Pace University Presents Outdoor Student Photography Exhibition on Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability

Dyson College of Arts and Science

Pace University will host, “At a Point of Change,” an outdoor student photography exhibition, which will line the fence on Frankfort Street outside One Pace Plaza in Lower Manhattan. The exhibit is open to the public and will run for two months, beginning May 9, 2022.

Person in food store with lettuce in front of their face.

Works focus on United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

Pace University will host, “At a Point of Change,” an outdoor student photography exhibition, which will line the fence on Frankfort Street outside One Pace Plaza in Lower Manhattan. The exhibit is open to the public and will run for two months, beginning May 9, 2022.

“At a Point of Change,” features the photography of 13 students enrolled in the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences interdisciplinary course entitled “Seeing the World Differently Through Economics and Photography,” which combines concepts from economics with photography. The course focuses on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, a group of 17 objectives set to be achieved by 2030 to better our world, focusing on issues such as poverty, equity, climate action, and sustainable economic growth.

“The goal of this exhibit is to create a powerful visual statement that Pace is committed to sustainability, equity, and inclusion,” said Associate Professor of Economics Anna Shostya, PhD, who co-teaches the course with Associate Professor of Art, Inbal Abergil, MFA. The photographs in the exhibit and the accompanying written pieces showcase the students’ understanding and creative interpretation of these underlying principles. “This exhibition creates a platform for students to connect to these subject matters on a personal level and highlights the power of photography and storytelling.”, emphasized Inbal Abergil.

“This course has developed my view of the world both creatively and critically. It was also a pleasure to be guided through this course by Professor Abergil and Professor Shostya, who consistently demonstrated their passion and love for both topics. This exhibit is proof that creativity and analytics don't sit at two opposite ends of a spectrum, in fact, without one the other fails to reach its full potential,” said psychology major, Megan Sanchez, ’24.

About Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

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

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success because of its unique programs that combine immersive academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides.

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In The Media

More Press Releases

Marine Maven: Lauren Birney, EdD

Environmental
ESG
Pace Path/Student Success
School of Education

School of Education's Lauren Birney, EdD, is co-leading a powerhouse group of collaborators to build upon the New York Harbor School’s project to put science into the hands (quite literally) of middle school students in low-income neighborhoods.

woman in a black sweater smiling at camera
woman in black sweater smiling at camera

Creating opportunities for underrepresented students and women is the primary focus of my research,” Lauren Birney, EdD, told us. She’s an associate professor of STEM education, and she’s been putting her experience to incredible use. Birney is co-leading a powerhouse group of collaborators to build upon the New York Harbor School’s project to put science into the hands (quite literally) of middle school students in low-income neighborhoods with high populations of English language learners and students from groups underrepresented in STEM. “I was so very fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly talented professors, teachers, and mentors,” she explained. “I just want to do the same.”

“We want to give students the opportunity to learn outside the school building and benefit enormously from an increased awareness about their ecological place.”

Birney has been hard at work developing the curriculum used by teachers at the New York Harbor School to teach children about the importance of restoring the oyster beds in New York Harbor through the Billion Oyster Project. “The harbor is like a living laboratory for education in STEM,” said Birney. “We want to give students the opportunity to learn outside the school building and benefit enormously from an increased awareness about their ecological place.” Along with other students, teachers, scientists, volunteers, businesses, and local organizations, Birney is at the forefront of efforts to reestablish New York as the oyster capital of the world—and they recently secured a $2.5 million dollar grant from the NSF. No small feat in the STEM field! “We have been very fortunate and very blessed with the wonderful partners we have on our NSF-funded grants,” she told us.

And she’s working to create even more opportunity, too. Right now, Birney has her eye on obtaining another grant from the STEM Collaboratory NYC Learning Center. “I can’t wait!” She enthused. “This will be an opportunity for STEM industry professionals, scientists, researchers, students, and teachers to come together while creating, designing, constructing, inventing, and initiating STEM innovations.”

This article was originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of Pace Magazine.

