College represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in myriad ways. By definition, a University is an institution designed for instruction and examination in many areas of advanced learning.

Across our seven schools, there’s quite a lot students can learn–from computer information technology to peace and justice studies, there is truly something for everyone. While the areas of study are truly endless, we decided to highlight a range of some truly unique courses students can enroll in while at Pace–types of courses that add an extra, distinctively satisfying dimension to the Pace educational experience:

PHI 230: The Philosophy of Happiness

For most of us, it takes more than a Pharrell song to be happy. This course, offered by the philosophy department at Dyson College, delves into one of the most profound–and difficult to answer–questions of the human condition. Namely, it tackles age old questions like: What is happiness? Is happiness sufficient for a worthwhile life? Is morality necessary for happiness? What is the relationship between happiness and a meaningful life?

Course Rotation: Westchester, Fall

MGT 312: Event Management

As anyone who has been involved in events will know, successful event management has more layers and tiers than the most elaborate of wedding cakes. Offered by Lubin’s department of management, this course introduces students to the principles, concepts, and steps involved in planning and executing successful events. Students taking this course will learn many aspects of organizing and managing special events, including venue selection, preparing and managing the budget, scheduling and staffing, food and beverage coordinating, decor, and much more.

Course Rotation: NYC, Fall

MCA 258: The Invasion of Reality Television

Reality television is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it’s been with us for three quarters of a century, ever since Candid Camera first aired in 1948. Yet, of course, the advent of Reality TV has truly exploded in the 21st century–from Survivor to American Idol, from The Bachelorette to Top Chef. Offered by the department of media and communication arts, this course examines the phenomenon of reality television from programming, economic, and social viewpoints.

Course Rotation: Westchester, Spring

Art 224: Hip Hop in Contemporary Art and Design

Hip hop shapes today’s visual culture, from magazines, clothing and design, to the art world itself. But what is it? Many of the elements of the culture can be traced back to the early 70's with graffiti on trains, and new forms of street dance, poetry and DJ'ing coming out of The Bronx. An afro-centric street culture became a new language which spoke to the world. This course combines lectures, slide shows, video and readings; engaging students in discussion and writing on the class topics.

Course Rotation: NYC, Fall

COS 250: Digital Youth Activism

What does activism look like in the digital age? How are youth engaging with digital technologies in everyday life, and what are the political implications of these everyday practices? This course examines the myriad forms and mechanisms of digital activism that have been embraced by youth throughout the globe, and consider how digital media can be a platform for both leisure and politics, and some of the ways in which each informs the other. Digital media—both its form and content, as well as its production and consumption—will serve as a lens onto issues of social inequality and national politics as they pertain to youth.

Course Rotation: NYC, Fall

INT 197G: Rome and the Eternal City

Dreaming of heading to Rome? Why not do so with course credit? This unique travel course provides students with an intense and comprehensive experience grounded in an understanding of history, art, architecture, religion, and Roman culture; the capital of the ancient Roman Empire, the Catholic Church, and the contemporary state of Italy. In other words–take an unforgettable trip to Rome, and truly get to know one of the greatest cities in the world.

Course Rotation: Travel Course

PAAT 481: The Pace LA Acting Experience

This comprehensive immersive learning course is designed to demystify the logistics of working and living in Los Angeles, the audition and booking process, as well as creating/implementing business strategies for a career in Film and Television. Taught in an immersive, hands-on approach, actors will work closely with current West Coast industry casting directors, talent agents, talent managers, studio and network executives in the areas of commercial, TV comedy, TV drama, soap opera, and feature film to gain a personal understanding of the expectation and preparation required to be a working professional actor in Los Angeles.

Course Rotation: Travel Course

MGT 397D: Contours of Black Entrepreneurship in America

In this anti-racism education (ARE) and civic engagement (CE) course, students learn about the trials and triumphs experienced by Black entrepreneurs from historical, contemporaneous, and sociological perspectives. Students learn about the various business disciplines; entrepreneurship, specifically Black entrepreneurship; historical, political, economic, and social factors affecting Black entrepreneurship; challenges facing Black entrepreneurs in New York City; and hear from Black Pace alumni entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs affiliated with New York City's Small Business Services Advancing Black Entrepreneurship (BE NYC) initiative.

Course Rotation: NYC, Fall and Spring

NUR 247: Pathophysiology and the Entertainment Media

House. ER. Grey's Anatomy. Medical shows, sure, but representative of an important media phenomenon. This course focuses on the analysis of media portrayal of disease states. The media portrayal of disease manifestations will be assessed and contrasted to evidence based disease manifestations and clinical experience. Students also analyze the effect of accurate and inaccurate disease portrayal on health care, health policy, and the general public.

Course Rotation: NYC and Westchester, Spring and Summer

COMING SOON: Digital Media Law + Taylor Swift

Law 320 Digital Media Law delves into the ever-evolving, complex relationship between entertainment, technology, and the law. How might this class look when its focus is Taylor Swift? Look out for Digital Media Law (Taylor's Version) coming to a Pace classroom near you—anticipated release date Spring 2024!

Have you taken a unique course you’d like the Pace Community to hear about? Let us know.

