Triple Milestone: UMGC Commitment Results in Promotion, Doctorate Degree and Work Anniversary | UMGC Global Media Center

Patricia "PJ" Jameson was born at the U.S. military hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, and spent most of her childhood growing up on Army bases in Germany, Italy and the United States. Three decades ago, those deep roots with the military made Jameson an ideal job candidate for University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC).

Today she's marking just how deep that UMGC imprint goes.

Over the last year, Jameson has reached three major milestones at UMGC. She was promoted to the position of associate vice president and deputy director for UMGC Europe. She received a doctorate degree in business administration. And she is celebrating her 32nd anniversary working for the university.

"I have to say my current role feels like the perfect place for me to be in right now. It's where I can bring together all my experiences in my different roles in UMGC and my educational background," Jameson said.

Jameson's father served in the Army for 28 years and worked for NATO before retiring as a master sergeant. When Jameson received a bachelor's degree in psychology from UMGC in 1998-the first person in her family to graduate from college-he was proud.

"One of the reasons my father joined the military was to provide a better life for his family than he was afforded," Jameson said. "It meant a lot to him when I started taking classes at UMGC, and he was really excited about the idea of having me be the first-generation graduate."

Jameson's father was also pleased when she received a master's degree in counseling and personnel services in 2002, but he died four years before the culmination of her learning journey.

Although Jameson's father did not live to see her receive a doctorate, he did follow much of the sweeping trajectory of her career, which is anchored in a professional commitment to serving the military.

"People ask me where's my home? My home is wherever there's a military base. That's why I'm so thankful to be working for UMGC because I'm still affiliated with the military and get to serve the community," Jameson explained.

Jameson added that Bert Jarreau, stateside collegiate professor of marketing and former colleague at UMGC Europe, was instrumental in encouraging her to finally pursue the doctorate degree she always wanted. Jarreau worked closely with Jameson during his time in Germany from 2017-2021. Jameson was a guest speaker in several of Jarreau's MBA classes, and he actively participated in the Overseas Diversity Council she led for UMGC. The pair also collaborated on presentations on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) topics at military bases throughout Germany.

"I'm one of PJ's biggest supporters, and she was among the first to welcome me to Germany," said Jarreau. "The relationships PJ built with her counterparts throughout the military community were truly impressive. Working alongside her was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my time in Germany."

Jameson joined the UMGC staff as a student clerk in Student Services before moving into jobs in Graduate Programs and the Professional Development office. Her responsibilities included support for the Training and Development Program, the director's office and Commencement Services. She received many kudos for her professional contributions.

In 2004, she was named UMGC's equal opportunity officer and Title IX investigator. For the next 27 years, Jameson oversaw UMGC Overseas Diversity and Equity programsby developing and delivering training to faculty and staff. Her responsibilities included planning events in observance of important calendar dates. She also led the university's Overseas Diversity Council, which hosted student diversity and equity conferences. As a result of her work and commitment, Jameson was awarded the UMGC President's Award in 2023.

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