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Executive Director of the PWJC, Cindy Kanusher Esq., and the Pace Women’s Justice Center each received Denison Ray Civil Awards from the NYSBA. Cindy received the Legal Services Program Director Award and PWJC received the Nonprofit Organization Award. PWJC is the first Hudson Valley nonprofit organization to receive this award.

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“All of the photos in the exhibit are completely unedited,” says Christian Solar ’23. “I really want to make that clear, because when you see them, they look crazy.”

The images, which are part of Christian’s Digital Distorted exhibit at the Pace University Art Gallery, were captured on a semi-vintage (circa 2008) Kodak EasyShare camera that had originally belonged to his mother.

“It feels like such a stroke of luck,” Christian says about his exhibit. He had been working on some images and shared them with Gallery Director Sarah Cunningham who saw an opportunity to develop his work into a cohesive exhibit. He went after the opportunity in full-force.

“You look at the photo and video quality and you can pinpoint that this looks like early-2000s footage and it puts you back into that headspace,” he explains. “Even if I’m shooting really recent things, it still gives that feeling.”

“This camera is actually broken—certified broken,” he laughs. “I started using it because it gave me these surprise organic results. You never know what you’re actually going to end up with; I can’t predict it and it’s almost like a filter.”

Even though Christian’s cameras aren’t even 20 years old, in the world of digital media, they are vintage. There’s a distortion and fuzziness and a certain look that the cameras of 2021 just aren’t able to give. Plus, just take a look at Instagram and TikTok, with faux light-leaks and pixelated filters abound. There’s an ineffable quality to the recent past and Christian is capturing it, one photo and video at a time.

“You look at the photo and video quality and you can pinpoint that this looks like early-2000s footage and it puts you back into that headspace,” he explains. “Even if I’m shooting really recent things, it still gives that feeling.”

The exhibit is purely aesthetics, and for Christian, that was the point.

“I was looking to make things that were visually engaging,” he says. “There isn’t necessarily a deeper meaning behind it. With the video, sure, I’m working in visual symbology, but this exhibit is really all about looking pretty.”

Christian’s work is on exhibit now through October 30, 2021, at the Pace University Art Gallery at 41 Park Row. On Friday, October 22, join Christian and other gallery artists for a special reception from 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Haub Law Professor Cristina Buccola writes about what employers need to know about the cannabis law.

Let’s jump right in–how did you spend this past summer, as a rising 3L?

I was a summer intern at Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP. It was a great experience. I had the opportunity to complete assignments in many different aspects of insurance defense. On one day, I was preparing summaries of depositions and medical records. On another day, I was observing depositions, conferences, and was even asked to give feedback on case-strategy. I was also able to draft discovery demands, responses, and motions.

What do you feel you gained from your summer experience?

I definitely gained more practical legal experience, which was my goal for my 2L summer. I began the internship with little knowledge on insurance law and have left with a lot of valuable experience. I saw concepts such as negligence, service of process, and summary judgment at work, and analyzed them in current cases.I also sharpened my legal writing skills.

What activities are you involved in at Haub Law?

I am an Articles Editor on the Pace Law Review, where I lead a group of Junior Associates weekly. My law review note surrounding the Eighth Amendment and ICE detainees in the COVID-19 crisis will be published in the upcoming volume. Also, I am the Public Relations Chair for the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and will be competing with the BLSA Mock Trial team. Along with those positions, I am a 3L Rep for the Women’s Association of Law Students.

Do you have a specific area of law you are focusing on or know what you hope to do upon graduation?

I am still undecided, but I plan to graduate with the Corporate Law Path to Practice. I have developed a strong interest in litigation, so I hope to do some type of litigation upon graduation, whether it is commercial litigation or in the public interest sphere.

What would you say about your Haub Law experience?

It has been great. I have been able to participate in moot court competitions, the Federal Judicial Honors Program, law review, and a few societies. The small class sizes are a plus in terms of grasping course content and having your professors know you by name. Also, the ability to participate in various externships and programs has helped me to see explore various areas of the law, while still figuring out what I would like to do upon graduation. The non-competitive atmosphere has allowed me to thrive academically and socially, as everyone wants to see you do great.