Image

Terryl Brown ‘86, an attorney with extensive legal, leadership, and management experience in city and state government, has been named vice president and general counsel for Pace University.

“I am committed to Pace University’s mission and believe in the transformative power of education,” said Brown. “Pace's values are consistent with my own, and I'm looking forward to helping Pace continue its important and transformative work.”

Brown most recently served as deputy commissioner of legal affairs and administration for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), where she oversaw operations and legal matters for a department comprised of 17,000 employees.

I am committed to Pace University’s mission and believe in the transformative power of education,” said Brown. “Pace's values are consistent with my own, and I'm looking forward to helping Pace continue its important and transformative work.

Over the course of her impressive legal career, Brown has also been chief ethics officer and counsel with the New York State Attorney General’s Office, acting counsel to Governor David Paterson, first assistant counsel to Governor Eliot Spitzer, a commissioner of the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics, executive vice president and general counsel at the New York Power Authority, and a partner Harris Beach PLLC.

“Terryl Brown’s accomplished career in law and government exemplifies what it means to make an impact on the world through her hard work and excellence,” said President Krislov. “She embodies our mission and philosophy of creating opportunities for our diverse student body, and we are pleased we’ll be able to benefit from her insight and expertise.”

This spring, Pace University joined a winning collaboration chosen by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and The Trust for Governors Island that will create a world-leading climate solutions center on the 172-acre island in the heart of New York Harbor.

As a core partner in “The New York Climate Exchange,” Pace will leverage its proximity and programs—particularly in the areas of ESG, environmental law, climate justice, water science, sustainability, business, and technology—in creating a first-of-its kind international center for developing and deploying dynamic solutions to our global climate crisis, while also acting as a hub for New Yorkers to benefit from the rapidly evolving green economy.

“At Pace University, our students, faculty, and staff walk the walk of sustainability every day and we are thrilled to bring our expertise to the New York Climate Exchange," said Pace President Marvin Krislov. “As home to the nation's No. 1-ranked environmental law program—and our expertise in Land Use, climate justice, ESG and regional clean water initiatives—we are eager to work collaboratively and bring an interdisciplinary approach to climate actions that forge a more resilient future for New York City and communities worldwide. Our expertise, vast student and alumni network, and location in lower Manhattan provides the perfect springboard for creating opportunities in the green economy and engagement on Governors Island.”

Image

The Exchange will host green job training and skills-building programs for New York residents to help them launch successful careers—and convene the world’s leaders and experts seeking climate solutions.

“Fighting climate change is a real battle and it's a battle that we are going to not only lead the nation, but we are going to win,” Mayor Adams said in his remarks. “And together we are creating climate opportunities across the city, investing in innovation and inventions, so that today's climate solutions become tomorrow's economic powerhouse. And I want to be clear, all New Yorkers will and must benefit from this major investment that we are making.”

Stony Brook University, as the anchor institution, will lead The Exchange while other partners, including President Krislov, will have a seat on The Exchange’s Board of Directors. Local partners include Pratt Institute, New York University, the City University of New York, SUNY Maritime College, Brookhaven National Labs and IBM.

In addition to local schools involved in The Exchange, the organization will also partner with Georgia Tech, University of Washington, Duke University, Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Oxford. Additional partners are the Simons Foundation, one of the largest charitable organizations in the United States; social justice and local advocacy groups such as GOLES, The Point and WeACT for Justice; treasured New York institutions including the American Museum of Natural History; and research and business leaders such as Boston Consulting Group and Moody’s.

Fade In: France.

When Dyson Professor Maria Luskay, EdD, first met an enthusiastic group of budding filmmakers this past spring who were taking the popular course, Producing the Documentary, she set an expectation that everyone had to meet.

“When you have a documentary that has to be completed in 14 weeks, you cannot fade out,” she cautioned students. “We have a lot of work to do.”

The sage advice stuck. In fact, not fading out became an axiom for these students who traveled to France, worked long hours, and made an impactful film, For the Love of Food: Pour l’amour de la Cuisine. In May, it made its worldwide premiere in France and to a packed theater at Jacob Burns Film Center.

The film focus is about the slow food movement, which has a long history in Europe and sprouted up around the world in the 1980s as a sustainable means of providing healthy locally sourced food.

During the semester of production, which included filming across France and New York, PaceDocs filmmakers spoke with farmers, chefs, and restaurateurs who have dedicated their lives to making slow food a reality in a fast-paced world.

Beyond learning the essentials of filmmaking, students also explored how generations of families in France prepared their meals (fresh, local, and affordable) while also being exposed to cultures far different from their own.

The hands-on experiences were priceless, and reflect Pace’s commitment to experiential learning, says Luskay.

“Our classes provide real-world experience,” she says. “They are taking what they learn in class and using it, so that when they graduate, they are ready to compete and succeed in their respective professions.”

Making this film was as hard as it gets, but it was a real confidence booster.

The class is part of the Dyson College’s highly regarded film program that requires students complete a full-length environmentally themed documentary within a semester. During the process, they learn teamwork, problem-solving, research, and organization, along with technical skills such as lighting, sound, camera work, interviewing, and other essential skills necessary to complete a film.

The 2023 documentary continues Pace University’s distinguished tradition of producing award-winning documentaries that shine a light on important environmental issues.

