JPMorgan Chase has expanded its presence at University of Delaware, adding new facilities at the Newark campus.
In 2009, Chase and UD established a partnership to collaborate on research projects and recruit talented students with an interest in technology. In 2011, Chase and the university opened a research facility at UD’s main campus in Newark, called the JPMorgan Chase Innovation Center. The Innovation Center has now quadrupled its original size, spanning 13,000 square feet and four stories.
Mike Zbranak, Deputy Chief Information Officer at JPMorgan Chase, says the expansion will strengthen Chase and UD’s relationship.
“Well my expectations for the facility are to encourage students to embrace technology, to go into technology careers," said Zbranak. For us, it’s a great pipeline of talent. That’s what we look for. So right away, we get an interaction between the university and the students, and that gives us an advantage on the recruiting side as well.”
Between its Wilmington and Fairfax offices, JPMorgan Chase employs over 7,500 people and third of them are technologists. Bruce Weber, dean of UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, says the company benefits from the diverse talents available at the university.
“The skill set they’re looking for is varied," said Weber. "They’re not just here to hire programmers, they’re here to hire managers, they’re here to hire people with vision about the most convenient and efficient ways to deliver financial services.”
JPMorgan Chase has also increased the number UD interns it hosts. Last year, they had 45 student interns from the university. This year, they have 90, plus 10 students in the financial analytics PhD program Chase funded in 2013.
