Conversation Part of Autism Acceptance Month

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (April 20, 2022) – Pace University on Wednesday hosted Assemblymember Tom Abinanti for a discussion about ways of educating and preparing neurodiverse students for life during and after college.

The conversation, led by President Marvin Krislov, was held as part of Autism Acceptance Month: it brought together academic experts from Pace University and its School of Education; leaders from Pace’s OASIS program; parents of neurodiverse students; and Assemblymember Abinanti, chair of the New York State Assembly’s Disability Committee.

In kicking-off the discussion, President Krislov spoke of the unique challenges that many students face and how Pace was addressing them. He highlighted Pace’s OASIS Program, a growing area serving neurodiverse students that this year expanded to Pace’s Pleasantville campus where its students are excelling. He also touted how Pace’s new ESports program effectively integrates students across campuses, includes neurodiverse students, and is a model for inclusion.

“We are gathered here to make the world a better place for neurodiverse people,” Krislov said. “We have reached autism awareness, but we still have a long way to go before we reach acceptance and inclusion. Those affected by autism still face challenges that include limited job opportunities, bullying and prejudice. At Pace, we are trying to make a difference and continue or mission of opportunity for everyone.”

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Assemblymember Abinanti, a longtime advocate for people with disabilities, said that people who are far too often overlooked, can excel when given the opportunity and in the right environment. He shared examples of how many young people succeeding when given the opportunity.

“It’s important to convey to people how they fit into the world,” said Abinanti. “They are a resource. They are people who want to be part of everything, and I commend Pace for helping them make it through college … Higher education can make a real difference.”

About 1 in 44 children have been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and more than 2% of adults in the U.S. are estimated to have ASD, the CDC estimates.

Educational and social programs are vital to improving the opportunities of those with autism. Pace University’s Special Education program provides students with enhanced knowledge of learning disabilities and differences, as well as the methods and strategies to increase your effectiveness in the classroom. Students develop their skills and expertise in implementing inclusionary practices and differentiated instruction techniques to help students with special learning needs and abilities become successful and lifelong learners.

During the more than one hour discussion, experts discussed a variety of ways that higher education can make a difference, from establishing an inclusive environment for all learners to educating people on how to interact with people with disabilities to offering alternative career certifications and degrees.

“We are well positioned to develop opportunities for students with autism and for training teachers in programs and models that are inclusive,” said Professor Shobana Musti, chair, School of Education. “We are literally an oasis for students.”

For Laura Scott Schaefer, a small business owner who employs people with disabilities and an OASIS parent, the program has changed her 19-year-old son’s life.

“In the last three months, my son has made more progress at Pace than he has in the previous three years (elsewhere),” said Schaefer. “They are helping him. He’s becoming an adult. He can be in the world, not as a disabled person, but as a person. Little by little he is coming into his own here. For the first time he is thinking ahead.”

About Pace University

Since 1906, Pace University has educated thinking professionals by providing high quality education for the professions on a firm base of liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area. A private university, Pace has campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York, enrolling nearly 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in its Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Lubin School of Business, College of Health Professions, School of Education, School of Law, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

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The Land Use Scholar program, run by Professors John and Jennie Nolon, recently turned its focus to promoting student scholarship. Through the program, 1Ls learn research and writing, while 2Ls learn how to write and publish legal academic pieces. LLMs are also eligible for the Land Use Scholar Program. The scholar program incorporates mentorship too. Recently, alumni who worked with the Land Use Law Center as students came back to speak to the newest group of Land Use Scholars. The alumni are now attorneys at Cuddy & Feder. The alumni spoke about their experiences as Land Use Scholars - which ranged from working on low carbon land use, form-based zoning codes, anti-displacement measures and more.

Over the past two years, the Land Use Law Center’s students developed the Land Use, Human Health, and Equity project. The initiative involves strategies for mitigating the public health impacts of four critical pandemics – inequity, viral disease, housing insecurity, and climate change. These strategies can contribute to communities’ healthy and resilient futures while also reinvigorating cities’ climate change management capabilities. Through a team of two dozen student researchers led by Professor Nolon and managed by his research assistant, Bailey Andree, this project addresses climate change and COVID-19 by discovering local solutions. The 1Ls in the program spent their first year volunteering time to research and write blogs on their research. The team produced 40 blogs for the Haub Environmental Law Program’s GreenLaw Blog. This year students were also published in several national law reviews and professional journals.

