When people picture human trafficking, they often imagine scenes from movies: strangers in vans, international crime rings, dramatic rescues by law enforcement.

Cathryn Lavery, PhD, wants her students to look closer.

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A professor and department chair of the Criminal Justice and Security Department in Pace University’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Lavery studies officer wellness and resiliency, intimate partner violence, sex crimes and trauma, humane criminology, social media and violent crime, and human trafficking. Her work challenges students and the public to move beyond Hollywood stereotypes and confront a more complicated truth: in the United States, trafficking often happens inside homes, relationships, workplaces, schools, and online spaces.

“It’s a boyfriend doing it to a girlfriend, a husband with a wife,” Lavery explains. “It’s happening in people’s homes.”

For Christen Cooper, EdD, RDN, associate professor in Pace University’s College of Health Professions and founding director of the MS in Nutrition and Dietetics program, that hidden reality raises another urgent question: how do survivors begin to heal after exploitation, deprivation, coercion, and trauma?

For Cooper, nutrition has never been only about food. It is about dignity, trust, health, culture, autonomy, and care. As a registered dietitian nutritionist credentialed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, she is preparing the next generation of nutrition professionals to think deeply about the people behind the practice.

Together, Cooper and Lavery represent something central to Pace’s academic community: faculty whose research responds to real-world challenges, and whose expertise moves directly into the classroom. Through scholarship, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration, they are helping students understand human trafficking not as an abstract issue, but as a complex human rights crisis that intersects with law, psychology, public health, trauma, technology, nutrition, and survivor-centered care.

Beyond the Hollywood Myth

Human trafficking is not a single, isolated crime. It can involve sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, coercive relationships, online grooming, and hidden networks of control. It also intersects with criminal justice, economics, ethics, organized crime, public health, trauma, and victimization.

“Criminal justice is probably the most multidisciplinary major or field that exists,” Lavery says. “You cannot know criminal justice without knowing psychology or law or economics, history, philosophy, religion, and ethics.”

That multidisciplinary lens is essential, she says, because trafficking is often a thread running through other criminal markets, including drug trafficking, gun trafficking, labor exploitation, illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, and other forms of exploitation. It is profitable, adaptive, and frequently hidden behind ordinary-looking relationships or transactions.

“Academic excellence is at its most powerful when it reaches across disciplines and when it is paired with humanity.”

That is why Lavery pushes back against the idea that trafficking only involves large criminal enterprises or dramatic kidnappings. Those cases exist, but they are not the whole picture. In many situations, coercion is emotional, psychological, financial, or relational.

Victims may be groomed by romantic partners. They may be threatened with shame, deportation, violence, or retaliation against family members. They may be manipulated into believing they are making a choice when, in reality, their options have been carefully narrowed by someone else.

“It’s a phenomenal amount of emotional and psychological abuse,” Lavery says.

That psychological dimension is one reason trafficking can be so difficult for outsiders to understand. Victims may not immediately identify themselves as victims. They may defend the person exploiting them. They may fear that seeking help will bring consequences worse than the exploitation itself.

For students preparing to enter fields such as criminal justice, law enforcement, social services, victim advocacy, public health, policy, or legal work, understanding that complexity matters. A survivor’s first response may not fit the public’s expectation of what a victim “should” say or do. That does not make the exploitation less real.

At Pace, Lavery teaches students to recognize those patterns, challenge assumptions, and ground their understanding in research rather than sensationalized narratives.

“You fight back with the knowledge, the statistics, the data,” she says.

Nutrition as Recovery and Care

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Cooper’s work approaches human trafficking from a different direction, but with the same insistence on seeing the whole person.

Her 2024 article, “Registered Dietitian Nutritionists’ Knowledge, Confidence and Experiences with Treating Human Trafficked Individuals: A Call for Interprofessional Continuing Education,” published through the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, explores a largely overlooked intersection: how dietitians and nutrition professionals may be positioned to identify, care for, and support individuals who have experienced trafficking.

“It just occurred to me that we could play a really important role in recuperation,” Cooper says.

Human trafficking survivors may experience malnutrition, dehydration, injuries, chronic health problems, disordered eating, and a profound loss of autonomy. Food itself can be used as a means of control, punishment, or manipulation. For survivors, rebuilding a relationship with food can also become part of rebuilding a relationship with the body.

Because dietitians often conduct nutrition-focused physical exams and work closely with patients experiencing dehydration, malnutrition, wounds, disordered eating, or other health concerns, they may be in a position to notice warning signs that others miss. They may also help create a safe, caring environment where survivors feel seen as whole people.

“There’s no better time than when you are in a caring, comforting, empathetic environment to be helped,” Cooper says.

Her research found that registered dietitian nutritionists need more education and training to feel prepared to recognize and respond to human trafficking. Many want that education, including webinars and continuing education opportunities. Cooper is now building on that work by exploring how trauma-informed nutrition can be incorporated into nutrition and dietetics curricula.

She imagines models of care in which survivors are supported through nourishment, cooking, cultural foods, shared meals, and community. Food, in her view, can help restore dignity and connection. It can support physical healing through hydration, protein intake, wound recovery, and adequate nourishment. It can also support emotional healing by helping people regain choice, comfort, and trust.

“We break bread,” Cooper says. “That’s what humans do.”

Research That Reaches the Classroom

At Pace, Cooper brings that expansive perspective into the classroom.

