For 60 years, Pace University’s Lienhard School of Nursing has helped shape healthcare in Westchester County, New York City, and beyond. From developing a top-ranked collegiate nursing program to pioneering nurse-led care and clinical innovation, Lienhard celebrates six decades of preparing nurses, advancing healthcare, and transforming communities.
When Christina Tram ’27 was considering a career, her experience with illness during high school influenced her thinking. In and out of hospitals as a teenager, Tram said she rarely felt motivated to heal, and often identified more with her illness than her potential.
Then, one day, a nurse changed her outlook on life.
“It was the first time in a long time that someone treated me like a person and not just a patient,” said Tram, a Pace University nursing student. “It was through her kindness that I realized how much of an impact a nurse can have, and this helped me see a professional future in something meaningful.”
Today, Tram is a nursing student scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the president of the Pace Nursing Student Association. She’s also among the more than 1,000 nursing students currently pursuing degrees at Pace’s Lienhard School of Nursing (LSN) within the College of Health Professions, which marks its 60th anniversary this year.
“I’m so grateful that the contributions of my professors and clinical instructors and the knowledge I gained in Lienhard prepared me to excel in my internships,” Tram said.
From pioneering nurse-led healthcare to advanced clinical simulation, Lienhard has for decades been at the vanguard of training the next generation of nurses. More than 12,800 alumni have earned their nursing degrees at Lienhard.
“I’m so grateful that the contributions of my professors and clinical instructors and the knowledge I gained in Lienhard prepared me to excel in my internships,” Tram said.
In 1966, when Pace University welcomed nursing students to the Westchester Campus, it marked a turning point for healthcare education in the region, opening new pathways into a profession that would become increasingly central to the region's healthcare system.
Along the way, Pace's school of nursing has grown into a national powerhouse for nursing education, research, and clinical innovation, preparing nurses to serve patients, lead healthcare teams, and respond to changing community needs.
The need for nurses has never been greater. While many industries are contracting amid a wave of technical disruption, health care remains an economic brightspot. A recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report found that healthcare employment is surging, and projections for future growth in healthcare occupations remain robust.
Brian Goldstein, PhD, dean of the College of Health Professions, said the goal at Pace is to ensure that graduates are ready to serve from day one.
“Through education by exemplary faculty who are scholar-practitioners in their areas of expertise and advanced simulation experiences in our accredited Center for Excellence in Healthcare Simulation, we’re preparing students to align with workforce demands,” said Goldstein. “With strong teaching, scholarship, and clinical and practice partnerships, our model of education directly benefits students, faculty, and the communities we serve.”
Innovation has been part of Lienhard's identity from the beginning.
In 1977, Pace established what became University Health Care, the first nurse-managed academic health center in the United States. Initially supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the initiative demonstrated how nurses could lead in healthcare delivery while expanding access to essential services, which continue to be offered at the Westchester campus.
Throughout the decades, the school continued breaking new ground. It established a nursing research center in 1982 and expanded advanced nursing education to include a nurse practitioner master's programs, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, and then a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing.
"We are poised to lead, honoring our legacy while embracing innovation, advancing nursing education, and preparing the next generation of nurses to shape the future of healthcare.”
The school's evolution also helped lay the foundation for Pace's College of Health Professions, established in 2010.
“As we celebrate 60 years of the Lienhard School of Nursing, we recognize that we stand on the shoulders of generations of dedicated nursing educators, visionary leaders, and colleagues whose commitment and passion have built the exceptional nursing program we are today,” said Esma Paljevic, EdD, RN, CPNP, FNYAM, senior associate dean and chief nursing officer at the College of Health Professions.
“Our rich history is not only a source of pride but also the foundation that informs and inspires our future,” said Paljevic. “As healthcare continues to transform through technological innovation, artificial intelligence, and new models of care, we are poised to lead, honoring our legacy while embracing innovation, advancing nursing education, and preparing the next generation of nurses to shape the future of healthcare.”
Today, Lienhard combines industry experience with contemporary approaches to learning.
Through partnerships with leading healthcare institutions, students gain clinical experience in settings such as NewYork-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, Northwell Health, and Westchester Medical Center. The school's Center for Excellence in Healthcare Simulation provides opportunities to practice clinical decision-making, develop technical skills, and navigate complex patient-care scenarios in a controlled environment.
