Pace University faculty members are available to provide expert commentary and analysis on a broad range of including politics, policy, economics, international affairs and more, are available for comment on the 2024 US elections. Get in touch with our experts and check out or recent media clips.

Faculty Experts

Matthew Bolton is professor of political science and co-director of the International Disarmament Institute at Pace University. He was part of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) team awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. Bolton has also worked for 20 years with UN and NGO efforts addressing the humanitarian impact of landmines, cluster munitions, military robotics and the arms trade. Bolton has published six books, including Political Minefields and Imagining Disarmament. His work has featured in BBC News, Newsweek, PBS Newshour, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Boston Globe, Gothamist, The Hill, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, and more.

• Expertise: United Nations, Peacebuilding, and the Humanitarian and environmental Consequences of Weapons

Bennett L. Gershman is a distinguished professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law since its founding as the Pace Law School in 1976. Prior to coming to Pace, Gershman was a prosecutor in the New York State Anti-Corruption Office, where he argued cases in state and federal courts involving public and political officials charged with corruption. As a leading authority in the country on prosecutorial misconduct, Gershman is continuously called upon by the news media for his expertise. He is routinely quoted by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as by a host of local publications.

• Expertise: Constitutional Law, Criminal Justice, Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics

Kerriann Stout is an adjunct professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, and instructor of Political Science and Criminal Justice at Pace University. Currently, Kerriann teaches courses related to bar exam and law school skills, individual rights and liberties, state and local government, and legislation and regulation.

• Expertise: Political Science

Laura Tamman is a clinical assistant professor of political science at Pace University. A scholar of American and Urban Politics, Laura uses quantitative methods to study political persuasion in the context of race and ethnicity. Informed by her two decades of experience working on the frontlines of political campaigns, her research examines the effects of campaign contact on election results. An expert on New York City politics, Laura has coauthored reports on the implementation of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and voter turnout.

• Expertise: Political Science, Political campaigns, and New York City politics

Leslie Y. Garfield Tenzer is the Luk-Cummings Family Faculty Scholar at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Tenzer's scholarship and teaching bridge the worlds of theory and practice, with a particular focus on regulating conduct in the digital age. Prior to coming to Haub Law, Professor Tenzer was a legislative attorney in the Legal Division of the Council of the City of New York. She currently teaches and writes in the areas of Commercial Law, including Contracts and UCC Article 2, Criminal Law, Torts and Social Media Law. Professor Tenzer's most recent scholarship focuses on legal issues concerning social media.

• Expertise: Commercial Law, Contracts, Criminal Justice, Intellectual Property, Technology and Information, Torts, and Social Media Law

Mark Weinstock is a clinical assistant professor of economics at Pace University. His contribution to non-linear econometric modeling of bank regulation received the Leon Horniker Award for Research Excellence. Weinstock was an electronics entrepreneur for many years, allowing him to bring real world elements of finance and business into the classroom to create a bridge between the theoretical underpinnings of economics and real-world applications.

• Expertise: Economics

Melvin Williams is an associate professor of communication and media studies at Pace University. An award-winning communication scholar, his research examines the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in popular culture. Specifically, Williams considers the political ramifications of popular culture to investigate how minority communities use its mediums to address disparaging media representations. In addition, Williams is a cultural commentator and public writer, offering critical analyses of Hip-Hop, LGBTQ politics, and popular culture for media outlets such as Associated Press, Huffington Post, NBCLX, NBC Universal, Newsweek, NPR, USA Today, and The Washington Post.

• Expertise: African American Representations in Popular Culture, Black Female Celebrity Representations in Feminist Media Culture, Black Masculinity Studies, Black Queer Studies, Celebrity Death Culture, Feminist Media Studies, Hip-Hop Feminist Politics, Minority Cultural Production on Social Media, Popular Culture, Queer Online Political Communication, and Social Media and Social Change

Election Media Clips

Pace University Political Science Professor Laura Tamman featured on Fox 5 News
Fox5
Pace University Dyson Political Science Professor Laura Tamman was featured on Fox 5 focusing on the 2024 presidential debate.