Motivated 1Ls and interested LLMs are invited to apply to become and use scholars in their final two years of law school. This year, four Land Use Scholars published work originally developed as part of the Land Use, Human Health, and Equity project in national law reviews and journals.

Land Use Scholar National Publications

Racial Impact Assessments in Land Use and Zoning
William West presented his paper at the ABA mid-year meeting of the Section of State and Local Government where he compared local land use racial impact assessments with RIAs in criminal law, federal administration, and not-for-profit advocacy. The article ends by raising issues for future implementation in land use policy and regulation. It will be published this summer in Thomson Reuters’ Zoning and Planning Law Report.

Equity-Based Comprehensive Plans (eCPs) – The First Generation
Rhea Mallet wrote on local government acknowledgments of racist land use practices contributing to current inequities. She notes that these governments are promoting land use policies to help redress this discrimination by adopting eCPs, comprehensive plans that center goals and objectives on equity principles. Her article was published in the spring issue of Zoning and Planning Law Report.

The Aerial View of Land Use: Preempting the Locals for Improved Housing Access
Bailey Andree co-authored with Professor Shelby Green an article on state housing policy, arguing that states should use preemption to require localities to take action on affordable housing development. It is accepted for publication by the ABA Journal of Probate and Property.

Gentrification and The Cycle of (In)Equity – Using Land Use Authority to Combat Displacement
Gabriella Mickel wrote on land use strategies for preventing displacement as municipalities attempt to address historical inequities. Her article will be published by the ABA’s Urban Lawyer, the law review of the Section on State and Local Government.

Low-Carbon Land-Use Laws
A fifth article was produced by Meg Byerly Williams, a former land use scholar and Haub Law graduate, on low-carbon land use strategies that were developed by the Land Use Law Center. It was published in this month’s issue of APA’s Zoning Practice as part of the project.

The Land Use Law Center has just announced its new Land Use Scholar team members and begun its new project on Climate Resilient Development, which is the focus of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report on climate change resilience, adaptation, and mitigation. The Pace Environmental Law Review will publish an article during the next academic year written by these students who will also be encouraged to publish their work in other national journals and advocacy and local government media. Read the blog post introducing the topic.

Leah Gaffney

Brand Strategy Associate, Kantar

Class of 2022
BBA in Marketing - Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications with minors in Arts and Entertainment Management and Digital Marketing

Pronouns: She/Her

From being president of the Brand Marketing Team to Sales Team captain to vice president of the American Marketing Association, Leah Gaffney is a leader in the Lubin School of Business. Thanks to her self-motivation, she's graduating after just three years, with a post-graduation job already lined up.

Why did you choose Pace University and the Lubin School of Business?

I chose Pace University because you get the best return on investment for your education in the perfect location. Upon visiting Pace, I was immensely excited for the numerous opportunities that students have within the university, especially at the Lubin School of Business. There are - and have been - so many opportunities for me to build my resume and professional network, as well as collaborate with my peers. The faculty at Pace have numerous connections with companies who readily turn to Pace students for internships and full-time positions. Lubin also has supportive staff and students; everyone is encouraged to work together for success.

How have clubs on campus helped enrich your student experience?

Lubin student organizations have been the highlight of my time at Pace. In my first year, I joined Pace's Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA). This organization is a part of the larger International AMA, where students come together each year to network and compete in a collegiate conference. With AMA, I was able to travel to New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and win multiple awards. These experiences have brought me so many friends and professional connections, as well as real-world marketing experience. I have also been part of the Lubin Interscholastic Sales Team for the past year, where I have been able to travel throughout the East Coast and compete in national sales competitions. Through this experience, I was able to obtain new skills in sales, connect with sponsors and recruiters, and win monetary awards. These competitions were immensely fun and gave me hands-on experience in sales.

