Clinical Assistant Professor Akil DuPont, MFA, Media, Communications, and Visual Arts, won the Best Production award at the Spring/Summer 2024 New York Theater Festival for Underground, a story of the enslaved, told with the spirituals that guided them to freedom, and inspired by real events in America’s history. His role was as a writer, producer and director.

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Of his win, he said, “This award means so much to me! I've had this project inside me since 2007, before I went to film school. There was a lot of self-study to transition my art from film to theater. For the past 10 years, I've been studying the craft of live narrative performance in plays and musicals. This award lets me know that hard work, a vision, the right cast and crew, plus a little luck can make magic happen!”

On an unrelated but synchronistic note, Dupont’s Best Production Award was tied with the theatrical work, The Book or, Dear Reader, by Pace students Ava Resco ‘25 (Sands College), Gannon Ripchik ’25 (Sands College), Adam Scot ’25 (Sands College), Brooke Lyn Sicignano ’25 (Sands College), Anna Marie Tobin ‘25, Film and Screen Studies (Dyson), Directing (Sands College).

New class, comprised of 2,348 incoming students from 64 countries, shows growth in nursing, criminal justice, psychology, and computer science

An eventful week of fun-filled festivities and students returning to campus culminated Tuesday when Pace University welcomed its Class of 2028 during its Convocation.

In separate ceremonies – one at its campus in lower Manhattan followed by another at its Pleasantville campus in Westchester County – the Pace community welcomed 2,348 new and transfer students hailing from 49 states and 64 countries.

Applications to Pace were up 5 percent this year, with 32,650 applications across campuses. The incoming class has demonstrated significant growth in academic areas such as nursing, health sciences, biology, business economics, criminal justice, psychology, accounting, management, finance, and computer science. This growth reflects the university's commitment to academic achievement and innovative programs that prepare students for professional careers. In Pleasantville, enrollment was up by 13 percent over last year.

Pace’s motto of Opportunitas, or creating opportunities for students, was a central theme. President Marvin Krislov encouraged students to explore new ideas, to engage with them, and to not shy away from trying new experiences.

“Remember: the opportunities at Pace are vast,” President Krislov told the packed rooms. “I challenge you to explore beyond your comfort zone. Join new clubs, meet different people, and embrace all that this vibrant community has to offer. These experiences will enrich your Pace Path and your personal growth.”

In addition to President Krislov, Interim Provost Jonathan Hill, Associate Provost for Student Success Hillary Knepper, and Chief Diversity Officer Stephanie Akunvabey each provided warm welcomes and words of wisdom to the diverse group of students.

New York City’s Student Government President George Davis encouraged the incoming class to get involved and seize every opportunity available to them as Pace’s respective classrooms and curriculums extend far beyond campus.

“The themes that thread my experiences together are to embrace the unknown, say yes as much as you can, and enjoy the journey,” Davis said. “Embrace the unknown by playing the cards you’ve been dealt to the best of your ability and seek out new opportunities -- who knows what you’ll discover. Saying yes more than no does not mean overbooking yourself or becoming overwhelmed, rather taking the initiative to carve out your ideal experience here in the greatest city on earth.”

Pleasantville’s Student Government President Nicholas Diaz shared stories from his Pace journey and highlighted the importance of having a supportive community.

"In only the two years that I have been at Pace, I have seen how close of a unit the Pace community is and how we thrive with support,” Diaz said. “Whether that's cheering at a football game or showing up to an event, when it really counts there will always be someone at Pace who will show up for you.”

“I came to Pace for the business opportunities, the close distance to New York City and to play field hockey,” said Chloe Gilroy, a first-year finance major from New Hampshire. “I thought Convocation was great: I am really looking forward to the opportunities here -- the clubs and the classes.”

Nursing continues to be a draw for talented students eager to work in the region’s robust healthcare sector. The program’s recent pass rate of 98% on the national licensing exam underscores the high-quality education and training that students receive at Pace.

“Becoming a nurse has always been my goal, and I’m excited to learn and grow in my nursing classes,” said Briana Perez ’28, a nursing major from Brooklyn, New York. “Helping others is my passion, and I know Pace will help me become the best nurse I can be.”