The MS in Nutrition and Dietetics program, which she helped found, combines classroom learning with supervised practice experiences to prepare students to become registered dietitian nutritionists. The program emphasizes scientific rigor alongside culinary nutrition, cultural understanding, and practical care. Students learn not only how nutrients affect the body, but how food traditions, access, trauma, identity, and lived experience shape a person’s relationship with nourishment.

That approach reflects Cooper’s own path. As an undergraduate at Wellesley College, she interned with a federal judge who was studying international data on violence against women and human trafficking. She later worked for the United States House of Representatives and as a management consultant in Latin America. Those experiences helped shape the way she approaches nutrition today: not as a narrow clinical field, but as a discipline deeply connected to public health, policy, justice, and human experience.

Cooper also partners with students on scholarly work, giving them opportunities to explore emerging areas in nutrition and contribute to professional conversations. She recently published an article with a student on energy deficiency in athletes, examining the nutritional consequences of inadequate fueling and strategies to prevent injury. For students considering careers in sports nutrition, public health, clinical nutrition, or community care, those research opportunities offer a powerful glimpse of what the field can become.

For Cooper, the goal is not only to publish research, but to change how future practitioners see their role.

“I was meant to reach across, partner with people, innovate, and create,” she says.

Lavery brings the same real-world focus to her criminal justice courses. She does not soften the realities of the field. Her students sometimes call her a “dream crusher,” she jokes, but the goal is not cynicism. It is preparation.

In courses that address human trafficking, Lavery brings in anti-trafficking professionals, law enforcement specialists, nurses, advocates, and others working directly with survivors. Students learn how trafficking connects to public health, digital platforms, campus safety, gender-based violence, trauma response, and criminal investigations.

“What does criminal justice have to do with nutrition? Nothing, and a lot, apparently. We find bridges to each other.”

Her current and emerging research also examines how digital spaces shape trafficking, sexual violence, and exploitation. Social media has helped bring awareness to human trafficking, but it has also created new pathways for harm. Online platforms can make recruitment easier, normalize transactional relationships, and create anonymous spaces where exploitation is harder to trace.

For college students, Lavery says, the risks are not abstract. Apps, online marketplaces, “sugar dating” sites, and social media can all become sites of grooming or coercion. Young people may believe they are in control of an arrangement, especially when it is framed as entrepreneurial or consensual. Lavery challenges students to ask deeper questions: Who is profiting? Who is vulnerable? Who is being placed in danger?

She is also clear with students about the emotional toll of this work. Criminal justice professionals, advocates, nurses, investigators, attorneys, researchers, and educators may all experience secondary trauma when working with survivors of violence and exploitation. Preparing students for that reality is part of preparing them for meaningful careers.

“If you start to ask for help and learn to deal with it, you’re going to last a lot longer,” Lavery says.

Building Bridges Across Disciplines

Cooper and Lavery recently joined faculty and practitioners for “Nutrition and Dietetics: The Roles of Law and Healthcare in Assisting Victims and Survivors,” a panel discussion hosted as part of the Annual Spring Conference of the Office of Research and Graduate Education at Pace.

The panel brought together Cooper; Lavery; and David Mulcahy, adjunct professor of criminal justice in Dyson College and a supervisory United States probation officer for the Southern District of New York. Cooper also served as moderator.

Together, the presenters examined the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, major United States anti-trafficking initiatives, and the operational challenges law enforcement faces in preventing victims from being prosecuted and instead promoting justice, recovery, and support. The discussion also explored how healthcare providers can offer trauma-informed nutrition care to victims and survivors who have been manipulated, controlled, and deprived during captivity.

For Cooper, that kind of cross-disciplinary dialogue is essential.

“What does criminal justice have to do with nutrition?” Cooper says. “Nothing, and a lot, apparently. We find bridges to each other.”

Lavery sees that same need for broader conversation. In the fall, the Criminal Justice and Security Department plans to host a speaker series exploring trafficking and exploitation from multiple angles, with professionals working in human trafficking investigations, gun violence and trafficking task forces, and animal abuse or illegal wildlife trafficking.

For both faculty members, the goal is not simply awareness. It is deeper understanding. It is better preparation. It is helping students develop the tools to recognize harm, respond with care, and work across disciplines to support survivors.

At Pace, that is what faculty research makes possible. It does not remain confined to journals, conferences, or professional circles. It becomes part of how students learn, how they question, how they prepare for careers, and how they come to understand their responsibilities in the world.

Lavery is preparing students to see what others miss. Cooper is helping students understand that care can begin with nourishment, dignity, and trust.

Together, their work shows that academic excellence is at its most powerful when it reaches across disciplines and when it is paired with humanity.

As more than 4,300 Pace University graduates prepared to begin their next chapter, one message echoed throughout Commencement: opportunity belongs to those willing to embrace uncertainty.

Across two days of ceremonies, award-winning journalists, accomplished alumni, distinguished jurists, healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, and student leaders challenged the Class of 2026 to take risks, define success on their own terms, and seize every opportunity that comes their way.

Taking the Leap

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Award-winning journalist and Dateline NBC anchor Lester Holt opened the Main Ceremony with a rousing speech that reflected on all of the risks, setbacks, and unexpected opportunities that shaped his own path from aspiring broadcaster to one of the nation's most respected journalists.

Rather than offering a roadmap to success, Holt challenged graduates to embrace uncertainty. As he looked across the crowd of graduates waiting to turn their tassels and throw their caps, he asked, "How far a leap are you willing to make to realize your dream?"

