The Professor Is in: Bruce Bachenheimer

Lubin School of Business

Clinical Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship Lab Director Bruce Bachenheimer talks New York City, Pace, and more in this month’s The Professor Is In.

Clinical Professor of Management Bruce Bachenheimer

Thirty-five years ago this month, Bruce Bachenheimer (BBA ’83) graduated from Pace with a degree in international management. Today, Bachenheimer is a vocal and vital member of the Pace Community, helping shape the minds of future business leaders in management and entrepreneurship. Bachenheimer recently took some time to chat with Opportunitas about what he’s working on, what he likes about Pace, and the current dynamism of New York City.

You’re both a professor at Lubin and in charge of the Entrepreneurship Lab. Tell us more about those roles.
What’s nice about teaching and running the Entrepreneurship Lab (eLab) is that I’m able to use the eLab and its many resources for my classes. It directly supports curricular instruction—things that happen in the classroom—but also provides co-curricular and extra-curricular support. For example, the eLab runs a pitch contest and business plan competition, in class we are pitching new business concepts and developing business plans.

Do you see that type of blending happening more in the future?
The whole nature of education is changing. This idea of what’s called the “sage on the stage”—one person lecturing to a room of students lined up in rows—that worked during the industrial revolution. But now, people aren’t learning well that way and students want a lot more. Society has changed. Everyone has a short attention span, whether it's texting, Twitter, or one paragraph Yelp reviews. If students aren’t learning the way I teach, I have to change the way I teach.

Is there anything you’re working on that you’re particularly excited about?
I do research, read, and speak regularly about New York City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. One thing I find particularly interesting is just how and why New York City transformed itself into an entrepreneurial city. We were big finance, traditional media, Madison Avenue ad agencies, iconic department stores. We had all of these major industries and Fortune 500 companies, but after the 2008 financial crisis we had to become a lot more entrepreneurial. How New York City did that is incredibly interesting. After the financial crisis, there’s so many things that have been done in a very strategic way. Everything from cutting some red tape to opening up Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island. And now, New York City has surpassed Boston/Cambridge as the number two metro area for VC investment after Silicon Valley.

Do you think that entrepreneurial spirit is built into the DNA of the city?
There’s certainly some of that DNA—the immigrant story, Ellis Island, if I can make it here I can make it anywhere. Additionally, there are numerous entrepreneurial ecosystem models, delineating critical components of success. What is interesting about New York is a concept called the perception of desirability. An entrepreneur can locate almost anywhere, but right now New York City is a very desirable place to be. When I was growing up back in the 70s, nobody wanted to be here. That perception has changed so much, people from around the world want to live and work here, and sometimes you’re really not sure why. That perception of what’s cool and what’s desirable changes, and right now New York City has it.

What’s your favorite thing about working at Pace?
It was always a dream to teach. Without having a PhD and publishing regularly, the thought of being able to do so on a full-time basis at a major metropolitan University was something I didn’t think was possible. Pace made it possible and it’s been incredibly satisfying. I could be entering the classroom exhausted after a long day, wondering how I’m going to make it through a 3-hour night class, and within minutes, the energy from the students...I love it.

In regards to the eLab, the autonomy. I’m happy to work toward institutional goals, the mission and objectives of the University or my School set, but the ability to do that independently and autonomously is very empowering and motivational. Given the mission and objectives, I’ve been afforded a huge degree of freedom to figure out how to best achieve them, and the resources to do it.

You can have a dinner party for any four people, living or dead. Who would you invite?
My mother, my mother-in-law, and my daughter. My mother and mother-in-law both passed away before I was married and never knew our daughter. If it was possible for my mother and mother-in-law to meet our daughter, that would be an amazing dinner for four.

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Pace University Premieres Bee Aware Documentary On Earth Day

Pace University Becomes a Certified ‘Bee Campus USA’

The film, a passion project of the PaceDocs Team, was entirely produced and edited during the pandemic

After much hard work, dedication and anticipation, Pace University’s documentary film team – PaceDocs – last night premiered Bee Aware, a film focusing on the environmental threats facing one of the most important pollinators for humankind.