New York City and Westchester have come back to vibrant life.

Sidewalks are busy, people are out, Broadway and other performances have restarted. We’re all still careful, and we’re all observing health and safety protocols, but in our highly vaccinated region, and on our vaccine-required campuses, things are feeling much more normal.

“New York Forever,” say the banners hanging all around the city. To which we can only respond: Pace Forever.

This year, we enrolled the biggest class of new undergraduates in at least 20 years (and possibly ever). We also enrolled more new graduate students than we have in years (and also possibly ever). And at Haub Law we enrolled more students than we have in 15 years. Our residence halls are full. Our campuses are bustling. It’s exciting to once again have to wait for busy elevators in One Pace Plaza!

We’re marching ahead with our transformation of the New York City Campus, with three floors of brand-new classrooms, including a new home for the Lubin School of Business, now open on the west side of One Pace Plaza. Work is underway for 15 Beekman Street, which will include a new residence hall to replace Maria’s Tower, new community spaces like a dining hall and library, and new learning spaces, including a dedicated home for the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. And we’re developing plans for an expanded new home for Pace Performing Arts.

In Pleasantville, we’re moving ahead with plans for a state-of-the-art new Healthcare Hub serving students in the College of Health Professions. We also renamed the former Wright Cottage in honor of CHP dean emerita Harriet Feldman (who is now our first-ever chief wellness officer).

And we’re starting to implement our new Strategic Plan, Pace Forward. We’re introducing new programs to meet the needs of today’s students and employers, like master’s degrees in health informatics, cybersecurity, and human-centered design and a new badge in human rights advocacy.

Finally, we’re pleased to be embarking on our new leadership partnership together, with Rob in his first semester as chair of Pace’s board of trustees and Marvin reappointed by the board this summer to another five-year term as president.

There’s a lot going on here at Pace. Together with you, we’re honored to be building this strong and successful future.

Let’s go get it,

Marvin Krislov
President

Rob Sands ’84
Chairman of the
Board of Trustees

The Office of Alumni Relations is excited to announce the brand new the brand new Pace University Alumni Association.

In November 2019 the Office of Alumni Relations conducted an all alumni survey. From that survey we learned that Pace alumni wanted to be involved in the life of the University but felt as if they had not been given the tools to do so. The Association was created to do just that, to give Pace alumni the tools to better their alumni experience and, most importantly, have a voice.

On September 23, 2021 the Pace University Alumni Association was officially launched. At the helm of the Association serving in the roles of Chair and Co-Chair are Sabrina Griffin ’92 and Kelly Herbert ’06. Both of these extraordinary women are strong leaders in the Pace alumni community. They understand the gravity of taking on these inaugural leadership roles and are committed to the mission of making the association an inclusive place where all Pace alumni can find a home.

“One of my main goals is to help build that bridge from Opportunitas as a student to Opportunitas as an alumnus. You are not alone in this. You might be the first in your family to go to college, but you have a family of college education folks who are in your network, who are here to help and support you for as long as you’re here,” says Kelly Herbert. “That’s what I hope this alumni association really communicates: you are not alone, and you are inheriting a diverse, accomplished network of people who are ready and willing to help.”

In addition, we’ve created several avenues for volunteering in meaningful ways. Whether that be through a school oriented committee, our Graduates of the Last Decade committee, or one of our affinity committees. Alumni are now given additional opportunities for meaningful engagement. Being that the Association is meant to grow and change, the committees will also follow suit. As more alumni become involved and seek additional opportunities, we will continue to build committees and diversify our volunteer options.

Now, you may be asking what’s next. Well, all alumni are automatic members of the Association. No paperwork needed to join. Pace alumni are an extraordinary community of advocates, entrepreneurs, thinkers, creatives, and more. The Association is the vehicle that allows you to connect with these community members.

Get involved now and learn more about the opportunities available to you as part of the Pace University Alumni Association.

