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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and Pace University’s School of Education have been awarded a collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation (“NSF”) as part of their Research Experiences for Undergraduates (“REU”) program. The award, “Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration of a Keystone Species in New York Harbor Phase III,” builds on and extends previously awarded NSF-funded work. The newly awarded grant will allow the University Schools to focus on expanding the middle school level science curriculum to include comprehensive K-12 STEM career and technical education pathways through multiple partnerships in New York City and throughout the United States. Partnerships to create this STEM educational model include the Billion Oyster Project, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences, The Mark USA, Inc., Columbia Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, New York Academy of Sciences, the New York Aquarium, CUNY, Baruch, and California State Monterey Bay (NSF 1839656, NSF 1750006, and NSF 2140046/PI Lauren Birney).

This grant funded research project builds on and ties into the Curriculum + Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCERS) project with the Billion Oyster Project (BOP). BOP-CCERS is a collaborative community of students, teachers, scientists, volunteers, businesses, and local organizations working together to restore New York City’s oyster population and cleaning up New York Harbor in the process. The BOP-CCERS allows students an opportunity to learn hands-on about environmental stewardship as well as environmental law and policy by giving students real responsibility. This current Environmental Law and Policy focused REU provides students the opportunity to build unique legal and policy-based skills in a real-world learning environment and affect their community in a positive manner.

“Through our previous NSF funded work, we have examined the best ways to provide STEM education for under-represented students and those living in densely populated urban areas so that they have access into STEM fields. This new NSF-REU collaborative grant will allow our undergraduate students, overseen by JD and LLM law students, to focus on providing access to dynamic and immersive learning experiences for these under-represented communities. These opportunities will create an interest in community-based citizen science integrated in environmental law and policy thereby fostering future careers in these areas and ultimately result in a more diversified workforce,” noted Dr. Lauren Birney, Professor at Pace University’s School of Education.

“We are in the midst of a continuing climate-crisis and it is imperative that we foster innovative learning and skills to solve this crisis – environmental laws and policies will be vital in doing so. This grant will not only help our students address the issues of climate change facing our planet, but through hands-on work and research, will help to derive the best way to teach future generations how to protect the environment and address the crisis. Pace University is home to the number one ranked environmental law school in the United States and in collaborating with the University’s School of Education is primed to make an impact and lead the way for this project,” stated Haub Law Professor Jason Czarnezki, Associate Dean for Environmental Programs and the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law

The grant funded research project will be co-led by Professor Jason Czarnezki and Dr. Lauren Birney. The grant will provide an opportunity for one Haub Law JD student and one Environmental Law LLM student to oversee a collaborative Pace University undergraduate environmental law and policy research project by six undergraduate students. The grant will also provide funding for participation in a conference where the research and work will be presented.

On Friday September 10, 2021, Pace celebrated the leadership and legacy of Dean Emerita Harriet R. Feldman, PhD, RN, FAAN with a ribbon cutting and formal dedication of Wright Cottage on the Pleasantville Campus as the Harriet R. Feldman Center for Doctoral Education in Nursing. It was an honor befitting the extraordinary leader who had the vision and passion to bring doctoral nursing programs to the College of Health Professions - first with the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2008 and then with the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PHD) in 2017. The Center, generously allocated and renovated by the University for the College of Health Professions, houses administration, faculty, and staff of both programs, and provides a welcome space for students to conduct research, connect with their professors, and continue the leadership of the College of Health professions that is the legacy of Dean Feldman.

Administrators, faculty, staff, and students joined Pace President Marvin Krislov, Provost Vanya Quinones, CHP Dean Marcus Tye, and Vice Dean Rhonda Maneval for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official dedication of the building and honor Dr. Feldman for all her successes and accomplishments throughout her 28-year career with Pace.

Opening the event, Dean Tye said, “With the dedication of this building in her name, we honor the extraordinary, visionary leadership of our former dean, now dean emerita, and Pace’s first Chief Wellness Officer.”

Before cutting the ceremonial ribbon, the guest of honor spoke about her “challenging and rewarding career” that spanned 56 years, nearly 50 of which were and continue to be in academia. Dr. Feldman credited those with whom she’s worked with sustaining and helping to keep her focused on what is important

“In my varied leadership roles, I have lived by a few principles,” said Dr. Feldman. “...first is change what you can; second is don’t sweat the small stuff; third, take the high road...; fourth is show care and respect for others; and last is to keep your eyes on the greater good. The greater good for me has always been to give back, to share, to ensure the education of health practitioners is strong, is excellent, and that we stay on course to provide the best healthcare we can for whomever we meet.”

Displaying her signature sense of humor, Dr. Feldman ended by saying, “Thank you so much again for this honor, I can’t tell you how much it means to me having my own little house.”