From undergraduate nursing education to master's and doctoral programs, Lienhard prepares nurses for roles in direct patient care, advanced practice, research, and healthcare leadership.
“I know the feeling of looking at other students and viewing them as extraordinarily talented or intelligent—beyond any perceived capacity I would ever achieve—and thinking that there was no way I could ever be so capable,” said Tram. “And yet, through trial and error, and not being afraid to say yes to opportunities (or being afraid and still saying yes), I am the student I once looked up to.”
On Sunday, October 18, alumni, faculty, clinical partners, and friends will gather at Pace's Westchester Campus for the Lienhard School of Nursing's 60th Anniversary Celebration. Register to attend.
Christina Tram ’27 came to Pace inspired by a nurse who changed her life. At the Lienhard School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions, she’s discovering how she can do the same for others, through patient care, research, leadership, and advocacy to raise the age of consent for sex.
Pace University’s undergraduate nursing program climbed 25 spots to #135 nationally in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, highlighting the strength of a program built around clinical experience, hands-on learning, and career preparation.
From virtual patients to real-world readiness, students are training in high-stakes scenarios before they ever enter a clinic. Nancy Owen reveals how AI is reshaping that experience at Pace’s Center for Excellence in Healthcare Simulation.
In partnership with the university’s hiring leaders, Talent Acquisition carefully maps the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for every role. Student-facing or operational, we directly secure the human capital vital to executing Pace’s strategic vision, fostering an environment where talent thrives and furthers our commitment to Opportunitas and student success.
What attracted you to Pace?
My connection to Pace University stems from two sources. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with Pace alumni. Each individual consistently proved to be a grounded, results-driven, high-performing leader. That continuous caliber of talent made a lasting impression on me and made me eager to contribute to the university’s mission.
In addition, I welcomed the opportunity to return to higher education. It is truly fulfilling to play an active role in guiding, supporting, and shaping the leaders of tomorrow.
How do you contribute toward the success of Pace?
I often describe the Talent Acquisition (TA) team as the individuals who set the pace of the organization's brand. The TA team holds the honor of being the very first touchpoint for every new hire.
In partnership with the university’s hiring leaders, TA carefully maps the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for every role. Student-facing or operational, we directly secure the human capital vital to executing Pace’s strategic vision, fostering an environment where talent thrives and furthers our commitment to Opportunitas and student success.
What is your favorite part about your job?
For many people who reflect on success, their career is almost always central to the narrative, shaping not just their livelihood, but their personal brand and identity.
Talent Acquisition sits at the intersection of professional growth and personal transformation. Opening doors that alter career trajectories and transform lives creating lasting personal impact.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time to relax?
NYC is all about the experience. From a blindfolded sensory sculpting session at Unorthodox (which I highly recommend) to high-energy group scavenger hunts through Grand Central and The Met, these moments may not always be relaxing, but they are always memorable.
What would be your ultimate getaway vacation destination?
My travel bucket list spans into two categories. Domestically, I would love to visit every US national park and spot bison in the wild—from a safe distance, of course.
Internationally, top on my list is the Fiji Islands. Beyond the turquoise waters, warm tropical weather, and beautiful landscapes, I would love to experience firsthand: stepping ahead of time - literally. The 180-degree meridian passes through the island of Taveuni, meaning I would be able to stand with one foot in today and the other in yesterday.
Learn how Pace alum Laraib Sarmad turned her IT education into a career in cybersecurity, AI research, and entrepreneurship as co-founder of Cyranix.
From learning about cybersecurity threats in the classroom to becoming an information security analyst in the legal sector and co-founder of tech company Cyranix, Pace University alum Laraib Sarmad (BS in Information Technology ’23) has built a career that goes well beyond any single role. Today, she is exploring new ways to apply her expertise through artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and research, but her journey in tech started at Pace’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.
Drawn to the school for its hands-on learning opportunities, faculty, and connections to New York's professional community, she credits the experience she gained and the relationships she built at Pace with helping shape her career.
