NEW YORK, N.Y. May 20, 2024 – Standing before thousands of graduates and their supporters at Pace University’s Commencement, Tony Award-winning actor LaChanze addressed the graduating class of 2024.

“Let go of the reins that you have held onto for the past few years,” she said. “Let go of the impulse to control outcome. Let go of the voices in your head telling you to worry, to be anxious, and to fear the unknown. This challenge is meant to assure you that by letting go you make room for this new perspective. For inspiration, creativity, and the energy you will need to keep evolving.”

Speaking to roughly 20,000 people including 4,093 graduates at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, LaChanze shared her journey to Broadway and beyond, reminding students that while following their dreams wouldn’t always be easy, the rewards would always be worth the effort.

LaChanze, who received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa, was among many highlights throughout the day that included five ceremonies, student speakers, a food village, music, and lots of Commencement festivities. The day culminated with the conferral of nearly 4,100 degrees including 2,382 masters’, which is the largest number in over five years. In a graduation reflective of Pace’s theme of Opportunitas, graduates and their families celebrated a day of joy, achievement and looking forward to the future.

In addition, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, which recently earned the No. 1 ranking for Environmental Law by U.S. News & World Report for the fourth consecutive year, graduated 254 students.

Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, the Honorable Rowan D. Wilson received the Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, the highest honor conferred by the Law School, recognizing his lifelong contributions to public service and the legal profession.

“Put honesty first, whether you are interacting with courts, clients, adversaries or colleagues,” said Judge Wilson. “Remember that the historical core of your profession is compassion, not craftiness. Devote some meaningful measure of your time to helping those who cannot afford your assistance, but who desperately need it.”

Former president of DC Comics Paul Levitz addressed the joint afternoon ceremony for the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Sands College of Performing Arts, and School of Education where he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. President of The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens, David L. Reich, MD addressed graduates of the College of Health Professions and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. Pace also awarded Angella and Danroy Henry, parents of former Pace student Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr. and founders of the DJ Henry Dream Fund, with its Opportunitas in Action Award.

DJ Henry was a Pace Student and a member of the football team. His life was tragically cut short on October 17, 2010 when he was shot and killed by a Pleasantville police officer.

During the main ceremony, Pace University President Marvin Krislov told the graduates he was incredibly proud of them and was impressed by their strength and resilience. He noted that many of the graduates did not have a high school graduation in 2020. Thus, making this ceremony more meaningful for them, their families, and their friends.

“Everyone has faced obstacles — a health challenge, a career setback, a loss,” said President Krislov. “But I have learned that everyone has kindness, generosity, and unique talents. As you move forward through the world, I urge you to always practice empathy.”

In closing, Krislov asked the graduates to remember three things: to commit to being citizens of the world and keep learning; to be open and share their story with others and learn others’ stories; and to remain active and part of the Pace Community.

In addition to the main ceremony, New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

“Your hard work and dedication have brought you to this pivotal moment,” said Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins to graduates via video. “As you embark on your new journeys, I encourage you to stay true to your values, embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, and pursue your dreams with relentless determination.”

Students celebrating this exciting achievement were a mix of undergraduate, graduate, law, and doctoral students, spanning a variety of disciplines and future careers, such as nurses and physician assistants, cybersecurity experts, lawyers, accountants, teachers, performers, and much more.

Number of Graduates by School

College of Health Professions

• Undergraduate: 244
• Graduate: 381

Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

• Undergraduate: 683
• Graduate: 286

Lubin School of Business

• Undergraduate: 510
• Graduate: 437

Sands College of Performing Arts

• Undergraduate: 138
• Graduate: 22

Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems

• Undergraduate: 92
• Graduate: 731

School of Education

• Undergraduate: 44
• Graduate: 271

Elisabeth Haub School of Law

• 254 JD degrees
• 10 Master of Laws in Comparative Legal Studies
• 7 Master of Laws in Environmental Studies
• 1 Doctor of Juridical Science

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, School of Education, Sands College of Performing Arts, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

Dr. Carmine Guida, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Seidenberg who will be spearheading our new Game Development program, recently held a “playtesting” event for his "CIS 151: Game Development for Everyone" course.

This course introduces students to basic programming and the Unity game engine, with a heavy focus on project-based learning. Throughout the semester, students get to develop several smaller games, then dedicate the final couple of weeks to a final project.

This final project is called "Student's Choice," which means that the students get to choose the type of game they will develop. These choices include a wide variety of genres and styles: from platformers and top-down games to first-person and puzzle games. As part of this process, students first develop a small prototype, then have a playtesting session where their classmates, faculty, staff, and other students get to test out their games and provide them with feedback. As Dr. Guida put it, "when making a game it's important to have others play it early in the development process. You don't want to be almost done and then find out your target audience doesn't know where they are supposed to go or what they are supposed to be doing."

