Adrian Brzozowski

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Class of 2028
Currently Studying: BBA in Public Accounting and MS in Financial Management
Member (Clubs): Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma

Why did you choose Pace University and the Lubin School of Business?

I chose Pace University and the Lubin School of Business because of its proximity to the hustle and bustle of New York’s financial services industry. As a native New Yorker, I always wanted to stay in the city I was raised in, as it is the backbone of the world’s financial system. Pace University and the Lubin School of Business’s robust alumni network and strong connections to top firms in NYC attracted me to pursue my studies here.

How have clubs on campus helped enrich your student experience?

Clubs have been an integral part of my experience at Pace University, especially Beta Alpha Psi. Beta Alpha Psi provided me with opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I’ve had the privilege of attending countless events, meeting and learning from professionals, and taking part in community service activities. These events were a great way for me to broaden my knowledge of the financial services industry and form lasting connections. I recently switched to the five-year CPA track because of these experiences.

What has your experience been like leading Beta Alpha Psi? How has your involvement in the organization helped you grow professionally or person ally?

During my time in Beta Alpha Psi, I served as Treasurer and, this year, as President. As Treasurer, I managed the organization’s budget and helped organize an investment competition alongside the Undergraduate Finance Club. This year, as President, I’m leading chapter operations and initiatives. I’ve also had the opportunity to travel to Texas and Florida to attend Beta Alpha Psi conferences. These experiences have strengthened my leadership skills through collaboration, event planning, and representing our chapter on a national level. I’ve grown professionally through public speaking and engaging with industry professionals.

How have your internships or professional experiences shaped your career goals so far?

My internships have helped me gain hands-on accounting experience and apply my academic knowledge in real-world settings. This summer, I interned at Patomak Global Partners in Washington, D.C. This was a formative experience—not only did I build on my accounting skills, but I also explored our nation’s capital. I visited places like the U.S. Congress and made new connections. Currently, I’m interning at Robotti & Company in Midtown, where I’m continuing to grow my skills. These experiences have reinforced my goal of earning my CPA license and becoming a practicing CPA.

Lubin’s hands-on, real-world approach to business education has helped prepare me for success by providing applicable experience.

How has Lubin’s hands-on, real-world approach to business education helped prepare you for success?

Lubin’s hands-on, real-world approach to business education has helped prepare me for success by providing applicable experience. In my classes, I’ve expanded my knowledge of accounting through realistic projects. For example, in my introductory financial accounting class with Professor Goldstein, my team and I created financial statements and a marketing plan for a fictitious company. This project helped solidify my understanding of key concepts and set me up for future success.

What has been your favorite opportunity at Pace?

My favorite opportunity at Pace was participating in the Wall Street Workshop organized by Professor Ismailescu. This workshop introduced me to different areas of the financial services industry and deepened my understanding of it. I networked with professionals and visited Credit Agricole, an investment bank in Manhattan. This experience led to my participation in an investment banking boot camp at Houlihan Lokey, where I learned about the day-to-day work of investment bankers through practical simulations.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students?

Your university experience is what you make of it. These are your most formative years, laying the foundation for the rest of your life—so be sure to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. It’s important to stay disciplined and prioritize the things that will set you up for success. Lubin offers countless resources to help you thrive, but it all depends on how much effort you’re willing to put in.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

#LubinLife means drive. It represents the discipline to keep pushing toward your goals and making the most of the opportunities around you. It’s not always going to be easy—and it’s not supposed to be. Professional and personal growth is like going to the gym: without hard work, you won’t see results. Being focused, working hard, and using that drive will help you build a strong foundation for the future.

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Representatives from 20 universities gathered for International Design Factory Week and UnBoxed2025 conference—advancing education, design thinking, and real-world problem-solving

Pace University’s NYC Design Factory at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems successfully hosted two major international events earlier this month: International Design Factory Week (IDFW2025) and the UnBoxed2025 education conference.

Convening more than 60 participants from 20 global Design Factories – innovation hubs based in universities - for a week of interdisciplinary collaboration, design-driven education, and future-focused innovation, the events took place from October 6–10 at Pace’s downtown Manhattan campus at 15 Beekman Street. The NYC Design Factory was transformed into a dynamic space for co-creation, knowledge exchange, and global partnership-building.

The gathering marked a milestone for the university and its leadership.