Power & Politics: Harris-Trump first debate preview; education in New York for the new school year
News 12 - Westchester
Pace University Clinical Assistant Professor George Picoulas provided a preview of the first debate, offering insights on what each candidate needed to accomplish in the debate.

Power & Politics: Harris, Trump unveil economic plans; what a federal rate cut could mean for you
News 12 Westchester
This week's guests include Pace University Clinical Associate Professor Mark Weinstock and The SKG Team at Barnum Financial Group Certified Financial Planner Chris Kampitsis.

How celebrities impact U.S. elections
CBS News
A number of famous faces have been in attendance for both this week's Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention earlier this summer. Dr. Melvin Williams, associate professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, joined CBS News to discuss how celebrities impact politics.

Fans Think Taylor Swift Responded to Donald Trump's AI Image Scandal - Parade
Parade
In Trump's case, Pace University Law Professor Leslie Garfield Tenzer told Forbes that Swift may have recourse under the Lanah Act, which ...

'Shake If Off'—Taylor Swift Could Sue Trump For Using Her Likeness - Forbes
Forbes
"The Lanham Act—which Congress adopted quite some time ago—protects celebrity 'brands' and gives celebrities a cause of action against people or corps that try to use the celebrity's likeness to mislead consumers," explained Pace University Law Professor Leslie Garfield Tenzer.

Celebrities And Politics Don't Mix Well In Social Media Era - Forbes
Forbes
... University. Nothing To Gain From Being Too Political. It is ... Pace University. "His intent was clearly that his craft was a sports ...

Donald Trump May Have Violated Lanham Act With Taylor Swift Image Use - Newsweek
Newsweek
...to use the celebrity's likeness to mislead consumers," explained Pace University Law Professor Leslie Garfield Tenzer.

Kamala Harris leans into her Indian, Black heritage to energize voters
USA Today
Harris will need to assemble a broad coalition to win in November, including a substantial percentage of independent and unaffiliated white voters in the suburbs of battleground states, said Laura Tamman, an assistant professor of Political Science at New York's Pace University.

Kamala Harris leans into her Indian, Black heritage to energize voters
AOL.com
Harris will need to assemble a broad coalition to win in November, including a substantial percentage of independent and unaffiliated white voters in the suburbs of battleground states, said Laura Tamman, an assistant professor of Political Science at New York's Pace University.

Kamala Harris leans into her Indian, Black heritage to energize voters
The Reporter-Times
… said Laura Tamman, an assistant professor of Political Science at New York's Pace University.

Kamala Harris leans into her Indian, Black heritage to energize voters
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
… said Laura Tamman, an assistant professor of Political Science at New York's Pace University.

Kamala Harris leans into her Indian, Black heritage to energize voters
MSN
… said Laura Tamman, an assistant professor of Political Science at New York's Pace University.

Kamala Harris is accused of being 'soft on crime,' but is there any evidence?
The Hill
Bennett L. Gershman is a former prosecutor in New York and a distinguished professor of law at Pace University. He is the author of “Prosecutorial ...

Do celebrity endorsements matter?
Vox
“Political candidates are heavily leaning on celebrities as a mechanism to attract the attention of this cycle’s youngest voting demographic: Generation Z,” says Melvin Williams, a professor of communications and media studies at Pace University.

Élections américaines : des célébrités mettent du poids dans la balance
CBC Radio-Canada
Pace University Professor Melvin Williams was featured On CBC Radio-Canada analyzing the impacts and dangers of celebrity endorsements in the 2024 US Presidential Election.

Power & Politics: Harris picks Walz, a plan to fix East Ramapo schools' finances
News 12 Westchester
On this weekend's Power & Politics, Pace University political science adjunct professor Kerriann Stout provides insight into Kamala Harris' decision to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate and State Sen. Bill Weber discusses his bill to rescue the East Ramapo Central School District from a major financial hole.

Kamala Harris picks Tim Walz as running mate
NBC New York
Pace University’s Political Science Professor Laura Tamman spoke with WNBC4 in New York about Kamala Harris’s pick for vice president in her run for The White House.