"I chose Seidenberg because I wanted a program that combined strong technical education with practical, real-world application," she says. "The security & information assurance concentration aligned directly with my interest in cybersecurity, while my criminal justice minor gave me an additional perspective on investigations, evidence, and risk."
Throughout her time at Seidenberg, Sarmad pursued opportunities to put her classroom knowledge to work. One particularly impactful experience was her cybersecurity capstone project with ISACA, a global professional association with 185,000 members working in fields such as information security, governance, risk, and privacy. The project challenged her to analyze a complex cybersecurity scenario, examining technical vulnerabilities, organizational risks, security controls, and the broader consequences of a cyber incident.
"What made the project valuable was that we had to go beyond identifying technical problems. We had to understand why the incident occurred, evaluate its impact, and develop practical security recommendations. That experience strengthened the evidence-driven and risk-focused approach I use in cybersecurity today."
Eager to expand her cybersecurity knowledge beyond the classroom, Sarmad also worked as a Cyber Range student assistant at Pace and later as an IT consultant. While the former gave her hands-on exposure to cybersecurity environments, the latter broadened her experience supporting users, systems, and day-to-day technology operations.
"Pace gave me opportunities to apply what I was learning long before graduation," she says, adding that her time at the Cyber Range “helped me build confidence working with real systems and strengthened my interest in cybersecurity as a career."
Since graduating, Sarmad has built a career spanning cybersecurity operations, IT, research, and technology entrepreneurship. She is also returning to Seidenberg to pursue her MS in Cybersecurity.
Currently an information security analyst at a law firm, Sarmad investigates security activity, analyzes potential threats, and helps protect sensitive systems and information. Her work in the legal sector has deepened her understanding of confidentiality, risk management, and the importance of protecting sensitive information.
Her interests have also taken her into entrepreneurship. Alongside a group of colleagues, Sarmad co-founded Cyranix to develop intelligent technology products. The team created TickFlo, an AI-enabled ticketing and support platform, and is now developing an AI-based system to help identify and analyze potential cybersecurity threats.
"All of these experiences connect back to what I developed at Seidenberg: approaching complex problems analytically, understanding risk, and translating technical knowledge into practical solutions," Sarmad says.
Sarmad's connection to Seidenberg has continued beyond graduation, opening doors to new opportunities. While volunteering with Pace's CryptoBot camp, she worked with students and built relationships with faculty that would later lead to further research. "One of those faculty connections later developed into a separate research collaboration involving quantum computing and cybersecurity," she says.
In addition to exploring the implications of quantum computing for cryptography and cybersecurity, Sarmad is collaborating with Pace faculty on research related to CryptoBot and hands-on cybersecurity education.
"One of the things I value most about Pace is that faculty support does not end when a class ends," she says. "My professors have remained accessible and supportive as I continue developing professionally, academically, and through research."
For current Seidenberg students hoping to build careers in tech, Sarmad emphasizes the importance of gaining practical experience early and building meaningful relationships with professors and alumni.
"Do not wait until graduation. Pursue internships, student employment, research, volunteer opportunities, campus programs, capstone projects, and anything that gives you practical experience,” she says.
Sarmad reminds students that the most important thing is simply getting started. "Your first opportunity does not have to be your dream job. It needs to give you a place to learn, contribute, and prove yourself."
And just as important as finding that first opportunity, Sarmad believes, is making the most of it.
"When someone gives you that first opportunity, make it count. Be dependable, ask thoughtful questions, take initiative, and keep learning. Your first role may be a small step, but it can become the foundation for everything that follows."
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, harassment, stalking, or relationship violence, support is available at Pace. Learn about confidential resources, reporting options, and where to find help on your campus.
You don’t have to navigate an experience of sexual or interpersonal violence alone. Pace offers confidential support, campus resources, and reporting options so you can decide what feels right for you.
Confidential resources can help you talk through what happened, explore your options, and connect with care without making a formal report.
At Pace, confidential resources include the Office of Sexual and Interpersonal Wellness, Counseling Center, and University Health Care.
For campus-specific contacts, medical resources, off-campus support, and information about forensic exams:
You decide if, when, and how you want to report.
The Office of Civil Rights Compliance can explain your options, connect you with supportive measures, and respond to reports of sexual misconduct. Supportive measures may be available even if you do not file a formal complaint or make a police report.
