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 nearly two decades, Jameson oversaw UMGC Overseas Diversity and Equity programs by 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.
She has also served as director of Downrange Operations. In this role, she had the opportunity to attend graduation ceremonies in Bagram and Kandahar, Afghanistan. In advance of flying to Afghanistan, Jameson took part in a training to detect explosive devices. She also learned to roll over in a Humvee and emerge fully dressed in military gear.
She recalls the difficult circumstances that faculty and students faced in those war zones.
“They were working seven-day shifts, long hours, and I remember doing a class visit. At the end of their shift, they were happy to be in the classroom,” Jameson said. “This was something that allowed them to take their mind off the war that was happening. The students were very thankful to have us there on the ground, face to face, so they could go into a classroom and learn about different subjects.”
Jameson noted that her career journey has had its ups and downs. There was the moment, for example, when her job at the time was eliminated due to downsizing. She had to apply for a new position within the university.
“I think in all my roles, they always taught me something important that I could take on,” she noted.
“I’ve worked in most of the departments, if not, I've worked closely with them,” she added.
Over the last decade, Jameson has held the titles of associate director of training and development for human resources, director of overseas diversity and equity programs, and acting associate vice president and deputy director. In tandem, she has taught courses as an adjunct associate professor with a focus on psychology.
She has also coached several adult and youth basketball teams. A former youth basketball player, Jameson also has participated in an over-50 league and championship.
“Basketball's practically always been in my life,” Jameson explained. “There are things that I can translate and always learn from leveraging diversity on a basketball team and a work team. I applied both concepts in my [daily life].”
On Oct. 18, Jameson celebrates a major milestone as part of the university family: UMGC Europe’s homecoming and 75th anniversary. The celebration will take place in the castle in Heidelberg, the city where Jameson attended high school and where UMGC launched its first overseas classes for the military in 1949.
“I'm really proud UMGC has been serving the overseas U. S. military community for 75 years,” Jameson said. “UMGC is resilient due to our people and mission, and we’re willing to go wherever our servicemembers need us.
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