy. He recruited many young Italian scholars to teach at Temple alongside their American counterparts. Following his tenure in Rome he maintained close contacts with Italy, returning often to continue ethnographic work in Calabria (reference).

Neil Kosh

1973-1975: director

Neil Kosh, painter and professor at the Tyler School of Art for 55 years, directed the Tyler School of Art in Rome, alongside of Richard Peck (reference). 

Richard Peck

1973-1975: director

Richard Peck is a graduate of Carroll College in Wisconsin and earned his Master’s and PhD degrees in English from the University of Wisconsin. After his time at Temple Rome, he continued his career as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama, Provost and Interim President at Arizona State University, Interim President at the University of South Florida, and then University President at the University of New Mexico for over 10 years.

David Stone

term unknown: director

In addition to his leadership at Temple Rome, Stone was former Dean of the College of Music at Temple University.

Don Lantzy

term unknown: director

After holding various administrative positions at Temple University's Tyler School of Art, including Acting Dean, Associate Dean, and Assistant Dean, Don Lantzy became the Director of Temple Abroad in Rome. He received a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art and an MFA in Printmaking and Drawing from the Tyler School of Art.

Elmer Miller

1980-1984: director

Miller spent 30 years as an Anthropologist at Temple University. He became chair of the Anthropology department before becoming Director of Temple Rome. He also helped found the Anthropology Ph.D. program.

Romas Viesulas

1984-1986: Director

Viesulas, born in Lithuania, was a pioneer in Printmaking at the Tyler School of Art, with work on display at the MOMA, as well as being a winner of the Guggenheim Fellowship. He had a major role in the foundation of Temple Rome with Charles Le Clair in 1966. Viesulas was also a member of the American Academy in Rome.

Jim Mall

1986-1989: Director

Jim Mall was an Associate Professor of French at Temple University before becoming Director of Temple Rome.

Monica Letzring

1989-1991: Director

Letzring was an Associate Professor and former Chair of the undergraduate English department at Temple. She taught at TUR before becoming Director in 1988. 

Kim Strommen

1991-2014: Dean

Strommenn was appointed to be the first Dean of Temple Rome by President Peter Liacouris for Temple Rome's 30th Anniversary. He also celebrated TUR's 40th Anniversary. Strommen resided in Italy for over 20 years while serving as the dean and as a member of the steering committee of the Association of American College and University Programs in Italy.

Hilary Link

2014-2019: Dean

During Link's leadership she planned the 50th Anniversary and major campus renovations, as well as founded the Temple Rome Entry Year Program. She expanded Rome's curriculum and developed new courses and internships with various schools/colleges/units at Temple University. Link acheived the highest enrollment in the history of the campus, and created the Temple Rome Board of Visitors.

Fay Trachtenberg

2019-2020: Dean (ad-interim)

Trachtenberg, with a background in Employment Law, stepped in as Interim Dean and focused on organizing roles within the campus administration in order to create more efficiency between staff and faculty, as well as a more fluid study abroad experience for students. She successfully led the campus through the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020, an unprecedented task for modern higher education. 

Emilia Zankina

2020-present: Dean

Zankina brings over a decade of experience in international education both in the United States and Europe and a deep commitment to the liberal arts tradition. Besides leading the campus during the global Covid-19 pandemic, Zankina has developed new non-credit opportunities for high school students and the local Roman community, celebrated Temple Rome's 55th Anniversary, created the Access Temple Rome Scholarship Fund, and finalized major building rennovations.