MALVERN, Pa. — To support a growing workforce, Penn State will expand its academic reach to South Philadelphia at its facilities at The Navy Yard. James Nemes, chancellor and chief academic officer of Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies in Malvern, will oversee the expansion of academic programming. A 1,200-acre campus-like community, The Navy Yard is home to over 13,000 employees and 150 companies, including NAVSEA, GlaxoSmithKline, Tasty Baking Company, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and Urban Outfitters Inc.
According to Nemes, the plan is to expand academic offerings and research opportunities to engage local organizations and educate their employees. With free parking and close proximity to I-95, I-76, and I-476 roadways, Penn State’s location is convenient for adults living and working in Philadelphia, South New Jersey and Delaware.
“The Philadelphia region is not only a critical area of business operations for the Commonwealth, but also a vital source of knowledge and skill within the work force that allows Pennsylvania to thrive,” said Penn State Provost Nick Jones. “While Penn State and other institutions in the area have been serving Philadelphia in myriad ways over the decades, we now are focusing on opportunities with specific industries and businesses to answer their ever-growing desire for more education among their employees.”
Nemes, who also is a professor of mechanical engineering, said the expansion is a tremendous opportunity for Penn State to serve the educational needs of a growing community. “While Penn State Great Valley has offered a range of programs at The Navy Yard over the years, I am excited to bring the resources of additional Penn State colleges and campuses together to meet those expanding demands.”
“Penn State Great Valley has been especially agile in working with industry partners to meet the expressed educational needs of their working professionals. Jim and his colleagues at Great Valley have brought a number of graduate programs to The Navy Yard, including systems engineering, software engineering and, more recently, the MBA,” said Madlyn Hanes, vice president for Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor. “Under Jim’s leadership, we will be able to extend our programming capability by collaborating with other Penn State campuses to deliver high demand programs.”
Before joining Penn State Great Valley, Nemes was an associate professor of mechanical engineering and William Dawson Scholar at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he also held a number of administrative positions, including interim dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies.
Nemes’ appointment follows Penn State Great Valley’s launch of their AACSB-accredited MBA program at The Navy Yard, which offers evening courses for professionals to sharpen their business acumen and enhance their skills.
The University has a history of building connections among businesses and academics. Located within a corporate park, the Great Valley campus was the first of its kind to offer graduate and professional programs designed exclusively for area employees. Nemes also will work with Neil Sharkey, Penn State’s vice president for research, to collaborate with Penn State Commonwealth Campuses and University Park colleges as they expand current research efforts and begin to identify new areas for growth and development.
“I look forward to working with Dr. Nemes as we continue to evolve established efforts while initiating new Penn State programs at The Navy Yard. Jim will do a great job of integrating a strong and growing portfolio in research, experiential training and lifelong learning,” said Sharkey.
Underway since 2005, Penn State's research, teaching and outreach at The Navy Yard has focused on building energy efficiency and efficient energy management, with significant support from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A central feature of The Navy Yard is the Smart Energy Campus aimed at making the facility and the Greater Philadelphia region a global headquarters for clean energy technology and policy.