Dyson Communication and Media Studies Professor Adam Klein pens a widely circulated op-ed in The Conversation examining how today’s cultural icons, including global superstar Bad Bunny, have become vehicles for political expression and catalysts in broader ideological battles. He argues that the convergence of entertainment and political identity has turned artists into frontline actors in America’s intensifying culture wars.
In Newsday, Dyson Political Science Professor Laura Tamman questions whether Mayor Eric Adams can be trusted to do the right thing as his term winds down amid persistent allegations of corruption and self-dealing. She also joined NY1’s Inside City Hall with Errol Louis to analyze Mamdani’s early City Hall appointments and what they signal about his transition priorities.
In amNewYork, Pace Haub Law Professor Bennett Gershman pens a powerful op-ed examining how President Donald Trump’s towering monuments, incendiary rhetoric, and erosion of democratic norms signal a deeper moral and structural deterioration within American civic life. Professor Gershman writes that this sweeping “uglification” is reshaping the nation’s public landscape and unsettling the democratic foundations that once held firm.
Dyson Economics Professor Veronika Dolar speaks to PIX11 News about the escalating financial crisis facing seniors, noting that nearly half of Americans nearing retirement have no savings at all. She explains that soaring health-care and long-term-care costs are forcing older adults into untenable choices—especially those with chronic medical conditions—and warns that without meaningful policy action, the nation faces a severe retirement security crisis.
Pace Haub Law Professor Emeritus Michael Mushlin was featured in THE CITY regarding a landmark proposal that would require New York judges who make sentencing or detention decisions to conduct meaningful annual visits to prisons and jails across the state. As chair of the subcommittee that developed the proposal, Professor Mushlin has helped lead the effort to ensure that judges better understand the realities of incarceration and the consequences of their decisions from the bench. If adopted, the rule would make New York the first state in the nation to mandate such visits.
Dyson Communication and Media Studies Professor Seong Jae Min writes a piece in The Korea Times about the political implications of Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s victory, examining how shifting ideological currents—particularly among younger voters—signal deeper changes in New York City’s political alignment.
In Newsweek, Dyson Media & Communication Professor Heather Hayes explains why so-called “terrible” television shows—like the polarizing new Kim Kardashian drama—often become viral hits. Hayes attributes the phenomenon to “hate-watching,” in which viewers tune in less for enjoyment and more to mock the content, ultimately boosting visibility and streaming success.
College of Health Professions Professor Christen Cooper speaks to Today’s Dietitian, examining the overlooked intersection of human trafficking and nutrition. Cooper highlights how trafficking survivors often face extreme malnutrition, dehydration, and trauma-related health conditions — and calls for enhanced training to prepare registered dietitians to respond with informed, compassionate care.
Each year, more than 3.5 million lives are lost to chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), a staggering toll for a global health crisis that remains largely in the shadows. The Pace Center for Global Health, based in New York, is on a mission to change that.
Each year, more than 3.5 million lives are lost to chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), a staggering toll for a global health crisis that remains largely in the shadows. The Pace Center for Global Health, based in New York, is on a mission to change that.
Led by the founder of the Pace Center for Global Health—José Luis Castro—who serves as the WHO Director-General’s Special Envoy for CRDs, the Center is taking its global advocacy to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From November 12–14, 2025, the Center will convene a pivotal international media workshop on CRDs, a key part of its strategy to bring these underreported conditions out of the shadows.
This convening is not the first of its kind. It builds on the resounding success of the Center’s inaugural workshop held in Mexico City earlier this year, which set a powerful precedent for training journalists to amplify media coverage and drive public awareness of CRDs worldwide.
Pace leadership will be at the heart of the event. José Luis Castro, a distinguished Pace alumnus, founding director of the Center for Global Health, and a visiting scholar at the university, will be joined by Dr. Sonia Suchday, the Center’s Director of Operations.
Dr. Suchday, who also serves as Pace University’s Director of Research and Graduate Education, is a core part of the Center's "scientist-practitioner" model. Her expertise in biopsychosocial well-being and global health is central to the Center's mission to drive tangible change.
The Malaysia workshop will gather journalists from across Southeast Asia, culminating in a high-level press conference on November 12 to mark World COPD Day 2025.
The event underscores the Center’s power to convene top-tier global leaders. The press conference panel will feature:
Moderator: Michael Kessler, Media Consultant
The workshop was attended by various international, national and local media personnel. This is more than a press conference; it is a critical step in reshaping the global narrative. By engaging media, mobilizing policymakers, and championing community voices, the Pace Center for Global Health is fulfilling its mission to transform the future of respiratory care and prove, once again, that “Go Getters Go to Pace”.
For more details, please visit the Pace Center for Global Health website and LinkedIn, where updates will be shared soon.
What does it take to bring a classic to life? From first table read to final curtain call, follow along with the cast and crew of Chekhov’s The Seagull as they navigate an accelerated rehearsal process, build a world from scratch, and discover what it means to perform like professionals.
Photography by Jonathan Morrey and Socialite Images.