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More from Pace

Pace Magazine

Dyson Biology Professor Melissa Grigione, PhD, has spent her career traveling all around the world to better understand a wide range of animal populations. She's now passing on what she's learned to the next generation.

Faculty and Staff

Alongside student scientists, Dyson Professor of Biology Bill Eaton is conducting invaluable research in Costa Rica—helping the world better understand how soil ecology impacts short- and long-term environmental health.

Faculty and Staff

Dyson Environmental Studies and Science Professors Monica Palta and Anne Toomey have been conducting research in Coney Island Creek, documenting the existing environmental and social ecosystem. Their work aims to reshape the conversation surrounding urban waterfront development.

Related Profiles

Haub Law team places first in Brooklyn Law School’s 9th Annual Stanley M. Grossman Innovators Invitational

Elisabeth Haub School of Law

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University team placed first in the 9th Annual Stanley M. Grossman Innovators Invitational. The event is held annually by The Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship (CUBE) at Brooklyn Law School. The Haub Law team consisted of students Gabriella Mickel, Daniel Guarracino, and Lili Caparosa and was led by Elyse Diamond, Director, Public Interest Law Center and Adjunct Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.

Daniel Guarracino, Gabriella Mickel and Lili Caparosa - team placed first in the 9th Annual Stanley M. Grossman Innovators Invitational
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Daniel Guarracino, Gabriella Mickel and Lili Caparosa - team placed first in the 9th Annual Stanley M. Grossman Innovators Invitational

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University team placed first in the 9th Annual Stanley M. Grossman Innovators Invitational. The event is held annually by The Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship (CUBE) at Brooklyn Law School. The Haub Law team consisted of students Gabriella Mickel, Daniel Guarracino, and Lili Caparosa and was led by Elyse Diamond, Director, Public Interest Law Center and Adjunct Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.

Competitors were invited to develop and pitch their legal technology startups to a prestigious panel of judges, including industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors, to compete for prize money to help launch their ventures. To enter, student teams were required to submit an application consisting of a 150-word explanation of their legal tech idea. From there, only select teams were invited to participate in this unique opportunity.

For the competition, the Haub Law team created a video demonstrating their legal innovation prototype and developed and submitted a business plan for the tool’s development. The prototype was created with a larger interdisciplinary team of Haub Law and Pace University computer science students, along with Haub Law’s Professor Elyse Diamond and Andreea Cotoranu, Clinical Professor and Director of the NYC Design Factory in Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, in this fall’s inaugural Access to Justice Lab course. The Access to Justice Prototype is a low-cost, mobile-friendly web application that will help low-income tenants and their advocates in Westchester navigate habitability issues. The Haub Law team placed first, winning the Manne Prize and $9,000 to help launch the project from an idea into reality.

Professor Elyse Diamond said, “I am so proud of our Haub Law team for taking what was developed in our new Access to Justice (A2J) Lab class and creating a pitch and plan to make it a reality. These students are developing real-world solutions to address gaps in access to justice.” The A2J Lab course is a key component of Haub Law’s new Pace Access to Justice Project, which aims to direct the combined legal knowledge, skill and energy among Pace faculty, staff and students to close gaps in access to justice in our communities.

Additionally, on April 29, the Haub Law student team Gabriella Mickel, Lili Caparosa and Daniel Guarracino, joined by Pace Seidenberg graduate students Aastha Bhadani and Aram Stepanian, also presented the inaugural A2J Lab prototype and a business plan at Georgetown Law’s Iron Tech Lawyer Invitational, a highly competitive international competition, held virtually, that is in its 12th year. The other finalist competing teams were from Georgetown Law, University of Denver Law and Universities in Singapore, Alberta, Canada, and Sydney, Australia. The program opened with a welcome from William Treanor, Dean of Georgetown Law, who discussed the critical importance of programs like these that are training students to develop legal tech solutions to address access to justice gaps, and shared several new initiatives on this front at Georgetown Law - beyond their established Institute for Law & Technology. The team from Alberta was named the winner. Professor Diamond, who attended the live (virtual) competition day, praised the Haub Law team’s “impeccably and professionally executed presentation.” “It is truly incredible that the work our interdisciplinary team did in this inaugural Lab could complete at this level;” described by one of the judges as, “among the best in the world”.

