This fall, Dyson students took their coursework beyond the classroom walls, tackling real-world issues and presenting to global policymakers.

In Professor of Political Science Matthew Bolton’s, PhD, class, delivering a statement to the United Nations is considered coursework.

For the past several years, Pace University’s International Disarmament Institute, the Political Science Department, and the Peace and Justice Studies program have collaborated to craft a joint statement on youth engagement and disarmament education to deliver to the UN’s First Committee during the General Assembly session.

This fall, students in Bolton’s political science class, titled “The Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control,” analyzed past statements, General Assembly resolutions, and policy briefing papers to help create this year’s statement, which was delivered on Friday, October 8. Because non-governmental agencies are generally allotted only a short window of time during the session, the statement’s purpose is to represent the position of many groups advocating for youth issues and disarmament education, which focuses on the reduction, control, and elimination of weapons to prevent armed conflict.

Taylor Mangus ’23, Political Science, and Jeremiah Williams ’23, Political Science and Communications, led the effort in collecting research and information from their classmates and reaching out to activists and organizations who are focusing on these issues, nationally and internationally.

“We had to work on getting all of those actors their requested piece of material in the written statement and then extrapolate all of that out and see what we’re going to say,” said Williams. “How are we going to make it impactful? How are we going to make our voices heard?”

The draft that Mangus and Williams crafted was distributed to their classmates and the organizations involved for input and then refined by Mangus, Williams, and Bolton. The final statement centered around the impact of nuclear violence on today’s youth around the globe, underlining the notion that the diversity and intersectionality of young people’s experiences and identities affect the narrative. It urged the First Committee to support and fund disarmament education, as well as to pass this year’s “Youth, disarmament and non-proliferation” resolution, including linkages to other issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

“One of the biggest challenges I faced when writing the statement was to represent the experiences of people who I had not encountered the same life experiences as,” said Mangus. “It was a very eye-opening experience to touch on the importance of people who are often forgotten in the discussion around disarmament.”

Once finalized, the statement was then signed by 34 global civil society organizations, including two Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.

My hope is that the experience can show students that there are opportunities to influence the world around them and help them learn tools in advocacy and diplomacy.

—Professor Matthew Bolton, PhD

In participating in this experience, Pace students like Mangus, Williams, and their classmates are presented the unique opportunity to bring their coursework to life in engaging and tangible ways, using classroom concepts to tackle crucial current issues and affect real change.

“My hope is that the experience can show students that there are opportunities to influence the world around them and help them learn tools in advocacy and diplomacy,” said Bolton. “It can give students insight into how the institutions they are learning about in class actually function.”

In addition to the longer, written statement, Mangus and Williams worked to create the shorter, punchier version that was delivered via Zoom to the First Committee. Williams, selected by his classmates and the Peace and Justice Studies program to present the statement, then put on the finishing touches, using his public speaking background as the president of Pace Debates, the University’s student debate team, to finesse the language and delivery.

“After it was done, I took a deep breath, and I was like, ‘I did it. It’s over. The statement has been delivered. This is now part of history, it’s in the record. Your footprint has been made,’” said Williams, who delivered his speech in a blue suit and yellow tie to represent Pace’s colors. He also mentioned that, immediately upon the conclusion of the statement, Professor Bolton was receiving praise on social media from the organizations that had contributed, applauding how well the statement and Williams’s delivery represented their position.

“This statement is not only a fantastic experience for Pace students, but it is really important for the United Nations to hear the voices of youth and to take them seriously as experts who have very real stakes in the work of the UN,” said Emily Welty, PhD, professor of women’s and gender studies and director of the peace and justice studies program. “What I found so compelling about Jeremiah and Taylor’s statement was that it demonstrated that the work of First Committee cannot be left to diplomats alone but involves all of us.”

After delivering this statement to the UN, Williams and Mangus also addressed First Committee diplomats and civil society advocates at an event on youth inclusion at New York’s Yale Club, an event that also included international ambassadors and UN representatives as fellow speakers.

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Then, in early November, thanks in large part to work from advocates like Williams and Mangus, the First Committee unanimously adopted its biennial “Youth, disarmament, and non-proliferation” resolution. The new version extends beyond the 2019 version, notably including a request that the UN Secretary General “seek the views” of member states, the UN, international organizations, and civil society on youth engagement activities surrounding disarmament and submit a report to the General Assembly in 2023.

