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New York – The Pace University Art Gallery will open Ceaphas Stubbs’ solo exhibition, “So Close,” on Friday, February 11*. The exhibit will be open to the public through Saturday, March 26. The gallery is located at 41 Park Row with the entrance on Spruce Street, across from City Hall in Lower Manhattan. Stubbs will also give a public artist talk on Zoom on Thursday, February 17 at 12:15 p.m.

The works featured in “So Close,” innovatively marries analog and digital photographic techniques with collage and sculpture to produce imagery that is simultaneously intimate, nostalgic, and Afrofuturistic. His vividly colored, often spatially indeterminate, photographs navigate the innate tension between intimacy and pain, and unpack loss by giving visual language to the persistent tingling, itching, burning, and aching that accompany wanting another person.

Stubbs says his multi-step process, “starts by collecting materials, textiles, and found images. I am drawn to materials that are overlooked, discarded, and ordinary.” Stubbs’ laborious method is a performance of sorts in which he goes through the process of searching, seeing, and knowing intimately as he builds and documents his tableaux before ultimately losing the object of his attention when he takes it apart leaving only the photographic remnant.

* Please note that for COVID safety, Gallery occupancy will be limited to 50%, and proof of vaccination and face coverings will be required upon entry.

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About the artist: Ceaphas Stubbs has shown his work widely, including in exhibitions at FiveMyles Gallery, Brooklyn; The Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, New York; Reginald Ingraham Gallery, Culver City; Czong Institute for Contemporary Art Museum, Gimpo-si; Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, Newark; The Print Center, Philadelphia; and The Center for Photography at Woodstock. His works have been reviewed in The New York Times, Brooklyn Rail, Skowhegan's SPACE/LAUNCH, Expose Magazine, and Agave Magazine. He has also done residencies at Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, The Creative Capital Professional Development Program, and Express Newark. Stubbs has taught a range of digital arts, photography, and animation college courses across the East Coast, and is currently a tenure-track professor at Brookdale College in New Jersey. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from Rutgers University and a Master in Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania where he was the recipient of a Christopher Lyon Memorial Award.

About the Pace University Art Gallery: Founded with the conviction that art is integral to society, the Pace University Art Gallery is a creative laboratory and exhibition space that supports innovation and exploration for both artists and viewers. Open to students, staff, and faculty from across the Pace campuses and, equally, to the Lower Manhattan community and visitors from around the world, the Art Gallery encourages personal investigation and critical dialogue via thought-provoking contemporary art exhibits and public programming. Enhancing the Art Department's Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts programs, the Art Gallery offers students real-world opportunities to exhibit their own art and to work directly with professional artists to install and promote exhibitions.

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 the Pace University Center for Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE): The Center for Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) in Dyson College of Arts and Sciences provides leadership, coordination and support to student-faculty research collaborations, faculty grant-funded research projects and programs, and opportunities for service learning. CURE is part of Dyson College’s long-standing, ongoing commitment to build a research culture at Pace University. CURE is one component in Dyson’s efforts to innovatively enhance the quality of both the academic experience and overall student life.

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.

Certified paralegal. Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. Third year law student. Learn more about Epiphanie Reddick '22 in this Q+A.

Why did you choose Haub Law?

I chose Haub Law because of how welcoming the faculty was when I went to first visit. I also can still vividly remember talking to Assistant Dean for Admissions, Cathy Alexander, and how warm and instantly welcomed she made me feel.

What have you focused on during your time at Haub Law and do you have any post-graduation plans?

Yes, I mostly focused on and took classes related to real estate and commercial litigation. After graduated, I was fortunate enough to receive a job offer with Houser LLP as an associate attorney and I have accepted.

What has stuck with you from your time at the Law School?

I have countless memorable experiences at Haub but the best part was meeting so many wonderful and incredible people. I have made some great friends and have had some extremely enjoyable and important classes – some of my favorites have been Federal Income Tax, Civil Rights, Lawyering, and Trial Advocacy.

You are VP of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) – talk to me about that?

To me, being VP of BLSA means fostering a positive, healthy, and welcoming environment to all members of our organization as well as all students. BLSA is so important to me because in a field where there is a clear lack of diversity, it is important to have a safe space for Black students to know they are not alone and that they have the BLSA family to support them.

February is Black History Month, what does that mean to you?

Black History Month is a time of year where we focus on celebrating and acknowledging Black culture. It is a time of year that brings me great joy and hopefulness of how far my people have come and will go. Black history is a major part of American history and should never be looked past, having a month dedicated to it, ensures that.

In his new finance class, Finance and Society, Lubin Professor PV Viswanath seeks to educate future finance professionals about the role of finance in society and how it can have serious impact on the lives of disadvantaged groups. In fact, Finance and Society was designed to specifically address the connections between the world of finance and the world that we live in.

“Our students learn about financial engineering and securitization and the various ways in which they can exploit profit opportunities. At the same time, the actions of finance professionals have been contributing to wealth and income inequalities,” says PV Viswanath, PhD, professor and chair of graduate programs in the Department of Finance and Economics.

