We often think of trash as something physical; we put garbage in a bin, that bin gets collected, and the cycle continues. When it comes to large-scale environmental problems, we might think of oil spills, reef decimation, or hazardous agricultural practices. In 2022 however, there is another, increasingly relevant type of trash that is accumulating by the nanosecond.

"There's a lot of invisible things about technology,” says Dyson Art Professor Will Pappenheimer, a pioneer in the use of augmented reality (AR) as an artistic medium. “We are calling attention to the idea that digital trash is not completely without cost."

This reality—that the files stored on our computers and servers aren’t entirely without environmental impact—was the idea behind Digital Trash, an exhibit recently showcased at the Pace Art Gallery. The exhibit was conceived and created by students in Pappenheimer’s ART 288 Mobile Media course, a class that requires students to imagine New York City a canvas and their phones as a window into a new dimension.

Yet, this was no ordinary exhibit. To demonstrate that digital trash is not entirely dissimilar to an empty McDonalds wrapper, or an empty plastic cup strewn about the sidewalk, the class created a virtual “trash heap” in front of One Pace Plaza as part of the exhibit, which could be viewed through one’s smartphone via AR.

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Through Pappenheimer’s encouragement and technical expertise in the realm of AR, students in the class were able provide creative commentary on this real-world issue, in a way that arguably very much fits the subject matter at hand.

“I enjoyed collaborating with Professor Pappenheimer and our class as we experienced the excitement and challenges of AR together,” said Czarina Manipon ’22. “Creating a space limited to digital screens but offering greater imaginative potential presented a unique blending of artistic design with technical experimentation.”

“It really opened a new insight into digital art and AR capabilities for me,” added Thai Van Nguyen ’22. “It was different in the sense that I was still creating art, but I was sourcing it from online and trying to understand virtual space.”

The idea of digital trash, although perhaps not firmly in the mainstream, is likely only to grow in size and importance in the coming years. In 2020, it was estimated that each human creates about 1.7 MB in data per second, a number that will likely only grow with our increasing reliance on the digital realm. And as our files and file sizes grow, the energy that it takes to power all of this data—often supplied by large server farms consisting of thousands of computers—will also increase.

“I hope the concept of digital trash will gain more visibility within the Pace Community and beyond because of its potential as a conversation starter."

“We’re generating an enormous amount of digital files. We don’t really think about it, and we tend to think of digital trash as costing very little. But then a lot of people aren’t aware of these server farms, which are keeping this information and are constantly using up energy,” explains Pappenheier. “The more files each person creates the more energy it takes.”

Pappenheimer also noted that while the Digital Trash exhibit doesn’t explicitly comment on emerging technologies like cryptocurrency and NFTs that the project can also reverberate in these areas. Bitcoin, for example, requires a considerable amount of energy in order to function effectively.

As businesses place increasing importance on Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG), being more aware of the complications and environmental implications surrounding digital waste will likely only help Pace students be more prepared to tackle the ever-complex challenges of the future. The emerging phenomenon known as the metaverse, for example, will likely raise fascinating questions and solutions surrounding the ways the future might be powered.

By being challenged to express the evolving problem of digital waste in an innovative fashion, students like Nguyen and Manipon have been starting a dialogue in the Pace Community in a way that would certainly not have existed without this exhibit.

“There are so many clouds holding data, music, emails, anything, and everything but that doesn't mean there is infinite space,” said Nguyen. “There is still the energy source that powers the Cloud which has just as much contribution to the power running our planet. So, every decision we make is factored into Earth's life span, and it is important to be aware of that.”

“I hope the concept of digital trash will gain more visibility within the Pace Community and beyond because of its potential as a conversation starter,” added Manipon. “Themes such as the power of AR as a rising media, awareness of how we utilize digital space, or simply taking in the oddity of it, could each start engaging conversations between viewers just as it was for us putting it together.”

Psychology professor Anthony Mancini has an unconventional perspective on stress. “People assume that stress is always negative. But stress is actually more complicated than that.”

For example, the months following Hurricane Sandy in 2012 were extremely disruptive, filled with power outages, gas shortages, and many areas remaining closed. Even so, Mancini’s research into how Pace students were faring in the aftermath showed that they had lower levels of depression, better self-esteem, and more social support in the semester following the hurricane.

