Melanie Ellison-Roach knows the rich history of the Temple University Center City Campus (TUCC) by heart. With 26 years of dedicated service to Temple, most recently as Director of TUCC, she has been an integral part of a full half of that history.

As Ellison-Roach prepares for new adventures in retirement, she will continue to help usher in the next 50 years of Temple Center City history.

“When Melanie became Director of Temple University Center City, she had already contributed so much to what makes TUCC special that we knew she would be the perfect person to guide the campus into the future,” said Dr. Vicki Lewis McGarvey, Vice Provost for University College, of which the Center City campus is a significant part. “It is more than a little bittersweet to see her leave when so many plans for Center City are underway, but I’m grateful she’s not going too far yet.”

There is definitely “some regret about leaving now because I think some exciting things are on the horizon,” said Ellison-Roach, who was Director of Marketing for Temple Center City for many years prior to becoming director of the campus.

“I think the upcoming move of Temple Center City to its new location at Terra Hall (formerly part of the University of the Arts) is a good way for the next 50 years to progress — it gives TUCC the capacity to do what we’ve wanted to do for years in terms of programming and that’s very exciting,” she said. “There’s a part of me that would love to play a part in how that evolves, but with such a large undertaking, I think it’s reasonable now to turn that over to somebody else to take on.”

Temple University President John Fry “has a great vison for what Terra Hall and Temple Center City can become,” Ellison Roach said.

“To the extent that I can, I’d like to continue to play a role in that. I’ve truly enjoyed working with Vicki (Lewis McGarvey) to map out what the space is going to look like and some of the groups that are anticipating having space in this new venue,” she said. “The Center City campus started out as a place where there was a lot of arts programs and music activities in addition to the for-credit programming that was taking place. Now at Terra Hall, it seems as though there's an opportunity for more of that to come back to the campus, an opportunity to create a version of Center City that honors the campus’ history while forging a path toward the future.”

Ellison-Roach’s knowledge of TUCC’s programs “and the myriad students and community members who see Temple Center City as a valued, trusted resource will be essential during the transition to Terra Hall in 2027,” said McGarvey.

“Melanie was an exceptional leader as the campus celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, and she has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for TUCC’s successful move to Terra Hall. As she embarks on new adventures in retirement, we are grateful that she has agreed to continue sharing her deep knowledge and experience to support the tremendous work ahead of us,” she said. “President Fry has articulated a powerful vision for expanding TUCC’s already rich array of business, public policy, real estate, law and other programs to include design programs from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, as well as music and dance from the Boyer College of Music and Dance.”

With this transition, McGarvey said, “Terra Hall will become the southern anchor of Temple’s innovation corridor and strengthen the University’s presence along the Avenue of the Arts.”

“Melanie’s continued guidance will be invaluable in helping us realize this vision and ensuring that TUCC’s next chapter builds on the strong foundation she helped create,” she said.

According to Ellison-Roach, she will continue to provide time to Temple “to consult and offer transition support.”

“I’m happy that they would like me to do that as it allows me to still be involved in this huge transitional phase for the campus,” she said. “It’s also a nice way to ease into retirement. It will be nice to have the luxury of time to spend with my family and on interests and causes that are important to me, but I don’t think I’m quite ready yet to go from being so focused on the success of TUCC to not working at all.”

Prior to arriving at Temple, Ellison-Roached worked for the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning on initiatives that advanced lifelong learning. When the opportunity to become the Marketing Director at TUCC presented itself, “it seemed like a natural progression,” she said.

“While I was working at CAEL, I became more and more interested in the notion of adult learners and lifelong learning,” she said. “My interest has always been centered on educational opportunities and developing yourself as an adult.”

According to Ellison-Roach, the Center City Campus plays a very important role in the tapestry of Temple University.

“TUCC has always been tied into the original mission of Russell Conwell when he founded Temple — to provide educational opportunities for people who are for the most part working. Our classes are offered primarily in the evening, and we additionally have a whole range of non-credit programs that accommodate a lot of different populations,” she said. “I think one of the things that is unique about the campus is that we offer learning opportunities to people from near infancy to later adulthood, from music preparatory programs for very young children offered by the Boyer School of Music and Dance to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.”

What makes TUCC special, Ellison-Roach said, “is the people — they are passionate and committed to the success of the campus and everyone who comes through our doors.”

“I've seen Temple Center City change and evolve over the years. After 26 years, I've seen a number of presidents and a number of staffers come and go, and what I've found is even the ones who have moved on have always still been very supportive and interested in what is going on at TUCC,” she said. “They are still connected to the campus, which I think it pretty heartening.”

When she moved into the role of Director at TUCC, Ellison-Roach said, “the staff was cheering me on, and I’m so appreciative of that and the people that lent me their support.”

“A lot of times, that can be a hard transition to make, from being a colleague to being in a position of leadership. What I received from the team members here was amazing support and a desire to ensure that I had what I needed to be successful in the role,” she said. “My advice to the next director is be prepared to be immersed in every aspect of this campus; be committed to the campus and excited about everything taking place. Be prepared for the unexpected but know that you will have a great team in place to face every challenge and pursue every opportunity.”