About Pace University

Since 1906, Pace University has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace offers bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs to 13,600 students in its College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

Artificial Intelligence. Data-driven machine learning. Computer Vision.

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Seidenberg has long been known for its future-forward approach, tackling the latest developments in computing head-on. It’s fitting that the school’s newest faculty member, Assistant Professor of Computer Science Soheyla Amirian, PhD, has also long shared this sentiment.

Having earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees all in computer science, Soheyla is poised to add a seasoned and innovative perspective to everything related to Artificial Intelligence at Pace. Among other initiatives, she’ll be bringing the Applied Machine Intelligence Initiatives and Education (AMIIE) Laboratory to Pace, dedicated to bridging the gap between Artificial Intelligence research and real-world problems—exploring topics ranging from health informatics to surveillance and security.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Soheyla, who shared her academic background, her current research pertaining to leveraging AI models to improve medical imaging analysis, and why she’s extremely excited to join the Pace Community.

1. Can you briefly describe your academic and research interests?

My academic and research interests revolve around the fascinating world of Artificial intelligence (AI). AI is the science of making computers perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. For instance, training a computer to recognize objects in CT images, such as distinguishing between a cancerous and non-cancerous lung nodule, is part of computer vision.

Deep learning is, however, a method we use to achieve this, where we train artificial neural networks to learn from large datasets, improving their accuracy and capabilities over time. My work also spans into AI, which is about building smart systems that can function intelligently and independently, performing tasks in an automatic fashion with high accuracy, like decision-making or language understanding.

What are you working on right now that you are currently excited about?

Currently, I am working on exciting projects that involve developing, training, and validating AI models to enhance medical image analysis, particularly in Musculoskeletal settings, like knee and hip replacement. The goal is to improve the accuracy and efficiency of AI-enabled predictive models from different image modalities, ranging from X-rays and MRIs to CT scans and ultrasound images. These advancements hold significant potential to assist physicians, surgeons, and even patients by providing assistive technologies for more precise detection and identification of complications.

You’ve noted the importance of making complex scientific concepts easily understandable to a wide audience. Would you be able to elaborate the importance of this idea, particularly given your academic focus?

Effective communication is crucial, especially in complex fields such as AI. Making intricate scientific concepts accessible to a wider range of audiences, including those with limited technical background, is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it helps in gaining the trust and support of stakeholders, such as funding agencies, end-users, policymakers, and public communities.

Secondly, it fosters interdisciplinary collaboration by enabling experts from different sectors to understand and contribute to AI research and education. Finally, as a teacher, it is vital to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists, engineers, and the workforce, ensuring they accurately grasp all foundational concepts and underlying algorithms, thus they can build upon them.

Effective communication is crucial, especially in complex fields such as AI. Making intricate scientific concepts accessible to a wider range of audiences, including those with limited technical background, is essential for several reasons.

You’ll be bringing the Applied Machine Intelligence Initiatives and Education (AMIIE) Laboratory to Pace. Can you talk a little about the AMIIE Lab, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration?

Leading my AMIIE Laboratory is an incredibly rewarding experience. The lab focuses on bridging the gap between theoretical AI research and practical applications. We work on various applied and fundamental AI projects that solve real-world problems.

Interdisciplinary collaboration is at the heart of our efforts. By bringing together experts, ranging from computer scientists and AI practitioners to clinicians and surgeons, my AMIIE Lab can approach problems from multiple angles, leading to more innovative and comprehensive computational solutions. This collaborative platform not only enriches our research and educational activities but also provides a holistic learning experience for our students. Interested individuals are encouraged to visit the AMIIE Lab regularly to stay informed about opportunities, news, and updates on our research and activities.

What excites you about coming to Pace? How do you feel like your expertise, particularly in AI, can help raise the profile of Seidenberg?

I am deeply honored and excited about joining Pace University for several reasons, one could be Pace’s commitment to innovation and excellence in education and research. The Seidenberg School's focus on advanced technology and its applications aligns perfectly with my expertise in AI. I believe my background in developing AI solutions for diverse fields can contribute to Pace's reputation as a leader in technological education and research.

