A number of Dyson students in the STEM disciplines earned accolades at research conferences this spring, highlighting their impressive faculty-sponsored work.

NEURON Conference

Emma Brown ’23, Behavioral Neuroscience, won best poster at the NEURON (Northeast Under/graduate Research Organization for Neuroscience) Conference, hosted by Quinnipiac University. In her category, Brown was competing against 54 other students from prestigious universities throughout the northeast.

Eastern Colleges Science Conference

Eight students from biology, chemistry, behavioral neuroscience, and forensic science—accompanied by Associate Professor of Biology Daniel Strahs, PhD, and Assistant Professor of Biology Wei Fang, PhD—attended the 2023 Eastern Colleges Science Conference at Sacred Heart University.

Noor Aayla ’23, Behavioral Neuroscience, received the Chemistry Poster Presentation Award for her work with Strahs: "A Method to Analyze Electrostatic Interactions Between Ethacridine and Topoisomerase IA in E. coli."

Denia Diaz ’23, Biology, and Anastaiia Kirdiianova ’26, Behavioral Neuroscience, who both conducted research with Jeanmaire Molina, PhD, received the Ecology Poster Presentation Award for their poster "A Symbiotic Trifecta: The world's Largest Parasitic Flowers, Their Host Plant, and the Microbes that Live Within."

Northeast National History Conference

Emily Schmidt ’23, MS Environmental Science and Policy, took second place in the graduate student category at the Northeast Natural History Conference in Burlington, Vermont, for her poster titled “Are Human Perceptions of the Environment Consistent with Ecological Data? A Study of User’s Opinions and Water Quality in the Pocantico River, Westchester County, NY.” Her research was a collaborative project with Clinical Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Michael Rubbo, PhD, and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Anne Toomey, PhD.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) delivered Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University’s 45^th commencement ceremony address to graduates at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. Together with Harvard Professor Bruce H. Mann, a legal scholar and historian, she received the Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, the highest honor conferred by the Law School, recognizing their lifelong contributions to public service and the legal profession.

Sen. Warren encouraged graduates to “be courageous” and to take chances just as she has during her remarkable career in public office, calling upon them to consider using their law degrees where the need is great.

“That means trust yourself. That means don’t sell yourself short. Don’t settle for work that you don’t believe in. Don’t assume that you can’t make a difference,” she said.

Sen. Warren told students further that the world “desperately needs” them.

“We are living in a time of great uncertainty and instability. Multiple pandemics have made clear that humanity is fragile. The wealth gap continues to grow, while greedy corporations pump filth into our air and pour poison into our water. If that reality wasn’t enough, right now, an army of corrupt legal minds are conspiring with hateful politicians across America to silence our voices, steal our votes, and deny us our freedoms. They want to attack trans people, give comfort to white supremacists, and declare themselves the ones to judge a woman’s personal medical decisions,” she said. “I say no!”

Sen. Warren was a Harvard Law professor and consumer advocate when she was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012. She is widely credited for the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under President Obama. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Sen. Warren served as Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, presided over the commencement ceremony. Delivering the opening address was Pace University President Marvin Krislov, who asked students to “remember to use your unique privileges and responsibilities as lawyers in good and fair ways.”

He said further: “You must remain dedicated to understanding other people, even your adversaries. You must uphold fundamental rights for everyone. No principle is more important to our legal system than the idea that every single person deserves representation — the poor and underserved as much as the rich and the powerful. You must make sure you fight for the rights of the powerless — whether in your daily practice or through volunteer, pro bono work. And whatever you do in your careers, please remember that lawyers are instrumental to the working of our democracy.”

For some of the law school graduates, this was their first in-person graduation since high school, many having celebrated their undergraduate commencements virtually in 2020.

In his speech, Dean Anderson focused on the ways that the Class of 2023, who began their law school journeys in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic, helped Haub Law thrive. He said students made significant contributions toward the Law School’s number one national ranking in environmental law, its top rankings in trial advocacy and among the best law schools for women, the launching of new programs, and the development of new initiatives.

“This past year has been a very special time for Haub Law. We have created new programs, partnerships, and opportunities for our students, providing them with an even richer learning experience, and connecting that experience even more deeply with the work of our private and public sector partners,” Dean Anderson said. “The Law School has become, once again, the epicenter for important programs, public forums, and policy debates in the region, in partnership with public officials, community organizations, alumni and law leaders who share our vision regarding the role that law students and faculty can play in their work,” he said.

Pace University Trustee Liliane A. Haub and University Distinguished Professor of Law Bridget J. Crawford joined Dean Anderson to present the honorary degrees to Sen. Warren and Professor Mann, recognizing the recipients’ dedication to the law, commitment to public service, and their inspiring example to others within and outside the legal profession.

This year’s 2023 graduating class from Haub Law included 253 Juris Doctor degrees, eight Master of Laws degrees in Comparative Legal Studies, 12 Master of Law degrees in Environmental Law, and one Doctor of Juridical Science degree. Included were 30 part-time graduates, 23 of whom represented the Law School’s first full graduating class of students from its Part-Time Flex JD Program, which was expanded in 2019 to ensure more access for working professionals and others to pursue a career in law.

Remarkably, this year, four outstanding students tied at the top of their class, which is unprecedented in the Law School’s history. The students, Sabrina Bellantoni, Francine Michel, Christina Avery, and Kaitlin Campanini shared joint remarks acknowledging the strong support and mentoring of their Haub Law professors, and the help of their families and friends in graduating.

