The 2025 AI Internship Experience (AIIE) at Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems recently concluded, offering students two weeks of immersive, hands-on learning in one of today’s most transformative technologies: artificial intelligence.

Run by Dr. Christelle Scharff, Seidenberg Professor, Associate Dean, and Co-Director of the Seidenberg AI Lab, in collaboration with Seidenberg faculty member Dr. Kaleema and graduate assistant Stephanie Sicilian (MS in Computer Science), this year’s program provided 18 selected students with an intensive introduction to core AI topics, including machine learning, deep learning, and multimodal generative AI.

The curriculum for the program’s second edition was influenced by Dr. Scharff’s recent attendance at industry-leading events, emphasizing cutting-edge tools and techniques in AI development. “I had a fantastic time putting the program together alongside my colleagues,” Dr. Scharff added. “The content was highly inspired by my attendance at events like Google I/O and Google Cloud Next.”

Interns worked on real-world projects that involved image classification, hyperparameter tuning, and experimental applications using Gemini, Google's suite of generative AI tools. Just like last year when student projects varied from developing AI models that could classify and generate images of different butterfly species to creating a model that could recognize different Pokémon, the 2025 AI Internship Experience projects were just as creative. One team developed a model that specialized in AI-assisted comic generation, while some of the other teams’ models ranged from dream analysis to developing tools that help users learn new languages.

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The interns also participated in many programs outside of the classroom. They attended a Google Developer Group (GDG) presentation held in the Design Factory space on Pace’s New York City Campus and they engaged with industry professionals through various networking activities. Resume and LinkedIn workshops were also built into the program, along with explorations of New York City culture to round out the experience.

The program culminated in final presentations of the students’ classification and generative AI projects. “The Gemini projects were particularly creative and varied,” said Scharff. “Congratulations to all the interns for their impressive work and I am looking forward to more opportunities to work with them all!”

With the success of the 2025 edition, the AI Internship Experience continues to grow as a great summer opportunity for Pace students eager to push the boundaries of innovation and apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. As Dr. Scharff noted when the program was launched last year, “we wanted to create a safe environment where our interns can explore and experience all different paths that working with AI can offer. It is a program that is very innovative, that is for the next generation.”

Appointed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, President Krislov will help expand college access and affordability statewide

Pace University President Marvin Krislov has been appointed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and confirmed by the New York State Senate to serve on the Board of Trustees of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), the state’s higher education student financial aid agency. The appointment reflects Pace University’s commitment to expanding college access and affordability for students across New York.

HESC awards nearly $1 billion in financial aid to more than 330,000 students each year. HESC helps New Yorkers attain their higher education through the administration of programs such as New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Veterans Tuition Awards, as well as financial aid outreach and education programs for students and families.

“Higher education is one of the most powerful forces for equity and mobility—but only if it is accessible to all,” said President Krislov. “Financial aid makes that opportunity real. I’m honored by Governor Hochul’s appointment and look forward to serving on the HESC Board to help expand access to higher education for students and families across New York—and to ensure that no one is held back by financial barriers.”

Pace University has long been a leader in promoting educational access and economic mobility. Ninety-eight percent of first-year students receive financial aid, and the University awarded more than $424 million in financial aid, scholarships, and institutional support during the 2023–2024 award year.

In announcing a series of appointments and confirmations across New York State, Gov. Hochul said: “New Yorkers deserve to be served by our state’s best and brightest.”

“These dedicated public servants are leaders in their fields and have made countless contributions to their local communities,” she said. “I am confident they will now use their many talents to benefit residents across the state.”

The average annual institutional aid offered to new undergraduate students is currently $30,400. Pace is ranked among the top 10 percent of private U.S. colleges that provide the best return on tuition investment and in the top 11 percent of U.S. colleges with the highest-earning alumni, according to PayScale—underscoring the long-term value of a Pace education.

Krislov has served as president of Pace University since 2017. He is deeply committed to Pace’s mission ofOpportunitas—providing all students, regardless of economic background, access to the transformative power of education. Under his leadership, Pace is developing innovative new interdisciplinary programs, continuing the transformation of its New York City Campus, and delivering on an experiential education model that produces superior career outcomes. He is personally committed to initiatives supporting student mental health and wellbeing, ensuring college access for all students, and advancing priorities for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Before coming to Pace, Krislov spent 10 years as the president of Oberlin College. Earlier, he was vice president and general counsel at the University of Michigan, where he led the legal defense of the University’s admission policies that resulted in the 2003 Supreme Court decision recognizing the importance of student body diversity.

Prior to entering academic life, he served as associate counsel in the Office of Counsel to the President under President Bill Clinton and later as acting solicitor and then deputy solicitor of national operations in the US Department of Labor. In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated, and the Senate confirmed, Krislov to serve on the National Council on the Humanities, where served until the summer of 2019.

Krislov earned a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, at Yale University in 1982, and he was named a Rhodes Scholar. He earned master’s degrees at Oxford University and Yale and a juris doctor degree at Yale Law School in 1988.

About Pace University

Since 1906, Pace University has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace offers bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs to 13,600 students in its College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.