Pace Magazine Fall 2018

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Pace’s Veterans Give Back

Pace Day at Yankee Stadium

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July 31 was a beautiful day for baseball, as 628 Pace alumni, faculty, staff, students, and families gathered to cheer on the New York Yankees, while showing off their Pace Pride.

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Conten

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PACE MAGAZINE Volume XXXIV

President Marvin Krislov

Vice President, University Relations

Features

AVP, Marketing and Communications Creative Director Maria Taffera Lewis

The Drive

Director, Content Tiffany Lopes

Director, Marketing/ Account Management

The Team Bringing New Energy to Pace

Wendy Metzger

Assistant Director, Production Maria De La Cruz

Associate Director, Social Media and Editorial

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James Sterngold

Leila Franchi

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| No. 1 Fall 2018

Alyssa Cressotti ’08, ’18

Armed with Compassion

Writers Jillian Gorry ’11 Lance Pauker

Pace Magazine is a publication of the Department of Marketing and Communications, Office of University Relations, published twice a year, and distributed free to alumni and friends of Pace University.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of its staff or of Pace University.

Copyright © 2018 Pace University

Contributor

Departments

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Letter from the President

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News

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Robert Schurz ’18

Associate Director, Budget/Admin Operations Ivy Riddick

Send address changes to: Office of Alumni Relations Pace University One Pace Plaza New York, NY 10038 Phone: (212) 346-1489 Email: pacealum@pace.edu

Class Notes Pace University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university.

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Visit us online at www.pace.edu/magazine

Big Numbers

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Research

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Flashback

Cover photo: Aleksandr Sulga/Shutterstock Contents photo: Drew Levin Inside front cover photo: Sam Deitch

Movin’ On In Cars packed to the brim with laundry baskets and XL twin sheets, sporting supportive messages from happy families proudly showing off their brand new Pace bumper stickers. This year, 1,703 first-year students moved into their new homes, ready to take on Pace…and the world.

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Use your career experience to help the next generation of Pace students.

Sign up to become a member of our growing online mentoring community. As an alumni mentor, you can: • Motivate a young professional to pursue a new level of success • Share expertise and insights on navigating the workplace • Give back to the Pace Community • Participate remotely!

Please visit www.pace.edu/mentoring to get started or email us at mentoring@pace.edu.

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President’s Letter

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t Pace University, we’re always focused on the future.

That’s what this institution has always been about: preparing our smart, ambitious students to build thriving careers and become the next generation of innovators and leaders.

That’s why this issue of Pace Magazine is all about how we’re moving our University forward to even better prepare students and graduates for a lifetime of success.

One of our feature stories is a roundtable conversation in which our new provost, Vanya Quiñones, PhD, and I talk about our goals and plans for the University. We come at the issues from different perspectives, but we are in complete agreement that student success is our top priority. The conversation was moderated by our new vice president for University Relations, Jim Sterngold. (Provost Quiñones knows a lot about higher education; she came to us after more than 20 years at Hunter College. And Jim knows a few things about interviews; he is an awardwinning journalist who has worked at publications including The New York Times.)

Elsewhere, “The Drive” shows how well Pace has launched graduates on their trajectories. You’ll meet inspiring alumni who leveraged their Pace educations to

take on the world—including a bank teller who became its CEO and a first-generation college student who, today, is New York’s secretary of state.

You’ll also read about three Pace alumni veterans who are committed to ensuring that others who served our country have bright futures ahead of them. It’s another example of the Pace spirit of helping people succeed—one of our greatest qualities.

As much as this magazine looks to the future, it’s also a break from the past. I’m sure you’ve already noticed this great, modern new design. Kudos to the University Relations team, and especially creative director Maria Lewis, for bringing such a fresh look to these pages.

And, finally, on page 38 you’ll meet our new vice president of development and alumni relations, Gary Laermer. Gary is a Pace alumnus, Lubin ’80, and when you see his old ID, you’ll see just how far we’ve all come.

Marvin Krislov President

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Save the Date NOVEMBER 27, 2018

Pace will once again be participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day of

philanthropy. Become part of the movement and invest in Pace students!

Last year, Pace alumni unlocked $200,000 in support—and with your help, we can raise even more this year.

Sign up to be a social media ambassador and transform your social and professional circles into powerful philanthropic networks.

Tweet, follow, like, share—it’s that easy!

Contact annfund@pace.edu for more details.

It’s easy to stay connected: @PaceAlumni @PaceUAlumni

flickr.com/PaceAlumni @PaceUniversity

@PaceUAlumni www.pace.edu/AlumniCommunity

News

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A Day in the Life of

the Provost Provost Vanya Quiñones, PhD, is new to Pace, but she’s already making waves.

4:00 a.m. Alarm goes off at home in White Plains. Time to wake up and do yoga.

4:15 a.m. The dog needs to go out.

Let’s go, Kiwi.

4:35 a.m. Water plants. Check. Drink coffee.

Double check. Feed my fish, dog, and iguana. Check times 10.

5:00 a.m. Drive to the gym to work out.

6:30 a.m. Go home and get ready for work.

8:01 a.m. Metro North to Pace University.

Sitting with my BFFs.

9:00 a.m. Provost’s Office team meetings.

They’re more fun than they sound!

9:45 a.m. Welcoming our new faculty at faculty orientation.

12:00 p.m. Brown bag lunch with students.

So many of them are the first in their families to go to college.

1:15 p.m. One-on-one with a direct report.

I just learned Pace students speak 98 languages. ¡Qué increíble!

2:00 p.m. Talking about exciting new programming at Deans Council.

3:25 p.m. The President and I kick off the new year with a welcome back party.

4:30 p.m. Checking emails and briefing on tomorrow’s schedule. I’m giving a talk about the Pace Path, which is changing students’ lives.

6:30 p.m. Commute home. MTA, don’t fail me now…

7:45 p.m. Dinner, more emails, and a little bit of playtime with my dog.

8:45 p.m. Bed!

Photograph: Joe Peoples

Fall 2018

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News | Commencement

HATS OFF

From wise words to family thank-yous, the Pace Class of 2018 pulled out all the stops when decorating their mortar boards. Their creativity illuminated each ceremony in a sea of sparkles, gems, bright colors, and emotions. We’re so proud to congratulate the Class of 2018. Keep the ideas coming!

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Around the University

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Michele Melchor

NO PLASTIC FOR PACE LAW

FILM-ILIAR LOCATIONS There’s something pretty special about watching a movie or TV show and seeing a familiar location. Sometimes we even point at the screen and shout “I love that restaurant” or “I know that block.” Our Pace Community is no stranger to this feeling. Inside the Actors Studio is filmed right in Pace’s Schimmel Center, and brings the hottest stars to our campus— and students have been known to accidentally walk onto the set of their favorite show or spot their favorite SVU star (we’re talking to you, Mariska Hargitay!) on the way to class.

Here are some of the TV shows and films that have been shot at Pace

Pace’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law has reached a verdict on plastics: they’re out.

This summer, the Law School announced that it will make its White Plains Campus one of the greenest in the region, eliminating most use of plastic in its cafeteria and other areas of campus, replacing plastic straws with paper, switching to china and metal flatware, and eliminating singleuse plastic water bottles.