By integrating AI into various academic programs and fostering collaborative projects, I aim to enhance the learning experience for students and drive forward impactful research initiatives. This can help raise the profile of Seidenberg as a hub for cutting-edge technology and interdisciplinary collaboration, moving “together”, fast and boldly forward.

The Seidenberg School's focus on advanced technology and its applications aligns perfectly with my expertise in AI. I believe my background in developing AI solutions for diverse fields can contribute to Pace's reputation as a leader in technological education and research.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I believe that all world-class programs and resources at Pace University combined with my expertise in fundamental and applied AI creates a robust and promising framework for success and meaningful contributions to our society.

I am eager to collaborate with the outstanding faculty, staff, and students at Pace University. I am passionate about fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment where innovative ideas can thrive. Together, we can explore the vast potential of AI and its applications, driving positive change and advancing knowledge in exciting new ways.

Jeffrey A. Barnett, PhD, is our vice president for student affairs and dean for students. Since joining the Pace Community in 2022, he’s made an extremely positive impact–bringing his deep expertise in organizational leadership, inclusion and belonging, student support services, student programming, and much more to improve the Setter student experience.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Dean Barnett about exciting new developments in Student Affairs, how to prioritize well-being amidst a busy schedule, and his talents as a chef.

Learn more about Student Affairs

You've got tons of experience in mental health, wellness, and handling emergencies. What new and exciting programs or ideas are you most pumped to bring to Pace to make student life even better?

We are thrilled to have been awarded a large multi-year grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. With their generous support, we will be able to expand our wellness grants, build out zen/meditation spaces across our campuses, sustain our successful programming and outreach that supports men's well-being, and expand the services and offerings of our LGBTQIA+ Centers. In addition, we will be able to increase the number of faculty, staff and student leaders trained in Mental Health First Aid.

This funding will also allow us to launch important new outreach efforts as well, including harm reduction approaches to toxic drinking, hazing prevention, suicide and self-harm prevention. One of the most exciting programs will be our new peer support network and student CARE team made up of student leaders trained to provide important outreach, care and support to other students.

If you could instantly become an expert in any hobby or skill, what would you choose and how would you show it off to the students at Pace?

I'm a pretty good cook! Years of working in all aspects of the food, beverage and hospitality industries helped me develop some legit skills in this area. I'd love to join a Pace NYC Chopped team this year and host some dinners with students.

When you were in college, did you have any quirky or unusual study habits that helped you ace your exams?

I learned quickly that although I was a strong student in high school, I needed to adapt my study habits to the challenges of the college classroom and learning environment. A few pro-tips I learned were:

• Read the text before the class that covers that material. By doing this, the class/lecture will help build on and reinforce what you have already read instead of it hearing the information for the first time in class.
• Have two notebooks for each class: one for taking notes in class and one for rewriting those notes. Why do this? When we take notes in class, we usually try to write down as much as and as quickly as possible. Rewriting the notes not only helps you store the information in your longer term memory core (this is research based), but also allows you to organize your notes better and incorporate relevant information from the text as well.
• Match your study habits with your learning style using Gardner's Theory on Multiple Intelligences, which says we are all smart in different ways determined y how our brain is wired. Some of us are visual-spatial learners, others are linguistic-verbal, Musical, or Body-Kinesthetic learners. Lean into your unique learning style—it makes studying easier.

We've brought back Cafeteria Karaoke. Who from Pace would you sing with and what would your song be? Bonus points for choreography.

So many, but my top choice would be our SGA Presidents, George Davis (NYC) and Nick Diaz (PLV). Not only are they both brilliant, but they have amazing talent that would mask my severe singing and dancing deficiencies!

What do you think makes a university super student-friendly, and how do you bring those awesome elements to life at Pace to make sure students have the best experience ever?

It's all about the people. The staff and faculty really care very deeply about our students. And our students demonstrate care to each other.

Got any top-notch advice on staying healthy and safe while having a blast during college years?