With only eight shows on the calendar and a one-month build, Pace University’s fall production of The Seagull unfolded like a crash course in making theater fast—and making it together.
For Grant Kretchik, Sands College of Performing Arts professor and chair of the BFA Acting and BFA Acting for Film and Media programs, the production was a masterclass in speed, collaboration, and storytelling. “It’s a little bit of an exception, because it was our first production up this year,” he explained. “So, the production process was exceptionally rapid.”
The show was cast in May and production meetings began July. Knowing their rehearsal was short, the cast worked on table reads over Zoom until the semester began and rehearsals could begin in earnest. The challenge? To stage one of the greatest classic plays in a short matter of weeks. “The cast officially began rehearsals on September 2 and closed the show on October 5,” said Kretchik. “We rehearsed, did a designer run, tech, opened, and closed the show in a month and three days.”
“This production truly taught me so much about being a working performer—the quick schedule, the expectations in the room, the prep work." —Huffman
To put it in perspective, when legendary director Konstantin Stanislavski staged The Seagull in 1898, he had eight months to put it onstage.
Since then, The Seagull has become a rite of passage for many of the world’s most acclaimed actors. Dame Judi Dench, Meryl Streep, and Indira Varma have all taken the stage as Irina Arkadina, while Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Goodman, Christopher Walken, and Peter Sarsgaard brought depth and nuance to Chekhov’s tortured men. Each new production reaffirms the play’s enduring power—and the challenge it poses to every performer who takes it on, with Sands students being no exception.
At Pace, the compressed timeline demanded a level of professionalism rarely expected of undergraduate performers. “This production truly taught me so much about being a working performer—the quick schedule, the expectations in the room, the prep work,” said Emma Huffman ’26, who played Irina. “All of it taught us a lot about this final bridge into the working world.”
Annabelle Delaluna ’26, who portrayed Masha, agreed, adding that the rigor is what sets Sands’ training apart. “One of the major things I applaud Pace for is the pre-professional environment it fosters. The rigorous working environment…replicates a professional contract,” she said. “This quick-paced schedule creates an opportunity to truly be on top of the work that is required of you.”
The ensemble’s commitment to the process was evident in every rehearsal. “I felt a different sense of urgency and efficiency in the room,” said Max Harrison ’26, who played Constantine. “I could clearly tell from day one that Grant had a great deal of care for this production and knew what he wanted. This allowed for a nurturing environment where we were free to play while still staying true to the text.”
That spirit of care and collaboration while honoring the text helped Huffman unlock one of her most challenging scenes. “One day, we approached the scene in a completely new way, played around with music, movement, and voice,” she said. “The scene finally cracked open for me. It turned from something I could talk about around the table to something I could live in, and it really became my favorite scene.”
Harrison echoed the sentiment that this production helped him reach new levels as an actor. “I had never worked on a production where I was asked to feel so deeply in every performance,” he said. “It was demanding but rewarding. I discovered things about my process. And I furthered my ability to perform under pressure.”
But a production isn’t just performance. A key element to bring that truth to the stage is the production elements that are often built as the play takes shape. The cast breathes life into the text, and the designers create costumes, building sets, designing lights, and curating props that breathe life into the world of the play.
“I had never worked on a production where I was asked to feel so deeply in every performance. It was demanding but rewarding. I discovered things about my process. And I furthered my ability to perform under pressure.” —Harrison
And for the cast, tech week is when they felt their characters fully enter that world. “When we reached tech week, after what felt like the quickest three weeks of my life, I felt the show come to life,” Delaluna recalled. “Putting on our costumes was the day we truly began to sink into our world of The Seagull. Adding the technical elements is just as important as all other elements when bringing a play to life.”
Another key element to any production is collaboration. “Everything you do is a group project,” Kretchik said. “There’s an accountability—not just to yourself—a true accountability to showing up for somebody else and delivering and being prepared and being authentic.” According to him, these productions are more than another line on an acting resume. They’re chances to build the skills that shape strong working artists and well-rounded people: language and storytelling, collaboration and accountability, and the empathy and critical thinking that carry into every part of life.
When the curtain came down on closing night, the production was a success, and the audience was thrilled. The performers had only one regret.
“I just wish there were more shows,” said Harrison.
Meet the actors, dancers, and designers redefining what it means to be a working artist in New York. From Broadway bows to lighting up Spike Lee films, at Pace’s Sands College, the line between student and professional blurs, and the city itself becomes the classroom, stage, and screen.
The future of the arts at Pace is under construction. Inside One Pace Plaza East, Sands College of Performing Arts students and faculty are preparing to create, collaborate, and perform in spaces built for bold ideas and bright lights.
At Pace University, we don’t just train dancers—we train Rockettes. More Rockettes than anywhere else. As the Radio City Rockettes celebrate 100 years of precision and performance, we’re celebrating the nineteen Rockettes and fifteen ensemble dancers who got their start right here at the Sands College of Performing Arts. Their journey from Pace studios to the Radio City stage is pure magic.