“For decades, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law has been a pioneer in the field of environmental law and home to a nationally recognized environmental law program,” said Dean Horace Anderson, JD. “I am so pleased that, today, we are ensuring that we continue to lead the way by taking important measures to ensure that our campus is more sustainable than ever.”

It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight.

University in recent years:

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Elementary

Monumental Mysteries

48 Hours

Forever

Person of Interest

Blue Bloods

History Detectives

Shades of Blue

Boswell

Impractical Jokers

Teens Like Phil

Colin Quinn: The New York Story

Inside Llewyn Davis

The Black Box

The Jim Gaffigan Show

The Detour

The Daily Show segment with John Oliver on Inside the Actors Studio set

The Kindergarten Teacher

The President Show

Death Row Stories

Law & Order: SVU

White Collar

Difficult People

Made

Wiener-Dog

Doubt

Momsters

Zizi and Honeyboy

The OA Unforgettable

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News | Around the University

10 Things to Inspire You Our Fulbright(est) “I’m overjoyed and still surprised that I got a Fulbright,” said Kelsey Parker ’18. “I came to Pace from a tiny town in West Virginia, a state with the lowest education attainment levels in the US, so even graduating was a huge accomplishment.” After graduation, the Fulbright Award recipient packed her bags for Zambia, where she’s studying the soil ecology of copper mining sites.

HUMANITY IN ACTION Terrie Soule ’19, who worked alongside professors on disarmament work as an intern for the World Council of Churches­—a partner of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2017—was one of 67 students across the country selected as a 2018 Humanity in Action Fellow.

AKWAABA FROM GHANA

“If there’s anything that my first year at Pace has taught me, it’s that nothing is off the table when it comes to opportunity,” says School of Education student Danielle Gehrlein ’21. Inspired by her service experiences in her hometown, Gehrlein took her compassion and curiosity on the road for a study abroad opportunity in Ghana, where she taught children English and math and visited an orphanage.

Riding the Rainbow Talk about Pace pride! We’ve got it.

AffordableCollegesOnline .org, a leader in higher education information, resources, affordability, and rankings, has recognized Pace University as being one of the most inclusive campuses for LGBTQA students.

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spring 2018 GPA of students in Pace’s Ongoing Academic Social Instructional Support (OASIS) program, which provides comprehensive support services for students with high-functioning autism.

Around the University

ENDING GUN VIOLENCE Laurianne Gutierrez ’21 and David Lê ’19 won Project Pericles’ Debating for Democracy Letter to an Elected Official competition. Their letter urges Senator Charles Schumer to repeal the Dickey Amendment and allow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to fund research that could help end gun violence in America.

An AwardWinning Documentary Puerto Rico: Hope in the Dark, produced by Media, Communications, and Visual Arts student filmmakers, won a Best Shorts Competition Award of Merit—Special Mention for student documentary short and a Spotlight Documentary Silver Award.

30,899 Research Rewarded Kaleigh Ryan ’20 was one of only 10 students across the country selected for a Research Experience for Undergraduates award sponsored by the National Science Foundation, which she used to perform cutting-edge research on renewable energy sources at the University of Massachusetts Amherst this past summer.

| News

number of service hours clocked in by Pace students at nonprofits across New York City. The Office of the Mayor of New York City recognized Pace University among the top three colleges and universities for total volunteers and commitment.

Not Letting “It” Define Us It—whatever particular feature “it” is—doesn’t have to define you. Just ask Pace commercial dance student Sydney Mesher, who was born without a left hand, and has pirouetted to the top. She was featured in Health Magazine’s #RealLifeStrong series, which celebrated women who represent strength, resilience, and grace.

Dance on, Sydney!

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News | New Programs AHEAD OF THE PACE Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs is the hallmark of a Pace education.

As part of this commitment, Pace launched several programs to reflect present and future market demands.

COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of speech-language pathologists to grow 18 percent from 2016 to 2026. Designed to meet this demand, the MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders and BA in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology will prepare effective speech-language pathologists and help students lead rewarding, intellectually and civically engaging lives. The BA includes two tracks: teaching students with speech and language disabilities and teaching students with speech and language disabilities in a bilingual setting.

These five new programs join the 165+ undergraduate, graduate, and combined degree programs available at Pace.

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MS in Nutrition and Dietetics: offers concentrations in culinary nutrition and food policy/food justice and prepares students to practice nutrition in a clinical setting. The program is the only one in the area where students are matched with—and complete—their internship of 1,200 required dietetic hours while attending classes.

DYSON COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

BA in Latina/o Studies: immerses students in the culture, history, language, literature, and politics of the largest ethno-racial group in the United States, preparing them to respond to economic and socio-cultural demands.

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

BS in Early Childhood Education: prepares students to support the learning and development of young children, including those who are culturally and linguistically diverse, and vary in learning abilities.

LUBIN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Six of Lubin’s programs—BBA in Business Analytics, BBA in Information Systems, MBA in Information Systems, MS in Customer Intelligence and Analytics, MS in Financial Risk Management, and MS in Social Media and Mobile Marketing—are now STEM-designated business programs, which will enable international students the ability to work for a longer period of time without the immediate need of sponsorship.

Athletics

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SETTER SUPPORT Athletes are only as strong as the teams that stand alongside them. And there’s a brand new team in town, ready to make the Pace Setters soar to new heights: The Pace Athletics Alumni Board. Created to serve as a leadership group for the Setters Club, the inaugural Pace Athletics Alumni Board is composed of alumni and parents committed to enhancing the experience of nearly 500 varsity athletes and helping them excel in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. The group will partner with Pace on a number of fronts, including alumni outreach and engagement, promotion of special events, serving as brand ambassadors, encouraging philanthropic support, providing internship and networking opportunities, facilitating volunteer activities, and hosting events.

“We have an extremely proud and passionate group here that will work to connect our alumni community through their peers, in the ultimate goal of enhancing the current Pace student-athlete experience,” said Pace Athletics Director Mark Brown.

2018–2019 Pace Athletics Alumni Board Starting Lineup Kevin Arnone ’83 Football Matt Baldini ’92 Men’s Basketball Lou Botticelli ’00 Football Jackie Burd ’05 Softball Theresa Cangialosi ’93 Softball Rebecca Chenard, JD ’94, ’99 Women’s Basketball Alexis Chocianowski ’15 Swimming and Diving Dan Citardi ’18 Men’s Cross Country Kim Farrell ’00 Women’s Basketball Brian Finnerty ’72 Baseball Jocelyn Greco ’07 Women’s Soccer John Griffin ’71 Football Najmah James ’18 Women’s Lacrosse

Robert E. Judge, JD ’91 Men’s Lacrosse Kerri Kaylor ’06 Women’s Soccer Angela Kelly ’18 Women’s Lacrosse Margaret Maclean ’18 Field Hockey Rick Maddia Men’s Lacrosse Mike Mattone ’07 Football T.J. McDonald ’85 Baseball Mike McLaughlin Men’s Basketball Paige Predmore ’19 Field Hockey Nora Rugova ’14 Volleyball Gene Westmoreland ’65 Men’s Basketball/ Baseball/Cross Country/ Golf Todd Ziogas ’98 Men’s Basketball

Claim to Fame Pace Athletics celebrated another class of sports superstars at its 17th annual Hall of Fame ceremony. The class of 2018 inductees were Michael Bohlander ’02 (Baseball), Jackie Burd ’05 (Softball), Jody Hill ’94 (Women’s Basketball), Robert Kranz ’68 (Men’s Basketball), and Dan Mulholland (Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach 1983–1999, Men’s Lacrosse Volunteer Assistant Coach 2014–present, and Assistant Football Coach 1984–1993). Additionally, the 1999 Men’s Lacrosse team—led by Mulholland—was honored as Pace’s Team of Distinction.

