Jennifer James has served as Assistant Athletic Director since July 2002. She is the primary administrator with the Lady Lion basketball program and is also responsible for event management.

James joined the Penn State Athletic Operations staff in 1995 and currently oversees event management for field hockey, softball and championship events. She organizes and submits bids for Penn State to host NCAA, Big Ten and PIAA (state high school) championship events. In March 2007, the PIAA Boys and Girls Basketball Championships will be played at Penn State for the first time since the late 1970's.

James has served as a Championship Manager for numerous NCAA Championships, including 1998 NCAA Men's Gymnastics, 1999 NCAA Wrestling and the 2002 and 2006 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship, in addition to several NCAA Women's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds.

James has also served as Championship Manager for many Big Ten Championships on the Penn State campus, including wrestling, men's and women's soccer, field hockey, men's and women's golf, men's and women's gymnastics and indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country.

As the lead administrator for several Penn State women's teams during NCAA Championship competition, James also represents the Athletic Department as second chair of the Athletics Council for Diversity Inclusion and she serves on the Lodging Advisory Committee for the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau.

A native of Irwin, Pa., James graduated from Penn State in 1991 and earned a master's degree in educational organization and leadership from the University of Illinois in 1995. As a Penn State student, James was a manager for the Lady Lion basketball team, serving as the head manager her last three years.