This forward-thinking course could not have been developed at a better time, as the disconnect between perception and reality can be quite stark. In fact, in a tweet that recently went viral, Wharton business professor Nina Strohminger shared that when she asked her business students what they thought the average American worker makes per year, 25% of her students thought it was over six figures. Reality check: the average American worker makes $45,000 a year.

What causes this disconnect? How do up-and-coming business students marry together the idea of finance and its impact on individuals and disadvantaged groups?

“In this course, I take students on a journey through the historical development of financial markets,” explains Viswanath. “Through the political economy of finance, through the ethical issues encountered, through how different faith traditions deal with concepts such as usury and risk-taking, through collaborative finance, through the excessive financialization of our economy, through climate change and finance and through many other seldom-travelled paths.”

“In this course, I take students on a journey through the historical development of financial markets.”

For Viswanath, understanding finance’s influence on the world around us means examining how financial legislation is passed and taking a thoughtful look at the sometimes-discriminatory way in which financial markets affect disadvantaged groups, inadvertently leading well-meaning individuals to add to the problems of our society.

Students enrolled in the course also had the opportunity to take what they were learning in the classroom and apply those concepts in collaboration with two New York City-based nonprofits—the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and The Financial Gym (TFG), an organization aimed at helping people improve their financial health through better financial habits.

“For the Financial Gym, the students researched the financial literacy and the financial health of Americas,” says Viswanath. “At NYCEDC, the students identified ways in which the nonprofit could better help real estate projects in the city to create good jobs and drive growth.”

The opportunity for students to work with local organizations was a win-win situation. Not only did the students help these organizations achieve their goals, but they also personally benefited by getting a glimpse into how finance can be used as a force for economic good. As Thanh Doan ’21, one of the students in the course put it, “(working on the project) enabled me to gain insights into how economic development programs operate” and “the incentives provided to private developers (to) aid struggling communities.”

Another student, Su Pyai Naing ‘23 said that the course provided “a valuable experience as I learned how funding groups in the city navigate and coming up with ways these groups could cooperate.”

Ultimately, the civic engagement projects attained their goal, which was—in Su’s words—to give students a “first-hand experience in understanding how finance relates to society.”

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Emilia Rodriguez, a volunteer attorney for Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC), was awarded the Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). The award recognizes the dedication of senior attorneys who generously use their legal knowledge and experience to provide pro bono assistance in New York to underserved members of the community.

Ms. Rodriguez was selected for this award from a highly competitive pool of nominees from across the state. This year she celebrates 13 years as a PWJC volunteer attorney across three programs: Legal Helpline, Family Court Legal Program and Walk-In Legal Clinic. Prior to volunteering with PWJC, “I had no experience in representing survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence. The Pace Women’s Justice Center provided me with training, support and mentoring, which enabled me to meet the legal needs of clients” through their programs, states Ms. Rodriguez.

From giving legal information and resources to providing limited scope representation on family matters, or representing clients in court who need Orders of Protection, Emilia helped over 130 clients in 2021. Known at PWJC as a compassionate and empathetic bilingual attorney who is client-focused, culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed, Emilia helps clients navigate through very complex legal and emotional issues. “The impact she has had on our clients’ ability to live the next chapter of their life in safety is immeasurable,” states Natalie J. Sobchak, PWJC Director of Pro Bono Programs.

The NYSBA award is named in honor of former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, an inspiring judicial leader who has zealously championed the cause of access to justice and has encouraged and supported the unique contributions of senior attorneys to the pro bono mission. PWJC celebrates its 30^th anniversary in 2022, of providing free civil legal services to victims of abuse and sexual assault opportunities and resources to empower themselves and begin their journey away from abuse and towards healing.

The Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) is a self-funded nonprofit legal center located at Elisabeth Haub School of Law, under the 501(c)(3) status of Pace University. Each year, PWJC provides free legal services to over 3,500 victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse, as well as conducts or participates in over 140 training and outreach events. Serving Westchester and Putnam Counties, PWJC’s mission is to pursue justice for victims and prevent abuse through quality legal services, community partnerships, education, and awareness. With an experienced staff and a team of dedicated volunteers, including attorneys, other professionals, and students, PWJC has built an effective, coordinated community response to interpersonal violence.

As the past two years have taught us, life can be full of unexpected twists and turns. While external circumstances are often beyond our control, the way we react and respond can define who we are.

On Wednesday, February 9, Pace’s Chief Wellness Officer, in collaboration with the College of Health Professions is hosting a special event to address mental health and resilience in the student population at Pace. STOP + SHIFT: The Mindset that Changes Everything will feature a keynote presentation from growth mindset coach, author, and motivational speaker Karen Allen, who will share her journey from overwhelming grief after a tragic loss to joy and resilience, due to an important shift of thinking.

“Undergraduate and graduate students across the country have been increasingly challenged pre- and intra-pandemic with stress, anxiety, and a host of mental health conditions,” said CHP’s Chief Wellness Officer and Dean Emerita Harriet Feldman. “We chose to focus on resilience as this is a critical aspect of wellness–being able to bounce back from adversity is key to moving forward in a positive direction. ‘Stop and Shift’ is a technique to get you there!”

Student Resilience: STOP + SHIFT
Wednesday, February 9
12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.