The Full Story

James E. Tierney was born and raised in way upstate New York, near the Vermont and Canadian borders. He attended Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he double majored in mathematics and economics. At WNE, James was active in student government and was also a member of the university's national bowling team. Needless to say, James considered himself to be very cool.

While at Western New England, James bounced back and forth on what he wanted to do with his life. One thing he did know was that he loved education. He volunteered in the university's math tutoring center and became a Supplemental Instructor for introductory microeconomics. That experience ultimately led to James publishing a paper with his mentor, Dr. Michael Enz, about his work as a Supplemental Instructor.

Still unsure exactly where his career would take him, James spent a summer as an investments intern at MassMutual, a Fortune 500 financial services company. His work included helping evaluate mutual funds for inclusion in retirement products. It was a great experience that also taught James something important about himself: the corporate financial world was not where he wanted to spend his career.

Instead, James decided to pursue graduate study in economics with the goal of earning a Ph.D. and eventually teaching at a small liberal arts college like Western New England. After applying to more than ten graduate programs, he enrolled at the University of California, Irvine in 2008.

Graduate school did not go exactly as planned.

After two years of coursework and a few research hiccups, James decided to leave the Ph.D. program with a Master's degree in economics and focus on what he had always enjoyed most: teaching. He began teaching as an adjunct professor at a community college while starting his first tutoring business, specializing in mathematics and economics.

That experience helped shape a philosophy James still believes today. Learning is hard. No magic tricks or shortcuts suddenly make difficult material easy. But students can learn how to learn. With the right support, good habits, effective strategies, and a willingness to work through challenges, students can become more confident and increasingly independent learners.

While tutoring and teaching part-time at several colleges, James also began working as a textbook consultant. Over the years, he wrote test banks, reviewed textbook chapters, and helped develop online educational materials and programs designed to support student learning.

In January 2013, James returned to upstate New York and accepted a full-time faculty position at SUNY Plattsburgh, about 20 miles from his hometown. He taught introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics, a survey of economics course, and intermediate macroeconomics. Outside the classroom, he advised both the Economics Club and the college's improv comedy troupe.

In August 2014, James moved to State College and began teaching economics at Penn State. Over the next seven years, he taught thousands of students, primarily in large-lecture sections of introductory and intermediate macroeconomics. He also taught summer LEAP courses for incoming first-year students.

Working with so many college students gave James a front-row seat to something that would eventually become central to Tierney Education: students often struggle academically for reasons that have very little to do with intelligence. Time management, organization, study habits, motivation, communication, confidence, and simply adjusting to college expectations can make an enormous difference.

In 2021, James left his full-time position at Penn State to focus on growing Tierney Education and pursuing his other entrepreneurial and community interests.

What began as James working individually with students has since grown into one of Central Pennsylvania's most trusted education companies. Tierney Education now serves more than 200 students each semester through academic coaching, tutoring, and other educational services. The company works with students in State College and across the country and now includes more than 35 contracted tutors, a full-time Tutoring Program Manager, and James's wife, Kim, who works full-time with the company.

As Tierney Education has grown, James's role has grown with it. He is increasingly focused on his responsibilities as CEO—building the company, supporting its team, improving its programs, and thinking about how Tierney Education can better serve students and families. At the same time, he isn't ready to give up working directly with students. James continues to meet with students and families and remains closely involved in the educational work that started everything.

He also isn't quite done with the classroom. After spending time teaching entrepreneurship at Susquehanna University, James returned to Penn State, where he currently teaches entrepreneurship in the Smeal College of Business. He remains a lifelong learner and believes being a good educator requires constant questioning, experimenting, learning, and improving.

Education isn't James's only passion. He is also an improviser and entrepreneur and has helped build creative spaces in State College, including Happy Valley Improv and the Blue Brick Theatre. He remains involved in several community organizations and projects throughout the region.

James has lived around the country—spending significant parts of his life in upstate New York, Western Massachusetts, Southern California, and Central Pennsylvania—teaching economics, tutoring students, performing improv, starting businesses, and generally figuring things out as he goes.

Today, James and his wife, Kim, are happy to call State College home, where they live near downtown with their two rescue dogs, Penny and Dakota.

James's career certainly hasn't followed a straight line. He's been a math tutor, economics professor, textbook consultant, entrepreneur, improviser, business owner, and now CEO. But education has been the constant throughout.

If you'd like to get to know James—and learn more about how Tierney Education might be able to help—schedule a free introductory meeting and grab a coffee.