Philly Power Moves: Temple named a new College of Science and Technology dean

Temple University announced this summer that Miguel Mostafá would be the new dean for the College of Science and Technology (CST). Mostafá started this role on Oct. 1.

Mostafá has experience in research, teaching and leadership, with 17 years of experience working for universities. Most recently, Mostafá was the associate dean for research and innovation at the Eberly College of Science at Penn State.

“With his impressive qualifications, extensive experience, and dedication to academic excellence and inclusivity, Miguel Mostafá is poised to lead the College of Science and Technology to new heights,” said Gregory N. Mandel, Temple’s provost, in a written statement. “We are excited to welcome him to the Temple University community and have full confidence that his visionary leadership will inspire and empower students, faculty and staff to achieve their fullest potential.”

Mostafá is taking this role over from Michael L. Klein, who plans to remain a faculty member and director of the Institute for Computational Molecular Science at CST.

Comcast announces new president of Comcast Business

Comcast announced that Ed Zimmermann was named the new president of Comcast Business, an arm of the telecommunications giant that handles technology services for businesses.

Most recently, Zimmermann was the CFO and chief of strategy for Comcast Business. In the past he was also the SVP of finance and administration for the Northeast Division and VP of finance and administration for the Beltway Division.

“Ed is an outstanding executive with a track record of building strong teams, driving transformation, and achieving results,” said David Watson, president and CEO of Comcast Cable, in a written statement. “Ed has brought impressive financial and operational expertise to Comcast Business and is well respected by the management team.”

Zimmermann is taking over the role from Bill Stemper, who is now the chairman emeritus of Comcast Business. Stamper has been president since the start of Comcast Business in 2006.

Ben Franklin Tech Partners selects new board chair

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania chose Orim Graves to be the state-backed investment organization’s new board chair.

Graves is managing partner of David Hill Group and has been a member of Ben Franklin’s board since 2020. He has over 30 years of experience in the investment, financial and banking fields. Graves was previously the  executive director of the National Association of Securities Professionals.

“Ben Franklin’s unique role in supporting the growth of this community of founders, entrepreneurs, investors and builders are what makes this opportunity so special,” Graves said in a written statement. “It’s my privilege and pleasure to help Scott Nissenbaum and the Ben Franklin team to continue building its tremendous track record into the future.”

Graves is taking over this role from Charles Robins, CEO of Fairmount Partners.

More Power Moves:

• Drexel University announced that former mayoral candidate Rebecca Rhynhart would join the university as SVP for finance, CFO and deputy treasurer.
• The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced that the University City Science Center was selected as one of the network “spokes” for its national health innovation network, ARPANET-H.
• Jim Murphy, CEO of Greenphire, was named to the PharmaVoice100 list, which recognizes leaders in the life sciences industry. Greenphire is a platform focused on clinical trial payments.
• Montgomery County Community College won a “Be the Bridge Award” from Cisco Networking Academy for the way the college integrated Cisco courses into an associate degree program and IT apprenticeship program.
• Katalin Karikó Ph.D. and Drew Weissman MD Ph.D., both professors at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, were named recipients of 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research with mRNA.