Calling it “a great day that symbolizes the accomplishment of a great leader,” President Krislov addressed Dr. Feldman, saying “It’s part of the incredible legacy you’ve left all of us at Pace. I’m glad to have this opportunity to celebrate you and see the next phase of the leadership you have brought to us. We’re so grateful.”

Congratulations, Dr. Feldman!

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Professor Bridget Crawford has been named as the winner of the 2021 Ottinger Award for Faculty Achievement. The Richard Ottinger Faculty Achievement Award is awarded annually by the Faculty Development Committee, in consultation with the Dean, in recognition of a full-time professor’s outstanding service to the law school, the legal profession, or both. The award generally is based on the faculty member’s outstanding service during the previous academic year.

In announcing the award to Professor Crawford, Professor Margot Pollans, as chair of the Faculty Development Committee, remarked:

“Bridget Crawford is a tireless advocate for this Law School, for our students, and for the faculty. We celebrate her work as a scholar, and the many ways in which she has used her own work to advance the scholarly reputation of the Law School. We also celebrate Professor Crawford’s commitment to the creation of innovative programming that enables alumni to remain connected to and support the community, to elevate the work of our faculty scholars, and to help raise the scholarly profile of the Law School among peer institutions. Through all this work, Professor Crawford models the kind of generosity and entrepreneurialism that is at the heart of the Haub Law spirit and she has made a significant contribution to our community. Thank you, Professor Crawford!”

The Ottinger Award for Faculty Achievement is named in honor of Richard L. Ottinger, who served in the United States House of Representatives for eight terms, from 1965 to 1971 and from 1975 to 1985. Ottinger was Dean of the Law School from 1994 to 1999 and is the founder of the Pace Energy Project, now known as the Pace Energy and Climate Center. To learn more about the Richard Ottinger Faculty Achievement Award and other faculty designations see the faculty awards and designations page.

Bridget Crawford has been a member of the Pace faculty since 2003. She teaches courses in Federal Income Taxation, Wills, Trust & Estates and Corporations, among others. Professor Crawford is the author of three casebooks and over 100 law review articles. Most recently, she was named as a University Distinguished Professor, the highest honor the University can bestow on a faculty member, in recognition of extensive, extraordinary research and scholarship, outstanding teaching, and exemplary service to the University, community, and the faculty member’s professional field. In addition to the Richard Ottinger Award for Faculty Achievement, Professor Crawford has also been recognized with many other major faculty awards and designations from Haub Law, including the Barbara C. Salken Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship, and she also was appointed and served as the James D. Hopkins Professor of Law from 2017–2019.

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Professor Noa Ben-Asher was awarded the 2021 Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship for their article, “Trauma-Centered Social Justice,” published by Tulane Law Review (95 Tul. L. Rev. 95 (2020)). The Goettel Prize was created in 2004 to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship by members of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University faculty. Each year, members of the tenured and tenure-track faculty are invited to submit their work for consideration (on an anonymous basis) by a selection committee of outside reviewers. This year's committee consisted of three distinguished law school professors: Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Professor of Law Michael Higdon of The University of Tennessee College of Law; Ellison Capers Palmer Sr. Endowed Chair in Tax Law Professor Linda Jellum of Mercer Law; and Professor of Law and Dean’s Distinguished Scholar Lili Levi of University of Miami School of Law.

Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Operations and Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, Emily Waldman, noted, “Professor Ben-Asher's article identifies and explores a connective thread among three current social justice movements--BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, and Climate Justice--by showing how heavily they each rely on the concept of trauma. The article provides a new lens through which to view these movements and our larger society. It's a thought-provoking, creative, and insightful piece of work."

“It is an incredible honor to be recognized by a committee of such distinguished law school professors and also among my talented colleagues at Haub Law, who continuously challenge and inspire me with their innovative research and work,” stated Professor Noa Ben-Asher.

Professor Ben-Asher joined the faculty at Haub Law in 2009, teaching torts, family law, and sexuality, gender & the law. Prior to joining the faculty at Haub Law, Professor Ben-Asher was in the Associate-in-Law program at Columbia Law School (2007–2009). Prior to their associateship, they were a Williams Fellow at the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law (2006), where they taught at the department of LGBT studies. From 2004–2005, they practiced in the litigation department of Proskauer Rose LLP in New York. They are a graduate of New York University School of Law (LLM 2001; JSD 2006), and Bar-Ilan University School of Law (LLB 1999). Professor Ben-Asher was a visiting professor at Harvard Law School for the academic year 2014–2015, and a visiting professor at Columbia Law School for the academic year 2015–2016. Professor Ben-Asher also received the Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship in both 2013 and 2017. Most recently, Professor Ben-Asher was appointed as James D. Hopkins Professor of Law at Haub Law for the 2021–2023 term.