Holt acknowledged that choosing the safe path can often feel like the logical one—but encouraged graduates not to let fear dictate their future. "Playing it safe seems like a smart strategy on the surface, but you will find yourself at moments where the reasonable choice feels unreasonable."

Playing it safe seems like a smart strategy on the surface, but you will find yourself at moments where the reasonable choice feels unreasonable.

Success on Your Own Terms

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Wednesday's undergraduate ceremonies continued that message through the experiences of distinguished alumni and industry leaders.

Pedro Rivera '12, Emmy Award– and LA Press Club Award–winning journalist and co-anchor of ABC7 Eyewitness News, returned to his alma mater to address graduates from Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, the Sands College of Performing Arts, and the School of Education. Reflecting on his own journey from Pace student to broadcast journalist, Rivera encouraged graduates to define success for themselves—not by titles or salaries, but by fulfillment.

"Manifest your success," Rivera said. "Say your goals out loud. Write them down and really embed them into your mind, because everything you do—the jobs you take, the people you surround yourselves with—will lead you toward that success. And success is not about money or status. It's about happiness."

“And success is not about money or status. It's about happiness.

Graduates from the College of Health Professions, Lubin School of Business, and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems also heard from Dr. Mitchell Katz, president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, whose career has been defined by public service and healthcare leadership.

Persistence Builds the Path

Thursday's graduate and professional school ceremonies celebrated another milestone as the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University—recently ranked the No. 1 environmental law program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for the sixth consecutive year—honored graduates preparing to enter the legal profession.

Hon. Francesca E. Connolly '82, associate justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department, addressed graduates and received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.

[Success] requires a belief that you are capable of much more than you imagine right now.

Her message focused not on perfection, but perseverance. "Success in this profession does not require perfection. It requires persistence. It requires preparation. It requires integrity. And most of all, it requires a belief that you are capable of much more than you imagine right now."

Graduate and professional school ceremonies also featured Peter Muller, founder and CEO of PDT Partners, who addressed graduates from the Lubin School of Business and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, while Judith M. Watson '94, RN, BSN, MPH, CEO of Westchester Community Health Center, spoke to graduates from Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the College of Health Professions. Pace also presented Cedric Bobo, founder of Project Destined, with the Opportunitas in Action Award.

Student Stories Shine Through

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The themes shared throughout Commencement were already reflected in the accomplishments of this year's graduates, represented through the words and experiences of the Class of 2026 student speakers,

Valedictorian Caroline Zanuto-Winter, who earned a BA in Computer Science from the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, exemplified the impact of a Pace education through innovation, leadership, and global engagement.

As a United Nations Academic Impact and Millennium Campus Network Millennium Fellow, she collaborated with students across 16 nations on a multilingual advocacy campaign spanning nine languages. Caroline also led the development of a mobile application for her capstone project and recently applied her expertise in computer science and generative AI as a product manager intern at WEX Inc.—demonstrating the kind of real-life learning that defines the Pace experience.

Pace not only gave us degrees, it gave us those opportunities and taught us to relentlessly seize them ourselves.

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Student Opportunitas Award recipient Suraj Sharma spoke to the crowds about opportunity.

Suraj earned a combined bachelor's degree in economics and master's degree in applied quantitative economics from Dyson College of Arts and Sciences. As captain of Pace's National Federal Reserve Challenge team, Sharma helped lead the University to a national championship title, outperforming 136 competing institutions, including Harvard and UCLA.

Graduating with a 4.0 GPA and numerous academic honors, Sharma will begin his career as an institutional client management account analyst at PIMCO.

"Every opportunity in life exists because someone else paid a price for it," Sharma said. "Pace not only gave us degrees, it gave us those opportunities and taught us to relentlessly seize them ourselves."

Ready for What's Next

In his Commencement remarks, President Marvin Krislov reflected on the many places where students' education unfolded—not only in classrooms, but through experiences that challenged them to grow.

"Graduates, your education unfolded in classrooms, in residence halls, in internships, in rehearsal studios, in clinics, in courtrooms and labs and communities throughout New York and beyond," Krislov said. "Some of you found your direction immediately. Others discovered it gradually through exploration, through setbacks, through conversations, and seizing new opportunities. That is all part of what higher education is meant to do."

How far a leap are you willing to make to realize your dream? —Holt

The cheers will fade, the gowns will be packed away, and the tassels tucked into keepsake boxes. But the lessons shared throughout Commencement—and the journeys they celebrated—are only just beginning.

As the Class of 2026 leaves Pace as future journalists, nurses, lawyers, educators, entrepreneurs, technologists, performers, economists, and changemakers, Holt's challenge remains: "How far a leap are you willing to make to realize your dream?"

Research at Pace has really gone to the dogs.

And according to Dyson College of Arts and Sciences assistant professor Molly Byrne, PhD, they may hold surprising clues about what makes us human.

Molly Byrne runs the Pace University Dog Lab (PUDL), a research lab based out of the Pleasantville Campus that is dedicated to investigating “how dogs think, learn, and perceive the world and how the special bond between humans and dogs has been shaped by our shared evolution.”

One thing that I love about dog science is that it's super accessible for people of all levels.