You have been very involved on campus. What have you learned from those experiences so far?

I have learned so much about communication and collaboration. As a professional entering the business world, so much of the work that I am going to do will be with others. Having that experience all throughout college has been incredibly beneficial because I have not only learned how to be a leader, but also how to work in tandem with others. Working on so many teams has given me the opportunity to explore my communication skills and learn the best way to work with others, even in a virtual setting. These are skills that I will carry with me throughout the entirety of my professional journey.

Working on so many teams has given me the opportunity to explore my communication skills and learn the best way to work with others, even in a virtual setting. These are skills that I will carry with me throughout the entirety of my professional journey.

You recently led the Lubin Sales Team to victories at the Bloomsburg University Keystone Sales Challenge and at Robert Morris University. What motivates you to work hard?

I have numerous motivators for myself when it comes to working hard, but I am especially motivated by my need to grow. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for and sought-out growth experiences. I believe that it is always best to surround yourself with people who challenge you, which is definitely something I have experienced at these sales competitions.

How has the Pforzheimer Honors College benefitted you?

The Pforzheimer Honors College has been a great help in terms of planning out my Pace Path. I entered Pace with a plethora of college credits I earned in high school, but was unsure how to go about using these credits. My honors advisor sat down with me and planned out my entire schedule based on the credits I already had, and all the classes I was interested in. Because of this planning, I am now able to graduate a year early. My advisor was a great support system who helped me maximize my Pace experience. I am also completing my senior thesis in the Honors College, giving me the opportunity to conduct field research and work with professionals within the Broadway and theatrical community.

What has been your favorite opportunity at Pace?

My favorite opportunity at Pace was working on the Brand Marketing Team. This is both a class and an organization outside of the classroom where I worked with 18 other students on a year-long marketing campaign for our product sponsor, Tinder. With this opportunity, I was nominated president and as the presenter for the campaign. This was the most hands-on experience I received because I worked in all aspects of marketing – campaign planning, creative strategy and execution, and media planning. After presenting the campaign to judges from the National Student Advertising Competition, our team placed 3rd overall and won a special award for Outstanding Sonic Branding.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students?

I would recommend taking the initiative and exploring areas outside of your comfort zone because that is what college is all about. There are so many things that Lubin, Pace, and NYC offer, so really take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to you because if you don’t, someone else will.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

#LubinLife isn’t just a hashtag, but a perspective on life professionally and personally. It is a growth-focused mindset used by both student and faculty professionals in the Lubin School of Business. We are all individuals who take the initiative and constantly work to optimize our future. Though New York City can be an overwhelming place, Lubin takes it on with full force.

Do you have any post-graduation plans that you would like to share?

I am excited to share that I will be staying in the Financial District working as a Brand Strategy Analyst at the research firm Kantar.

Connect with Leah:

• Connect with Leah Gaffney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Leah Gaffney on Instagram

Wilmarie Vazquez Milian, senior communication sciences disorders major, is a dedicated and hardworking student with a passion for helping children.

The choice to enter the dynamic field of communication sciences and disorders was a path she always knew she would take from a young age. Wilmarie was inspired by the fact that this profession allowed her to work with children and help make a difference in their lives while giving her the opportunity to focus her education on medicine.

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Once she received her undergraduate degree, Wilmarie started her career as a speech language-pathologist assistant in Florida. After looking for a master’s program that could provide her with the certification to become a speech-language pathologist, Wilmarie gravitated toward Pace University due to the vast number of opportunities available in the program. CHP's exceptional externship experiences drew Wilmarie all the way from Florida to study at Pace.

This competitive and rigorous program has given her the chance to advance her education and career. Wilmarie landed an externship at a private pediatric clinic in Astoria, Queens and prior to her May 2022 graduation date, she was offered a placement with the practice to complete her clinical fellowship.

Wilmarie recommends working at this facility due to the blend of different populations and disorders; she also appreciates the chance to gain a different point of view from learning outside of a school environment. “My hopes after graduation are to continue to soak up as much information as I can to better expand my network and career opportunities, be that in New York, Florida, or anywhere else across the state."