Through a hands-on internship, Coast Guard veteran and Master’s of Environmental Policy student Maddie Feaster ’21 took her environmental advocacy skills from the classroom to the state capitol.

Growing up on Long Island, Maddie Feaster ’21, MA Environmental Policy and Coast Guard Veteran, has always loved the water.

And that love has guided many of her decisions in her adult life – from joining the Coast Guard at age 18, to continuing her studies in Pace University’s Master of Art in Environmental Policy program, to serving as a legislative advocacy intern at Riverkeeper, Inc.

Through this latest work with Riverkeeper, an opportunity she was awarded through Pace’s Gabel Fellowship, Feaster was invited by her supervisor to testify at a New York State Environmental Conservation Committee public hearing on September 20 at the capitol building in Albany, New York. The issue at hand – a moratorium on certain neonicotinoid pesticides in commercial farming – is one close to home for Feaster.

“It really was important for me because, being from Long Island, our ground water out here is about 30 percent polluted with these neonics,” she said.

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Feaster testified at a public hearing centered around the Birds and Bees Protection Act, a bill that is expected to be addressed in the NY State legislative session in January 2022. Advocates for the Act emphasized at the hearing that agricultural seeds treated with these pesticides can threaten pollinator and bird populations. The pesticides also contaminate the water supply in a way that cannot always be removed through the filtration process, posing a risk to human health as well. Environmental advocates like Feaster are calling for the State to find safer alternatives.

In her role with Riverkeeper, Feaster was tasked with researching the Act and the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides in order to draft both the written and spoken testimonies to be presented to the State committee. Her supervisor, Senior Manager of Government Affairs Jeremy Cherson, quickly realized she was more than qualified to deliver the testimony herself, and she jumped at the opportunity.

“It was a very surreal experience. I got into some weird state of calm and I wasn’t really as shaky as I thought I would be,” Feaster said of testifying. “It was actually a really awesome experience for me. I was fired up after that. I was like, ‘Man, this is what I want to do.’”

Now in her final semester in the Environmental Policy master’s program, Feaster recognizes the role her coursework played in drafting and delivering her testimony.

“Everything that we did in class is what I’ve been doing here [at Riverkeeper] – advocating for bills and legislation, knowing how to talk to people, and being able to back up your position,” she added.

In fact, the curriculum at Pace intentionally focuses on providing students opportunities to engage with real-world challenges, developing tangible career skills in policy analysis, draft legislation, public speaking, and effective communication.

“Our program is carefully designed to prepare graduate students to serve as effective brokers of the science and policy interface,” said Clinical Associate Professor Michelle Land, Environmental Studies and Science, who serves as Feaster’s advisor. “Maddie’s testimony was the culmination of that coursework and training; and it was a prideful moment for the Environmental Studies and Science department.”

Prior to enrolling at Pace, Feaster served in the Coast Guard, which she refers to as “the best decision she’s ever made.” Not only did it allow her to develop discipline and focus, but also allowed her passion for marine environments to grow deeper. She spent time stationed on Fire Island off the coast of Long Island, New York, where her crew was often tasked with aiding sick or injured dolphins.

After her time with the Coast Guard and completing an education degree, Feaster worked as a social studies teacher and volunteered with a boating education group that followed whale watching boats. She was looking to continue her education – the Veteran’s Administration would fund her master’s degree – and she was under a time crunch to decide what she wanted to study. She had always loved killer whales since she was a child, and when, through her volunteer work, she learned they were critically endangered, she realized environmental work – specifically with marine environments – was her true passion.

“I was searching for master’s programs for months, and I was going to do environmental education,” said Feaster. “Then, I came across environmental policy at Pace and their program just kind of struck me a little more. It was clear that the collaborative work between both faculty and students was effective not only within the university but in real-world scenarios as well.”

Now, with graduation in sight in December, Feaster is excited about the opportunities her Pace degree will present. One of her final courses, “Art of Advocacy,” will conclude with a mock press conference on a topic of students’ choosing. After her work with Riverkeeper, she has chosen to focus her project specifically on neonicotinoids’ effect on the water supply in her home of Long Island.