Byrne has a background in psychology and neuroscience, with a focus on animal psychology and comparative cognition. Through PUDL—one of only 15 dog cognition labs in the United States—she is applying those disciplines to better understand both canine and human behavior. “Comparative cognition studies psychology through an evolutionary lens,” she explains. “I'm really interested in how humans became the way we are, why we’re so good at being social, cooperating, communicating, so on.”

Historically, comparative cognition research has focused on apes. But Byrne notes that, despite sharing a common ancestor, humans and apes have vastly different lived experiences. “Apes live in a very different ecological niche than humans.” she explains. “To show what kind of pressures the human niche has, we have to look at animals that live in the human niche, and that’s what led us to dogs.”

Byrne says dogs offer a unique perspective because they are raised alongside humans, and have evolved to respond to our language, emotions, and social interactions. “Dogs are really good at a lot of the social tasks that apes aren’t so good at, because they have been bred over thousands of years to be able to pick up on human social cues,” she explains. “They also tell us a bit about what we value, because we chose a lot of what dogs are.”

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Though dogs are more accessible research subjects than apes, laboratory studies come with limitations. Some dogs—including those that are reactive, anxious, or unvaccinated—cannot participate, while those that do often behave differently in an unfamiliar environment, being observed by new people.

To solve those challenges, Byrne and her colleagues took dog research out of the lab and into the living room. They began conducting studies over Zoom, allowing researchers to observe dogs where they are most comfortable. “Because dogs don't really care about screens or digital communication, it's almost like being a fly on the wall,” Byrne says.

Byrne and her research team instruct dog owners while observing remotely. Using this approach, they have conducted a canine twist on the still-face experiment, measuring dogs' reactions when their owners altered typical interactions such as speaking to them without petting them. Byrne’s research has also explored joint intentions—whether dogs understand that doing something together differs from doing something alone.

Byrne's study of joint intentions may offer clues about what scientists call theory of mind: the ability to recognize that others have thoughts, beliefs, and feelings different from our own. According to Byrne, theory of mind is central to understanding what sets humans apart. “That concept is critical to what we think is different about humans, because humans have very advanced theory of mind,” she says.

While Zoom expanded the pool of canine participants, PUDL is also opening doors for student researchers, where all the data collection is conducted by undergraduate students. "One thing that I love about dog science is that it's super accessible for people of all levels," she says. "I'm always happy to take and mentor students who are interested in participating in the research process." As PUDL continues to grow, Byrne hopes to introduce in-person studies that will provide students with additional hands-on research experience and welcome more dogs and their owners to participate in research.

I'm really interested in how humans became the way we are, why we’re so good at being social, cooperating, communicating, so on.

For Byrne, her research poses questions that extend far beyond dog psychology. By studying how dogs communicate, build relationships, and respond to the people around them, she hopes to better understand the social abilities that make us human.

"I think a lot of my research suggests that the social part of being a human is maybe the most important part," says Byrne. "And I think that dogs showcase that."

Get involved with PUDL as a dog owner or student researcher and check out Byrne’s First Year Seminar, Mind of the Dog.

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After a national search and an exceptional tenure in an interim capacity, Vincent D. Clark has been appointed Pace University’s vice president for development and alumni relations.

Since assuming the interim role in January 2025, Clark has led Pace to a series of historic fundraising successes. In fiscal year 2025, the University crossed the $20 million core fundraising threshold for the first time in its history, a milestone that was surpassed in fiscal year 2026 when, under Clark’s leadership, Pace raised a record-high $24 million. During this time, unrestricted giving to Pace increased by 55 percent to an all-time high of $3.4 million, and the University’s signature Spirit of Pace Awards fundraising gala raised a record-breaking $1,217,000 for student support.

“It’s an exciting time to be a champion of the Pace mission,” Clark said. “It’s been an honor to work with our team to achieve these historic successes. As I step into this role, I am energized by the prospect of raising our sights, expanding our ambitions, and continuing to build a dynamic future that the entire Pace Community can be proud of.”

"I am energized by the prospect of raising our sights, expanding our ambitions, and continuing to build a dynamic future that the entire Pace Community can be proud of."

Clark brings more than 25 years of advancement experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership. His deep understanding of Pace, proven fundraising success, and commitment to the University’s mission make him exceptionally well positioned to lead development and alumni relations into its next chapter.

“Connecting with alumni, friends, and partners of the University every day is a privilege, and it shows me firsthand what a vital role Pace plays in the lives of people and communities across the globe,” Clark said. “We’re all united in our commitment to the success of our students and the amplification of Pace’s impact in the world. That’s the core of what we do, and that’s what will guide us as we work to position Pace for the next 120 years of leadership and innovation.”

The 2026 season for Pace University Women’s Lacrosse was another reminder of what the program has become.

A national contender. A postseason standard. A team built to play deep into May.

Three years after capturing the NCAA Division II National Championship, the Setters once again found themselves on the biggest stage in the country, reaching the NCAA Semifinals for the second time in program history and closing the year with a 16-6 overall record.

The road there was not simple. Pace opened the season against a demanding schedule, facing ranked opponents, regional contenders and several teams with postseason expectations. The early tests gave the Setters a chance to sharpen their identity before the heart of Northeast 10 Conference play arrived. By the time the regular season hit its final stretch, Pace had found its rhythm.

The Blue and Gold closed the regular season with eight straight wins, storming through league play behind a complete team effort. Pace finished 8-1 in the NE10, collecting key victories over Saint Anselm, Southern New Hampshire, Assumption, Bentley, Saint Michael’s and American International while positioning itself near the top of one of the toughest conferences in Division II.

