GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Washington D.C.-businessman and movie producer James Pedas ’50 H’89 will attend the dedication of the $6.8 million James Pedas Communication Center at Thiel College at 11 a.m. Saturday during his alma mater’s Homecoming festivities.
Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett will be on campus later that day to tour the facility and help commemorate the first new academic building on campus in 40 years. Corbett also will attend several on-campus events to mark Thiel’s Homecoming.
Pedas, a Farrell native, is known for his role in producing The Coen brothers’ films “Barton Fink,” “Raising Arizona,” “Miller’s Crossing,” and “Blood Simple.” Pedas and his brother, Ted, were active in the entertainment industry and later formed a company to oversee their investments in real estate and commercial development as well parking facilities in the Washington D.C. area.
The James Pedas Communication Center is a 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art collaborative learning environment where students engage in film, TV, radio, news production and other multimedia-rich learning experiences that will prepare them for tomorrow’s evolving information society. Building features include sophisticated labs and studios, dynamic classrooms and learning spaces, a new Office of Admission and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.