“I have always wanted to pursue a career that will help make a difference in this world we live in,” she said. “I knew that in order to facilitate true change, my skills would be most effective through advocacy. If I am to protect habitats, the public, and various species, I know I will need to influence our legislative system.”

The week of November 15 is International Education Week—an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. Join the Office of International Students and Scholars for a variety of programming and resources.

Tuesday, November 16

Fulbright US Student Program Information Session
2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. | Register to attend the Information Session
The Fulbright US Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. Candidates submit a Statement of Grant Purpose defining activities to take place during one academic year in a participating country outside the US. Learn more about the US Student Fulbright Program.

How to Host an International Scholar
3:30 p.m.–4:15 p.m.
Meeting ID: 978 5343 2581 | Password: Scholars
Faculty and staff can learn how an academic department at Pace can host international scholars on a J-1 visa. Mira Krasnov, director of International Scholars, will go over the timeline, processes, and paperwork needed to host international scholars at Pace. Learn more about visiting scholars.

Wednesday, November 17

How to Choose Where to Go Abroad
12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.
Meeting ID: 913 4938 4732 | Password: PACEABROAD
Pace Education Abroad offers more than 75 study abroad programs in 50 countries around the world. With so many options, how will you choose? Pace Peer Abroad Leader Marie Oyinlola will talk about her experiences abroad in France and England, and help you decide how to pick a program and destination that is the best fit for you.

Go for Baroque!
University of Mannheim (Germany) Info Session
12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m. | Attend on Zoom
This session is for Pace students interested in studying for a semester abroad in the heart of Western Europe, where you’ll live and study (in English) at the best business school in Germany—alongside a very international student body. Take your classes in one of the largest Baroque palaces in Europe! All financial aid and scholarships travel with you. Co-hosted by the Pace Study Abroad Club (@pace_studyabroadclub) and led by Lubin Honors student Erika Hostrop.

Faculty Fulbright Scholar Program 2023–24: Ask Us Anything
2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. | Register to attend
Join IIE’s interactive session to learn more about things faculty members can do now to prepare for a successful Fulbright US Scholar Program application for 2023–2024. Program staff will discuss award opportunities, the application and selection process, and answer questions!

Thursday, November 18

Developing a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Course
3:25 p.m.–4:25 p.m.
Meeting ID: 947 9457 2713 | Password: PACEABROAD
Education Abroad will discuss how faculty can create their own faculty-led study abroad course, from the early stages of development to leading a group of Pace students abroad—with time at the end for Q&A. Faculty-led programs are Pace courses led by Pace professors that feature a short-term study abroad experience. This session is open to any faculty from any department wishing to explore the opportunity to bring the classroom into the field.

Passport PALooza
3:25 p.m.–4:25 p.m.
One Pace Plaza | Tabling Center | NYC Campus
Thinking about studying or traveling abroad? Stop by our table hosted by Peer Abroad Leaders (PALs) to learn about their experiences overseas and to pick up a passport application.

Friday, November 19

Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge at Sunset
4:30 p.m. | Reserve your space
Join the International Student Club and the Commuter Student Organization for a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge during sunset with an optional ice cream spot at the end! Come along and meet international students and members from the Commuter Student Organization!

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Dr. Zhan Zhang, a member of faculty at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University, recently made Pace history by earning grants from both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

In his ongoing NSF project, Zhan focused on enabling hands-free data collection and documentation in the field by emergency medical services (EMS) providers with an easy-to-use smart glass application.

The new NIH project investigates care coordination and communication between distributed medical teams – the EMS team in the field and emergency department (ED) teams at the receiving hospital. “The research team will explore how to leverage smart glasses and advanced system interaction mechanisms (e.g., augmented reality and hands gesture recognition) to better facilitate remote patient care guidance,” Zhan said. The scale of the new project is much larger. There are two study sites–New York and Colorado–and both EMS and ED professionals will be involved.