For Brittany Walkingstick, a 23-year-old graduate student from Kansas City, Missouri, the course proved to be “one-of-a-kind.”

“It was a chance to experience a different culture and a way to step out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Making this film was as hard as it gets, but it was a real confidence booster. I really enjoyed it, and I would definitely do it again.”

Wesley Brown, a 21-year-old junior majoring in digital cinema and filmmaking from Seattle, Washington, noted that the class taught him the intricacies of lighting, sound, voice-over, film production, and problem-solving.

“I loved being on the ground in France,” Brown said, citing a number of examples where the crew had to adapt to circumstances in the moment. “There were times we just had to figure it out. We learned how to improvise and had to find a solution. I’m grateful that I took this class.”

Announcing the Sands College of Performing Arts

Pace University’s board of trustees voted to launch the Sands College of Performing Arts this fall. The college, which will commence with the 2023–2024 academic year, is named in recognition of a $25 million gift from Pamela and Rob Sands, JD ’84, and becomes the seventh school and college within Pace University. Sands College will build on the global reputation of one of Pace University’s flagship programs, which includes undergraduate and graduate degrees in acting, directing, musical theater, commercial dance, production and design for stage and screen, and stage management.

We’re Number One!

Image

Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law is once again ranked number one in the country for Enviromental Law by the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. This is the third year in a row, and the fourth time in five years, that Haub Law has received the number one ranking for Environmental Law, marking the latest major success for the school’s Environmental Law Program.

Big Watson Wins

Image

The Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship is a three-year, cohort-based program that provides funded summer internships and unprecedented opportunities to promising undergraduate students. This year, Pace students—Yara Ammar ’26, Mariana Rojas ’26, and Ellis Clay ’25—have been selected for this prestigious fellowship. “It’s an opportunity to challenge myself differently than in my past academic and internship experience,” said Clay. “I’ll be in the spaces that will help me reach my academic and career goals by interning with different organizations and working with Watson mentors.”

Cutting-Edge Care Through Research

Image

“If we create technology that helps emergency care personnel make better decisions faster, we can literally save lives,” says Seidenberg Professor Zhan Zhang, PhD, who was recently awarded nearly $500K through the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, the most prestigious award for junior faculty across the US from a federal agency. Zhang’s been doing research in emergency care tech for almost a decade and has been using research funding to develop touchless smart glasses that will allow emergency care professionals to collect data, communicate with other specialists, and pull up medical protocol checklists with a gesture of the head or through voice controls.

Pace University Esports Voted No. 1 Program in the Nation

Image

Pace University's Esports Program has taken the college gaming world by storm, winning a March Madness-styled bracket for college esports programs hosted by Esports Foundry. After five rounds of polling which generated over 155,000 views and over 10,000 votes, Pace Esports emerged victorious. On their road to victory they defeated top-end schools including Akron University, Texas A&M University, Ohio University, Northwood University, and UC San Diego.

Employee Appreciation Month

In March, Pace celebrated our amazing employees with a month of activities to express well-deserved recognition. From tasty treats, award nominations, skill-building webinars, and Blue and Gold Spirit days, we showcased and acknowledged the excellence of our faculty and staff.

Haub Law Hosts Inaugural Equity and Justice Forum

In Spring 2023, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law presented their Inaugural Equity and Justice Forum. Marcia Sells, Chief Diversity Officer at the Metropolitan Opera, was the featured panelist for this forum titled, “Belonging—Centuries of Struggle,” which highlighted the challenges of diverse communities in the legal profession. The forum was moderated by Haub Law Professor and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Barbara Atwell.

Education Abroad

Image

Pace University student Liani Frederick ’25 has been named a 2023 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship recipient. This cohort of Gilman scholars will study or intern in more than 80 countries and represents more than 520 US colleges.

The Best and (Ful)Brightest

Four Pace University faculty—Iuliana Ismailescu, PhD; Seong Jae Min, PhD; Nancy Reagin, PhD; and Nancy Wright—are among over 800 US citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023–2024 academic year through the Fulbright US Scholar Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international collaboration and research.

The Buzz About Poetry

Image

Pace alumna RK Fauth’s poem “Playing with Bees” won the Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize and was featured on Academy of American Poets "Poem-a-Day," curated for April by the 24th US Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limon. The poem is from Fauth’s poetry collection A Dream in Which I Am Playing with Bees (2024), which was the winner of the Walt MacDonald First Book Prize in Poetry.

Earlier this summer Marilyn Jaffe-Ruiz, a former provost, a former dean of the Lienhard School of Nursing, and a beloved leader, teacher, and mentor for generations of Pace faculty, students, and staff, passed away. She died peacefully at home, surrounded by family and friends, after a long battle with cancer.

Image

Marilyn, said her good friend Dean Emerita Harriet Feldman, was “one of the kindest people I have ever known, or will ever know.” She started her nursing career in 1963, when she graduated from the Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing. She went on to earn a master’s degree in mental health nursing from NYU and EdD from Teachers College, Columbia University. In 1981, she joined the Lienhard School faculty at Pace University.

She served as dean of the Lienhard School from 1985 to 1992, and later she was the University’s vice provost and then provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. In 2002, she received Pace’s Diversity Leadership Award, and in 2006 our Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Leadership Award.