You may also report to Pace Safety and Security, law enforcement, or through the University’s online reporting form.
You don’t need to have all the answers. Listen, believe them, respect their choices, and help them connect with support if they want it.
Pace’s campus support pages include additional guidance for helping a friend, along with confidential and off-campus resources.
You have options. You have support. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Pace’s LGBTQA+ Center has grown into a vibrant community across both campuses, with dedicated spaces in New York City and Pleasantville. Center Director Jimmy Luckman, EdD, reflects on the Center’s growth, its new home at 15 Beekman, Pace’s recent recognition from The Advocate, and what comes next.
Explore the careers, skills, experiences, and opportunities that come with studying Women’s and Gender Studies at Pace University in New York City.
From Title IX to Title VI protections, Pace University’s Office of Civil Rights Compliance helps ensure students, faculty, and staff can learn and work in an environment free from discrimination and harassment.
Christina Tram ’27 came to Pace inspired by a nurse who changed her life. At the Lienhard School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions, she’s discovering how she can do the same for others, through patient care, research, leadership, and advocacy to raise the age of consent for sex.
As president of the Pace Nursing Student Association (PNSA) and policy and education director for the Nursing Students’ Association of New York State, Tram is already making her voice heard. She credits Lienhard faculty with encouraging her ambitions and connecting her with opportunities, including a Mount Sinai Health System internship and a collaborative student research position at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Why did you choose to enroll in the BS in Nursing program?
I decided to major in nursing because I experienced a lot of health issues in high school, and, after being in and out of the hospital for so long, I started to identify as a patient and with my illness, and it was hard to find the motivation to heal. Then, sometime around junior year, I met a nurse who changed the entire trajectory of my recovery. It was the first time in a long time that someone treated me like a person and not just a patient, and that not only motivated me to make progress in my healing journey, but it was through her kindness that I realized how much of an impact a nurse can have, and this helped me see a professional future in something meaningful.
Recently, you worked on important advocacy with the Nursing Students' Association of New York State (NSANYS) to raise the minimum age of consent for sex. Tell me more about your interest in advocacy and your role with NSANYS.
I have always had an advocacy bone. Healthcare advocacy, however, wasn't something I knew about until I attended Pace’s hosting of the Oncology Nursing Society’s Advocacy Day conference. I felt empowered to bridge the gap from being an individual nursing student to meshing with a bigger, broader, more abstract idea of healthcare. My belief in advocating for my patients as well as nursing transcending beyond bedside care evolved on that day.
Working with nursing student leaders from across the state as policy and education director at NSANYS has been very rewarding, and the opportunity to write the resolution (and serve as a member of the National Student Nurses' Association Resolutions Committee) pushed me to take the first step in sharing my concerns nationally. I was intimidated at first but learned a lot about leadership and having the confidence to take on important roles.
How is this topic meaningful to you and what impact do you hope to have?
Throughout this experience, I learned that choosing a topic to advocate for that I really cared about made it that much harder. The current law on the age of consent for sex made no sense to me; I was also confused and angry that there was such a discrepancy across state lines and dismayed that no one seemed to be doing anything about it, so I decided that I would be the person to address it. I'm hoping that through my advocacy work, the age of consent can be raised to 18, at least in New York State, and eventually nationally. The development of a teenager doesn't vary from state to state, and so, there should be laws to protect adolescents until they are developmentally capable of consenting to sex.
Tell me more about your role as president of the Pace Nursing Student Association (PNSA) and how this is meaningful to you.
I take so much pride in and I'm excited to have stepped into the role as president of PNSA. This year's board is a wonderful and capable group of nursing students, with incredible ideas for on and off campus events. It's a privilege to work with such a great team, and, this year, we have expanded by adding committees for Men in Nursing and Mental Health.
What internships have you had as a student?
Currently, I am a nursing student scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a collaborative research position between the Center and Pace’s Lienhard School of Nursing. And this past summer, I completed the Mount Sinai Student Nurse internship in the apheresis department, an opportunity Chief Nursing Officer and Associate Professor Esma Paljevic, EdD, RN, CPNP, FNYAM, graciously connected me with. I’m so grateful that the contributions of my professors and clinical instructors and the knowledge I gained in Lienhard prepared me to excel in my internships.