Hudson Valley Congressman Backs Vice President Kamala Harris For New Presidential Nomine
News 12 - Westchester
It's an endorsement, a political science professor Laura Tamman with Pace University says will likely energize voters and the Hudson Valley one way or another.

Political analyst: Biden's decision to end reelection bid should have come sooner
News 12 - Westchester
News 12's Melanie Palmer spoke with political science professor Laura Tamman who weigh in on the political impact of the decision.

Contingent Presidential Election – 19th Century Anachronism or Detour From Democracy in 2025?
PA Times
Pace University professor Stephen R. Rolandi discusses the concept of a contingent presidential election, a process outlined in the U.S. Constitution that occurs when no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes.

Pace professor weighs political rhetoric, gun control in wake of Trump rally shooting
News 12 - Westchester
News 12's Carol Wilkinson spoke to Pace University professor George Picoulas for his take on Saturday's events, media coverage of the event and...

Pace professor weighs political rhetoric, gun control in wake of Trump rally shooting
Griffin Daily News
News 12's Carol Wilkinson spoke to Pace University professor George Picoulas for his take on Saturday's events, media coverage of the event and ...

Presidential Immunity Decision Unleashes the Whirlwind
New York Law Journal
Pace University Haub Law Professor Bennett Gershman Op Ed. The decision is tendentious and policy-driven, a far cry from the self-righteous originalism these Justices purport to follow. And the decision is frightening. It’s a time-bomb ready to go off. The court has enabled any U.S. president to become a dictator.

Get In Touch with Our Experts

For press inquiries and media requests, please contact our Public Affairs Media Manager, Howard Matzner. He can be reached by phone at (914)-844-8897 or via email at hmatzner@pace.edu.

Samreen Sonde

Class of 2025

Currently Studying: MS in Human Resources Management

Current Internship: Club Management Intern, BJs Wholesale Club

Pronouns: She/Her

Image

Samreen Sonde '25 is strengthening her leadership skills and understanding of human resources management during her internship, solidifying her aspiration to pursue a career in the field.

How has the Lubin School of Business helped you prepare for your current internship?

Career Services has been instrumental in helping me refine my resume, allowing me to pass the AI resume screening process for interviews.

What attracted you to this internship?

I was drawn to this internship because of BJ's commitment to caring for families.

Describe what a typical day looks like as an intern at your organization?

I oversee operations and provide leadership and direction within the organization. I collaborate with other managers to drive team member engagement, and I develop talent through coaching, teaching, and developing team members. Additionally, I assess team member performance and provide actionable feedback. I evaluate departmental performance using company reporting programs and provide recommendations to maximize sales, profits, and performance. Ensuring that operational processes are consistently followed in highly controlled areas such as receiving, asset control, and human resources is also a key part of my role. I continually monitor customer service levels to ensure a positive service experience is delivered to all members and maintain an understanding of club policies and procedures across all areas of the club.

What has been the highlight or most enjoyable aspect of your internship so far?

The highlight has been visiting different clubs, meeting new employees, and understanding their perspectives.

This internship has strengthened my leadership skills and deepened my understanding of human resources management. It has solidified my aspiration to pursue a career in human resources by providing real-world experience in team development, operational efficiency, and performance evaluation.

How has this experience shaped or impacted your career goals?

This internship has strengthened my leadership skills and deepened my understanding of human resources management. It has solidified my aspiration to pursue a career in human resources by providing real-world experience in team development, operational efficiency, and performance evaluation. The hands-on experience and networking opportunities have significantly influenced my career path.

How will this experience impact your next semester at Lubin?

This internship will allow me to apply practical knowledge to my coursework, deepen my understanding of human resources concepts, and enhance my engagement in class discussions. It has provided valuable connections and insights that will benefit my professional growth.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students who would like to pursue an internship in the future?

Yes, persevere until you succeed and maintain contact with your counselors; interactions with them can be life-changing.

Connect with Samreen:

• Connect with Samreen Parvaz on LinkedIn
• Follow Samreen Parvaz on Instagram