Throughout this experience, Williams and Mangus both expressed gratitude for the opportunity to take their coursework beyond the walls of a Pace classroom and (virtually) into the chambers of one of the world’s most powerful organizations.

“I personally feel more inspired than I ever have,” said Williams. “I’ve found being in the Political Science Department at Pace really rewarding because a lot of the professors are working with the United Nations or are doing independent work or research that I can see and can be a part of.”

After a long hiatus, and with precautions still in place, live performances have returned to New York – and Pace Performing Arts students and alumni involved in ground-breaking on-campus productions and “spectacular” off-campus shows are rejoicing.

With theater doors shut for more than a year, the performing arts industry took a major hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many artists not only out of work, but unable to do what they love most. In recent months, while enforcing COVID precautions, theaters have reilluminated New York City as performers have returned to the stage.

This fall, the Pace School of Performing Arts (PPA) put on a hybrid production of Fugitive Songs, where performers were on stage in person while audiences watched through a live stream. And beginning in November, the Radio City Rockettes, an ensemble that features 14 Pace students and alumni, will dance back into the spotlight at the famed Radio City Music Hall for the return of the Christmas Spectacular, a New York City holiday tradition. Hear from nine current students who were members of the cast and crew of Fugitive Songs and two Rockettes – one current student and one alumna – on the excitement of getting back on stage.

Pace Cast of Fugitive Songs Featured at the Tony Awards

On Sunday, September 26, the Pace School of Performing Arts’s cast of Fugitive Songs was featured on the big screen at the Tony Awards, appearing in a “Broadway is Back” video, welcoming live theater back to the stage. Adjunct Professor Rebecca Aparicio, director of the Pace production of “Fugitive Songs,” received an invitation to have the cast participate in the video – which was shown to everyone in attendance that night at the Winter Garden – and jumped at the opportunity.

Members of the cast and crew reflected on the experience and on their return to live theater for the week-long run of Fugitive Songs in October, citing their joy to once again be surrounded by their fellow performers.

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RETURN OF THE ROCKETTES

JoJo Carmichael ’22
Commercial Dance

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What are you most excited about in your first season with the Rockettes?

I’m most excited to simply be a part of the biggest and most exciting production ever of the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes as we are performing more numbers in the show this year than ever before. I’m also so excited for my family to come and see the show as it will be their first time ever seeing the Christmas Spectacular.

How do you think your time at Pace has prepared you for this opportunity?

The Pace commercial dance program is very demanding physically and mentally in the best way possible and has always pushed me to be my best. And that is exactly what being a Rockette is. You are constantly aiming to be your best self every rehearsal and every show.

What does it mean to you to get to perform in front of live audiences again?

Being able to perform in front of a live audience again is incredible, and I am so grateful to have this opportunity to be a part of such a special legacy in New York City. The Christmas Spectacular is such an important part of the holidays in New York City, and being able to share this experience with so many families is truly a gift.

Pace has a tradition of having many dancers perform with the Rockettes. What is it like to have that connection with so many others in the group this year, especially as a first-year member?

It was great going into this job with some of my Pace family. It’s always exciting being able to create new memories with people you already feel connected to. It also gave me a sense of familiarity in new territory, which is always nice to have.

Sydney Mesher ’19
Commercial Dance

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What does it mean to you to get to perform in front of live audiences again?

I am elated to be performing in front of live audiences again! Live theater is not only such an important part of my life, but also so important to New York City. For the past year or so I have craved the excitement, as well as the nerves, of live theater. Being on stage, especially at the legendary Radio City Music Hall, fills my soul in such a unique way. I am so grateful to be able to feel that again.

How have you grown since your first season as a Rockette?

I have grown so much since my first season as a Rockette (in 2019; no performances were held in 2020). To start, I have a lot more confidence going into my second season because I know what to expect a bit. Knowing how much time I need in the dressing room to get ready and understanding the behind-the-scenes of the show allows me to feel more secure this year. I also am just so thankful to be back with the Rockettes after this past year. I’m grateful for any opportunity, as long as I just get the option to do what I love.

What are you most excited for this season?