SWINGING FOR THE FENCES The Pace Softball team earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II Softball Championship, marking the team’s third NCAA appearance in four years.

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In the News “For the longest time, ads presented the typical American household as Caucasian, heterosexual, two children and two cars in the driveway. There’s still a part of the world that’s like that, but there’s a large portion that is nothing like the Father Knows Best Americana image. It’s taken the advertising community, and particularly their clients, a long time to come to grips with that. They’re risk averse.”

Larry Chiagouris, PhD, Professor of Marketing, in The New York Times.

“The decision to withdraw from the Iran deal is truly irresponsible, putting political posturing above human security. The Iran nuclear deal made the world safer and less at risk of nuclear proliferation.

The agreement cut off all the pathways to an Iranian bomb. This plays into the hands of hardliners in Iran who also want to scuttle the deal. It is a blow to America’s credibility, undercutting its capacity to persuade others that the US keeps its promises.”

Matthew Bolton, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science, in Reuters.

“As technology continues to evolve and disrupt, and with innovation ever present, it takes fundamental business understanding to create value and build a sustainable model for the long term in order for companies to succeed and thrive.”

Neil Braun, JD, Dean of the Lubin School of Business, in AACSB’s blog.

“While the first generation of cyberhackers were often ‘script kiddies’ whose motivations were often just the thrill of breaking in to a closed system, today we grapple with much more sophisticated professional hackers whose motivations are either financial, or destructive in the military offensive context.”

Jonathan Hill, DPS, Dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, in Westchester County Business Journal.

“From a prosecutor’s perspective, the case against Manafort looks strong. Take Manafort’s name out of it, take the politics out of it, and take the media blitz out of it, and this is a fairly routine financial crime case.

This is what prosecutors sometimes call a ‘paper case’: the case can be made largely on bank records and other financial documents.”

Mimi Rocah, JD, Distinguished Fellow in Criminal Justice, in The Daily Beast.

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“As a registered dietitian with training on food chemistry, I’ve observed physicians (who receive no nutrition instruction in medical school) who try to popularize falsehoods. Any time you come across a diet that seems to cut out common-sense healthful foods, run the other way and save your money.”

Christen Cooper, EdD, RD, Founding Director of CHP’s Nutrition and Dietetics program, in Aaptiv Magazine.

“For years, Asian-Americans have been viewed as the ‘model minority’—you know, quiet and well-behaved. But when we see the effects of social engineering on the future of our children, we can get nasty against the politicians too.”

Chunyan Li, PhD, Assistant Professor of Accounting, in The Wall Street Journal.

THE DRIVE It’s not where they started, it’s how they got to where they are.

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The Drive

bank teller who climbed the

corporate ladder to CEO. • A journalist who became the first woman to serve as editor and publisher of the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the country and now New York State Secretary of State. • A struggling mom whose inventions like the Miracle Mop soaked up more than $3 billion in sales.

• An immigrant from Guyana who shattered glass ceilings to lead information security at one of the largest banks in the US. • A grandson of survivors of the Armenian Genocide who has directed his passion and energy to produce a documentary hoping to inspire change in American policy.

These inspiring people all have something in common. It’s not just that they are Pace Setters, but it’s something that Pace Setters are: driven.

Whether you call it ambition, perseverance, motivation, determination, or what fellow alumnus and Acting CEO of CBS Joseph R. Ianniello ’90 refers to as “fire in the belly,” it’s the appetite we have and the way we strive for success. It’s the reason that Mark M. Besca ’81, a partner at EY and chairman of the Pace Board of Trustees, has said he’ll take one Pace student over 10 Ivy League students. The realization that nothing is owed, it’s earned. It’s what makes Pace University the institution it is: the #1 private college for upward economic mobility.

A testament to the power of the Pace spirit, these five Pace alumni—each of them the first in their families to graduate college—came from humble beginnings and worked hard to realize their dreams.

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From Bank Teller to CEO

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f you ask Joseph R. Ficalora ’78, ’79 what it was like growing up in Queens, he’ll tell you how proud he was of the small, two-bedroom apartment he shared with his parents and two brothers and the neighborhood he grew up in. Because it wasn’t until he was in his teens that Ficalora would realize that making it out of Corona was no small feat.

“By the time I went into the service, nine of the 13 neighborhood kids I had grown up playing street hockey and football with were dead or in prison,” he says.

Determined to defy the odds, Ficalora was paying his own way through college working part-time as a bank teller at Queens County Savings and taking night classes at Queensborough Community College, until the Vietnam War called.

A psychology major, Ficalora was looking for an opportunity to put his education to work and he qualified for a psychology Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) and joined the US

Larry Ford

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Ficalora served in the US Army during the Vietnam War.

Army at Fort Sam Houston, before being deployed to Vietnam. There he served as a psychiatric specialist in the 4th Infantry Division in Pleiku, and became a Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the division psychiatric facility at base camp.

After Vietnam, Ficalora continued his work at a US Army facility.

Ultimately, Ficalora returned to New York and was selected for an inaugural management program at Queens County Savings by the new president of the bank— the same person who had originally hired him as a teller.

“I was trained in every aspect of the bank.

I could work in any area, so that wherever there was a need, I would automatically be able to step in and do that job. It was exposure to everything in banking,” he says.

“One of the best statements with regard to the university from which you get your degree is that those who preceded you succeeded.”

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The Drive

At night, through GI benefits provided by his company, Ficalora took classes at the American Institute of Banking (AIC) in the Woolworth building, just steps away from Pace. “Pace had a program that fit perfectly with where I was,” he says.

Working full-time at the bank, Ficalora enrolled at Pace, spending his days and nights immersed in banking.

And it paid off. From teller, Ficalora was promoted to assistant manager at a branch, and would continue rising the ranks to assistant auditor, assistant comptroller, comptroller, executive vice president, and ultimately president and CEO of the bank in 1993.

During his 25 years at the helm, New York Community Bancorp has become one of the 50 largest banks in the United States, operating 223 branches across the New York metropolitan area, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, and Arizona, with assets of more than $50 billion. A leading producer of multi-family loans on non-luxury rent-regulated apartment buildings in New York City, the New York Community Bank (NYCB) family of banks includes Queens County Savings Bank, Roslyn Savings Bank, Richmond County Savings Bank, Roosevelt Savings Bank, Garden State Community Bank, Ohio Savings Bank, and AmTrust Bank.

In addition to leading NYCB, Ficalora is on the board of numerous organizations and most recently was elected to Pace’s Board of Trustees.

“One of the best statements with regard to the university from which you get your degree is that those who preceded you succeeded. I’m pleased to be associated with Pace. I’m pleased to be the recipient of a Pace degree,” says Ficalora. “And that’s based on the response I get when people ask me ‘Where did you graduate from?’ and I say ‘Pace.’”