“Hosting the Design Factory Global Network’s annual conference at Pace was a dream come true for me,” said Jonathan H. Hill, DPS, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “In my long career in higher education, this is clearly one of the best experiential learning opportunities that students, faculty, and staff can share in that I have ever seen. The hospitality, creativity, and entrepreneurial design thinking processes that Pace showed so clearly demonstrated the excellence of this institution. I was so very proud of Pace.”

Leadership at the Seidenberg School emphasized the value of global collaboration and design-led learning at the heart of the week’s activities.

“In hosting IDFW2025 and UnBoxed2025, we had the opportunity to showcase Pace’s commitment to advancing student learning through collaboration on real-world projects at a global level,” said Li-Chiou Chen, interim dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. “These events created meaningful connections among students, faculty, and international partners that will continue to inspire innovation beyond the classroom.”

Pace’s NYC Design Factory serves as a collaborative hub where students, faculty, and industry professionals come together to address challenges in both industry and society through interdisciplinary activities and courses. It is part of the Design Factory Global Network (DFGN), a global consortium of university-based innovation labs dedicated to fostering the next generation of innovators. Through this network, Pace students work with partners around the world—including CERN’s IdeaSquare in Switzerland—on initiatives such as the i2Planet program, a systems-thinking challenge that encourages students to design solutions for complex global problems. The lab’s approach is technology-centered, design-inspired, and human-focused.

“It was an honor to host the International Design Factory Week and the UnBoxed Education Practice Conference at Pace,” said Andreea Cotoranu, clinical professor, director of the NYC Design Factory, and co-chair of the conference. “These events highlighted the university’s role in a global community reimagining how students learn, preparing them for the future and empowering them to create positive impact in their communities and the world.”

The week’s programming included hands-on workshops, presentations, and interactive demos that reflected the Design Factory’s global approach to collaborative, cross-disciplinary learning. Topics ranged from AI-assisted creativity and sustainable design to educational equity and entrepreneurship.

Highlights included sessions like Prompt, Prototype, Repeat, which explored how educators are adapting teaching methods in the age of generative AI; Systematically Incorporating Equity into Design Thinking for AI Education, which focused on inclusive innovation practices; and Flood (In)Tolerant Ecologies, a session using art and design to explore climate resilience. Participants also took part in interactive demos like From Idea to Happy Customer, a board game on startup thinking, and Intellectual Sparring with AI Bots, a workshop on using AI tools for future scenario planning.

“It’s exciting for Pace to be part of a global network that champions innovation, design thinking, experiential learning, and multidisciplinarity,” said Christelle Scharff, Seidenberg professor, associate dean, and co-director of the Seidenberg AI Lab. “The UnBoxed Conference and International Design Factory Week were inspiring showcases of creativity and collaboration. I was impressed by how naturally ideas for joint projects emerged. The week provided the perfect setting to turn those ideas into action and build lasting connections among educators and researchers worldwide. We look forward to bringing some of these projects to life.”

“The conference brought together educators who are reimagining what classrooms can look like when we center creativity, empathy, and technology,” said Jonathan Williams, clinical assistant professor at the Seidenberg School and co-chair of the conference. “It challenged us all to think critically about the future of learning and how we design for it.”

Students played an active role throughout the week, contributing to workshops, presenting projects, and collaborating with peers from around the world.

“Being part of IDFW2025 reminded me why I joined Design Factory courses and projects as a student—it’s about working with people from completely different backgrounds to solve problems that matter,” said Lauren DeMaio, Seidenberg alum and former Design Factory student who also participated in the conference. “This week pushed me to think globally and creatively in ways that only the Design Factory can.”

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.

About the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University

The Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University is a leading institute of technology education. Students experience a dynamic and expansive technology education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. One of the first comprehensive schools of computing in the nation, the Seidenberg School is strategically located in the heart of NYC’s tech scene, right on the doorstep of New York’s most promising companies. With access to established tech giants and exciting new start-ups from both the New York City and the Westchester campus, Seidenberg offers the opportunity to connect, intern with, and enjoy lucrative tech jobs following graduation. Through partnerships with leading tech firms, banks, federal agencies, and global institutions, the school’s curricula and programs are designed to ground students in the fundamentals while offering numerous hands-on experiential learning opportunity. The faculty includes numerous experts in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, game development, software engineering, and much more, who operate labs and centers providing students with practical experience and connections that lead to impressive internships and jobs.