By the time the regular season hit its final stretch, Pace had found its rhythm.

Then came the postseason. Pace advanced back to the NE10 Championship game, earning another shot at top-ranked Adelphi. The Setters came up just short in the conference final, falling by one goal, but the loss did not define the season. Instead, it set the stage for another opportunity.

Selected as the second seed in the NCAA East Region, Pace opened the national tournament at Northwell Stadium against Mercy. In a one-goal battle, the Setters found a way to survive and advance, earning a 13-12 victory to move into the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Waiting there was Adelphi again.

This time, on the road, Pace delivered one of its biggest performances of the season. The Setters went into Garden City and took down Adelphi, 16-12, punching their ticket back to championship weekend and proving once again that the Blue and Gold belonged among the final teams standing.

The win sent Pace to the NCAA Semifinals for the second time in program history.

The win sent Pace to the NCAA Semifinals for the second time in program history.

The Setters run eventually came to a close against Florida Southern, but the message of the season had already been made clear: Pace was still one of the premier programs in the country.

The individual recognition followed the team success. Doty was named NE10 Midfielder of the Year and earned IWLCA First Team All-American honors after putting together one of the most complete seasons in the nation. Kulo also earned IWLCA First Team All-American recognition, while Sheehan landed on the Second Team after leading the offense with her playmaking ability.

By the end of the year, Pace had collected 12 All-NE10 selections, seven IWLCA All-Region honorees, four USA Lacrosse All-Americans, three IWLCA All-Americans and six CSC Academic All-District selections. The honors reflected the depth of a roster that produced at every level, from the attack to the midfield, the draw circle, the defensive end and the classroom.

The run showed more than talent. It showed the toughness and belief that have become the foundation of the program.

The 2026 season added another defining chapter to the rise of Pace Women’s Lacrosse.

A return to the NE10 Championship game, a gritty NCAA Tournament win at home and a statement victory over #1 Adelphi in the national quarterfinals all led the Setters back to championship weekend.

The run showed more than talent. It showed the toughness and belief that have become the foundation of the program.

Pace finished the year among the final four teams in Division II, proving once again that the Blue and Gold are not just chasing national success, they are firmly established among the country’s elite.

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How do you measure the transformation of a campus icon? For One Pace Plaza East, the answer starts with a 390-foot crane, 427 seats in the reimagined Schimmel Theater, 259 upgraded dorm rooms in Maria’s Tower, and more than 10,000 square feet of new scene and costume shop spaces. But the numbers tell only part of the story. Together, they add up to a once-in-a-generation renovation designed to expand creative arts education, strengthen student life, improve accessibility, and help Pace build a more sustainable future in the heart of downtown Manhattan.

390 Feet

The approximate length of the crane used during the Spring 2024 semester.
One of the largest crane operations on the East Coast helped bring the scale of the One Pace Plaza East transformation into full view, reaching approximately 330 feet high.

560 Doors

In Maria’s Tower.
A small detail with a big number, showing the scale of the residential renovation.

146 Sinks and Faucets

Throughout One Pace Plaza East. Behind every major transformation are hundreds of essential details—right down to the sinks and faucets.

80 Outlets

New convenience outlets for student use. The renovation includes more places for students to plug in, power up, and stay connected.

427 Seats

The future capacity of the reimagined Schimmel Theater. The new Schimmel Theater will feature orchestra and balcony seating, including six boxes with 24 box seats.

ADA Access on Every Major Level

A more accessible Schimmel Theater experience. The reimagined venue will include ADA access on every major level, including the orchestra, balcony seating, stage, and even the catwalks.

450 Linear Feet

New catwalks in the Schimmel and Black Box Theaters. The project will add approximately 450 linear feet of catwalks, giving students hands-on access to professional theater environments.

50 Linesets

A new fly tower for the Schimmel Theater. The new fly tower will include 50 linesets, supporting more sophisticated staging and production possibilities.

259 Rooms

Upgraded residential rooms in Maria’s Tower. The renovation will bring major improvements to student residential life at One Pace Plaza East.

28 Steps

The new Spruce Street Stoop. With 28 steps and 14 seating steps, the new stoop will create a welcoming place to pause, gather, and experience campus life along Spruce Street.

Piece by piece, number by number, One Pace Plaza East is taking shape—and in Fall 2026, Pace students will step into a transformed campus experience.

The 2025–26 season for Pace University Esports was a year that pushed the program into a new tier of national recognition.

Across multiple titles, multiple leagues and multiple championship stages, the Setters proved they were no longer just building toward national relevance. They had arrived.

What started as a year of steady growth quickly became one of the most successful seasons in program history, highlighted by championship runs, national tournament appearances and breakthrough performances against some of the top collegiate esports programs in the country.

At the center of the year was VALORANT Gold.

The Setters put together a dominant run through the Eastern Collegiate Conference, completing a perfect 7-0 regular season before carrying that momentum into the postseason. In the ECC Grand Finals, Pace defeated Utica University 3-1 to capture the program’s first conference championship and earn a berth in the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup in Waco, Texas.

That championship became the launch point for something even bigger.

Entering CECC as the fourteenth seed, Pace arrived on the national stage as an underdog. The Setters did not play like one.