What other faculty have been instrumental in your academic journey?
I am indefinitely grateful to Professor Stephanie Allen, PhD, RN, who has nurtured my aspirations for research and policy work and supported my leadership endeavors. Her joy and enthusiasm are contagious, and I believe that nursing education needs more individuals like her. In addition, when I came to Clinical Assistant Professor Kara Giustino, MSN, CPNP with my resolution proposal, she was so affirming that what I was advocating for was necessary and urgent. She poured herself into it as if it was her own, and her contributions helped during times when I doubted myself.
What are your post-graduation/career plans?
I am very eager to gain bedside experience with patients when I graduate, and my current role at MSKCC reflects my eagerness in continuing with oncology. I think it's a good blend of med surge, where I can build lots of clinical and therapeutic skills, with the added challenge of cancer increasing the level of acuity within the population I am caring for. Long term, I want to be a women's health nurse practitioner. Women's health is centered on conception and obstetrics, yet various reproductive pathologies may occur throughout their lives, and so, I would like my future practice to reflect the realities of the needs of women's health.
What advice would you like to provide for students?
Get involved! The skills I didn't even know I needed to develop and the exposure to things that matter to me now were only accomplished through allowing myself to be challenged by opportunities I was intimidated by. I know the feeling of looking at other students and viewing them as extraordinarily talented or intelligent (beyond any perceived capacity I would ever achieve) and thinking that there was no way I could ever be so capable. And yet, through trial and error, and not being afraid to say yes to opportunities (or being afraid and still saying yes), I am the student I once looked up to.=
Did you know? Pace Undergraduate Nursing Jumped 25 Spots in 2027 U.S. News rankings.
Professor Emily Gold Waldman has been awarded the 2026 Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship.
Professor Emily Gold Waldman has been awarded the 2026 Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship for her article, Parents at the Schoolhouse Gate, published in the North Carolina Law Review, 104 N.C. L. Rev. 773 (2026).
The Goettel Prize was created in 2004 to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship by members of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law faculty. Each year, members of the tenured and tenure-track faculty are invited to submit their work for consideration (on an anonymous basis) by a selection committee of outside reviewers. This year's committee consisted of three distinguished professors: Andrea Freeman, Second Century Chair Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Jordan Blair Woods, James E. Rogers Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona; and Heather Payne, Carter C. Kissell Professor of Law, Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University.
“Professor Waldman’s Parents at the Schoolhouse Gate takes on an exceptionally timely and important area of law, offering thoughtful analysis of the evolving relationship among parents, students, and public schools,” said Professor Margot J. Pollans, Associate Dean for Faculty Development at Haub Law. “Emily’s work exemplifies the rigorous, relevant scholarship that distinguishes our faculty, and I am delighted to see her recognized with this year’s Goettel Prize.”
In Parents at the Schoolhouse Gate, Professor Waldman examines the evolving constitutional landscape surrounding parental rights in public education. The article analyzes the implications of the United States Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which held that parents were entitled under the Free Exercise Clause to opt their children out of certain elementary school lessons that conflicted with their religious beliefs. It also explores the rise of “parents’ rights”-focused organizations and the new types of arguments they are making under the Free Speech Clause.
“I am so honored to receive the Goettel Prize and to have Parents at the Schoolhouse Gate recognized by this year’s selection committee,” said Professor Waldman. “I started writing the article in 2024, and then things started changing so quickly in the courts—especially with the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Mahmoud—that I had to substantially update it several times! I hope that the piece contributes to the ongoing conversation about parental rights, student interests, and the role of public schools.”
Professor Waldman joined the Haub Law faculty in 2006 and teaches Constitutional Law, Law and Education, Employment Law Survey, and Civil Procedure. Her scholarship focuses on constitutional law, education law, and the law of the workplace. She is also the Faculty Director of Haub Law’s Federal Judicial Honors Program. Notably, this 2026 award marks Professor Waldman’s second Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship; she previously received the award in 2008 for her article "Returning to Hazelwood's Core: A New Approach to Restrictions on School-Sponsored Speech," 60 Fla. L. Rev. 63 (2008).