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Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Professor Emeritus Michael B. Mushlin was honored with the John R. Dunne Champion of Justice Award by Prisoners' Legal Services of New York (PLS) at a ceremony that celebrated his long and impactful career as a scholar, advocate, and defender of prisoners’ rights.

At the award presentation, Karen Murtagh, Executive Director of PLS, delivered powerful remarks as she presented the significant award to Professor Mushlin. She praised Professor Mushlin’s life work, describing Professor Mushlin as a “giant in the field of justice,” a “tireless advocate,” and an “extraordinary teacher” who has been “steadfastly courageous and unrelenting in his pursuit of justice.” She spoke not just of Professor Mushlin’s career but his legacy, noting that for over 40 years, Professor Mushlin has taught, mentored and inspired students at Pace Haub Law not just teaching them about the law, but about humanity.

Ms. Murtagh highlighted Professor Mushlin’s lasting impact in the field of prisoners’ rights, noting his authorship of the seminal four-volume treatise on the topic, and his scholarship, which she called “practical, powerful, and deeply necessary,” and as “giving a voice to the voiceless and tools to those of us fighting for them.” She described his work as providing a “lifeline” to attorneys, advocates, judges, and law students. Concluding her remarks, she said, “When we look at your work, your writing, your teaching, your advocacy. We see more than a legal or teaching career. We see a life lived in service to justice, accountability, and human dignity. You have inspired generations of lawyers.”

The right for prisoners’ rights is the fight for a decent society.

—Prof. Michael Mushlin

In accepting the award, Professor Mushlin expressed deep admiration for PLS and the work that the organization does in “standing up for people who are too often forgotten.” Reflecting on his career, he emphasized the shared responsibilities of institutions and advocates to recognize and advance prisoners’ rights. He concluded with hope for the future thanks to the next generation of advocates who will continue the fight towards and one in which we all recognize that “the right for prisoners’ rights is the fight for a decent society.”

A nationally recognized and leading authority in correctional law, Professor Mushlin joined Pace Haub Law in 1984, teaching courses in Civil Procedure, Evidence, Prisoners' Rights, Criminal Procedure, and Federal Courts. He is the author of a four-volume treatise entitled Rights of Prisoners (5^th ed. Thomson Reuters). He currently serves on the Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure to the New York State Judiciary, where he chairs the subcommittee on judicial visits to prisons. Previously, he was staff attorney and project director of the Prisoners’ Rights Project of the Legal Aid Society, where he litigated complex class action cases on behalf of incarcerated persons in New York prisons and New York City jails. He was also the Associate Director of the Children’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, and was staff Attorney at Harlem Assertion of Rights, Inc. He served on the Board of the Correctional Association of New York and was its Chair and Vice Chair. He was also Chair of the Osborne Association, a program that provides services and programs for incarcerated people and their families, and Chair of the Corrections Committee of the New York City Bar Association, where he led an investigation into conditions on New York’s death row. He served as a member of the Task Force on The Legal Status of Prisoners of the American Bar Association, and as co-Chair of the ABA’s subcommittee on prison oversight.

In addition to his treatise, he is the author of book chapters and articles on a variety of subjects involving evidence, federal jurisdiction, civil procedure, children's rights, and prisoners' rights that have appeared in journals such as the Yale Law and Policy Review, UCLA Law Review, Harvard Civil Rights Civil Liberties Law Review, The Journal of Legal Education, Brooklyn Law Review, and the Fordham Urban Law Journal. He also is the author New York Evidence With Objections (5^th ed National Institute of Trial Advocacy 2018) (with Lissa Griffin & Jo Ann Harris).

The John R. Dunne Champion of Justice Award honors individuals who have carried forward the mission and legacy of the late John R. Dunne (1930–2020), former New York State Senator and Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Civil Rights. In her introduction, Karen Murtagh, described John Dunne as a “rare public service, one who led with intellect, integrity, and heart,” and someone who was a “moral compass” and “a champion of the voiceless.” The award emphasizes the importance of legal advocacy, institutional accountability, and bridging the gap between law and meaningful justice. Presenting the award to Professor Mushlin, she noted the fitting recognition of “another warrior for justice.”