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Students Showcase Their Hard Work at CHP Scholarship Day

College of Health Professions

On April 27, students from various degree programs, including occupational therapy (OT), the PhD program, nursing, and health science showcased their scholarly projects on the NYC and Pleasantville campuses.

Students showcasing their poster
Students explaining their poster
Gianni Mogrovejo
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Occupational Therapy students and faculty

On April 27, students from various degree programs, including occupational therapy (OT), the PhD program, nursing, and health science showcased their scholarly projects on the NYC and Pleasantville campuses.

Project topics from OT included trends within predictors of resilience; faculty experience during the pandemic; effectiveness of 3D printing splints compared to traditional thermoplastic splints; using experiential learning to teach ergonomics in OT curriculum, the best practices of shape capturing methods for creating custom contoured wheelchair cushions, and COVID 19's impact on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) pass rates. "I cannot even begin to express how proud I am of our students," said Lisa Raymond-Tolan, clinical associate professor of occupational therapy.

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Students presenting poster

Students in the PhD, Health Science, and Nursing programs conducted research on topics such as liver transplant outcomes, comfort assessments for hospitalized adult patients, high rates of diagnostic errors in health care, medication noncompliance, and more.

Students tend to be drawn to areas of research that have affected them in some way. Jessica Barresi, junior nursing student in the RN4 program at the Pleasantville Campus, collaborated with her team to focus on the major issue of medication noncompliance, targeted specifically in the geriatric population. She said this topic was inspired by her elderly grandmother who has multiple underlying health conditions therefore leaving her to be prescribed with various different medications. Because discharge instructions in the healthcare setting can be so cumbersome and overwhelming, her grandmother tends to forget to properly take each medication. "Our idea is to create an age friendly pamphlet with easy-to-read medication instructions, allowing administration details to be more accessible," said Barresi.

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Jessica Barresi with poster

Another student, Grace Henderson, a senior health science major, was motivated to do her project on diagnostic error after having family members experience it firsthand. "I wanted to address the high rates of diagnostic errors in health care and ways in which these can be prevented," she says. After conducting a series of interviews, she found that all participants experienced some form of a diagnostic error when trying to obtain a diagnosis for their chronic illness. She discussed with participants the possibility of interprofessional collaboration (alliance between multiple healthcare providers working together to ensure quick and accurate diagnoses) as a possible prevention strategy.

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Dean Tye with Health Science Student Grace Henderson

After over two years of COVID-19 restrictions, everyone was pleased to be back on campus. Dean Tye, faculty, and staff made their way around the room, engaging with students about their research and offered congratulations. "Not only did we have a great turnout from our second-year students who are presenting, but our entire first year cohort is here,” said Raymond-Tolan. “It was so nice to have everybody together in one space and see the work that people have been spending so much time and energy on."

See all of the research projects (PDF) this year.

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Peruvian and first-generation graduate Lauren Cordova, PA-S, ’22, is making a place at the table for herself and other students in underserved populations. She chose the Physician Assistant (PA) Pleasantville program in the College of Health Professions (CHP) because of the emphasis on cultural sensitivity, community service, and diversity and that it teaches the importance of representation in healthcare.

Pace University constitutional law professor discusses overturning Roe V. Wade

Elisabeth Haub School of Law

Pace University Professor Emily Gold Waldman, who teaches constitutional law, joins News 12 via ZOOM to discuss the ramifications of overturning Roe V. Wade.

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It's Time To Expand Public Service Loan Forgiveness

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As debates continue about how to solve the student loan crisis in our country, one federal program with significant benefits doesn’t get enough attention. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program was created in 2007 to help federal student loan borrowers who choose to go into nonprofit or governmental careers, which typically pay less than jobs in the for-profit sector.

