The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, in partnership with the North America Committee of the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations (CGA-NA), proudly hosted a special New York Arbitration Week program, titled “Greener Arbitration: Insights from the Next Generation of Legal Scholarship.” The event, which took place on November 17 at Pace University’s downtown campus and online, spotlighted innovation, sustainability, and greener arbitration practices in international arbitration. The program brought together leading practitioners, academics, and emerging voices in the field for a forward-looking discussion on how international arbitration forums can ensure that both the arbitration process and arbitration awards consider their environmental impact.

This special event also marked the conclusion of the inaugural CGA-NA and Pace Haub Law Greener Arbitration Writing Competition, which attracted 43 submissions from around the world. A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the competition’s first-place winner: Kenny Santiadi, an independent legal researcher from Indonesia, for his article titled “The Arbitrator’s Environmental Fiduciary Duty: A Normative Reconstruction of Legal Ethics in International Arbitration.” This year’s competition was funded by the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, with support from almost 20 promotional partners.

“The purpose of the competition is to encourage and recognize excellent legal scholarship related to the mission of the CGA: to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitration and promote more sustainable arbitration practices,” shared Professor Jill Gross, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at Pace Haub Law. “Several common themes emerged in the competition which can be classified into two key areas: procedural innovations aimed at transforming the arbitration process to better align with global sustainability goals while maintaining fairness and efficiency, and substantive developments relating to environmental disputes. Each submission brought a significant amount of depth and breadth to the table, with unique perspectives on environmental consciousness in arbitration. While the high quality of the submissions greatly impressed the judging panel, Mr. Santiadi’s article emerged as the clear winner. His work is innovative and forward thinking, and as the winner of this inaugural competition, it will be published in the Pace Environmental Law Review.”

The jury for the selection of the winner was comprised of distinguished academics and practitioners, including: Professor Jill Gross, Professor Josh Galperin, Faculty Director of the Sustainable Business Law Hub, Associate Professor of Law, Pace Haub Law, Dr. Tamar Meshel, Associate Professor and CN Professor of International Trade, University of Alberta Faculty of Law, Lucy Greenwood, independent arbitrator and founder of the Campaign for Greener Arbitrations, William Crosby, Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Managing Attorney, and LATAM Regional Coordinator at Interpublic, and Olivier André, Client Relationship Advisor, Freshfields; Co-Chair, CGA-NA.

Held on Day 1 of New York Arbitration Week 2025, the program amplified the role of sustainability within one of the most important annual gatherings for the global arbitration community. The program convened with updates on CGA initiatives from CGA Co-Chair Christine Falcicchio, Esq., and CGA-NA Committee Chair Olivier André, followed by an engaging panel moderated by Adam Weir, Associate, Freshfields; Secretary, CGA-NA Committee. Panelists throughout the program included Professor Jill Gross, Cherine Foty, Senior Associate, Covington & Burling; Global Co-Chair of the CGA, Adam Weir, and William Crosby, Interpublic Group. Together, these panelists explored key themes emerging from the 43 competition submissions and offered insights into the future of greener arbitration.

The Campaign for Greener Arbitrations seeks to raise awareness of the significant carbon footprint of dispute resolution. The Campaign addresses the need for environmentally sustainable practices in arbitration, and encourages all stakeholders (including counsel, arbitrators, parties to disputes, and institutions) to commit to the Campaign's Guiding Principles and reduce their carbon footprint when resolving disputes. Pace Haub Law, consistently ranked #1 in Environmental Law in the U.S. News specialty program rankings, has a long history of supporting legal scholarship in a wide array of topics related to environmental law. Pace Haub Law’s ADR Program also has focused on the intersection of environmental law and ADR, through its Environmental Dispute Resolution curriculum, Land Use Law Center which uses consensus-building techniques to assist municipalities in resolving land use disputes, and its Sustainable Business Law Hub, a think tank devoted to addressing global sustainability challenges through policy and research projects.

Beats Harvard, UPenn, and others, marking Pace University’s sixth national College Fed Challenge title

The Pace University Federal Reserve Challenge team has been named the national winner of the 22nd Annual College Fed Challenge, the Federal Reserve recently announced.

The prestigious competition, which invites undergraduate teams to analyze economic conditions and propose monetary policy solutions, included 139 schools from 36 states, making this year’s field one of the largest in the program’s history.