The film aptly debuted online on Earth Day as it spotlights the vital role bees play in our food supply; their importance to the environment; and some of the challenges facing the insect and the environment. It was followed by a virtual Q&A with the filmmakers via Zoom.

“The PaceDocs team, under the guidance of Professor Maria Luskay, always does remarkable work,” said Marvin Krislov, president of Pace University. “This year, they did something extraordinary, persevering through a pandemic to create a truly inspiring, thought-provoking, and poignant documentary. ‘Bee Aware’ is a wonderful example of Pace students’ commitment to hard work, hands-on education, and environmental conservation. I couldn’t be prouder of this group of young filmmakers.”

The film was shot on location at bee farms throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Initially, the class -- made up of 20 graduate and undergraduate students from around the country -- was set to embark on a trip to Paris, France last spring to spotlight the rooftop bees that survived the historic Cathedral of Notre Dame fire. But the global pandemic halted all international travel, and the university, like most others around the world, immediately pivoted to remote learning.

Professor Luskay, whose “Producing the Documentary” course is part of the Department of Media, Communications, and Visual Arts, knew the show must go on. Luskay, assisted by Professor Lou Guarneri and the PaceDocs team scrambled and came up with “Plan Bee.”

“This year’s lessons were ones of endurance and adaptation,” said Professor Luskay. “The students really learned how to adapt, change and solve problems as the world around them changed. I couldn’t be more proud of them. They produced a great film.”

The popular class is part of Pace University’s highly regarded film program, and as part of it, students have been introduced to documentary filmmaking, teamwork, problem-solving, and organization. They’ve also been introduced to different areas of the world where they’ve experienced firsthand a number of important environmental and humanitarian issues -- and have been challenged to document them in remote locations around the globe.

In recent years, Pace filmmakers have produced documentaries about the earthquakes in Hawaii (2019); the endurance of the people of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria (2018); Cuba at a cultural crossroads (2016); reviving Curacao’s coral reefs (2015); as well as many other poignant films.

“Every year, Dyson College’s student filmmakers travel abroad to produce a documentary that shines a light on an important issue, educating us all,” said Tresmaine R. Grimes, dean, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education. “I am so very proud of this year’s team, as they not only produced a compelling, informative film, but also rose to overcome the unique challenges posed by the pandemic. Congratulations to them and Professors Luskay and Guarneri for another stellar PaceDocs production.”

Although difficult at times, students say the experience was invaluable, and gave them a real dose of what it’s like to make a film under challenging circumstances.

“We had a special experience,” said Austin Braun, a graduate student from Stockholm, New Jersey. “We learned how to produce a film online. We learned that we can make a powerful film with all of the technology we have … It’s the future of filmmaking.”

While it may very well be a sign of things to come in the industry, getting there was no small accomplishment. In addition to finding new locations to film and experts to speak with over the summer, the class had to learn how to edit together while working remotely across the region.

“We worked our tails off,” Braun added. “Through hard work and determination, we got it done.”

For Cory Kinchla, a graduating senior from Tewksbury, Mass., the journey has been wild. A digital cinema and filmmaking major, he chose Pace specifically for its documentary program. Clearly it was upsetting to start over, and “chaotic at times” but the endgame was worth it.

“It was a real life experience,” Kinchla said. “The whole experience was about adapting, improvising and overcoming. We can say we produced a documentary through a pandemic and made it happen. We were able to pull it together. That’s the reward.”

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. Follow us on Twitter or on the Pace News website.

About Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

Pace University’s liberal arts college, Dyson College, offers more than 50 programs, spanning the arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and pre-professional programs (including pre-medicine, pre-veterinary, and pre-law), as well as many courses that fulfill core curriculum requirements. The College offers access to numerous opportunities for internships, cooperative education and other hands-on learning experiences that complement in-class learning in preparing graduates for career and graduate/professional education choices.

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