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La Jefa

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rom first-generation college student to publisher and CEO of the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the country to New York State Secretary of State, Rossana Rosado ’83 is proof that passion wins over privilege.

Before she was born, Rosado’s family moved from Puerto Rico to the Bronx.

Her grandfather worked as a dishwasher at the famed University Club and saved enough money to purchase a bodega, which would become the family’s economic backbone.

The first in her family to go to college, Rosado balanced classes and various jobs—at Pace’s on-campus bar, the Rat; at the Career Center; and at the Writing

Center—quickly taking to journalism.

During one of her courses, Professor Bob Klaeger announced a competition for a life-changing internship at CBS. One of several students selected to interview, Rosado nailed it.

“He said, ‘I don’t know what you said, but you got the internship,’” she recalls.

The interviewer, Ellen Miller, would have a lasting impact on Rosado’s life, connecting her with her next position at WNYC and then again at WCBSAM. Eventually, Rosado took a gig as a City Hall reporter for El Diario La Prensa, the country’s largest Spanishlanguage newspaper. When she scooped a major story from a competing paper, she was hired full time.

“I never use the phrase ‘end up doing’. Because it’s not about how you end up. You’re always going to have things that you want to get to in the future, but it’s what you do in the meantime that counts.”

In the newsroom, the aspiring journalist threw herself square into the chaos. It was a boys’ club, where men smoked cigars and made inappropriate jokes, even calling her el bombón de la redacción (the candy of the newsroom), but that wouldn’t unnerve her.

Rosado sits down with NY1 host of Pura Política, Juan Manuel.

“I made it my mission to learn this culture and rock and roll with them.

In exchange, they taught me and made me stronger,” she said. From them, Rosado got what she calls “a master’s in Latino history,” as they shared inspiring stories from their homelands, which would open her eyes to the world beyond the Bronx and Puerto Rico. “There was this whole world of people who I didn’t know anything about and yet they look like me, they speak like me, and in many ways, they came here so I could do what I was doing.”

What she was doing was blazing a trail—as the first woman to be named editor-in-chief and the first to serve as CEO and publisher of El Diario— earning Emmy, Peabody, and Folio awards for her distinguished career that also included time as a producer at WPIX, and as Vice President for Public Affairs at the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation under mayors David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani.

“I wanted El Diario to be more of an advocate for the community at large,” she said. And that’s what she did, championing growth and economic opportunities for the Latinx community, and through that discovering a new passion: prisoner re-entry. During a talk

she gave at a prison as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the prisoners began asking questions about parenting, something that struck her.

“I realized that many of the people who were incarcerated were people who looked like me, people who worked in the neighborhood I grew up in. I saw the humanity,” she said. “I thought ‘How can you raise kids from in here?’”

She has taught incarcerated people at Sing Sing and Otisville and the prisoners she’s worked with stay in touch, they text and call her, even send her Mother’s Day cards, and she beams with pride when she talks about how far they’ve come—whether it’s getting a job or taking their kids to school for the first time.

So when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called, Rosado answered. “He said, ‘you want to help 10 people a year, that’s good, but if you want to help thousands, you’ve got to come to government,’” she recalls.

In 2016, Governor Cuomo appointed Rosado New York State Secretary of State and she was unanimously confirmed by the NYS Senate. As head of the Department of State, Rosado continues to break barriers through her work on immigration, diversity, poverty, and prisoner re-entry. And while this isn’t exactly where she thought journalism would take her, don’t ever say it’s where she “ended up.”

“I never use the phrase ‘end up doing’. Because it’s not about how you end up,” she said. “You’re always going to have things that you want to get to in the future, but it’s what you do in the meantime that counts. You don’t wait. You try to make a difference now.”

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Driven to Success

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Joy to the World

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he Miracle Mop, Huggable Hangers, and My Little Steamer. Many of us have at least one of those products in our homes, but few know these inventions came from a Pace alumna: Joy Mangano ’78. You may know her name—and a bit of her story—from the blockbuster film Joy. Mangano has always been a problemsolver. When she was 10 years old, she saw her German Shepard, Duke, fall through the ice while walking over a frozen pool. After she managed to pull him to safety, she wrapped his bleeding paws up with bandages, which became difficult to clean. Knowing there had to be a better way, Mangano constructed bandage booties similar to socks with easily replaceable gauze pads. “I’ve always seen objects that weren’t there and I solve problems no one asks me to solve. I’ve always been inspired by the world around me. I saw—and still see— an opportunity in everything,” she said.

Two of Mangano's prize possessions, the Miracle Mop and her Pace diploma.

“Success means different things to everyone.

Success isn’t an end point, it’s only the beginning.”

Raised in an Italian family, where Mangano says women grew up, got married, had children, and cooked, her inclination to always be creative and excel in everything she did was viewed with caution by her family and not encouraged. “I had to believe in myself at a very young age,” she said. And she did.

As a teen working at an animal hospital, Mangano designed a fluorescent collar to make pets easily visible to cars at night, but her idea was never patented and a similar product was manufactured soon after.

Determined to understand business and never miss another opportunity, she enrolled at Pace, where she would meet her future husband and the father of her three children. Armed with the fundamentals of business, Mangano invested her life savings into a selfwringing mop, which she worked on in a corner of her father’s auto body shop.

But the Miracle Mop wasn’t an instant success. Rejection after rejection, Mangano kept at it, and after a 12-hour demonstration in a Kmart in Michigan, the company placed an order for half of their stores across the country. “If I hadn’t kept trying and believing, my successes would have never followed.”

Today, Mangano is the president of Ingenious Designs, LLC; holds more than 100 patents; and during her 25-year career, has sold more than $3 billion in her products, including My Little Steamer, Forever Fragrant, and Huggable Hangers, which have

sold more than 734 million pieces across national retailers like Macy’s, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond. She regularly appears on Home Shopping Network (HSN) and is considered one of electronic retailing’s most successful brands. And in 2015, they turned her life into a film.

“What’s better than having Jennifer Lawrence play you on the big screen?

It was an honor and a thrill,” said Mangano, who was inspired by the feedback of the film to share her whole story. Her 2017 book, Inventing Joy, shares her experiences, lessons, and learnings, and her latest invention, Miracle Clean, which premiered in September 2018, proves there’s no stopping her.

“Success means different things to everyone,” she says. “Success isn’t an end point, it’s only the beginning.”

Through her foundation, Mangano continues to inspire entrepreneurs to live more courageous, impactful lives.

“We created the Joy Mangano Foundation so we can help replace fear with hope, to help replace uncertainty with optimism, for those people looking to find their way in this world, in business and in life. For all you American Dreamers trying to figure out how to take that first step, our goal is to empower you, so you can push yourself forward and impact others in ways both small and large. There are great ideas out there, and passionate people out there, and sometimes all they need is a little help to get going.”

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21

The Drive

All Hands on Tech

“A

s the youngest of seven siblings and losing my mom at 12, I had to grow up quickly,” says Bridget-Anne Hampden ’79, who was born and raised in Guyana and Antigua. “I left my country on a oneway ticket, so there was no going back home.” For Hampden, in spite of the obstacles she experienced at a young age, she learned that there was an edge to her that kept her from quitting.