This season I am most excited to perform the number “Snow.” It was first in the show a number of years ago, and we’re bringing it back this year. After seeing all our individualized costumes, which are uniquely designed to represent unique snowflakes, I couldn’t wait to get on stage for this beautiful number.

Pace has a tradition of having many dancers perform with the Rockettes. What is it like to have that connection with so many others in the group?

Performing with so many Pace alumni is such a gift. It is so special to have a unique bond within the Rockettes line. I truly believe that Pace was a key part in our training to get us all here. There is a lot of Pace pride!

Pace allowed me the space and grace to form my own distinct value system, while expanding my knowledge of scholarly political theories and feminist texts to prepare me for my career.

Currently, you are director of an institutional support contract under the Inclusive Development (ID) Hub of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which administers civilian foreign aid and development assistance.

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Tell us about your role and what you hope to achieve through it.

The ID Hub promotes a nondiscriminatory and integrated development approach that ensures that all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and disabilities can fully participate in and benefit from development processes. As the director, I recruit and lead a team of development experts and practitioners that support USAID to analyze inclusive development issues in their country or sector and provide technical assistance and oversight of activities related to all ID Hub technical areas. These staffing positions are particularly important as we work to combat stigma and discrimination, promote empowerment and inclusion of marginalized or underrepresented groups, and improve the lives of populations in high-risk situations.

Previously, you held many positions at the United Nations, specifically working with women and gender discrimination. Tell us about this work, as well.

My first position was as a governance, peace, and security graduate intern with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), now UNWOMEN. My role was to support the agency’s efforts in providing timely and accurate information to inform policy and guide the expanding normative framework around peace and security. I was responsible for managing data for West Africa and Haiti and created and maintained news briefs and country profiles regarding women in armed conflicts from Haiti, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, and Western Sahara.

My next position was as a consultant for an exciting project, Global Youth Partners (GYP) with the United Nations Population Fund. I was part of a dynamic team that monitored and evaluated the GYP project in Egypt, with the goal of gaining the Ministry of Education’s commitment to establishing Anti-AIDS Clubs in three secondary schools in Mansoura. Using training from my Women’s and Gender Studies minor, I conducted a gender assessment, exploring components of the youth-adult partnerships.

A Pace graduate with BA in Political Science and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, how did you become interested in your work and how did Pace prepare you for your professional life?

My interest in women, peace, and security started with a course I took with Professor Aseel Sawala. We were exploring the Algerian war, and the discussion challenged me to look beyond the revolution and fight for liberation, to the ultimate cost of armed conflicts on women and children. This course ultimately led me to do my most recent work advancing women’s leadership in places troubled by conflict and violence, like Afghanistan and Haiti. I also decided to minor in Women’s and Gender Studies.

Pace allowed me the space and grace to form my own distinct value system while expanding my knowledge of scholarly political theories and feminist texts to prepare me for my career.

How did you get started in your career?

I started through internships, and my first was through the Pace Career Services program. They were able to match me with a small, international non-governmental organization, Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI). While the name was super funny at the time, they had this concept that when Humpty Dumpty fell and broke, all the king’s men would help build Humpty Dumpty back together again. With the same idea in mind, HDI engages critical stakeholders through its programs with the US Congress and the United Nations, including organizing visits of Congressional delegations overseas and to the UN, and through its engagement with business and cultural leaders worldwide. This opportunity through Pace allowed me to experience what a career in international development could be, while meeting regular people who were part of that world.

What attracted you to Pace?

As a New Yorker, I wanted to stay in this vibrant and diverse city, but I did not want to feel lost in a big university with no sense of community. I was in search of a small, intimate liberal arts college that allowed students a chance to get to know their professors, while being exposed to the best museums, galleries, libraries, and access to the world’s leading international non-governmental organizations.

How did you become interested in political science as a major?

Growing up in a predominately immigrant neighborhood in Flatbush, Brooklyn, I understood early on how politics, policies, and laws shape our lives well beyond our borders. In fact, because of this diversity, I became interested in how migration was connected to failed economic policies, conflicts, and other political issues. I am also a first-generation college student, and my parents stressed the value of education and encouraged me to pursue my career.

What life challenges have you overcome?