After working through group play, Pace made its first major statement in the Round of 16 with a convincing win over number three San José State University. The Blue and Gold followed with another standout performance in the quarterfinals, taking down number 11 Stony Brook University in a three-map series to earn a spot in the national semifinals.

Pace arrived on the national stage as an underdog. The Setters did not play like one.

By the time the run ended against number two Fisher College Navy, Pace had already made history. The Setters became the lowest-seeded team in CECC history to reach the semifinals and finished tied for third alongside Texas A&M.

It was a defining moment for the program.

Pace entered the tournament looking to prove it belonged among the best collegiate teams in the country. By the end of the weekend, the Setters had done more than that. They had beaten national contenders, reached the final four and delivered one of the most memorable underdog runs of the entire event.

The momentum did not stop there.

VALORANT Gold continued its strong postseason stretch by winning the New York City Collegiate Esports Circuit title, adding another championship to an already historic spring. The Setters then carried their success to the FORGE Scholastic Esports Championship in San Antonio, Texas, where they once again faced elite national competition.

Pace entered the tournament looking to prove it belonged among the best collegiate teams in the country. By the end of the weekend, the Setters had done more than that.

At FORGE, Pace VALORANT reached the Grand Finals and took on Northwood University, the number three collegiate VALORANT team in the nation. After dropping the opening map, the Setters responded with a win on Lotus to force a deciding third map, eventually finishing second overall in the group.

Even in defeat, Pace showed the same identity that had defined the season: resilience, and the confidence to compete with anyone.

Rainbow Six: Siege also added to the program’s national presence. Competing against top-ranked opponents at FORGE, the Setters tested themselves against some of the strongest collegiate teams in the country, including the University of Akron and Fisher College. Pace pushed Akron, the top collegiate Rainbow Six: Siege team in the nation, in tight maps and finished third overall in the group.

The results across VALORANT and Rainbow Six: Siege showed the depth of Pace Esports. This was not a season carried by one team or one weekend. It was a year that displayed the program’s growth across several competitive spaces, with varsity rosters continuing to raise the standard for what Pace can accomplish nationally.

The 2025–26 season became a statement about where Pace Esports is headed.

The 2025–26 season became a statement about where Pace Esports is headed.

A first conference championship. A perfect ECC regular season. A CECC semifinal appearance. A New York City title. A FORGE Grand Finals run. A top-three finish for Rainbow Six: Siege on another national stage.

Together, those moments formed the most complete picture yet of a program on the rise.

Pace Esports spent the year proving it could win championships, challenge nationally ranked opponents and build momentum across multiple titles. More importantly, the Setters showed that the program’s success was not a single breakthrough moment. It was the result of steady development, and a growing belief that Pace belongs among the top collegiate esports programs in the country.

The 2025-26 season did more than add trophies and national finishes to the record books. It gave Pace Esports a new standard to chase.

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When a nursing student steps into the ER, theory becomes practice. When a new therapist takes their first client, there’s no double-checking. Healthcare students study diligently—but what does it really mean to prepare for the real-life realities of patient care?

That’s where Pace’s Center for Excellence in Healthcare Simulation (CEHS) comes in. Also known as the simulation lab, CEHS was developed by Patty Myers, now assistant dean of accreditation for the College of Health Professions. The simulation lab is available on both the New York City and Pleasantville campuses—you may have seen its manikins featured online. Both centers mimic real-life clinical settings such as emergency rooms, hospital units, home settings, and doctor’s offices, giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while still having the space to learn.

The lab is continuously evolving.

Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding the scope, depth, and accessibility of these simulations, reshaping how healthcare students train for the demands of patient care.

Nancy Owen, the director of CEHS, has worked in simulation since 2015, drawing on her background in nursing and nursing education. “The lab is continuously evolving,” she explains. She has seen firsthand how that development is accelerated by the integration of AI. “Simulation is really accelerating as we speak,” she says. “These AI-driven systems are technologies that did not exist until now.”

These AI-enabled simulations allow faculty to guide students through deeper, more reflective learning. “Following simulation standards, faculty prepare students, next they have an interaction with the AI avatar, and then we debrief afterwards,” says Owen. “It’s very positive for learning… We dive deeper into what learners did, how they could improve, and what they discovered. She adds, “It’s not replacing other modalities—it’s enhancing our ability to design clinical encounters and measure competencies.”

It’s not replacing other modalities—it’s enhancing our ability to design clinical encounters and measure competencies.

In Fall 2025, students in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program (PMHNP), under the leadership of Laura Kelly, PhD, and Gabrielle Ranger-Murdock, PhD, were the first to pilot this technology. With the introduction of AI, the PMHNP faculty have been able to create unfolding patient cases; have students use screening instruments for anxiety, depression, and trauma; and practice consultation skills. The PMHNP students participated in a “clinic day” experience, where each student independently conducted interviews with multiple patients —an activity that is not possible with traditional simulation modalities.

In the undergraduate nursing program, simulation educators Aimee Smith and Nancy Harrison, created a case for pediatrics students. The child or patient in the case is nonverbal, so the AI encounter was designed for learners to interact with the child’s mother, adding a new experience with guardian communication. “The AI models conversations that help develop students’ communication skills, empathy, and ability to respond to difficult conversations,” says Owen. “It's not just technical skills we need to develop, but also cognitive thinking, competency, compassion and clinical judgment.”

It's not just technical skills we need to develop, but also cognitive thinking, competency, compassion and clinical judgment.