Raised by her father, a headmaster at a Guyanese school, there was never a doubt she would go to college, so at 20 years old, when her family came to the US, she first earned her associate's degree and then her bachelor’s degree while

working full-time at Chemical Bank.

“Pace was the go-to school for accounting,” said Hampden, who majored in accounting and information systems, unlocking her true passion: technology. “This whole new world opened up to me, and part of going to Pace was discovering that new world,” she says.

Though there were few women in her computer science classes, Hampden said she didn’t feel discrimination until she was in the workforce, recalling a time when a male subordinate said he could “never work for a woman.”

“The reality of it being a man’s world really hit home,” she says. “But it was a great grounding experience. I learned early on that with the right temperament and the right preparation, you

can do almost anything.”

Once she became a mother, Hampden knew that in order to follow all her dreams, she would need to work hard to balance her home life with her growing career at J.P. Morgan.

“I wanted to be an assistant treasurer, and then an assistant vice president, and then a vice president, and then I said, ‘Well, wait a minute. You can strive to be a managing director.’ And so I did.”

As managing director of information security at J.P. Morgan, Hampden was responsible for developing and monitoring the critical infrastructure protection of the bank’s domestic and international locations. She would later go on to serve as CIO at Wachovia, where she oversaw all technology initiatives for the Investment Banking group.

After nearly 30 years in the field, Hampden retired. That is, until Washington called.

As the deputy CIO at the US Department of Education, she provided technology solutions that delivered more than $3.5 trillion of student aid to approximately 80 million students. As senior advisor to the COO of Federal Student Aid (FSA), she coordinated major FSA initiatives and advised on strategic issues related to student financial aid programs.

“It really is a privilege to serve the millions of students who are able to pursue higher education,” she says.

“I could not have accomplished the success that I’ve had were it not for my Pace education. When we educate a first-generation student, we begin this snowball effect of raising the economic viability of a family.”

Although Hampden has come a long way since graduation, her smile has stayed the same.

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East Meets West

B

orn in Beirut, Lebanon, Pace double alumnus Shant Mardirossian ’89, ’00 came of age under the mantle of his family’s personal history with the Armenian Genocide and their subsequent emigration through Turkey and Syria, eventually settling in New York.

Having arrived in the US at only two years old, Mardirossian was educated in the states and set his sights on finance early in life. “Pace had a good reputation as a business school, especially for those looking to enter the accounting profession,” he says, working full-time as an assistant manager at McDonald’s to pay for his education. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Mardirossian worked at McKinsey & Company and then Kohlberg & Company, and returned to Pace for his MBA. “I was able to apply my professional experience towards school, and vice versa,” he said. “My Pace education allowed me to broaden my skill set. As a result, I was promoted to chief financial officer, and eventually chief operating officer.”

In addition to his position as partner and COO at Kohlberg & Company, Mardirossian serves on the board of directors at Near East Foundation (NEF), whose mission holds a special

Mardirossian lends his advice to Pace students as an Executive in Residence.

place in his heart. “The organization works in countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, which deeply interested me,” he explains.

“There’s a lot of history in that part of the world that has always intrigued me.”

One of the first international humanitarian efforts undertaken by American citizens, the NEF played a crucial role in helping victims of the Armenian Genocide. The foundation’s history hit close to home

“My Pace education allowed me to broaden my skill set. As a result, I was promoted to chief financial officer, and eventually chief operating officer.”

for Mardirossian. “All four of my grandparents were children during the Armenian Genocide, and some were orphaned. They fled to Aleppo to rebuild their lives,” he explained.

“During their migration, my paternal grandmother sought refuge in an orphanage, which I later learned was part of the Near East umbrella.

They provided support, education, protection, and opportunities for 142,000 orphaned children, including my grandmother and six of her siblings.

But what amazed me was that few people knew about this remarkable history. I knew I had to tell this story.”

In 2016, Mardirossian commissioned and produced the documentary They Shall Not Perish: The Story of Near East Relief, which chronicles the refugee crisis and relief efforts during the Armenian Genocide. The documentary has since been broadcast on public television and is currently streaming on Netflix. n

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23

THE TEAM BRINGING NEW ENERGY TO PACE At first glance,

this may seem like an unusual

partnership. She’s a neurobiologist, he’s a lawyer. He loves swing and disco dancing, while she is committed to the tango. His favorite comfort food?

Hummus. Hers? Plantains. “There isn’t a plantain that I don’t love!” she says.

She binge-watches television, most recently the series, This Is Us. (“I didn’t cry,” she insists.) He barely watches TV. But whatever their differences, this powerful academic duo—Marvin Krislov, JD, Pace University’s president of one year, and Vanya Quiñones, PhD, the brand-new provost—share a passion that more than overcomes the fault lines: a rock-solid commitment to student success. It is what drives the innovations they are developing, guides their initiatives and discussions with staff and faculty, and ensures that Pace’s strong record of placing graduates on impressive career trajectories just gets better by strengthening the proven model: the Pace Path.

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Pace Magazi n e

Photo by Ron Antonelli

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25

President and Provost Q&A

“ Student success is our number one priority,” says President Krislov.

“It’s the center of everything,” adds Provost Quiñones.

Their passion for student achievement, plans for enhancing success rates, and optimism for Pace’s future can be infectious. If you want to know what Pace is all about and where the University is heading, you want to listen to how our dynamic leaders describe their plans. Below are excerpts from a conversation, moderated by Vice President for University Relations James Sterngold, in which they shared their insights and commitment to improving Pace’s singular record for propelling graduates upward.

James Sterngold: Pace University has a great record in social mobility—it’s an important aspect of who we are and how we deliver, but we’re in a new knowledge-based economy, which is looking for innovators, disruptors, collaborators, and requires different skills to succeed. What we may have taught our students in the past may not be the best things for the future.

What are we doing at Pace to prepare our students for this new world so that our mobility record remains so remarkably strong?

Vanya Quiñones: We’re blending job skills with a liberal arts education, which is unique. An example of how we’re doing this is with the Pace Path.

At the core of the Pace Path is a strong

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education, and around it we build everything to ensure that students learn, not only from textbooks, but through hands-on experience and being exposed to different issues in the real world. Our students graduate with a more sophisticated way of addressing these issues that are essential for moving forward in the future.

Marvin Krislov: There are two types of skills that we are trying to give students. Fundamental skills, or liberal arts skills: learning how to speak, how to write, how to analyze big data, how to communicate and collaborate, and computer literacy, because that’s becoming a fundamental skill now. And then there are more specialized skills that students can learn, either through internships or real-world experiences, or some of our programs such as nursing, business, and arts and entertainment management, where you actually learn the way businesses work. That draws on those fundamental skills but gives them expertise in a particular area, connects them with a community, and really helps them be ready for the first job, and the second, and the third.

VQ: For their lifetime. We also have a strong impact on community work— students have to take a mandatory service course that’s unique to Pace.

Recently the NYC Mayor’s Office recognized Pace as one of the top three universities for community

service. We have an impact on the city, but more than that, it’s important for our students to not only get work experience, internships, and an education, but be involved in community-based activities.

JS: How do we stay ahead of the curve? What are we doing in the way of new majors, new courses, new programs, to address that question of how we’re preparing our students for this changing world?