Please take good care of yourself and look out for others. Remember to do the basics. Eat well, don't overload on fast-food, junk-food or sweets. Sleep well; get a full night's sleep. Don't cram for exams or pull all-nighters. Plan and prepare in advance and be disciplined to stick with the plan, though you can adjust as needed.

Take good care of your mental and emotional needs and wellness. Take breaks. Stay connected with family and friends. Find your community. Identify healthy ways to release stress. Stay active. Walk, run, stretch or workout in the gym. Try yoga. Wear helmets when biking, skating or scooting around town. Take the stairs! Explore the area.

Welcome to the Fall 2024 semester!

I hope you had a wonderful summer and are feeling as energized as I am to begin another exciting academic year at Pace. A special welcome to the Class of 2028! It was great to meet so many of you and welcome you all to the Setter family at yesterday’s Convocation. What an inspiring way to kick off the 2024–2025 academic year.

As we gather again across our campuses, I’m excited for the fresh opportunities this semester brings. Whether you’re returning or new to Pace, this will be a time filled with creating meaningful connections and making positive contributions to our community.

It is also important to acknowledge that 2024 is an election year—a time that often brings diverse perspectives and lively discussions. At Pace, we believe in the importance of civic engagement and the free exchange of ideas. We encourage everyone in our community to express their views respectfully and thoughtfully. To support this spirit of civic duty, we will have polling locations available on both the Pleasantville and New York City campuses, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

Our community thrives on the diverse perspectives and talents each of you brings, and I am eager to see how you will continue to innovate, collaborate, and lead in the months ahead. Let’s make this semester a time for meaningful progress and success.

I look forward to seeing you at our Welcome Back receptions on September 16 in New York City and September 17 in Pleasantville where you will get a chance to chat with our new Interim Provost Jonathan Hill, DPS—and throughout the semester as we work together to build on our motto of Opportunitas.

Welcome back, and here’s to a great semester!

Marvin Krislov
President

Clinical Associate Professor of Economics Mark Weinstock, MA, appeared on News12 Westchester to weigh in on the similarities and differences between the economic plans and platforms of US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

On the similarities between their economic plans, he cites that both of them now seem to be supportive of electric vehicles, although Harris by a much greater extent; they are also similar on housing, in the sense of a focus on affordable housing for first-time buyers, although with significantly different approaches; and also pledge no cuts on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid entitlement structures, with again, greatly different approaches on how to repair the weaknesses and deficiencies; they also share protectionist trade policies, with Trump being more intense in his viewpoint.

According to Weinstock, the greatest difference among the two candidates is on the topic of taxes.

“Trump tax cuts which occurred in 2017 are due to expire at the end of next year, 2025, and Trump would propose to extend those tax cuts and perhaps even cut more, such as cutting the corporate income tax rate from 21 to 19 percent. On the other hand, Harris would repeal many of the Trump tax cuts, especially for people making over $400,000 per year. She would also raise the corporate income tax rate from the current 21 percent to 28 percent and I believe that she would be more aggressive in expanding the earned income tax and child tax credits.”

As a scholar deeply immersed in both technology and philosophy, James Brusseau, PhD, has spent years unraveling the complex ethics of artificial intelligence (AI).

“As it happens, I was a physics major in college, so I've had an abiding interest in technology, but I finally decided to study philosophy,” Brusseau explains. “And I did not see much of an intersection between the scientific and my interest in philosophy until all of a sudden artificial intelligence landed in our midst with questions that are very philosophical.”

Some of these questions are heavy, with Brusseau positing an example, “If a machine acts just like a person, does it become a person?” But AI’s implications extend far beyond the theoretical, especially when it comes to the impact on education, learning, and career outcomes. What role does AI play in higher education? Is it a tool that enhances learning, or does it risk undermining it? And how do universities prepare students for an AI-driven world?

In a conversation that spans these topics, Brusseau shares his insights on the place of AI in higher education, its benefits, its risks, and what the future holds.

What is AI's place in higher education?