Marilyn’s good works extended far beyond Pace. She was an active volunteer and leader with AHRC New York City, which supports those with developmental disabilities, serving on its board for many years and as its board president for several years. In 2015, she was named the group’s volunteer of the year. After her retirement from Pace, in 2011, she volunteered as a docent at the American Museum of Natural History, as well.

When she retired, she also established a planned gift to create an endowed scholarship for first-generation nursing students at Pace.

Marilyn is survived by her husband of 43 years, Victor Ruiz. The family asks that donations in Marilyn’s memory be made to the AHRC NYC Foundation. You can also contribute to the Marilyn Jaffe-Ruiz Endowed Scholarship at Pace by indicating that your donation is in her memory. We intend to hold a memorial at Pace in the new academic year.

We send all our best wishes in this difficult time to Marilyn's family and friends, and to those in the Pace Community who were lucky enough to have worked with her.

“I had a little speaker playing [The Verve’s] “Bitter Sweet Symphony”–and I would say ‘hey, do you recognize this song? The band didn’t see a cent for 20 years because of five notes that they used from a version of a Rolling Stones song.’”

Although the intricacies of copyright law in the music industry may sound like an esoteric avenue of research for an undergraduate, Lubin Arts and Entertainment Management student Sadie Lorence ’23 had long been up for the challenge. In fact, it was an intersection of interests she’s had since as long as she can remember.

“My father’s a musician,” says Sadie. “Growing up, he was always pointing out the similarities between popular songs on the radio. That would always blow my mind as a kid, and I wanted to delve into that.”

I had a little speaker playing [The Verve’s] “Bitter Sweet Symphony”–and I would say ‘hey, do you recognize this song? The band didn’t see a cent for 20 years because of five notes that they used from a version of a Rolling Stones song.’

Her father’s musical influence was combined with an uncanny interest in the legal profession from an early age. Not many people can say they were voted “Most Likely to Become a Lawyer” by their third grade class, but it’s an honor Sadie remains proud of.

Thus, during her senior year, Sadie carried on the Pace tradition of undergraduates conducting unique and impactful research. Her project, It's a bitter sweet symphony: Licensing complexities and copyright law in the music industry explored why The Verve’s 90’s brit-pop hit “Bitter Sweet Symphony” was indeed bittersweet–how it was mired in copyright complication, which Sadie analyzed to explore the tension between ownership and accessibility under US copyright law, and ways in which interpretations of the US Copyright Act have significantly impacted the music industry.

Although this 1997 hit was the band’s biggest song by far and has racked up millions of dollars worth of royalties, Verve songwriter Richard Ashcroft was not granted songwriting credits, nor did the band receive any royalties on the song, until 2019. This was because Verve based the instrumentals of “Bitter Sweet Symphony” on a sample of a 1965 Rolling Stones song, “The Last Time,” by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra, which the Rolling Stones had obtained the right to use from copyright holder Decca Records. However, a lawsuit and contention from Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein meant that The Verve had to relinquish all royalties for the song, and the songwriting credits were subsequently given to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It wasn’t until Klein’s death in 2019 that the rights and future royalties were ceded to The Verve’s Ashcroft.

Yet, as Sadie explains, the onion can be peeled back even further. The Rolling Stones song “The Last Time,” features the chorus of a song “This May Be The Last Time,” from the gospel group The Staples Singers–creating an argument that the Rolling Stones song itself can be disputed in regards to its licensing. Additionally, the five notes that were so heavily contested in “Bitter Sweet Symphony” were credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards–but not the composer in the Andrew Oldham Orchestra, who is the one who arguably deserves the credit.

Listen While You Read:
Hit play to listen to our Spotify playlist of songs examined by Sadie through her research.

Suffice to say, the song’s history is…complicated.

“Researching this project was tough,” notes Sadie, after explaining the many intricacies of this specific case, and the aftershocks it created. “Because music is so abstract and subjective, everyone has their own opinions or thoughts. You can play two songs next to each other, one person thinks they’re entirely different, one doesn’t. Is there a perfect solution? I’m not sure, but there has to be a better one.”

To hone in on the legal complexities of this case, Sadie valued the expertise of her mentor, Lubin Professor of Business Law and Ivan Fox Scholar Jessica Magaldi, JD. Sadie had taken some of Magaldi’s classes early on in her undergraduate career–as Sadie jokes, her class was the only class she enjoyed attending on Zoom during the height of the pandemic–and knew that having her as a resource would greatly enhance the quality of her work.

“She is someone I’ve looked up to for a long time,” said Sadie “I was even nervous getting the courage to ask her to be my advisor. It was a really wonderful time working with her, actually presenting, seeing my work on a big poster board.”

Magaldi, having worked with many students over the course of her career, was particularly impressed with Sadie’s drive and enthusiasm to tackle such a complex topic.

"Sadie’s research fits into a long history of the law’s attempts to acknowledge and encourage the creativity of artists and to balance the rights of an original artist to be rewarded and acknowledged for their artistic creation with the rights of a artist who comes after who is inspired by that original work to make an original work of their own," noted Magaldi. "The law is always trying to navigate where the line is between inspiration and infringement.