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University has conferred the 2020–2021 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy on Ugandan climate justice advocate Vanessa Nakate and Professor Wang Xi, an environmental law scholar and advocate with Kunming University of Science and Technology in China.

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The award ceremony was presented virtually on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 to participants from across the globe and was preceded by a panel discussion led by Smita Narula, Haub Distinguished Professor of International Law, with the distinguished laureates.

This year’s award highlighted the inter-generational nature of leadership in the environmental realm by showcasing the advocacy and impactful work of both award recipients, who have uniquely served to protect the environment and advance climate justice.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to award the 2021 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy to two individuals who have worked tirelessly in different ways and in different parts of the world to defend the environment,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “As the nation’s number one ranked program in environmental law, we are committed to training students to understand the intersection between climate justice, the environment and the law. These recipients serve as inspiring role models for driving global change in our environment.”

Twenty-four year old activist and author Vanessa Nakate has drawn global attention to the impact of climate change on poverty, hunger, disease, conflict, and violence against women and girls. She is the first Ugandan national to receive the Haub Award and also the youngest recipient of the award to date. Nakate has spearheaded climate change activism in Africa, green projects and education in schools across the continent, and led a global campaign to save Congo’s rainforest, which is facing massive deforestation. Through her innovative efforts on the frontlines, her work has inspired other countries in Africa and Europe to address the climate crisis.

Nakate addressed an incident that occurred early in her journey as a climate justice advocate when she was cropped out of a photo taken by the Associated Press at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The incident received global attention and, according to Nakate, pointed to a wider issue of erasure of African voices in climate action conversations.

“It wasn’t just about a picture being removed from the conversation,” said Nakate. “It was a message being removed – a story being removed. Every activist has a story to tell, every story has a solution to give, and every solution has a life to change. We can only have climate justice if it includes everyone. But erasure of voices and stories of activists will not enable us to have climate justice. We have to include every voice and every community.”

Asked what she would like to see happen at the next global climate summit set to take place in Glasgow next month, Nakate replied, “Leaders must understand that we cannot eat coal, we cannot drink oil, and we cannot breathe so called natural gas. What I would like to see is real action that prioritizes the lives of the people and our planet.”

Professor Wang Xi attributes his passion for the environment to his childhood, stating that his parents instilled in him the value to become a “person useful for society.” He refers to his discovery of comparative literature during his studies as an “aha moment,” driving his curiosity to study environmental protection.

After China started to reform and open up in 1978, Professor Wang Xi became an academic and was instrumental in the development of Chinese environmental law, a new area of growing importance. He has since been a key influencer in a major revision to China’s framework environmental protection law, which was accepted and adopted by the Chinese National Congress in 2014.

Professor Wang Xi notes that China must take immediate next steps in furthering the advancement of environmental law nationally and internationally, as a party to numerous multilateral environmental agreements. He shared that he is now currently engaged in advocating for a new version of the law on environmental impacts assessment, taking into consideration the unforeseen challenges that the climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented.

“This pandemic has reminded every human being to respect nature,” he said. “We need to update and revise our laws. We suggest that new environmental impact assessment (EIA) laws should cover the issue of climate change, biodiversity and pathologic disease.”

The Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy is the world’s most distinguished award in the field of environmental law. The award was created in 1997 by the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, in cooperation with the Haub Family, to honor the legacy of Elisabeth Haub (1899 – 1977), a noted philanthropist and advocate for strong laws for the conservation of nature. The award is chosen annually by an esteemed jury of leaders in environmental law and was first established to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the United Nations Stockholm Conference and the 5^th anniversary of the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit.

“The Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy was established to recognize the innovation, skill, and accomplishments of lawyers, diplomats, international civil servants and other advocates who work to create the world environmental order,” said Liliane A. Haub, environmental advocate and Pace University Trustee. “We are pleased to honor two individuals whose inspiring work is making a global impact in our fight to create a more sustainable planet.”

Learn more about the 2020–2021 award recipients and watch the video of the 2020–2021 ceremony and panel discussion below.