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Making Accounting Click

Lubin School of Business

After graduating from the Lubin School of Business with her BBA, Christal Wong kept the momentum going and is now gearing up to graduate with her MBA in Public Accounting in May 2022. After juggling competitive sports, internships, and working on the Pleasantville campus, Christal now has a full-time job waiting for her at PwC.

Lubin student Christal Wong '22 standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in California
Lubin student Christal Wong '22 standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in California

Christal Wong

Assurance Associate, PwC

Class of 2022
Currently Studying: BBA/MBA in Public Accounting

After graduating from the Lubin School of Business with her BBA, Christal Wong kept the momentum going and is now gearing up to graduate with her MBA in Public Accounting in May 2022. After juggling competitive sports, internships, and working on the Pleasantville campus, Christal now has a full-time job waiting for her at PwC starting in January 2023.

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

I chose Pace University because it allowed me to continue my passion of playing volleyball competitively. I also love that the class sizes are smaller than other universities, so I have a better chance of developing stronger relationships with my professors and peers. Alumni relations, networking events, and career resources made Pace and Lubin very attractive to me, as well. The campus is also beautiful and the plethora of study rooms incentivized me to sit down and utilize the tools to prepare for my tests.

After receiving your BBA from Lubin, you decided to return for your MBA in Accounting. What inspired you to continue your education at Lubin?

Initially, I was only going to pursue a bachelor's degree and graduate in 4 years, but I saw how great Lubin's combined BBA/MBA program was and figured I might as well get my masters, especially if I needed 150 credits to become a certified public accountant (CPA). I haven't decided my endgame yet but having a master's degree and being a CPA could open more doors for me in the future. My parents, who learned English as a second language, both achieved their bachelor's degrees, which inspired me to go above and beyond since they gave me the opportunity to aim higher. I want to show them that they did a good job raising me.

Not only are you a public accounting student, but you are also an accounting tutor on campus. Why was it important for you to get involved to help your peers better understand accounting?

I remember struggling with my classes when I first started out and then having several "aha" moments after either sitting by myself, staring at a textbook for hours, or with the help of a tutor or professor. I want to be able to help others reach that "aha" moment sooner and to provide them with another resource to succeed, so they don't feel like they're alone. Since I had people there to help me, I want to pay it forward and help others who may be struggling or just need some additional support. Having a mentor or role model helps students gain confidence to get through whatever challenge they are facing at the moment.

You were a member of the Pace University volleyball team. What did you learn from being on a team?

Being a member of a sports team improved my communications skills and showed me the importance of being a team player. It helped me become more responsible—I had to balance my priorities and practice time management to do well on and off the court. I also learned the importance of working with those from different backgrounds and setting aside differences to achieve a common goal. Being on the team made me a more confident and mentally strong person.

On top of being a student-athlete, you also held internships at PepsiCo and PwC and worked on campus as a PaceFit employee, student assistant, and accounting tutor. You are also the recipient of Lubin's Scholastic Achievement Award. What motivates you to work hard?

What motivates me to work hard is definitely my parents and making them proud. They are immigrants from China working to provide my brother and me with more opportunities. Seeing how hard they work inspires me to do the same. I have a lot of support from my friends, family, and Lubin faculty, so I don't want to let them down. I also naturally like to keep myself busy and challenge myself. I have always felt like an underdog, so I like proving to myself and others that I can do whatever I set my mind to if I work hard enough, which hopefully shows other underdogs that they can do it too.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students?

Take advantage of all the resources provided by Pace University and Lubin. Be proactive in furthering your career and expanding your network. There will times where you are stressed, confused, or overwhelmed, but just try to do your best. Everything has a funny way of working out in the end. Making connections and having a good support system will make a huge difference in your time at the university.

Take advantage of all the resources provided by Pace University and Lubin. Be proactive in furthering your career and expanding your network. Making connections and having a good support system will make a huge difference in your time at the university.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

To me, #LubinLife means being open-minded and willing to learn and absorb new information. It means putting yourself out there and moving out of your comfort zone by engaging with other members of the community to continue growing as a professional and individual.

Do you have any post-graduation plans that you would like to share?