He added that as a developer, it is important to put yourself in the mind of the player, and to understand the difference between their perception of what needs to be completed in a specific level, compared to the approach of someone who has been developing the entire game for months.

"When you have made the level yourself, you know where the exit is and the fastest path. But players seeing your game for the first-time need clues or hints."

After the successful playtesting event, held in Seidenberg’s Design Factory space (which now also features a Seidenberg student-made arcade machine!), the students were able to modify their projects to make them as complete as possible for their final game presentations on the last day of class.

If you are interested in trying out some of these games for yourself, follow the links below!

Play Game of Quests by Alex Vasilevsky and Nivea Khondaker
You need to complete a couple of side quests (mini games) before you can escape.

Play Multiflasking by Nathan Lanum
The object is to match the amounts on the cauldrons by putting in ingredients

Play Nyctophobia by Alyssa Lahaise and Christian Concepcion
Monsters keep on appearing. How do you make them go away?

When Justin O’Neill (BS in Computer Science ’25) began his college journey, his path forward held many unknowns. Fast-forward to today and he is finishing his third year at Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems and preparing for a summer internship at a major international company! I was thrilled to have a chance to speak with Justin about his last few years at Pace and the ways in which he has confronted uncertainty and taken charge of his course.

Like many high school students, Justin began thinking about college in his junior year. He didn’t know where he wanted to go or what he wanted to study, but he did know that playing basketball was going to be part of the equation. In fact, it was through basketball that Pace University landed on his radar. “I’m from New Hampshire, so I hadn’t known about Pace until I came to visit,” shares Justin. “I was impressed with what I saw during my tour, so I decided to apply here.” Justin was admitted and began in the Fall of 2021.

Justin was undecided about his major when he started at Pace. He always excelled in mathematics, but it was unclear if pursuing it as a major was the right choice. In the spring of his first year, Justin took a computer science course, taught by a Seidenberg faculty member, and it was this experience that gave him clarity. “I recall being drawn to programming and coding in high school,” notes Justin. “I don’t think I realized that my interest could align with a major in Computer Science (CS).” In fact, as Justin describes, “I was discovering what it meant to major in CS seemingly in real-time,” as with every passing semester, he’s gained more of an understanding of the degree and where it might take him in the future.

While his first course with Seidenberg was in his second semester, Justin’s first experience with Seidenberg took place in his first. “As part of UNV 101, students were asked to conduct an informational interview with someone from Pace,” shares Justin. “I requested an interview with Dr. Jonathan Hill, the Dean of the Seidenberg school, who agreed to meet with me.” Reflecting on the experience, Justin shared being somewhat in awe that the meeting took place:

“That someone as busy as the Dean agreed to meet with me was surprising, but as I’ve gotten to know the Dean, I know that openness and the willingness to go above and beyond, is simply who he is.”

And it is not just the Dean whom Justin believes goes the extra mile. “Everyone in the Seidenberg community is so welcoming and helpful,” notes Justin. “On the occasion that I’ve had an issue with my schedule or something, I can always count on the Seidenberg team to help me resolve it.” According to Justin, other things that add to the ‘community vibe’ in Seidenberg include small class sizes, accessible faculty, and a cohort of peers with whom he takes most of his classes.

Earlier this spring, Justin began his search for a summer internship. Thanks to help from Pace’s Career Services, Justin was ready with his resume and LinkedIn profile, and he began sending out applications to every internship opportunity he could find. “I was very enthusiastic and motivated,” shares Justin, “however, I think I was a bit naïve to the process, as I sent out a lot of applications but was not hearing back.” At that point, Justin proactively began reaching out to individuals in his network to ask for tips and advice on how he tweak his approach to ensure a more positive result. One of the people Justin contacted was Dean Hill.

“We met a couple of times in person,” notes Justin. “I explained the type of experience I was looking for and my approach to-date.” One thing Justin expressed during these conversations was the desire for an internship close to home in New Hampshire. “From there, Dean Hill made a connection with one of his contacts at Staples who interviewed me for an intern role,” notes Justin. “I was thrilled when I heard back that I was accepted, and I immediately contacted Dean Hill to thank him.”

As the semester ends, Justin is finishing classes and preparing for his summer at Staples. “I am taking some preparatory courses that were recommended to me,” shares Justin, “And I will get a bit of a break before the internship starts in early June.” Justin is excited for the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a professional setting and to further his skills.

“I am really grateful for the opportunity and for the strong support system in Seidenberg that has helped me along the way!”

Stay tuned for more from Justin as we learn about his internship experience later this summer!