In 2019, I took on the role of director of USAID’s Promote Women’s Leadership Development program to build the confidence of Afghanistan’s most talented young women to encourage them to participate fully in society and become future leaders in the public and private sectors. While there, our offices and residences were attacked and bombed by the Taliban. For nearly 17 hours, as I hid in a bunker with only the sounds of explosives, gunfire, and the occasional silence, I had no idea if we would survive. So many lives were lost from that senseless act of violence in that camp. My thoughts in that bunker often returned to the girls who brought me here and why this work was so important.

What advice, if any, do you have for our current students?

It may sound cliche, but find what you love. The things that ignite the fire in you are what make you come alive. And, with that passion comes so much drive, dedication, and grit. Your vision may not be apparent to others at first. It is okay; the love you have for what you do will sustain you during the difficult time, so focus on building your network of trusted confidants who can support your vision.

You have such as beautiful and unique name. Is there a story behind it that you can share?

As a child, I yearned for a more common, feminine name. After all, what child doesn’t want to fit in? I remember asking my dad in the third grade why he skipped over Melissa or Sandra in naming me. He went on and on about the sun being our life force on earth. He then talked about the transformational power of love. Love has the ability to change the world, from small acts of kindness to targeted policies to balance out the inequities. My name was the result of both of these concepts.

By Rhonda Maneval, EdD, RN
Pace University
November 17, 2021

Thank you Chairman Gottfried, Chairwoman Glick, Chairwoman Joyner, and committee members for this opportunity to speak with you about the critical nursing and nursing faculty shortages that have been exacerbated by COVID-19, its impact on quality patient care, and opportunities to help alleviate the problem. My name is Rhonda Maneval and I am a professor of nursing and serve as the Vice Dean for the College of Health Professions and the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University. My career as a nurse spans over 35 years and includes working in acute care hospitals, teaching nursing students, and leading nursing programs. Our goal at Pace is to be at the forefront of creating opportunity for our highly diverse student body. With campuses in Lower Manhattan and Westchester, we are leaders in healthcare education, practice, and scholarship offering degrees in Nursing, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, Speech/Language Pathology, Health Science, and Nutrition.

I. Introduction

According to the NYSDOH by 2030 there is a projected shortage of more than 39,000 registered nurses (RN) in New York. This report was released in August 2020, prior to the pandemic; we know that the pandemic has accelerated the exit of nurses near retirement age, and many have left or are planning on leaving the bedside or changed careers as a result of stress and burnout. On September 1, 2021 the American Nurses' Association called for the Department of Health and Human Services to declare a national nurse staffing crisis. Nurses provide 90% of all care to patients in hospitals. Images from the pandemic brought the work of nurses into the spotlight – nurses were rightly deemed heroes – and in fact, they and other healthcare providers worked at great risk to their own health and that of their families. At Pace, at the height of the pandemic, a Family Nurse Practitioner who served as a preceptor for our students for many years died in an ICU bed on a ventilator after contracting COVID-19; she was 59 years old. Members of our nursing faculty became ill with COVID-19; and two are now “long haulers” – continuing to experience severe after effects of the disease on their health. Three of our most seasoned faculty decided to retire earlier than originally planned due to the pandemic – leaving an “experience gap” that impacts the school and our students.

II. Supporting Nursing Students and Faculty

Over the past few months, I have met with numerous chief nursing officers from NYC and Westchester County healthcare agencies, all of whom voiced deep concern about current and pending severe staffing shortages. These meetings focused on ways our school could provide more practice-ready graduates.

The good news is that, despite the pandemic, or because of it, people want to become nurses. We have worked diligently to increase enrollments in our pre-licensure RN and graduate nursing programs to attempt to keep up with student and employer demand. However we, like many other schools of nursing in NYS and nationally, are limited by our ability to expand further due to a lack of classroom and laboratory space, lack of clinical placements, and lack of qualified faculty. We cannot accept more students, no matter how qualified, if we cannot deliver on our promise of a high quality education. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported that over 80,000 qualified applicants were turned away by member schools. I believe, Schools of Nursing need long-term investments if we are to expand enrollments to meet NYS nursing workforce demands. This includes expanding options for clinical placements, loan forgiveness for nursing graduates who want to teach, infrastructure support to expand facilities, and tax incentives for preceptors and for nurses with graduate degrees and retired nurses to become nursing faculty. Today I want to focus on two strategies—expanding the use of simulation and incentivizing healthcare professionals to serve as preceptors and to become faculty.