As technology advances and the lines between original works continue to blur, licensing issues in sampling will likely even become more pronounced, something Sadie hopes to further explore and follow in the future.

“So many great musical works have come out of sampling. What I learned is there should be protection both ways–both for the artist, who is licensing their work out there, and also for the recipient of the license, giving the green light, the ok, I feel like there should be more of an industry standard process. There are more provisions to go.”

As for Sadie’s future plans? Let’s just say Sadie’s third grade classmates and her father would hardly be surprised. The project has confirmed her desire to make an impact in entertainment law, where she has definitely found her groove.

Imagine a traffic intersection two decades from now. What might it look like? How might pedestrians, automobiles, bikes, and new technologies interact with each other? How can the intersection of the future be maximized to protect the safety of human beings?

This was the task that Seidenberg graduate students Susanna Lammervo ’23, Aastha Bhadani ’23, and undergraduate student Sachin Archer ’25 enthusiastically tackled via an ambitious initiative from the Design Factory Global Network. The New York City Design Factory housed at Pace University is part of a network of 37 innovation hubs across 25 countries, dedicated to creating change in the world of learning and research through global and multidisciplinary collaboration. Through Pace’s NYC Design Factory, Pace students are privy to cutting-edge initiatives and projects that enable students to collaborate within this robust global network–and sometimes even travel the world.

For this particular project, Pace’s team participated in the Design Factory’s Challenge Based Innovation A³ project: an initiative focused on developing innovative outcomes from CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research and ATTRACT technology, a project funded by the European Union to explore problem areas framed by the United Nations’s Sustainable Development goal three, focusing on good health and well-being. Pace’s team, dubbed “Team Fusion'' embarked on a seven-month research and development journey, which included a team trip to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, during which they learned how to tackle complex problems in a way that leads to innovative solutions. Their work was also presented by Susanna as part of the ATTRACT Academy Student Showcase in Bologna, Italy in June.

“You’re not just building with technology, you’re building with systems thinking, behavior change and future forecasting, trying to imagine how the world will look in 2040 or 2050. In the context of the curriculum,I find this exercise to be unique to this particular learning experience,” noted Seidenberg Clinical Professor and NYC Design Factory Director Andreea Cotoranu, who alongside Dyson Film and Screen Studies Chair Luke Cantarella served as the faculty mentors for this interdisciplinary endeavor.

You’re not just building with technology, you’re building with systems thinking, behavior change and future forecasting, trying to imagine how the world will look in 2040 or 2050.

Pedestrian safety is among one of the most pressing problems facing New York City today. In 2021, 273 people died in road traffic accidents in New York City, 50% of which were pedestrians. If you find yourself at any intersection in the city, you’ll likely see a cacophonous symphony of cars, bikes, e-bikes, buses, and pedestrians, some of whom might have their situational awareness compromised by the pull of a smartphone.

“NYC can have an individuality complex–everyone is out there for themselves,” said Sachin. “I took some time to look at myself and how I interact at an intersection.”

Resolving to improve pedestrian safety, Team Fusion got to work. Their goal? To employ a design-centered approach for improving pedestrian safety at New York City intersections, while reducing human error and enhancing decision-making for pedestrians. A vehicle-to-network (V2N), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) system called Auriel, a state-of-the-art solution that relies on object-based data and a number of advanced technologies to keep New York City’s intersections safe.

Image

Auriel, as shown above, would be installed at intersection corners across the city. From its screen, four visual animations (combined with three audio alerts) would be displayed to express different traffic scenarios and hazards–informing the pedestrian as to whether or not it would be safe to cross the street. This concept, as the team explains, gives more autonomy to pedestrians, while creating a simple system dedicated to keeping everyone safe.

“A lot of our design solution was based on our observations as to how pedestrians function in New York City—which is quite different from most other cities,” said Aastha. “When we were designing Auriel, we wanted to shift that traffic signal mindset to something that makes the pedestrian have the decision-making power in their hands.”

Equipped with a LiDAR-based sensor system, LED screen system, solar power system, and a communication system, Auriel would measure the speed, distance, and velocity of approaching vehicles, and identify the level of activity from the density of objects in the area. It also would employ a high speed information system with integrated AI to provide up-to-date traffic analysis and management.

All of this to say that the design solutions were often complex, and required a lot of deep thinking, and problem-solving from the team.

“I am familiar with the design thinking and how the design process goes, but for me, the most unexpected thing was how much workload there was–in a good way. We dug into the smallest little details and then had to scale out and think about how it would work on a macro-level,” said Susanna. “Scaling from the smallest details to a global aspect was very inspiring. It's good practice to do that.”

For the problem-space exploration phase of the project, the team traveled to IdeaSquare CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. While at ideaSquare the team met and collaborated with other students from across the world , and proudly represented the NYC Design Factory and Pace on the global stage.

The two-week immersive experience at IdeaSquare CERN was amazing,” said Susanna. “I don’t think I've ever learned that much about anything in two weeks.”

Upon returning from Switzerland, the team continued to collaborate to create the final concept, and a white paper (a research-based report) that lays out Auriel, its technical details, and an implementation plan in exhaustive detail. Honing in on everything from how Auriel would positively impact climate-friendly initiatives, to future-forecasting how scenarios like carbon-taxation might impact street design, the paper was lauded extensively by the team’s two faculty advisors, who admired the team’s ability to rise to this ever-complex challenge.