“Stress actually tends to stimulate social interaction, cooperation, and trust. The irony is that when something stressful or traumatic happens, you might actually end up better as a result. Obviously, that’s not always true. Trauma can also be very isolating, which is when PTSD happens. But ‘trauma’ is a very loaded word that’s lost meaning from overuse, making it harder to understand the different types and intensities of trauma as well as the difference in consequences.”

“The irony is that when something stressful or traumatic happens, you might actually end up better as a result.”

Mancini’s research focuses on those nuances. He’s particularly interested in uncovering how trauma and stress affect individuals, groups, and large social structures in order to determine why some are able to navigate through stress and trauma relatively well and end up functioning better as a result, rather than worse.

In his Trauma, Social Processes, and Resilience Lab, Mancini studies how people cope with and adapt to significant life stressors. In many universities, this kind of high-level original research is typically reserved for graduate and doctoral students. But Mancini says, “I’m always delighted when undergrads contact me. They’re motivated and curious, and I have them doing the same tasks as upper-level students.”

Mancini is currently writing a book—a hybrid memoir combining his own childhood experiences and the science of positive adversity. “I want people to know that adversity in childhood is not a life sentence; I find it objectionable that it’s portrayed that way, having had my own share. It’s not a good thing to tell children that they’ve been traumatized. Our psychological makeup is highly susceptible to influence. I don’t mean to dismiss that there is an impact with trauma, but it’s complex, and there are a lot of factors that go into determining the level and intensity of that impact. This book is an effort to tell the story and unpack and examine the assumptions about childhood trauma in light of scientific, empirical research.”

The moment Aman Islam ‘24 arrived at Pace, he was ready to get going.

As a second-year student, Aman has already built an impressive resume working on the campaign for Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and interning for Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer’s district office.

Speaking with Aman, you get the sense that nothing can slow him down. He even conducted our (virtual) interview through a case of COVID-19, waving a hand and saying, “I’m feeling better today.”

As a political science major, Aman wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunities you can only find in New York City. During his first year at Pace, he joined the campaign for Mark Levine as Manhattan Borough President and had the experience of a lifetime, saying, “It was probably the most influential thing I’ve done thus far. A lot of Pace students were on the campaign with me. It was all about building that organizing experience that is helping me to do other opportunities now.”

Opportunity begets opportunity and working on Levine’s campaign opened up the door for Aman to work in Leader Schumer’s office. Aman explains how a connection from Levine’s campaign introduced him to the internship. “Me getting that internship as a freshman helped me get this internship as a sophomore.” After a rigorous application process, he was chosen as an intern—and it was time to get back to work.

Of course, with an ongoing global pandemic, Aman and the other interns had to adapt. As an outreach intern, Aman spent his time reaching out to different organizations and coordinating virtual events for the Senator. Even in a remote environment, Aman gained unique insights into the dynamics of such an influential government office. “I really saw how politics and government are sometimes different,” he says.

“Me getting that internship as a freshman helped me get this internship as a sophomore.”

After months of working virtually, Aman finally met the Senate Majority Leader. He recounts, “I got to sit in a room with a whole bunch of people from different colleges around the city. Seeing myself there, in this coveted internship with people who go to Columbia and Princeton, just shows the opportunities you can get regardless of who you are.”

Currently, Aman is focusing on his studies, but is considering returning to the internship, and he (and Senator Schumer) both think more Pace students should apply. According to Aman, “The Senator said to me, ‘We need more Pace students like you to join the program.’”

Aman insists, “If you’re in the political science field, even as a freshman, go apply to these internships, because I had so many great opportunities thus far and I’ve built such a network among people in my field already. It’s super influential and it’s definitely going to get me places... The possibilities are endless now that we’re back in-person. Just go for it.”

During the height of the pandemic, many small businesses struggled to pivot—making tough decisions that would ultimately impact whether their companies would sink or swim. For companies working with Pace, it was more smooth sailing than white water rapids.