In the near future, CHP’s patient manikins may receive an AI upgrade. “Usually sim technologists sit behind the glass speaking for the manikins and answering questions during the case, ” Owen explains. “Now there are manikins with built in AI technology, so learners can literally have a direct conversation with them.” This is something for CHP to look forward to.

These AI platform can also evaluate student performance using faculty-developed rubrics that assess diagnostic accuracy and empathetic communication. Faculty start with prebuilt simulations, such as a patient with diabetes, and adjust them to align with objectives and course goals—creating more personalized learning experiences while reducing grading time and allowing greater focus on student engagement.

According to Owen, both students and faculty have responded positively to the new AI-enabled simulations. The programs aren’t perfect—Owen recalls one AI avatar who kept referring to everyone as “honey.” That moment underscores a measured approach to adoption. While AI continues to improve, its use in the simulation lab is intentional and guided. “There's a place for AI,” Owen explains. “We’re trying to see where it fits, what's the best usage of this type of product.”

What we do here in the College of Health Professions is prepare students for exactly what they will encounter when they graduate and enter clinical practice.

Even as AI expands what’s possible in simulation, human-centered experiences remain essential. “One of the highlights of our center is our standardized patient program, which is where live actors come in and perform for the students,” Owen says. “We're accredited through the Association of Standardized Patient Educators which is unique to simulation centers.” While AI offers scalable, customizable practice, standardized patients provide the nuance of real human interaction—preparing students for the realities of clinical care.

As AI becomes more ubiquitous across industries, keeping up with change is part of preparing for the future. For students in the simulation lab, that future is already taking shape. “Students need to be aware of how things are changing,” says Owen. “What we do here in the College of Health Professions is prepare students for exactly what they will encounter when they graduate and enter clinical practice.”

At Pace’s Center for Excellence in Healthcare Simulation, that preparation is already happening—one simulation at a time.

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When Brenda Latham-Sadler, MD, ’78 looks back on her academic and professional career, the far-reaching impact of her time as an undergraduate student at Pace University is never far from her mind. Retirement presents a new chapter and a journey of its own—one that Brenda is pleased to be starting. It’s a time for well-deserved celebration: “I had about 150 people at my retirement party,” Brenda said. “We had margaritas and a DJ. How many academic medical centers do all that?”

For Brenda, it’s also an opportunity to reflect on a fruitful career as a medical professional and educator. Throughout her career, Brenda worked as a primary care doctor and spent more than three decades teaching as a professor at Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where, though officially retired, she returns for guest lectures as professor emerita: a deeply fulfilling professional journey that began in Pace’s then small but mighty biology department.

At Pace, Brenda built the foundation for a proud career steeped in a deep passion for medicine and education—and she is not alone. Brenda recalls the Pace biology program of the 1970s as a tight-knit community of hardworking students and encouraging faculty members who helped lift each other up. Her fond memories reveal how Pace has persisted as a lasting presence in her and her classmates’ lives, the enduring impact of her professors’ support, and the ways the University has evolved and grown since her time on campus, while remaining a steadfast beacon of transformation and opportunity.

Finding Pace

Brenda was born at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland. Both of her parents were in the Air Force, and she was raised in South Carolina on her grandparents’ tobacco farm. For much of Brenda’s upbringing, public schools in Horry County, South Carolina, were still segregated—only integrating in 1970, when Brenda entered high school. Despite the many challenges, Brenda is grateful for the education she received.

“Myrtle Beach is in Horry County, so we were fortunate to have that tourist base, which helped with funding education,” Brenda said. “We didn’t get hand-me-down books; we had good schools and teachers—and I think that made a difference.”

After her parents split up, Brenda spent her summers in New York, where her mother had moved for work.

Growing up, Brenda didn’t have the slightest inkling that she would one day pursue a career in medicine. “When I was young, I wanted to be a movie star,” Brenda said. “But then I realized I couldn’t sing and I couldn’t act, so that was out.”

Her mother was a medical assistant at a federally funded clinic in New York City. As she was exposed more to her mother’s work at the clinic, Brenda eventually became drawn to the study of medicine. Encouraged by the testimony of a colleague whose daughter had attended and loved her experience at Pace, Brenda’s mother urged her to attend the University and become a doctor.

“She was such a fan of Pace,” Brenda recalled.

Brenda heeded her mother’s advice and soon fell in love with Pace’s campus, location, and sense of community.

“When I visited, everybody just seemed really nice,” Brenda said. “I used to love to study in the library and look at the Brooklyn Bridge. I’d walk down to the World Trade Center. I just love that area. It’s so vibrant and alive, and right across the street from City Hall.”

A Culture of Community and Faculty Support

As a student, Brenda remembers Pace’s biology program being smaller than other science departments—which she says allowed her and her classmates to form uniquely close relationships with their professors.

“Classes were relatively small, so you really got to know your professors,” Brenda said. “They were always so helpful and supportive.”

“Pace means opportunity—for me and for a lot of working people,” Brenda said. “They’re trying to do better, and Pace helps them get there."

Dudley Cox, PhD, the biology program’s chair during Brenda’s time at Pace, was a particularly influential presence for Brenda and her classmates.

“He was always helping us get our work done and supporting our education,” Brenda said. “He was very hands-on in helping students get jobs in labs and encouraging us to thrive academically.”