I do have an opinion on higher education and AI, and it's controversial, but on this matter, all opinions are controversial. I think, at this point, it's my instinct to say that AI—more than anything else—is just a tool. That is, I do not think it is capable of producing thought as you and I do.

For example, when you look at AI-generated art, there's always some little tell that it's machine-made. There'll be six fingers on a hand, or it’s too perfect, or too symmetrical. The human eye can detect when AI has created art. And I think that of course AI will constantly get better, but I think there will always be that sense that you and I will have that an artificial intelligence has created art.

I think that if AI alone is the professor, then the knowledge students get will be imperfect in the same vaguely definable way that AI art is imperfect.

And I think that that’s also true for knowledge—knowledge about philosophy, about journalism, knowledge about the kinds of things we teach at Pace. I think that if AI alone is the professor, then the knowledge students get will be imperfect in the same vaguely definable way that AI art is imperfect.

My broad opinion is that AI is just a tool. It's not actual intelligence itself. And for that reason, its effects in higher education will be somewhat limited, though I think that in a couple of ways, they’ll be very significant.

What are some of the benefits of integrating AI in learning?

AI, at least in my experience, allows us to learn about things very quickly. I mean, I just know in my professional work, I'm asking fairly specialized questions.

For example, I'm writing a paper now about art and creativity, and I was writing about an author called Walter Benjamin, who is a fairly narrowly known philosophical writer, and I asked ChatGPT a very specific question about what this author thought about a specific painting, and it gave me a good answer. And I checked a book I have on the author to make sure, and it was right.

So one thing that AI will do is provide very specific and personalized information for students and professors very quickly.

What are some of the concerns about AI in higher education?

I think that is fairly clear: It's the over-reliance on AI. I have already seen students relying on it for their work. Sometimes students forget that professors, like me, were also students once in the past. And so, they don't imagine that when I write an exam, I might give that exam to ChatGPT to see what ChatGPT says. And then when the student does the same thing, right away I can see that they have used AI, because I got almost exactly the same answer from ChatGPT.

I think that the risk of AI is that the students will become sloppy, they will become careless. They will let AI, in essence, do their work. And I think that's a legitimate downside.

How can universities and professors assess true student understanding of a topic or concept?

It’s my belief that oral exams will make a comeback. During my summer semester at the University of Trento in Italy, we had, for the first time, purely oral exams for my classes. For the midterm exam, I had the students gather into groups and do presentations on AI ethics and then for the final exam, I had each student do a presentation alone.

So one thing that AI will do is provide very specific and personalized information for students and professors very quickly.

That kind of just human interaction, I think, one, it's a very good learning experience for the student. It's hard to stand up in front of your colleagues and talk, it's a learned skill. I think that we should promote that more going forward.

But I think also, two, that's a way to discover whether or not the student actually learned and did the work. And when students know that there is an oral exam at the end, I think that will in some sense force them to do more of the learning. And I think that will help students focus learning from AI instead of letting AI do the learning for them.

What do you think will be the overall impact of AI on student learning?

I think that the big change that we're going to see from AI is not so much in how education works, but how students, more than ever, are going to be responsible for their own education. Students who want to learn a lot are going to be able to learn more, faster. However, students who are clever and really just want to get through, I think they are also going to be empowered to do that in numerous ways.

For example, part of what is discovered in the traditional research process is tangential to the initial goal. If a student wants to write about how previous scholars have understood the idea of privacy, they will need to comb through several texts and likely make some unexpected discoveries about the subject. But, with ChatGPT, they can go directly to the required information. That helps with their grade, but detracts from their intellectual curiosity.

Students, more than ever, are going to be responsible for their own education.

In education, I think we're going to see a growing level of inequality in outcomes. Some students are going to graduate with educations that are pristine, that are at levels that could not have been even reached 20 years ago, because they will have been able to use AI to research so deeply into a subject they enjoy. But I’m afraid, we are also going to see some graduates who have been able to fake it, in essence, the whole four years.

There are a lot of fears about AI taking jobs. What are your thoughts on how AI will affect career opportunities?

There will be some transformation in jobs. Jobs will change. But just my own experience tells me that there's more opportunities than losses.