The Pace University team advanced through one of the most competitive regional brackets in the country. In the New York region, Pace defeated New York University, Columbia University and Rutgers University, along with all other participating institutions, securing a decisive regional championship and earning a place in the national competition.

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At nationals, Pace competed against top programs including Harvard College, Princeton University, University of Miami, University of Virginia and University of Michigan. In the final round, Pace earned the national championship, with Harvard placing second and UCLA finishing third. The University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago and Davidson College received honorable mentions.

This achievement marks Pace University’s sixth national College Fed Challenge title, following wins in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021.

“This national championship is an extraordinary achievement for Pace University,” said Marvin Krislov, president of Pace University. “Our students demonstrated remarkable analytical skill, teamwork, and professionalism throughout the competition, and their success on the national stage reflects the strength of our academic programs and the power of experiential learning at Pace. We’re also deeply grateful to the dedicated faculty and staff whose mentorship and support made this success possible.”

The 2025 Fed Challenge team includes students from economics, business economics and computational economics programs: Suraj Sharma ’26, captain; Giancarlo Raspanti ’26, co-captain; Brooklyn Bynum ’26, co-captain; Gianna Beck ’28; Emina Bogdanovic ’28; Sheira Dery ’27; Gunnar Freeman ’26; Grace McGrath ’26; Oliver Ng ’27; Khan Mamatov ’27; Laura Melo ’27; Kristina Nasteva ’26; Harvey Nguyen ’26; and Alexander Tuosto ’26.

Months of preparation included economic research, mock presentations and intensive Q&A practice with faculty advisers. Sharma, the team captain, said Pace’s success reflected its work ethic and long hours of collaboration.

“Representing Pace University at the Federal Reserve and competing against the strongest economics programs in the country to win the national title for a record-breaking sixth time is something our whole team is incredibly proud of,” Sharma said. “This win is proof of the promise of opportunity Pace made to us years ago.”

Bynum said the experience pushed the team to grow in meaningful ways.

“The Fed Challenge pushed all of us to grow in ways we never expected — as economists, as teammates and as leaders,” said Bynum. “Competing on the national stage and winning the title was unforgettable, and I’m grateful for the chance to represent Pace alongside such a dedicated and talented team.”

Raspanti said the structure of the competition strengthened both analysis and teamwork.

“The competition strengthened both our analytical ability and the bonds we made with each other,” said Raspanti. “This isn’t just a team; it’s a family. Presenting alongside them in a national championship win is an honor I am truly grateful for.”

Faculty advisers and economics professors Gregory Colman, Ph.D., and Mark Weinstock, CBE, coached the team through each stage of the competition. Colman said he was impressed by the students’ preparation and precision.

“It’s a great achievement and a tribute to the hard work that the students put in, and I could not be prouder of them.”

Weinstock added that the Q&A is where the students truly excelled. “Our students excelled in the Q&A, demonstrating the depth of their understanding of the U.S. economy and monetary policy.”

The Fed Challenge is a signature element of experiential learning within Pace’s economics department, offering students hands-on exposure to economic analysis and policymaking. Alumni of the program have secured internships and full-time positions at institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citibank and other major employers. Many return to mentor current competitors, creating a strong and supportive pipeline that strengthens the team year after year. Women made up half of this year’s national championship roster, continuing the department’s longstanding record of developing women leaders in economics.

“Winning two consecutive regional competitions and then capturing the national title is a clear testament to our students’ exceptional abilities and dedication,” said Anna Shostya, Ph.D., chair of the economics department. “Their success reflects not only their hard work and deep economic knowledge, but also the unwavering commitment of our faculty coaches, Professors Gregory Colman and Mark Weinstock, who prepare and mentor our students year after year.”

Earlier this year, John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, visited Pace University to speak at an event hosted by the Pace Economics Society and Women in Economics, following an invitation from the Fed Challenge team captains.

About Dyson College of Arts and Science

Pace University’s liberal arts college, Dyson College, offers more than 50 programs, spanning the arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and pre-professional programs (including pre-medicine, pre-veterinary, and pre-law), as well as many courses that fulfill core curriculum requirements. The College offers access to numerous opportunities for internships, cooperative education and other hands-on learning experiences that complement in-class learning in preparing graduates for career and graduate/professional education choices.

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.