Pros
Penn State has really good benefits, solid 401K, good insurance, and tough to beat 75% off tuition. Penn State is so vast that you can move around departments and colleges to find a good fit for your skillset. Depending on which department you are at, you'll probably find there is no real top down mandate on what technology you use to accomplish your projects. This gives you a certain amount of autonomy. Historically, we've had to use everything in-house, however, that is changing. There was recently an IT re-org where a cloud group and enterprise applications groups were created. Developers can now use cloud providers like amazon, microsoft and others.
Cons
Departments and colleges usually have their own IT staff which creates technology silos. This can make it difficult to integrate into existing university systems. Often developers that don't work in central IT feel they are working "on and island". Some developers might find themselves working for managers who don't have an IT background which can create issues.