I don’t think I've ever learned that much about anything in two weeks.

“I’m very proud of all the work that the team has done,” said Cantarella. “When you’re working on a project like this, we don’t know the answers to the test. We have some skills, some insight, but we’re really together as a team to pull this all together. To me, that's such a refreshing and rewarding way to teach and learn.”

“We also need to recognize the students for their ability to step out of their comfort zone, '' added Cotoranu. “They found themselves in high-pressure situations, rapidly learning new things within tight timeframes. Their journey was filled with significant discomfort. I believe it is this discomfort that lies at the core of their remarkable growth.”

For Aastha, Susanna, and Sachin, the experience not only furthered their professional and technical skills, but was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which they’ll look back fondly upon for many years to come–at which point, they might also be looking to cross the street by way of an Auriel-esque infrastructure.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Sachin. “It really changed my perspective and opened my eyes to the fact that there’s more to the world than just North America. And the fact that I can represent Black men in the tech world, that was touching for me.”

“I’ve been involved with a few Design Factory projects, but this is the best one,” said Aastha. “It was the highlight of my Pace journey.”

About CBI A³

CBI A³ is a Design Factory Melbourne (DFM) initiative, developed for the Design Factory Global Network (DFGN), in conjunction with IdeaSquare, CERN. It builds on earlier Challenge Based Innovation (CBI) that focus on design innovation to propose solutions that connect CERN’s deep technology with societal needs. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provide the framework for the CBI A³program and guide user-cantered research and design to focus on areas of high sustainable impact. This year CBI A³ brings together teams from Swinburne Design Factory Melbourne (AUS), New York City Design Factory (USA), Inno.space - Design Factory Mannheim (DEU), Warsaw Design Factory (POL) and Pratt Institute (USA).

CBI A³ 2022-23 & 2023-24 editions include projects funded by ATTRACT Academy. ATTRACT has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101004462

Teaser and Hero Photo Credit: Aaron Down, CBIA3

People want to be in attractive spaces. They want to be in compelling spaces. They want to be in spaces that honor their place in a community. They want to be in spaces that represent a significant investment in the work they’re doing inside those walls.

“Universities, like any enterprise, at the end of the day are either growing and evolving or shrinking. And Pace is growing and evolving; it's a big commitment,” surmises Jonathan Hill, DPS, Dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. “Pace is going to be at the top of the game for an urban university in terms of how we use space. We have designed an amazing launchpad for our students and faculty and staff to use New York City as the amazing campus environment that it is.”

With the impending opening of our new modern, sustainable, and welcoming campus building at 15 Beekman and the soon-to-start renovations of One Pace Plaza East, Pace has big plans for downtown.

Simply put: Pace is building.

15 Beekman: At the corner of opportunity and visibility

New library? Check.

New dining hall? Check.

New classrooms and student spaces? Check and check.

Our favorite feature: the cafe in the lobby.

This fall, Pace will open its newest building, 15 Beekman, a 26-story mixed use vertical learning hub on the corner of Beekman and Nassau streets. This new addition to Pace’s NYC Campus will be home to classrooms, student life spaces, the main dining hall, first-year student housing, administrative and faculty offices, the Birnbaum Library, and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

“15 Beekman will provide a ‘fresh face’ for Pace University—a state-of-the-art facility that combines living and learning. The building establishes a strong public presence and affords access to views and natural light throughout, so it will be an experience for all who use it,” explains Ibi Yolas ’97, vice president for University Campus Planning and Facilities. “I am always amazed how quickly these spaces get inhabited and put into full use. I think the lobby area with several different seating arrangements, a café, the interconnecting staircase, and the sense of the street-level bustle will create a dynamic space that will be exciting not only to the Pace Community but to passersby.”

While creating new space for members of the Pace Community was a necessity, the new building is more than just amazing architecture and swaths of natural light and cityscapes—it puts the academic experience at the fore. As a shining example of Pace’s Strategic Plan made tangible, this isn’t fluff remodeling, but rather a concerted effort to drive home Pace’s dedication to experiential learning.

“One of our big priorities in the Strategic Plan is to really emphasize experiential education and to be at the forefront of what people can do outside of the classroom while they're earning their education at Pace,” says Vice President for Strategy and Partnerships Jean Gallagher. “Learning, all types of learning, doesn’t just happen in the classroom and the new spaces are really bringing that to life with new laboratories and learning spaces, especially for Seidenberg.”

One of our big priorities in the Strategic Plan is to really emphasize experiential education and to be at the forefront of what people can do outside of the classroom while they're earning their education at Pace.

There’s immersive learning, and then there’s immersive learning the Seidenberg way. Students and faculty of Seidenberg thrive on collaborative exploration of the world around them, through advancements in cybersecurity, design and tech, and much more. Seidenberg’s new contiguous, three-floor home at 15 Beekman is going to support and advance the work done by their community.