III. Value of Simulation Highlighted During Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many nursing schools and health professions’ programs to cancel direct care clinical experiences and students moved to virtual learning. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, NYSED permitted clinical programs to pivot to remote learning. This was critical to keeping programs open. Classes quickly adjusted from in-person to remote learning formats. Faculty faced steep learning curves and had concerns regarding the effectiveness and sufficiency of remote learning to prepare students for clinical practice. What we learned early on, was that high quality virtual reality simulation and telehealth visits were very effective alternatives. Later, when clinical sites were still not open to students, but our laboratories reopened – intensive simulation experiences proved highly effective and allowed faculty to objectively measure student competency prior to graduation.

What we learned during this time has the potential to help us create new strategies to address a major roadblock to increasing enrollment in nursing programs – a lack of clinical placement opportunities. I want to be clear – direct patient care experiences are essential to educating the nursing workforce – but simulation can help us in ways that actually improve overall clinical education. Often students are not permitted to do even basic procedures on patients – giving IV medications, documenting in the medical record, drawing blood, or the opportunity to make clinical decisions. By placing students in simulated patient care situations, students can perform the entire range of nursing activities under the direction of faculty. The simulations build confidence in our students while they are being evaluated on competency.

We urge NYSED to permit Schools of Nursing to allow simulation hours to count towards required program clinical hours, as laid out in S.6717 / A.7767. This would expand clinical experience capacity while providing meaningful learning experiences, without sacrificing quality. It would also help ease the bottleneck created by a lack of clinical spots, especially for nursing students.

IV. Increasing the numbers of Preceptors and Faculty

In addition to expanding the use of simulations, we must work on other fronts to address the need for more preceptors and faculty to increase the pipeline of nurses and other health care professionals.

Pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing programs, nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs all rely on preceptors to provide hands-on patient care experiences for students. Our ability to educate more providers is hampered due to a decline in professionals willing to precept students. Though some schools have resorted to paying providers to take students, this unnecessarily drives up the cost of programs, and that cost is passed onto students. Prohibitive costs dissuade prospective students and further exacerbates the shortage of providers. The Clinical Preceptor Tax Credit Act, as laid out in S4229 / A285, will incentivize experienced providers to precept health professions’ students, allowing for expansion of enrollment in these programs.

We also need strategies to address the shortage of faculty. Without more faculty we cannot effectively produce enough graduates. Loan forgiveness programs for nurses who want to teach, scholarships for nurses to return for graduate education, and tax incentives for nurses and retired nurses to join nursing school faculty are all possible strategies.

In closing, I am immensely proud of our faculty, students, and graduates who have persevered through this unprecedented and difficult time. We now have an opportunity to take what we have learned and create a new strategy moving forward to ensure a healthy pipeline of healthcare providers for NYS. The goal is universal – healthy communities for a healthy NY.

Thank you again for the opportunity to speak with you today and I will be happy to answer any questions.

Professor Erika George delivered the Annual Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law on Monday, November 15, on "Incorporating Human Rights: Corporate Responsibility, Equity, and Just Environments." The Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law was established in 1995 in memory of Lloyd K. Garrison, a pioneer in the field. Professor Erika George is the Samuel D. Thurman Professor of Law at S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah.

Smita Narula, Haub Distinguished Professor of International Law, a fellow colleague and long-time friend since law school, had the pleasure of introducing Professor George, a respected scholar and an expert on international law and human rights. Having attended many of her lectures, Professor Narula commented that Professor George “consistently elevates the caliber of the conversation and seamlessly weaves and uplifts the contributions of others into her dialog. She is a dedicated teacher and a thoughtful and generous scholar. She is celebrated by her students and deeply committed to teaching as a craft. We are honored to have had her deliver our Annual Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law.”

Professor George’s lecture focused on the necessity and obligation to incorporate human rights into corporate responsibility. “There are no rights recognized that are not impacted by the business practices and policies of global capital,” she said.

“There are no rights recognized that are not impacted by the business practices and policies of global capital.”