Professors like Cox helped prepare Brenda and many of her peers for the challenges of medical school. Fellow classmate Donald Moore ’76, an NYC-based physician and current Pace adjunct professor, echoed Brenda’s gratitude toward the biology faculty and the culture of support they cultivated.

“My academic memories are anchored in classrooms where curiosity was sparked and rigor was embraced,” Donald said. “My interest in medicine was awakened by a course called Biology for Non-Science Majors, taught by Dr. Chunosoff. What began as a general education requirement became a moment of transformation, helping me envision a future in medicine. Looking back, it stands as a reminder that inspiration often arises in unexpected places—and that a single course can alter the course of a life.”

Donald, too, fondly remembers the difference that program chair Cox made in the lives of his students: “His warmth, approachability, and characteristic smile conveyed a genuine care for students that left a lasting impression, even from afar. Sometimes it is these brief encounters that quietly shape our sense of belonging within an academic community.”

Brenda recalls feeling a strong sense of community among her classmates as well. Despite its relatively small size, the program was highly diverse.

“We had white, Black, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Jewish, and Catholic students,” Brenda said. “We all really supported and encouraged each other.”

The bonds Brenda formed at Pace have traveled with her long after graduation, including her friendship with Ronald Klinger ’78, who attended medical school alongside her at Wake Forest. Brenda said their education at Pace and their friendship with one another helped considerably in navigating the challenges of med school.

“Just like at Pace, we got our group together at Wake, we supported each other, and laughed, and dined together, and just made it through,” Brenda said. “I feel that Pace prepared us very well.”

Achievement, Activism, and Enduring Legacy

Since her time at Pace, Brenda has enjoyed a flourishing career, primarily as an educator and administrator, passing the gift of education along to the next generation of medical professionals.

“Education is really important to me, because I see it as the stepping-stone that gets people out of poverty,” Brenda said. “That’s the other thing about Pace—I felt like it was a place where you could come in with very little and get support. A lot of my friends at Pace were from families who were struggling. I know the struggle, and I know the difference that education makes.”

A beneficiary of scholarship support herself—without which, Brenda says, she would not have been able to attend college—Brenda has leveraged her success to help others receive an education.

“Between my husband and me, we have given to eight different educational institutions,” Brenda said.

Among those institutions is Pace, where Brenda has founded a scholarship in honor of her brother, Curtis Cotton.

“My little brother has since passed, which is why I wanted to put the scholarship in his name,” Brenda said. “He also graduated from Pace. He was an educator too, in the New York school system.”

In addition to her philanthropy, Brenda is a dedicated volunteer. She was previously a board member at Youth Opportunities, an organization focused on providing a safe living space for disadvantaged youth. She was also a board member with the Urban League, whose work seeks to provide African Americans and other underserved communities with greater educational opportunities, and United Way, a nonprofit dedicated to providing support and promoting self-sufficiency among low-income earners.

"A lot of my friends at Pace were from families who were struggling. I know the struggle, and I know the difference that education makes.”

For as much as Pace may have done for her, it was Brenda’s industry, strength of character, and commitment to the principles of lifelong learning that have enabled her to build a career worth celebrating and to open doors for so many others along the way. When asked what Pace means to her today, Brenda answers without hesitation: opportunity.

“Pace means opportunity—for me and for a lot of working people,” Brenda said. “They’re trying to do better, and Pace helps them get there. Whether they’re trying to go into nursing, or finance, or the arts . . . oh man, you didn’t hear much about the theater department when I was there, but if I were there now, maybe I would learn to sing and dance.”

Looking at all that Brenda has accomplished, it’s not hard to imagine she would.

“In my office, I had all kinds of inspirational posters and things for students,” Brenda said. “‘If you want it, go get it.’ ‘Don’t be afraid to dream big.’ I think my favorite was this plaque that said, ‘When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.’ There’s going to be plenty of days when you feel like quitting—but if you can remember why you started, you know why those challenges are worth overcoming.”

Pace University faculty earned national and international recognition this year across the performing arts, artificial intelligence, civic engagement, and global education, underscoring the breadth of faculty work shaping both creative fields and urgent global conversations.

At Sands College of Performing Arts, Clinical Assistant Professor Brendan Patrick Hughes received a 2025 Peabody Award for Divine Intervention, the podcast he wrote, hosted, produced, and directed. The series explores a largely overlooked chapter of the Vietnam War era, following a group of Catholic priests and nuns in 1971 Boston who provided political sanctuary to a draft resister and carried out draft board raids that drew the attention of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI. “The opportunity I have at this school, to work with the young storytellers whose ideas will shape the future of the American narrative, is something I cherish every day.”

Sands faculty also earned major recognition in musical theater writing. Eric Price and Phillip Christian Smith were named 2026 Kleban Prize winners, while Adam J. Rineer received the 2026 Jonathan Larson Grant. Together, the honors recognize some of the most promising voices shaping the future of the American musical.

At the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, Christelle Scharff, PhD, received her third Fulbright recognition through the Fulbright Specialist Program. Her project with Université Numérique Cheikh Hamidou Kane in Senegal will advance AI knowledge exchange, collaborative research, and international academic partnerships.

Seidenberg Professor John Cronin also joined the Millennium Campus Network’s global Civic Learning Council, which supports student-led projects tied to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Cronin has helped guide Pace students through the Millennium Fellowship, including projects focused on water quality, sustainability, and public health.

Together, these accolades reflect the range and impact of Pace faculty whose work reaches far beyond the classroom while directly enriching the student experience.