On Friday, April 17, University Trustee Christopher Barnett joined Richard Deeg, the Christopher M. Barnett Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, to officially recognize the recent deanship endowment.
University Trustee Christopher Barnett joined Richard Deeg, the Christopher M. Barnett Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, in conversation to officially recognize the recent deanship endowment.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
Temple University formally celebrated the naming of the Christopher M. Barnett Dean of the College of Liberal Arts during a special event on Friday, April 17, in the Great Court of Mitten Hall. Faculty, staff and students gathered to hear from University Trustee Christopher Barnett, CLA ’10, in conversation with his former professor and mentor Richard Deeg, who will hold the endowed deanship moving forward.
The conversation highlighted the lasting impact of Deeg, the College of Liberal Arts and the Temple community on Barnett’s career and business philosophy—an influence that ultimately inspired his transformative gift.
“Chris’ Temple story started right here at the College of Liberal Arts,” said Temple President John Fry, during his opening remarks. “His success illustrates how this college helps to produce broadly educated students who are equipped to adapt and evolve in their careers.”
Barnett and Deeg met over 15 years ago, when Barnett came to Temple as a nontraditional student with grit and ambition. After originally being denied admission to Temple, Barnett appealed to the university and made a bold promise: that he would graduate with a 4.0 and become a major philanthropic supporter for the Owl community.
True to his word, Barnett committed $55 million to his alma mater last fall—the largest gift in Temple’s history. In addition to funding the Barnett College of Public Health, a portion of the gift endowed a deanship at the College of Liberal Arts. At the discretion of the dean, the gift will be used to bolster academic programs, student support and success initiatives, faculty development, and research projects at the college.
“This gift is a vote of confidence,” Barnett told Deeg at the event. “It is a vote of confidence in you, in the College of Liberal Arts and in Temple. I want to help this community to multiply its impact and become even more successful.”
Deeg shared that he and Barnett developed their rapport when Barnett pursued his Honors thesis with Deeg as his faculty mentor. Deeg said he remembered Barnett as “a classic liberal arts student” who pursued a wide range of interests during his undergraduate years, from American history to environmental science to African American literature to monetary economics.
“You are truly emblematic of where a liberal arts education can take someone. You are proof of how a well-rounded education can lead to success in any field,” Deeg commented. “And what’s more, you live with conviction; you believe in yourself, and you believe in your ideas.”
Barnett is the founder of ABA Centers, which today provides autism care and services for families in more than 60 markets across 13 states and Puerto Rico, with three of its centers located in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2024, he was named the winner of the 2024 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award—the first healthcare provider to be recognized as such.
“I knew that by becoming successful in entrepreneurism, I would have resources to pour back into making the world a better place,” Barnett said. “I am not interested in businesses that aren’t the greatest good for all stakeholders, and that is a value I learned at Temple.”