I plan on passing the remainder of the CPA parts by the end of 2022 and traveling as much as possible before working full-time at PwC starting in January of 2023. I want to learn Mandarin, as well. I plan on being a mentor and will probably be back at Pace once in a while to provide advice and answer questions.

Connect with Christal:

Instagram: @christahhhl
LinkedIn: Christal-Wong

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Celebrating Commencement 2022

College of Health Professions
Dyson College of Arts and Science
Elisabeth Haub School of Law
Lubin School of Business
New York City
Pace Path/Student Success
School of Education
Seidenberg School of CSIS
Upcoming Opportunities
Westchester

On Monday, May 16, Pace will hold the largest Commencement ceremony in our history to celebrate the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Here's what you need to know about schedules, student speakers and award winners, food, photos, and so much more.

close up of people at graduation
close up of graduating students

On Monday, May 16, Pace will hold the largest Commencement ceremony in our history to celebrate the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

This will be our first full-fledged Commencement ceremony in three years, and the new venue will give us the opportunity to create a truly memorable event for our entire community. We will begin the day with a formal, high-profile ceremony for all graduating students, followed by school- and college-based ceremonies that will include the calling of names and presentation of degrees. Between the events, we’ll use the expansive Tennis Center grounds for a celebration of our graduates, complete with food vendors and plenty of time and space for photos and gatherings.

Schedule of Events

Main Ceremony
Arthur Ashe Stadium
10:15 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Graduates planning to participate in the main ceremony should plan to arrive on-site at 8:45 a.m.

School/College Ceremonies
School ceremonies begin at 12:00 p.m. and continue throughout the afternoon. To see the time and location for your school ceremony, visit the Commencement Schedule page. Guests of school/college ceremonies may enter the Tennis Center beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Livestreaming

All ceremonies will be live-streamed. Please see information for viewing on the Commencement website. The links for streaming will be live on May 16, 2022.

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Ticketing

All graduates and guests must present a ticket for entry into the Tennis Center. Be sure to access your tickets via NTC Account Manager in advance and save them on your mobile device.Tickets to the main ceremony can be used to gain access to the afternoon school and college ceremonies.

If you or your guest/s do not have a mobile device or are otherwise unable to access your tickets digitally, you will still be able to enter. Speak with a Tennis Center representative or a Pace staff member when you arrive at the entrance where tickets are being scanned.

Visit the Commencement website for step-by-step directions for accessing your tickets.

Seating

All tickets have a section and seat number; you and your guests can disregard this information. Ushers will be stationed in the stadiums to guide graduates and guests to the appropriate seating. Seating for graduates will be organized by class year and college/school.

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Food, Photography, and More

The USTA’s Grounds and Food Village will be open from 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Options will include snacks (think sodas, popcorn, pretzels) and heartier fare like burgers, pizza, hotdogs, and chicken fingers. Or, bring something from home—graduation picnic? Yes, please. Water bottle refilling stations will also be available, so don't forget your reusable water bottles. Additionally, in the periods between ceremonies, graduates and their families are invited to take photos and videos in front of our specially designed photo backdrops. Be on the lookout for our professional photographers—we’ll be sharing images of Commencement online later that week. Before you head home for the day, be sure to stop by our Alumni Relations table and our Career Services table. Don’t forget to share your pictures on social using #PaceGrad.

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Student Award Winners

2022 Trustees Award

The Trustees Award is presented to the graduating student or students whose positive contributions to University life and whose academic accomplishments exemplify the highest level of achievement attainable for an undergraduate.

Maria Elisa Escobar | New York City Campus
She will graduate Pace as one of its premier student leaders. Throughout her undergraduate career, she has consistently demonstrated an exemplary dedication toward improving the Pace Community for the better. Maria Elisa has devoted much of her undergraduate career to the anti-trafficking movement. After volunteering with World Without Exploitation, she co-founded WorldWE Youth Coalition, a national youth-led network that uses advocacy, educational, and awareness raising initiatives to end sexual exploitation and human trafficking. In her two years since co-founding the Youth Coalition, Maria Elisa has had the experience of organizing two virtual summits that mobilized over 1,000 young people across the country.