VQ: One of the unique traits about Pace is the cross-disciplinary interactions, and the willingness of each school and college to work with each other. For example, business interacting with health professions to form a healthcare management program. Our arts and entertainment management program is another, and one of the most popular majors at Pace. It’s the ability to blend different disciplines that were traditionally separated. We’re going to meet with the deans and talk more about these cross-disciplinary programs that we can develop, but it’s the plasticity of the school to make curriculum that is modern and responding to the changing needs of our economy.

MK: There’s also the new program in nutrition, which is responding to a real concern. One of the things I’m excited about with Vanya coming on board, is we’re looking at the way programs and faculty can relate to each other thematically. For instance, Vanya’s pulling people together to think about our research on autism, and so through that, there may come some new programs. We have a cluster of people who are thinking about food and environmental studies, and so how do we build on that? More concretely, we do

Brian Stanton

have programs that are unifying as Vanya said: technology has become an integral part of so many of our programs.

VQ: Including education. When you get a degree from our School of Education, what makes it unique? It will be computer-based training, dual certificates. We’re trying to take a traditional curriculum and adapt it into something that is more appealing for the job market, and that will make our students stronger once they graduate.

JS: Our retention and graduation rates are going up. What seems to

be working best in producing those results, and how do we expect them to continue to improve?

MK: We need to think about that every day. When I walk around the halls and I ask students how they’re doing, and they tell me, “Well, everything’s okay, but..., ” I really try to help them figure out how to address the “but.” Part of that is empowering them to know where to go, but as an institution, we need to do an even better job at identifying challenges, and setting up systems that are transparent and easy for them to navigate.

“ We are trying to take a traditional curriculum and adapt it into something that is more appealing for the job market,” says Provost Quiñones.

I think University 101, which I’m really excited to be teaching this fall, is a great way to do it, and I know one of the things that we’re looking at constantly, but we also consider everything from research skills to financial skills to social and interpersonal skills. We need to make sure that our systems work well for students and so we’re looking at things like advising, which is critical.

We also need to really pay attention to issues like mental health, which we have been doing, as well as financial challenges. It’s really important that students have the resources to be able to buy books, to be able to eat, to be able to do the basic things in life.

VQ: As Marvin says, student success is the center of any institution. You will not succeed as an institution if your students don’t graduate. Student success is owned by every part of the institution, and traditionally, people used to think that the institution is

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Drew Levin

President and Provost Q&A

serving the students, but in reality, the institution is mentoring the students and helping them succeed. One of the things that Marvin and I are focused on is ensuring that every single person— from the security guard that says hello to a student, to the person in the elevator, to the registrar, to every other person—feels like they’re mentoring the students, and that student success is their responsibility. That’s a cultural shift, which is essential for our students to be able to feel nurtured, to feel like they’re moving forward.

MK: One of the things that I tried to do last year was to really understand the needs and concerns of all students,

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including students who had particular circumstances that might be relevant.

I met with groups of transfer students, commuter students, and veterans.

And I think that we have done many things well, but we need to be aware that those populations, among others, may have certain needs. It’s really important that those three groups be embraced as part of the community.

VQ: It’s almost like the Olympic rings, they’re all together, and each ring is a community. So we have all of these different communities that are all interacting. The key thing for student success is to make those rings—those communities—really strong.

JS: I was a double philosophy and anthropology major when I was in college. Would I be relevant today?

Do humanities and liberal arts majors really stand a chance?

MK: I studied history at Oxford. My son is actually a history major, so I have many, many vested interests in why history, for instance, is an important topic to major in, and why the skills you learn are relevant. Majors like history, anthropology, and philosophy teach you a way of thinking, a way of analyzing, and a way of presenting an argument and communicating that are valuable in many different spheres, not just more obvious fields like academia and journalism, but in the business world as well. What I hear from employers over and over is, “We need people who can write, who can analyze data, who can make an argument.” I’m a lawyer, so some of these things translate to law, but they also translate to the world of business, technology, medicine, science, and other fields.

I’m a strong believer in the value of liberal arts and studying humanities.

But they have to be done with rigor and they have to be done in such a way that allows the students to learn skills that are marketable.

VQ: I’m going to keep it simple. The reason we study liberal arts in college is to understand the world. It’s the basis for every education.

JS: An ongoing issue that needs to be addressed is getting more women and more minorities in STEM fields, which businesses are desperate for. Vanya, you have a deep understanding of this. What are we doing to try to fulfill those responsibilities?

VQ: Diversity in the workforce, and

“ We are not only creating job opportunities and strengthening the economy, but we’re improving the quality of life for people,” says President Krislov. diversity in different situations, brings an enrichment of opinions and it brings the ability of a company or research endeavor to be able to communicate to different people, to be able to relate to different people, to be able to sell products to different people, to be able to talk to different cultures. This is essential in order to survive in this multicultural society that we live in.

It’s essential to have people that are not only black and white and Latinx and Asian, but also different genders, different religions. Diversity really is bringing people with different ideas and different experiences to the table to make a more solid idea. It’s essential that, for example, in STEM, if you’re doing a new drug testing, that you include different races. It’s essential for social workers to be able to communicate with different cultures and with different patients.

The way to do that is to ensure that the pool of people that will go into the workforce is diverse. And that’s in terms of workforce, but also for us as an institution, it’s essential to have a diverse student population because they bring enrichment to the classroom.

JS: Are we succeeding in getting them into STEM subjects as well?

VQ: Yes. Our Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, for example, is 38% female, compared to a national average of just 18%. This is just one example of how effectively we’re working on diversity in the STEMs.

JS: We talk a lot about what a great classroom New York is for Pace and what our students get out of it. I want to ask your views on the reverse question, which is, what is New York getting out of Pace? We’re delivering great school teachers, healthcare professionals, business and finance professionals. What are your views on what New York would look like if there was no Pace delivering these graduates?

VQ: Last night, we were at a dinner and New York State Secretary of State and Pace alumna Rossana Rosado was there. And then we were talking about New York State Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, also an alumna. Those are great examples!

MK: There are certainly some very important leaders in their communities, like President and CEO of Vital Strategies and Executive Director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease José Luis Castro, who is improving public health worldwide; Joseph Ianniello, who is leading CBS as president and acting CEO; and our countless alumni leaders in business, law, technology, and the arts.

I’m also very excited about the research and service work that takes place daily. For instance, the Billion Oyster Project, which is led by our School of Education Professor Lauren Birney, EdD, along with faculty from the Seidenberg School, has us working with students and others at the New York Harbor School to try to restore

the oysters to New York and improve the quality of our water. What we’re doing there is not only something very concrete that will have an impact on the health and environment for New York City, but we’re also training the next generation of, not just college students, but high school students, who will become leaders in that field.

In the health care field, our faculty are working to help homeless or nearly homeless people get medical care, and in law we have very powerful experiences through clinics like our environmental clinic. Last night, the county executive came up to me and said he had been in a land use seminar taught by Pace Professor Nolon at the Law School. Our clinics and centers—whether immigration, women’s justice, environmental, land use, etc.—are doing the work that otherwise would need to be undertaken by government or other nonprofits.

Conversely, our goal is to make Pace even stronger and more vibrant in the New York and Westchester regions, so we can do even more to help people. And certainly in areas like health, technology, education, law, helping small business owners try to start their businesses. In all these areas, we are not only creating job opportunities and strengthening the economy, but we’re really improving the quality of life for people.