Let me give you an example. Seidenberg’s Christelle Scharff and I wrote a paper about how AI can be used to help clothing designers produce new kinds of clothes. A really interesting application. I never would have thought of that. People think about AI for doing healthcare. They think about AI for making weapons and destroying the world and that kind of thing. But I never would have thought about artificial intelligence and clothing design.

So, this is a terrific opportunity for someone from Pace. We have courses on design and the arts, and we have a computer science school. That's an opportunity for someone from Pace to create a kind of job for themselves, right? So, my sense is that AI will do more of that creation than destruction. Of course, there will be destruction, but for people who are ambitious and creative, I think the opportunities are there.

Want to join the AI discussion? RSVP for the upcoming AI user groups kickoff meetings, a new initiative from the Provost's Committee on Artificial Intelligence.

Associate Professors of Psychology Brenna Hassinger-Das, PhD, and Leora Trub, PhD, along with Paulette Didia, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, co-authored a study, “Stuck in the DMs: The Association between Introversion/Extraversion and Self-Confidence through Text-Based Communication,” in Psychology of Popular Media, about how the impact of texting affects both introverts’ and extroverts’ self-confidence.

Hassinger-Das and Trub both teach courses in the BA in Psychology program on the New York City campus. Their study sheds light on how the motivations behind texting — whether to express oneself or to escape from reality — might influence the self-confidence of individuals with varying degrees of introversion or extraversion. The findings reveal some surprising relationships between personality dispositions, texting motivations, and self-confidence. They aim to explore whether the reasons people use texting—either to express themselves or to escape from uncomfortable situations—might alter the relationship between personality traits like introversion or extraversion and self-confidence.

In an article on MSN about the study, Trub said “In a world where people are constantly looking for simple answers and solutions (e.g. Is technology good or bad?), the fact is that the impact of technology (and in this study, texting specifically) differs based on the interaction between multiple things (in this study, personality characteristics and people’s motivations for texting).”

Dr. Christelle Scharff, Seidenberg Professor, Associate Dean, and Co-Director of the Seidenberg AI Lab, has had quite a busy summer by marking several significant achievements that reflect her expertise in AI research and innovation, as well as her active engagement in global academic and professional communities.

Dr. Scharff represented the Seidenberg School and Pace University at the prestigious Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Summit in Salt Lake City. Themed "The Future is AI. The Future is Human," the summit brought together industry leaders, technologists, professional athletes, and academics to explore the work of TCS in many different industries, including education. The main emphasis of the summit was sport and its many dimensions, and attendees had the unique opportunity to interact with Olympic champions such as Lindsay Vonn and John Shuster. Dr, Scharff said that "as a sports fan, it was a thrill to stay in the Olympic spirit of Paris 2024, and even try my hand at curling!" She added that she was honored to meet so many TCS employees and partners, and to exchange ideas about the intersection of artificial intelligence and human-centered innovation.

In addition to her active participation in international summits, Dr. Scharff's commitment to advancing AI research continues to gain recognition. Her latest collaborative research paper written with Seidenberg students Samyak Rakesh Meshram, Krishna Mohan Bathula, Fnu Kaleemunnisa, and Om Gaikhe, and titled "Towards AI-Generated African Textile Patterns with StyleGAN and Stable Diffusion," has been accepted for publication and will be presented at the upcoming International Conference on AI-based Systems and Services (AISys) in September.

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The research paper explores the generation of African wax designs using advanced AI architectures like StyleGAN2-ADA, StyleGAN3, and Stable Diffusion. The study leverages a curated synthetic dataset of 2,000 images and evaluates the designs using Fréchet Inception Distance (FID). The findings highlight the potential of these AI models to generate culturally relevant and aesthetically appealing textile patterns, with a focus on both symmetry and creativity.

"By providing a new tool for creating customizable wax designs, this study has the potential to make an impact on the fashion industry," the abstract notes. "It also shows that the suggested approaches are promising to produce a variety of plausible and culturally appropriate designs. Our next step is to collaborate with African fashion designers and wax experts to validate the resulting designs."