Patricia A. "Trish" Coopersmith
Vice President and Director, UMGC Europe
In 2022, Ms. Patricia “Trish” Coopersmith was promoted to vice president and director of UMGC Europe after serving as deputy director for 5 years. She is responsible for the division’s headquarters-based departments in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and for a wide variety of policies and processes. Ms. Coopersmith manages two large U.S. military contracts, approximately 500 staff and faculty at 50 locations in 18 countries, and a significant operating budget while keeping the Europe Division effective and efficient. She has over 30 years of business and advisory experience in academic, government, and corporate environments. Prior to UMGC, Ms. Coopersmith served at the U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University (NDU) in Washington, D.C., as the director of Outreach, International Relations, and Academic Partnerships. She has also worked extensively with numerous federal government agencies, as well as with international defense ministries in Europe and Asia. In 2016, she was awarded the Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award by DoD. She has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at NDU and at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. Ms. Coopersmith spent the early years of her career as a management consultant for IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and as an industrial engineer for Westinghouse. Her education includes an MBA from Augusta University and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Penn State University. Ms. Coopersmith has been married for more than 30 years and has two grown daughters.
Patricia "PJ" Jameson
Associate Vice President and Deputy Director
The Deputy Director is the second in command in UMGC Europe and assists the VP/Director in overseeing operational components, has direct oversight of the HQ department heads, and is responsible for process/policy updates. The Deputy Director provides back-up to the VP/Director on all matters within HQ and in the field, coordinating programs while ensuring effective communication and cooperation. This position plays a critical role in triaging between the various HQ offices and the field offices, between UMGC Europe and the various Government offices that work closely with it, and between our overseas office and home campus. The AVP/DD is one of the main communicators, broadcasting a weekly email message to all faculty and staff to keep employees updated on UMGC Europe business, facilitating key division meetings, and looking for continuous process improvements. With Ms. PJ Jameson in the deputy role, she brings accomplished higher-ed administration, having over 30 years of experience at UMGC Europe in multiple field and leadership roles. PJ has served in different leadership roles, including Director of Downrange Operations and Associate Director of Training and Development. Most recently, PJ led UMGC's overseas diversity and equity programs in Asia and Europe, driving UMGC's commitment to fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive working and learning environments. She has earned numerous awards and commendations for her work and community engagement. She has taught business and behavioral science courses for UMGC since 2002. Patricia holds a BS in Psychology from UMGC and an MA in Counseling and Personnel Services from University of Maryland College Park. Additionally, Patricia is a DBA Candidate enrolled in UMGC's Doctor in Business Administration (DBA) program. She is a Certified Diversity Executive and holds a certification as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) from the Society of Human Resource Management. PJ grew up in the military community, traveling with her family as her father served both in Germany and in other locations.
Andrew D. Boone
Associate Vice President and Associate Dean
Dr. Andrew D. Boone was appointed associate vice provost for UMGC Europe Academic Affairs in 2017, and is now associate vice president and associate dean. As senior academic officer, he provides leadership for all undergraduate and graduate programs in Europe. His primary goal is to ensure students receive quality learning experiences that provide them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to be competent professionals and citizens. Passionate about excellence in teaching, he also directs the management of the faculty corps who teach at over 50 sites across Europe and the Middle East. Dr. Boone has taught statistics, math, economics, and business courses on two continents for the better part of three decades with UMGC. In addition, he has taught at Houston Community College, the University of Houston, and the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Dr. Boone holds a BS in Economics from the University of Arizona. Additionally, he earned an MS and a PhD in Economics from the University of Houston.