VQ: I was on the train today—this is a true story—and this woman said, “Oh, you work at Pace. I had two Pace interns this summer and I couldn’t do it without them.” Our students are able to help their communities just by their internships alone—those things are in the fiber of New York. We do it quietly, but we do it every day. Being a new person at Pace, I’m so lucky and surprised at how much we do for the community. n

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ARMED WITH COMPASSION

E

Every Veteran’s Day, we honor the brave men and women who have put their lives on the line and served our country, including the thousands who have walked through Pace’s doors to make a difference in their lives— and, in turn, ours. Meet three veterans who returned home from the battlefield, ready to take on another critical mission: supporting their military brothers and sisters.

Like many teenagers wrestling with the challenges of growing up, Steven Michael Hardy ’12 felt lost. He was bouncing around between part-time jobs, not ready to go to college, when his mom gave him an ultimatum: college or service.

Hardy enrolled in the US Air Force, where he worked as a special agent for the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, focusing on criminal and counterintelligence. He was stationed mainly overseas for 14 years.

When Hardy returned home after combat in Iraq, he had a difficult time reintegrating into civilian life. He suffered from PTSD, depression, and anxiety, was working 100+ hours per week, and ultimately, Hardy says,

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Pace Magazi n e

his life went into a downward spiral.

“I wasn’t thriving—emotionally or financially. My wife and I almost lost our home,” he says. “You know how people say ‘Just concentrate on one day at a time’? At one point, I was focusing on one minute at a time.”

Looking for meaning and a sense of passion, Hardy joined the US Army Reserve and enrolled at Pace, where he studied biology. During his first year, a photography professor noticed his talent and encouraged him to pursue it professionally. By the time he graduated, Hardy had started an alternative fashion marketing company and was doing photoshoots for clients like Harley Davidson and Ford. As he expanded, Hardy and his family moved to Nevada, where he began working with heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch’s founder and guitarist Zoltán Báthory. During a drive to Báthory’s house one afternoon, he saw a homeless man walking in between cars in the Las Vegas heat, asking for food or money. Hardy had neither.

“As he approached my car, he saw my license plate that said disabled veteran and rendered me a military salute. I could tell it was a veteran salute. I asked him ‘Sir, are you

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Pace’s Veterans Give Back

a veteran?’ He responded ‘Yes, sir’ and began naming the combat tours he served in Vietnam in the Army,” says Hardy. “I felt terrible. I told him that I was sorry, as I had nothing for him—no water, food, or money. He said, ‘That’s OK, my brother. I have God. I will get through another day.’”

With that experience weighing on his mind, Hardy took to social media asking his friends to join him in buying water for the homeless, which he would distribute. Báthory shared the post and within a week, Hardy’s garage was filled wall-to-wall with 400 cases of water.

Inspired by the response and eager to do more, Hardy founded the Home Deployment Project (HDP). Dedicated to ending veteran homelessness, HDP provides one-on-one support to displaced veterans suffering from chronic PTSD by providing them with a safe place to live, free of charge, and the tools to become self-supporting again.

“It’s very easy to walk down the street, especially as New Yorkers, and not even realize a homeless person is there. Or to say, ‘Why don’t they just get jobs?’” says Hardy. “The biggest lesson I learned is that the majority of these people don’t want to be homeless. Something happened in their life that led them to this place and then they fell off the grid.

Their birth certificate, their ID card, gets lost. If you’re an employer and you have an individual who wants a job, and they smell and don’t have clothing, and they have no ID, no identity, you probably don’t want to give them a job.

Even if you do, how can you legally?”

One of the first veterans Hardy helped was Kurt Richter, who served in the US Navy during Vietnam. After a head injury ended his military career, Kurt’s life fell apart—he lost his job, his family, and his home. With support from HDP, Kurt moved into an apartment, found work as a janitor, and within six

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months was self-sufficient. Today, he’s the manager of the custodial department at Sam’s Town Casino.

“In four and a half years, HDP has saved and reintegrated 14 veterans with a zero percent relapse. People may think that’s not a lot, but I say, ‘What value do you place on a human life?’” says Hardy. “A human life is priceless.”

B

y 2043, women are projected to make up 16.3% of all living veterans, but in 1976, when Colonel Mary Lynch Westmoreland ’67 joined the US Coast Guard, the military had just started admitting women to serve on active duty.

She was married with young children, but wanted to serve her country. She signed up as a part-time reserve member, ultimately transitioning to full-time and moving to the US Army.

Her mother was tolerant at first. A widow since Westmoreland was 11, her mother was an integral part of her life and one of the people she chose to pin her when she was promoted to Captain.

After the ceremony, she handed Westmoreland her father’s World War II Lieutenant bar, which she had saved. “‘You outrank your dad. I’m so proud and he’d be so proud,’” she said. Her mother died two weeks later.

Colonel Westmoreland’s distinguished career includes two Legions of Merit, a Bronze Star Medal, and five Meritorious Service Medals. A trailblazer and champion for veterans’ rights, Westmoreland’s

Left to right: Dustin Shryock, Mary Lynch Westmoreland, and Steven Michael Hardy

service stretches beyond her 31 years of active and reserve duty. In 2012, the US Secretary of Veteran Affairs appointed Westmoreland to the VA Committee on Women Veterans, where, for five years (including two as national chair), she provided guidance to the VA and Congress to address the diverse needs of women veterans, including critical access to health care.

Today, she continues to advocate for veterans through her work at various veteran organizations including the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), United War Veterans Council, and Navy League NYC, as well as mentors the women who still follow in her footsteps. But as far as accomplishments go, Westmoreland is humble.

“I don’t see accomplishments—my life’s not over yet,” she says. “It’s about changing the world, one person at a time.”

F

or Dustin Shryock ’12, military service was a family affair. After spending a year at a college

in California, Shryock enlisted in the US Army.

A sergeant with the 3rd Infantry Division, Shryock handled military intelligence and spent several years in Baghdad, where he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal.

When he returned to California in 2009, Shryock says he “came home to a world that was vastly different from the one I left.”

Encouraged to start over in NYC, he found a close network of military friends at Pace. Through his involvement in Pace’s Student Veterans

Association (SVA), Shryock began working to enhance veteran services, implement policy change, and make veterans feel at home at Pace.

“My work with SVA was the catalyst for my internship at the White House,” says Shryock, who was awarded an internship on the First Lady’s Joining Forces team, a nationwide initiative to support veterans and military families.

“That was the life-changing internship.

And it was honestly because of Pace.”

After graduation, Shryock began working at a hedge fund, and the post-war feelings he thought he had

“ Last year, we had 240+ veterans and their dependents use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and receive more than $2 million from the Yellow Ribbon Program.”

—Pace Veteran Affairs Coordinator and Retired US Army Sergeant Miguel O. Gonzalez

run from had caught up with him.

Enter Headstrong, an organization that provides cost-free, bureaucracy-free, and stigma-free treatment for post-9/11 military veterans dealing with mental health issues. It was through his work as a client that Shryock would transition to director of operations.

“We’ve helped more than 600 people so far, and we have not lost one to suicide,” says Shryock. In fact, many clients who initially chose to be anonymous have become advocates, sharing Headstrong’s impact on their lives and helping destigmatize mental health issues among veterans and reach even more vets across the nation.