“Physical space has such an impact on the way people learn. If you shut them up in a dark room, it's going to impact their ability to be open to what's being taught and be open to interacting with their faculty and their fellow students,” asserts Seidenberg Dean Jonathan Hill, DPS. “We're students of design thinking and being thoughtful and intentional in how you lay out a space to be together. People talk about space design, they talk about Feng Shui, but ultimately it all comes together in creating a space that is not just pleasant to be in, but also turns on all the switches—all the receptors—so that you're really ready to listen and learn and interact.”

“This is really an academic investment, making our programs to be as cutting edge and up-to-date as possible,” says Gallagher. “And more than that, it's an investment in our faculty and staff to give them the kind of places so they can do their best work. This constantly rethinking and updating and refreshing our spaces is just really critical for Pace to maintain a competitive advantage in what is an extraordinarily competitive market.”

People talk about space design, they talk about Feng Shui, but ultimately it all comes together in creating a space that is not just pleasant to be in, but also turns on all the switches—all the receptors—so that you're really ready to listen and learn and interact.

That sentiment is echoed by Student Government Association Executive President Aman Islam ’24. “Seidenberg is one of the hottest schools here at Pace and I am so glad they are getting to move into, what looks to be, a gorgeous and innovative space on our campus,” he says. “I am also extremely impressed with the design of the building, allowing for academics to be at the forefront of its use as the bottom half of the building while still ensuring epic views for all of our residential students.”

Topping out 15 Beekman will be a 12-story residential tower primarily dedicated to first-year student housing, complete with a total of 484 beds, a common fitness center, meeting and dining commons, and an independent residential entrance. This new residential space will temporarily take the place of Maria’s Tower, the soaring (but sorely outdated) space at One Pace Plaza East.

“The residence hall at 15 Beekman will primarily feature suite-style living, wherein most suites have between 7 and 10 students in mostly double and triple rooms, surrounding a shared common space,” explains University Director of Housing Operations and Assistant Dean for Students Patrick Roger Gordon. “This will give our NYC students the opportunity to develop small cohorts of friends within their suite, while also being part of a floor, a building, a community.”

One Pace Plaza East: A Major Pacelift

Also on the horizon is a new downtown destination, not just for the Pace Community, but for FiDi as a whole. In late 2022, the University announced plans to transform One Pace Plaza East to include new academic spaces, a modern upgrade to Maria’s Tower, and a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center that will serve its performing and creative arts programs and act as a central gathering space for our community and our neighborhood. This spring, the University announced even bigger news—the creation of the Sands College of Performing Arts, named in recognition of a $25 million gift from Pamela and Rob Sands, JD ’84.

“We are becoming the premiere school for performing arts in New York City. Our programs and faculty have always attracted top students and collaborators, but the state-of-the-art facility will make us a leader in advancing the field of performing arts,” says Jennifer Holmes, PhD, executive director of the new Sands College. “The new facilities will create more opportunities for innovation, experimentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration, plus the naming of the Sands College will give us stronger brand recognition nationally and internationally.”

We are becoming the premiere school for performing arts in New York City. Our programs and faculty have always attracted top students and collaborators, but the state-of-the-art facility will make us a leader in advancing the field of performing arts.

Reconstruction of the lower floors of One Pace Plaza East, will create an inviting and modern building with classroom and creative arts spaces, collaboration spaces, and a Performing Arts Center that will include a proscenium theater to replace the Schimmel Center plus other theater and support spaces. This provides the up-to-date instructional, creative, and performance spaces that a robust Pace experience requires, and it keeps our large gathering space—used by the entire University and the broader community—at the center of our campus.

“Pace, as an institution, is very outcome-focused; we want students to be learning in environments that are like their work environments are going to be. You can't really put someone in a 50-year-old classroom with a chalkboard at the front and expect them to go on to excel in some really high-tech professional environments,” explains Gallagher. “We want to give our students the space and tools they’ll need to envision themselves where they want to be after graduation.”

“These changes and physical improvements expand possibilities for creativity and innovation for our faculty, guest artists, and students,” Holmes says, noting that the renovation of One Pace Plaza East will create new opportunities for immersive theater, student-led productions, and creative experimentation. “We want spaces that inspire artists to create, the possibilities are endless and the flexibility in these spaces is an important aspect of our planning.”

Building on the previous reimagining of the West side of One Pace Plaza, work that was completed in 2018, is this new vision to create a more connected campus community. With the addition of 15 Beekman to Pace’s footprint downtown and the overhaul of One Pace Plaza East, Pace will in a sense be bringing our community closer together.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing much more of a campus feel, even though we're in the center of the city, than we have previously,” Gallagher says. “And that's been a long-held strategic ambition of ours on the Lower Manhattan campus. And to see it really finally coming to fruition is super exciting.”

One of the key components to re-envisioning a university space is not just the way a building is constructed, but accounting for the ways in which it will be used, really used, by the people who inhabit it. “Our team is very focused on creating better connectivity between the East and West sides of One Pace Plaza to improve circulation, wayfinding, and accessibility,” adds Yolas. “We’re keeping in mind how visitors and the outside public may use our facilities and how we may separate some of the functions to create more of a ‘public-private’ divide.”

Meeting the Neighbors

These renovations, expansions, revitalizations…they’re wonderful for the Pace Community, but even more importantly, we want the changing shape of campus to be wonderful for our neighbors downtown.