NAME GLO, a women-owned and Lower East Side-based custom neon light studio, found itself in an interesting predicament during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. When COVID-19 guidelines regarding non-essential businesses were implemented, NAME GLO had to temporarily close its physical storefront and studio space, forcing the business to transition to operating exclusively online with limited operational capacity. To say the least, the future was uncertain.

Enter Pace’s Small Business Development Center. Funded in part by the US Small Business Administration and the State of New York, the Pace SBDC combines the resources of Pace University, the private sector, and local/state/city government to enable small businesses to reach their full potential.

Through working with Pace’s SBDC, NAME GLO was able to do just that—namely, by turning the immense challenges of the pandemic into an opportunity.

When NAME GLO hooked up with Pace’s SBDC, they were not only able to get guidance on how to apply for financial assistance to support their business, but they were able to work with Pace’s up and coming business students. Two undergraduate consumer behavior classes, taught by Lubin Professor Mary Long, helped NAME GLO research changes in buyer behavior during the pandemic and in turn provide valuable insights and recommendations for business growth.

Ritvi Shah ’22, a Global Marketing Management and Finance major, was one such student that took up the challenge of finding dynamic ways for NAME GLO to adapt to running a business during a pandemic. She explains, “While working for NAME GLO, my team and I had our own roles according to our talents. My role was looking at social platforms the company was on and analyzing what could be improved on. I dug up information that even the company didn’t realize was available and presented it to NAME GLO.”

“Working on this project with a real business in NYC was a great experience. I was able to learn about the different nuances that come with running a business, and the cutthroat competition that exists in NYC.”

The opportunity for students to work directly with a real business was a major value add, not just in terms of hard skills and research, but the soft skills that only experience can really give. According to Shah, “Working on this project with a real business in NYC was a great experience. I was able to learn about the different nuances that come with running a business, and the cutthroat competition that exists in NYC.”

For Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications student Luanne Dinh ’22, one of the most important things she learned was empathy and listening to her clients’ needs to help develop a strategy.

“NAME GLO was very adamant about their craftsmanship of neon lighting, even if that meant their prices were higher than their competitors,” explains Dinh. “Instead of suggesting to offer major discounts or lower their prices, we instead opted for an awareness campaign that would inform consumers why NAME GLO’s neon lights are more expensive—better quality, professionally installed. Essentially, turning their price into a benefit.”

With assistance from Pace SBDC Business Advisor Sandra Cely, NAME GLO was able to secure more than $200,000 in financial support through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, helping retain the venture's eight jobs.

For the students who worked on the project, the rewards of working with the SBDC and NAME GLO helped create new opportunities and possibilities for their own futures.

“Working with NAME GLO was a great way to challenge myself. Rather than simply reiterating what I was learning in class onto a piece of paper, I was able to apply what I had learned,” says Shah. “I was able to see how extensive my academic and professional capabilities were when I put in the hard work. I found ways to research other than the conventional Google search and clicking on the first thing that I popped up. Instead, I dug deeper to find problems that lay within the organizational structure that caused core problems.”

In the future, Dinh, who currently freelances as a brand designer for an Aruban coffee shop, hopes to turn her work into a full-fledged design company.

“In the future, I would definitely consult Pace SBDC for starting my own business,” she says. “Every student should get a chance to work with a real client, it is extremely rewarding to see your strategies create positive changes in a real business.”

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The Pace BLSA Mock Trial team attended the 54th Northeastern Black Law Students Association Convention and placed first in the 2022 Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition. In four back-to-back rounds, the Mock Trial team edged out multiple law schools in the Northeast region. This year’s team included students Laura Felix, Nechelle Nicholas, Juan Rodriguez, and Naja Williams. Professor Betty Lewis coached the team. For months, a shadow team prepped alongside the competition team, consisting of students Katherine Boyd, Idalis Davis, Derek Segars, Aaliyah Smith.

Competitor Nechelle Nichols stated, “We have been preparing vigorously for the past four months and honed our trial skills. Every single team member stepped up to the plate, and that is what ultimately allowed us to think quickly on our feet, sharpen our acting skills, make multiple changes to our strategy, and deliver passionate arguments. Placing first in the Northeastern region in a competition named after a trailblazer who we each aspire to be like, and moreover, being a part of a convention which brought Black law students together was a true honor.”