Naya J. Rivera | Pleasantville Campus
Earning a combined degree–a bachelor’s in adolescent education and biology alongside a master’s in special education–Naya was able to balance her exceptional academic pedigree with a steadfast commitment to leadership service outside the classroom. Rivera, a captain of Pace’s women’s basketball team, led the team to a deep run in the NCAA tournament, winning the East Regional title en route to only the third Elite 8 appearance in program history. During the pandemic, she was one of the first students to volunteer for a pilot program to provide online tutoring to students at a school in Ossining, NY. Based on her exceptional performance, she was hired during her senior year as a technology teacher for the middle school–a role she was able to thrive in alongside her many other obligations. When it comes to volunteering for events on campus, Naya has often lent a helping hand, such as spearheading an implicit bias in the classroom workshop for Pace’s annual Social Justice Week.

2022 Community Service Award

The Community Service Award is presented to the graduating student or students whose active contributions to the life of the University community and to the endeavors of our neighbors in the surrounding community most admirably embody an appreciation for the value of social responsibility.

Alexandra Marie Kennedy | New York City Campus
Through her academic interests, Alexandra Marie Kennedy has been able to link her curricular and cocurricular involvements around tenets of social responsibility and justice. Perhaps Alex’s most profound impact has been her role in co-founding Fare Trade, a sustainable mutual aid initiative addressing food insecurity on the New York City Campus. She was a Vote Everywhere Volunteer during the 2020–2021 school year with the Center of Community Action and Research, receiving training in voter education and supported her peers in exercising the right to vote during the November 2020 general election and spring 2021 NYC primaries. She’s also involved in the NAACP student organization chapter at Pace and Circle K, a student group focused on organizing community service and leadership opportunities for fellow Pace students. Through her many engagements, Alex has modeled what social responsibility looks like to both her peers as well as professionals on campus.

Irach’e “Shea” Teague | Pleasantville Campus
Irach’e “Shea” Teague has impressively balanced her academics with a wide range of extracurricular achievements–demonstrating that a well-rounded Pace education is not solely confined to the classroom. As the vice president of the Student Government Association, Shea has personally made sure there is an organization for everyone, guiding individuals through the process of proposing and implementing new student organizations such as Active Minds, a new student group focused on student mental health. She has also continued to advocate for students as a Resident Assistant, where she has striven to create a safe and vibrant community for residents through targeted programming to increase student competencies in areas ranging from multicultural understanding to personal finance and academic success. Additionally, Shea has consistently shown a strong penchant for being an impactful community leader. For example, she was instrumental in helping make Pleasantville’s DJ Henry mural possible–which honors the life of DJ Henry, a Pace student who was killed by a Pleasantville police officer in 2010.

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Honorary Degree Recipients

  • NYC Mayor Eric Adams | Main ceremony
  • US Representative Grace Meng | Haub Law ceremony
  • Baroness Ariane de Rothschild '88, MBA '90 | Lubin ceremony

Learn more about this year’s speakers on our Commencement site.

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Venue Address and Directions

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Flushing Meadow Corona Park
Flushing NY 11368

Mass Transit

  • Subway: The 7 train provides service from Grand Central Terminal to Mets-Willets Point Station, including connections for all Metro-North Trains from Westchester and Connecticut. Service is also available from the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
  • Long Island Rail Road: LIRR provides easy service to Mets-Willets Point Station from Woodside, and convenient connections from Penn Station for New Jersey Transit customers. For guests with disabilities, get off the LIRR train at 61st Street-Woodside Station and transfer to the 7 train. Take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point Station.

Parking

Event parking is at Citi Field, located next to the Tennis Center. The Tennis Center recommends using Grand Central Parkway exit 9E or Whitestone Expressway Exit 13D for the shortest route to available parking lots.

Upon arrival, lot attendants will direct you to the appropriate area.

There is a $30.00 charge for parking and cash is not accepted. The Tennis Center encourages graduates and guests to expedite arrival by pre-paying for parking.