“And, my parting piece of advice: Remember that a napkin at a bar can be a binding contract, so please be careful what you assent to tonight,” Campanini said.

SJD and LLM graduates were hooded by Associate Dean and Professor of Law Jason Czarnezki. JD graduates were hooded by Professor Crawford and Adjunct Professor Robin Frankel, who were selected by the Class of 2023 as recipients of this year’s Barbara C. Salken Outstanding Professor of the Year Award.

Two exceptional members of the Class of 2023 also received the prestigious Dean’s Award: Kaitlin Flores, a JD graduate, and Chad Weiss, a part-time JD graduate.

Watch Senator Warren’s commencement address

As we mark Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’d like to highlight an opportunity to celebrate the connections between the people of the United States and Asia. The application for the 2024–2025 class of Luce Scholars is now open.

The Luce Scholars Program is a nationally competitive fellowship that offers early career leaders immersive, professional experiences in Asia. The program aims to forge stronger, more informed, more compassionate relationships across geographic borders by creating opportunities for young Americans across diverse sectors and interests to deepen their ties and understanding of the countries, cultures, and people of Asia.

Established in 1974, the Luce Scholars program is experiential in nature, rather than academic. It provides stipends, language training, and individualized professional placement in Asia for 15–18 Luce Scholars each year, and welcomes applications from college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals in a variety of fields who have had limited exposure to Asia. Applicants are asked to reflect on their leadership qualities and other professional attributes.

If you have questions or are interested in applying, please email the Office of Prestigious Awards. The Office will be hosting an information session with a representative of the Luce Scholarship in September, so please check your Pace email and social media for updates; specific details will be circulated as they are finalized.

For more information about the Henry Luce Foundation and the Luce Scholars program, visit their webpage. For more information about research and award opportunities at Pace, visit the Office of Research and Graduate Education webpage.

Jeffrey Prieto delivered the annual Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, entitled “Addressing the Triple Environmental Challenges of Climate Change, Environmental Injustice, and Pollution: An EPA Perspective.” Mr. Prieto currently serves as the Senate-confirmed General Counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Elisabeth Haub School of Law established the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law to expand its programs of research, education, professional and scholarly activity and publications in environmental law, a field for which the Haub School has received national and international recognition.

Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law and Associate Dean for Environmental Law Programs and Strategic Initiatives at Haub Law, Jason J. Czarnezki, welcomed the audience to the lecture, observing the significance of holding the lecture during Earth Week. Haub Law School’s Dean, Horace Anderson, followed by overviewing the history of the Kerlin Lecture, noting that the Kerlin endowment funds a named professorship on Environmental Law at Haub Law. Professor Nicholas A. Robinson, founder of the Law School’s environmental programs, was named the first Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor in 1999 and Professor Jason J. Czarnezki was designated as the second Kerlin Distinguished Professor in 2013.

Haub Distinguished Professor of International Law, Smita Narula, had the pleasure of introducing Mr. Prieto. During her introduction, Professor Narula noted that “environmental challenges like environmental injustice, climate change and pollution are at the forefront of our minds. Whether we are talking about students, staff, faculty or the wider community, these concerns are ever present and ever growing, and we look to the government for leadership. So, who better to speak on the government’s role in addressing these environmental challenges than the top lawyer in the nation’s leading environmental agency.” She also spoke of the incredible opportunity that Haub Law students have in hearing Mr. Prieto’s lecture as a sitting EPA General Counsel, and thanked Achinthi Vithanage, Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs, for the significant role she played in bringing Mr Prieto to the Haub Law campus.

Prior to the start of his lecture, Professor Czarnezki presented Mr. Prieto with the 2023 Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture Award medal. The medal displays a topographical depiction of Storm King Mountain, paying homage to the landmark second circuit case of Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference v. Federal Power Commission. Professor Czarnezki noted that this ruling inaugurated what we today call environmental law. As soon as he took the podium, Mr. Prieto engaged the audience with a fascinating lecture, elaborating on the work and mission of the EPA. “We have been very busy at EPA these past few years working toward furthering EPA’s crucial mission—to ensure that every American has clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, that we’re all protected from exposure to harmful chemicals and contaminated lands,” said Prieto. “We’ve been hard at work tackling climate change and working on adaptation and resilience.”

The lecture discussed the importance of a healthy environmental future and what else must be balanced and considered to achieve that goal. Significantly, Prieto noted that, “It’s imperative that we take action on climate change now and that we do so while also prioritizing environmental justice and equity to make sure no one gets left behind, so that each and every one of us can enjoy a safe and sustainable future.” He further explained that, “As a public health agency, EPA’s number one priority is to protect people’s health, especially those who are on the front lines of environmental pollution.”

Prieto’s prior federal government service includes nearly 20 years across various agencies, including as an Attorney-Advisor in EPA’s Office of Water. Under the Obama-Biden administration, he served as the Senate confirmed General Counsel of the United States Department of Agriculture. He also served at the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division where he served as a Trial Attorney, Counsel to the Assistant Administrator, and General Counsel. Prior to his most recent confirmation, Mr. Prieto served as the General Counsel of the Los Angeles Community College District, the largest community college district in the nation.

After the lecture, audience members had an opportunity to comment and ask questions in a session moderated by Professor Czarnezki. Following the Q&A session a reception followed.