“A university should be a community resource. We want to be seen as that by employers, other businesses in the community, and also by people who live here,” asserts Gallagher. “We want our downtown neighbors to know that Pace does events, we do have an art gallery, we do offer performances.”

These changes on campus position us to be kind of a partner-of-choice in the neighborhood, she says, noting that there is the continued expectation that people will come to Pace because they know not only do we have great spaces where we can host great events, but we're able to accommodate them. In essence, not only will the physical changes to campus strengthen this revenue source for Pace, but also serve as a place for community engagement and pride.

For me, the most exciting part of Pace’s transformation is seeing how Pace is growing on a national scale. Pace is becoming a household name and we honestly deserve the recognition!

“For me, the most exciting part of Pace’s transformation is seeing how Pace is growing on a national scale. Pace is becoming a household name and we honestly deserve the recognition!” says Islam. “Pace is such a bold and dynamic community, and as we grow, more and more people will be able to see, and experience it.”

Yolas agrees with the sentiment, saying, “I believe the investment we are making in our campus is a clear indication of our commitment to improve not only the Pace Community experience, but also the experience of the wider community, our neighbors, and Downtown New York City. I firmly believe we can be the leading destination for the arts in downtown.”

See the Progress

While 15 Beekman will be opening this fall, One Pace Plaza East is still in the works. Stay connected with progress, updates, renderings and so much more.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are constantly in the headlines, from advancements in access to ethical concerns about the impact on human labor and specific groups. For computer science experts like Christelle Scharff, PhD, the focus lies less on what AI can and will do and more on its current limitations, especially when it comes to incomplete datasets that illustrate bias in these AI systems.

Scharff has been at Pace for 22 years as a professor of computer science, and she’s currently associate dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. When she began exploring AI as a PhD student, she described her work as mostly “theoretical”, working on theorem proving problems. She was fascinated with studying how a computer can understand mathematical and logical concepts like deduction rules, equality, commutativity, and associativity. As AI technology developed, so did her interest in machine and deep learning and also in mitigating potential biases in AI. Scharff’s research has been focusing on Africa since 2009 when she received a grant to work on entrepreneurship and mobile app development in Senegal. Since that time, more opportunities to study AI in Africa arose and now Scharff and her students are continuing to explore how to ensure AI keeps up with growing global inclusivity.

As AI technology developed, so did her interest in machine and deep learning and also in mitigating potential biases in AI.

Two of her most recent projects with PhD students, Kaleemunsia and Krishna Bathula, center on African fashion. The first sought to expand the scope of a popular fashion dataset called Fashion MNIST. Datasets are the pillars of the AI movement, and safeguards are required to create and use datasets.

While Fashion MNIST is able to identify certain garments, fashion items that fall outside its very limited descriptions (which mostly fall under Western terminology and trends) are easily misclassified. “If you ask this dataset to recognize a sari, it’ll probably tell you it’s a dress,” Scharff says as an example. She explains that like with the sari, this dataset doesn’t know how to identify specific African fashion items. “Because I worked in Africa as a Fulbright Scholar, I focused this project on African fashion and involved graduate students from Senegal.” The plan was to create a dataset to address African fashion and recognize two popular Sengalese garments: boubou and taille mame. To put the importance of incorporating a wider, more global language into these AI models, Scharff explains, “If you were to go to the tailor and say, ‘I want a dress’ the tailor wouldn’t know where to start.”

"The other step in any project related to AI is that you need to ask the subject matter experts."

—Scharff

The other African fashion project Scharff and her team worked on is likely more tangible to those outside of the AI community. They worked to recreate a popular pattern in Africa called wax—a colorful, geometrical pattern that is often shined with wax.

The team collected a dataset of around 5000 free wax patterns and created new, satisfying patterns that are AI-generated. From there, the team printed select patterns and partnered with local artisans in Senegal to create fashion items including bags. The dataset was built to generate a variety of patterns. To get a proper sample, one needs upwards of 10,000 different images, Scharff estimates. If a dataset had mostly blue patterns, the generative patterns would stick mostly to blue, or if there weren’t enough floral images, they would need to add those images to the dataset to get them. The very nature of exclusion changed what the AI could produce, demonstrating the need to expand these datasets to reflect the world as it is, not just what has been inputted thus far.

Her students are hard at work, building out that dataset and corresponding models to generate interesting wax patterns.

"My biggest concern is diversity biases. But I think right now the discussion is much more open, at least everybody is aware of the issue. So, then it's a question of having the policies, tools, processes, practices to make it completely happen."

—Scharff

And for those worried about the AI takeover of jobs? “The other step in any project related to AI is that you need to ask the subject matter experts,” Scharff says. She explains that once these patterns were created, they need to be reviewed by fashion experts to understand what was working and what wasn’t. A computer can create a pattern, but it can’t (as of yet) also categorize it as what is fashionable for everyday wear, artistic, or what kind of aesthetic category it belongs to.

Scharff is excited for where AI is going, and how ubiquitous it’s becoming. Her greatest concerns are exactly what her work is doing, balancing datasets to be representative and diverse. “My biggest concern is diversity biases. But I think right now the discussion is much more open, at least everybody is aware of the issue. So, then it's a question of having the policies, tools, processes, practices to make it completely happen.”