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FAQ

You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers. Head over to the Commencement website FAQ for info on transportation to-and-from Pace’s campuses, parking, ticketing, diplomas, live-streaming, and so much more. We’re expanding the FAQ regularly, so check back often. If you’ve got questions that aren’t addressed in the FAQ, please email studentcommencement@pace.edu.

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Both in the classroom and on the court, Naya Rivera ’22 has shown that the desire to change things for the better—and simply putting yourself out there—can truly go a long way.

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Chasing Challenges and Forging Forward

Seidenberg School of CSIS

Pace student Sri Nikhil Racha nearly quit. But through his own self-determination and the support of Pace, he was able to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19, international travel, and personal loss. Now, he’s accepted a high-level job with Amazon and his future is brighter than ever.

Pace student Sri Nikhil Racha smiles at the camera
Pace student Sri Nikhil Racha smiles at the camera
Johnni Medina

Sri Nikhil Racha ’22 has had his share of challenges—and he’s hungry for more.

In Fall 2020, Racha started master’s in Computer Science on Pace’s New York City Campus. He expected the challenge inherent with any master’s program but had not anticipated the added difficulty of learning during COVID-19, especially as an international student. What’s more, because of a personal loss, he soon found himself travelling between New York City and his home in India, navigating drastically different time zones, ever-changing health and safety mandates, and rising expenses in an uncertain economy.

“At one point, I wanted to drop out, to be honest,” he admits. However, in a moment where his future was the most uncertain, one of his professors, Seidenberg’s Pauline Mosley, PhD, rose to the occasion. “She was the one who pushed me, supported me, and raised my morale. Pace has given me a lot, not just the studies or the education. I never expected a professor to come out of nowhere and support me.”

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Mosley and Racha at Pace's Commencement on May 16 2022

Mosley’s push of support set Racha back on track and he soon found himself diving deeper into Pace life, recounting particular excitement at a capstone project that integrated business learning—prompting him to consider an eventual return to Pace for business school. Without the help of his professor, he might not have ever considered business school. What’s more, “I would not be here,” he explains. “I’d be in India. It’d be a whole different story.”

But as of now, his story is looking much more thrilling, as he’s just accepted a job with one of the biggest tech companies worldwide—Amazon. He’s starting at a higher level, as a Level IV Software Development Engineer, working on some exciting new features that will radically change the way people shop. (Of course, he couldn’t go into much detail—you’ll just have to wait and see).

Amazon was especially appealing because of his interest in Cloud development, and at the prospect of working not only with the back-end development but also front-end user interfaces. But more than anything, Racha was hungry for the challenge. Outlining the prospect of contending with Amazon’s high standards and strict work principles, he said, “If you can survive at Amazon, you can survive anywhere. That’s what everyone says.”

"Pace has given me a lot, not just the studies or the education."

Amazon wasn’t his only option, however. Right from the start, Racha wanted to give credit where credit was due—to the extra services Pace provides, especially when it came to resume building. “My resume got picked by all the companies,” he explains. “Facebook, Google, Amazon, Bloomberg. Whatever the University is doing when it comes to resume proofing and the resume tailoring workshop, it’s really good.” Laughing, he adds, “Literally, other students from other universities are actually asking for my help with their resumes.”

His parting words to other students ring full of self-determination. He calls on students to make their own luck, drive their own education, and remember why they wanted to get an education in the first place. “Just stick to it, that’s it. Try as much as you can.” And most importantly when challenges arise, “Don’t give up.”

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More from Pace

Students

Both in the classroom and on the court, Naya Rivera ’22 has shown that the desire to change things for the better—and simply putting yourself out there—can truly go a long way.

Students

Meet Lubin student Aishna Kumar '22, a Pforzheimer Honors College student originally from Japan, who studied abroad in Barcelona, landed a dream internship at Nike, and took on a leadership role in Pace's chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Students

Nursing student Kalin Tang '22 traveled around the world and found herself at Pace University’s Lienhard School of Nursing. Kalin and her family lived in countries like Hong Kong, Korea, and Thailand, and also in several states throughout the United States.

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