Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Vice President for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Dr. James R. Downey has been elected to the Board of Directors of Union University of California.
At the Seminary, Downey oversees Board relations, enrollment, and strategic planning. Prior to coming to Pittsburgh, he served as executive director in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Regent University and previously as dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies. His additional experience includes serving as professor of science and technology at the United States Army War College and chairman of the Department of Physics and professor of physics and engineering at Grove City College.
Downey earned his bachelor’s in physics from Grove City College, master’s in nuclear science from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and doctorate in aero/astronautical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also served a year-long National Security Fellowship at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Additionally, Downey has served in a number of Air Force assignments including most recently as senior reserve advisor to the director at the Center for Strategy and Technology, Air War College. A retired colonel in the United State Air Force Reserves, Downey is a member of the Air Force Reserve Officers Associations, American Association of Physics Teachers, and a member of a number of honor societies. His awards include Air Force Reserve Outstanding Junior Officer of the Year, Macarthur Foundation Fellowship at University of Illinois, and Senior Man of the Year Award from Grove City College among others.
Prior to becoming an online international university, UUC was the Vietnamese Theological College for 25 years. VTC offered onsite theological programs in the Vietnamese language. In 1999, the college began offering courses in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. Recognizing the demand for education around the globe, VTC began an online program in 2005. Thousands of Vietnamese-speaking pastors and church leaders in Vietnam and around the world have been educated and trained by VTC. The Vietnamese Theological College became Union University of California in 2009, and opened the Indonesian School of Theology in 2010, offering theological programs in the Indonesian language.
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is a graduate professional institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). Founded in 1794, the Seminary is located in Pittsburgh, Pa. and approximately 300 students are enrolled yearly in the degree programs. The Seminary prepares leaders who proclaim with great joy God’s message of good news in both word and deed. PTS is rooted in the Reformed history of faithfulness to Scripture and commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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