The study will involve the implementation of specially designed glasses that enable EMS professionals to communicate with ED physicians instantaneously. The glasses, infused with internet of things (IoT) technology, use hand gestures and voice control to transmit information efficiently.

“My long-term goal is to digitize emergency care with novel technologies to improve patient outcome."

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“There are two aims of this study,” said Zhan. “In the first year, we will conduct iterative system design and evaluation with both paramedics and ED physicians, using participatory design, rapid prototyping, and usability testing. Then we are going to test the effectiveness of our system using simulated medical events. Paramedics and ED physicians will be invited to use our system to perform patient care.”

Zhan, who joined Seidenberg’s Information Technology department in 2017, specializes in healthcare technology–particularly how computers and technology can be used in helping healthcare professionals communicate and collaborate more efficiently. “My long-term goal is to digitize emergency care with novel technologies to improve patient outcome,” he said.

“This grant is extremely important to me because I have done a lot of preliminary work in this particular problem space since my PhD, and finally, with its support, I am able to use the knowledge I gained over the past few years to build a large-scale novel system that has a great potential to transform current old-fashioned method of pre-hospital communication and care coordination.”

Jonathan Hill, the Dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University, gave his support to the project. He said: “Dr. Zhang is an extremely talented and hard-working individual. He is passionate and popular with students, and a very busy person. When he’s not winning grants for truly exciting healthcare IT research, he’s heading up the new master’s in Human-Centered Design. I am excited to see how his career continues to unfold and trust that he will do great things for the healthcare industry and beyond.”

Furthering the achievement, Zhan is the first Seidenberg faculty member to receive an award from NIH, a nod to the increasing volume of interdisciplinary research taking place at Pace’s technology school.

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On Tuesday, October 19, 2021, the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University hosted an alumni panel dedicated to the topic of the month, cybersecurity.

Facilitated by faculty members Li-Chiou Chen and Darren Hayes, the panel comprised of four alumni who came together over Zoom to share their wisdom and expertise with current students.

Alumni panelists included:

• Michael D’Angelo, Director of Forensics Operations practice at Driven
• Pierre Jeppsson, Senior Associate at Ankura Consulting Group
• Daniel Walker, Senior Intelligence Analyst, Homicide Bureau, Bronx District Attorney’s Office
• Jasmine Washington, Computer Scientist, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)

Over the course of the hour long conversation, panelists discussed their current positions, how they got there, and what about their experience at Seidenberg helped prepare them for a career in cybersecurity.

The panel was recorded and will be released soon (we’ll update this post when it is). In the meantime, here are some quick answers to pressing questions Seidenberg faculty posed:

What’s the most significant cyber security problem right now in industry or in government?

Jasmine: Supply chain risk – being aware of what third parties you’re connected to and how they are secured... another trend is ransomware attacks. We see that really relevant relevant now that we’re doing telework and we’re working from home and we’re doing this education at home

Daniel: Phishing emails, because I know that is still prevalent today. I know a lot of you probably think, Oh, maybe it was done, five years ago, but no today it’s still happening. People are still clicking on links.

As a hiring manager, what do you look for in a candidate?

Michael: I want to find analysts or investigators that... maybe don’t know the full breadth of what’s out there and they want to get their feet wet. Even more, they want to be exposed – they want to delve into new topics and continue to learn... the ability to go outside of your comfort zone.

What advice do you have for interviewing?

Pierre: For me, It was just the conversations I was having. So, I did like three or four interviews... but I didn’t let them interrogate me. They asked me about my life, and I just told my story... there wasn’t enough time for them to go “so tell me about some-” you know... they hit you with those kind of gotcha interview questions. I was enthusiastic and I really thought a lot about what I would say. I even did some background work, like I went on the Anchor website and I looked at their mission statement and I looked at their history and what their employees do in the matters that they’ve been involved in and it... painted a picture for who I might be talking to and once I knew who I was talking to I could just be myself. You tell them about yourself and they go “Okay, this is a person I could see working here, somebody I would want to work with.”

The recording of the event will be available soon – we’ll share on Seidenberg social media as soon as it’s up!

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