She noted that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without private sector participation and that the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights call on business enterprises to respect human rights by addressing adverse environmental and human rights impacts related to business operations. Shareholder activism and actions by institutional investors has been successful in progressing environmental and human rights initiatives. For example, “Exxon experienced a shock when they lost two board seats to an upstart hedge fund, Engine No. 1. In years previous, they lost a proposal to the New York State Pension Fund requiring reporting on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.”

Professor George projects that we are poised for a significant shift in thinking following the effects of the pandemic. “The devastation of COVID-19 really surfaced for industries their vulnerabilities. Essential workers were the most vulnerable and were being treated as expendable, making it difficult for their operations to continue business as usual,” she said. “Where there are intersecting interests between investors and the stakeholders, there is possibility to influence change in positive ways.”

Professor George also noted that, “When natural resources are managed responsibly the resulting economic development can help to eradicate poverty and promote prosperity; but, when resources are managed poorly—without incorporating respect for human rights—industry sector practices can generate or exacerbate environmental degradation, corruption, and conflict. Human rights and environmental challenges are connected. Investors and advocates can and should leverage corporate and securities laws to promote climate action and accountability for human rights abuses.”

“Haub Law is committed to encouraging and promoting sustainable business opportunities and recognizes the interconnection between human rights and the environmental crisis that we are facing today. Professor George’s lecture reaffirmed that opportunities for training, policy, and research addressing global environmental challenges through corporate sustainability efforts are key to promoting climate action,” said Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law and Executive Director of Environmental Law Programs Jason Czarnezki.

Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, said “Professor George’s lecture honed in on the urgent need for action regarding change and the vital role that the corporate community should play in moving us forward in addressing the climate crisis. We are honored to have had her deliver our annual Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law and bring awareness to this important topic.”

More than 200 participants joined the event virtually, including environmental scholars and law students from across the globe, and eagerly submitted questions for a Q&A session following the lecture. Several questions focused on the mandatory human rights/environmental due diligence directive emerging in the European Union. In addition, law students shared concerns about how to build a business case for human and environmental rights when institutional investors act solely on value, not values.

Professor George pointed out that an intergenerational wealth transfer is coming and this, combined with greater accountability, will pave the way for change. “Investors vote value, but value shifts with what our values are,” she said, pointing to elevated costs and reputational implications for human rights violations facing corporations today. “[New generations] can make demands and you can make a difference. You are not powerless.”

Professor Erika George is the Director of the Tanner Humanities Center and the Samuel D. Thurman Professor of Law at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. George earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Chicago and a JD from Harvard Law School, where she served as articles editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. She also holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining the S.J. Quinney College of Law, George served as a law clerk for Judge William T. Hart on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, as a litigation associate for the law firms of Jenner & Block in Chicago and Coudert Brothers LLP in New York City, and as a fellow and later consultant to Human Rights Watch. Her research focuses on human rights and international law and her book Incorporating Rights, recently published by Oxford University Press, examines strategies to advance corporate accountability.

Watch the 2021 Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture

Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture History

Over forty-five years ago, Lloyd K. Garrison and his associate, Albert K. Butzel, of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, won the landmark decision to preserve Storm King Mountain on the Hudson River. This victory for the Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference did more than safeguard "an area of unique beauty and major historical importance" - it inaugurated what today we recognize as the field of environmental law.

Standing in court to protect nature, citizen suit legislation, the environmental impact statement process, and the balancing of economics with the preservation of scenic beauty and historic resources: these are all rooted in Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference v. Federal Power Commission, 354 F.2d 608 (2d Cir. 1965). The Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture celebrates the vision, public spirit and life of this attorney whose legal acumen led citizens in their successful advocacy of environmental quality at Storm King.

Lloyd K. Garrison passed away in 1991. For all his 93 years, Garrison devoted his brilliance and indefatigable energy to building a humane and caring society, respectful of the Rule of Law. Consistent with this dedication, Lloyd K. Garrison took up the citizens’ call to represent the Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference in its struggle to protect the Hudson River Gorge at Storm King Mountain. With characteristic enthusiasm he championed public participation rights for the community’s environmental interest, just as he did for civil rights and liberties. The Scenic Hudson victory is a living testament to Garrison's ever hopeful spirit.

The Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law was established in his memory in 1995, four years after his death, and continues in his honor.