According to Headstrong, for every soldier we lose in combat, 25–30 take their own lives. “I don’t know a veteran who doesn’t know someone who has committed suicide,” says Shryock. “You know how people say ‘Find something you love to do and you won’t feel like it’s a job’? It is work, and I love it, and it’s changing lives. I’m watching people get better. I’m watching my friends not die.” n

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Research

Students work alongside Krucher on groundbreaking cancer research.

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Passing the Research Torch “Doing research with students is the best part of my job as a professor,” says Dyson Biology Professor Nancy Krucher, PhD. Krucher specializes in cancer research, particularly developments regarding the retinoblastoma (Rb) protein, which serves as a tumor suppressor and is dysfunctional in

Small Fish, Big Impact

almost all human cancers. She was recently awarded a $399,135 grant from the National

Approximately 48 million Ameri-

find one or more that modulate

Institutes of Health and National Cancer

cans are affected by hearing loss

regeneration in zebrafish. The idea

Institute, which will support both her work

and, according to the Hearing

would be to take that information

and research opportunities for under-

Loss Association of America, and

and look for correlates of those

graduate students at Pace. For this project,

that number includes one out of

genes in humans.”

Krucher has worked with Rebecca Kravtsov

every three people over the age

’18, Nimmi Thomas ’18, and Brian Velez ’20.

of 65.

“Therapies used to treat cancer patients

Through his impactful work,

For his research, Steiner has received a three-year, $378,000 grant from the National Institutes

often become less effective over time, a

Dyson Assistant Professor of

of Health, which has been

phenomenon called ‘resistance,’” she says.

Biology Aaron Steiner, PhD, is

instrumental in funding some of

“This grant will allow Pace students and

aiming to lower those numbers.

the pricier aspects of the work,

I to study the biochemical mechanisms

Steiner, along with the help

including major microscope

of resistance that occur in breast and

of research assistants and

upgrades that will help the group

pancreatic cancer treatment.”

undergraduate students Leslie

immensely.

Having seen so many students immerse

Sanchez ’18 and Bryan Volpe ’20,

While there is a lot of work to

themselves in worthwhile research, Krucher

is studying regeneration of hair

be done, Steiner understands

views this work as not only an important col-

cells in zebrafish (despite the

that the outcomes of this

legiate experience, but one that builds valu-

confounding name, hair cells are in

research could potentially change

able life skills. She notes that it’s particularly

fact cells associated with hearing).

millions of lives for the better.

rewarding when a researcher continues on

Ultimately, Steiner hopes to be

the journey to fully-fledged scientist.

able to apply positive findings to

gene product and enhance

“At Pace, the most important thing to me

“Say you could block a particular

better understand how hair cell

regeneration. Now imagine that we

is to mentor students in the research lab.

regeneration can potentially work

could have a medication that you

When I went to college, I didn’t know what

in the human body.

take, where the chemical inhibits

research was until I found myself working

“In the short term, I hope to

in a research lab,” explains Krucher. “Here

identify some gene or genes that

that happens, you can actually

at Pace, I’ve been able to teach a lot of

are responsible for regeneration of

stimulate regeneration in the ear.

students about how exciting it is to be a

hair cells in zebrafish,” says Steiner.

So the eventual goal would be

scientist.”

“We’re looking at individual genes

to identify drugs that could cure

right now, and the idea is to

deafness.”

that gene product in the body. If

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Research

Increasing Sexual Health Awareness

whose attendance at an LGBTQA and Social Justice Center workshop on HIV/AIDS was the impetus for his research.

There was a serious knowledge gap in

The majority of students at Pace

regards to information and student awareness

today weren’t even born when the

on the issue. Navarro teamed up with Erin Furey,

AIDS epidemic swept America. In the

associate director of Pace’s LGBTQA and Social

years since, discussion around HIV/

Justice Center, to help close that gap.

AIDS has shifted—from the outmoded

“Gabe came to me with the initial research

idea that it was only a “gay” disease to

idea as part of his Honors thesis, and it aligned

characterizing the illness as something

with the Center’s strategic goals and initiatives,”

that only affects IV drug users. The shift

says Furey. “We’re moving toward taking on

in discourse, coupled with the success of

the role of sexual health education on campus

antiretroviral medications making HIV a

and Gabe’s research was a nice way to get our

manageable, though lifelong, disease has

groundwork going.”

led to an unintended consequence.

In the short-term, both Navarro and Furey

We’re not talking about HIV/AIDS

realized that the research itself—for example,

anymore. Less talk means less access to

surveying students about sexual health

critical health education and the spread

practices including the use of condoms and

of misinformation.

providing information on existing University

“I learned so much, there was so much I was misinformed on. I was thinking, ‘If I’m thinking like this, I’m

services—has already created a positive impact on campus.

Navarro and Furey hope that the research

sure a lot of other students on campus

will lead to useful programming and University-

feel this way,’” says Gabriel Navarro ’18,

wide initiatives to improve sexual health awareness. Navarro notes, for example, that 50% of students did not know it was possible for HIV to become undetectable.

“A lot of students weren’t aware that they could get tested on campus, that they have access to PEP and PrEP, two really important preventative measures,” says Navarro. “Pace’s University Health Care offers a lot of resources that most students are unaware of.”

We’re not talking about HIV/AIDS anymore.

Less talk means less access to critical health education and the spread of misinformation.

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Pace Magaz in e

Faculty Success Funding, grants, awards—Pace faculty are on the front lines of innovation, and they’re being recognized for their contributions to the fields of computer science, health care, criminal justice, and more!

MILLION DOLLAR IMPACT During the 2018 fiscal year, Pace received $8,927,254 in research funding across all six schools and colleges to facilitate groundbreaking, impactful scholarship and research, teaching and training programs, and community outreach activities in a wide range of areas—from cybersecurity to clean energy to health care and education in low-income communities.

Funding agencies include the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Security Agency (NSA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Department of Education, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), US Department of Energy, US Department of Justice, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and more.

Success for 400 Dyson Assistant Professor of Media, Communications, and Visual Arts Kate Fink, PhD, recently appeared on ABC’s longrunning trivia game show, Jeopardy! The renowned television program, hosted by Alex Trebek, often attracts some of the sharpest minds in the world. This is Fink’s third appearance on a national game show—she’s also appeared on The

Weakest Link and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?—and has built what is undoubtedly the most impressive game show resume in Pace history.

Parents, Prisons, and Pups Dyson Associate Professor

build parenting skills in an

of Criminal Justice and

effort to return incarcerated

Security Kimberly Collica-

women to their families,

Cox, PhD, was honored at

and reduce recidivism and

the National Ceremony of the

intergenerational incarceration.

Jefferson Awards Foundation

“I was surrounded by so

in Washington, DC, in the

many people who were

category of Greatest Public

dedicated and committed

Service by an Employee.

to public service and the

Collica-Cox was recognized

entire event was inspiring and

for her innovative “Parenting,

humbling. I am so happy that

Prisons, and Pups” animal-

the importance of jail-based

assisted therapy program—the

programming for women

first of its kind on a national

was recognized on a national

level. The program seeks to

level,” says Collica-Cox.

CAMP CRYPTOGRAPHY Seidenberg Associate Professor of Information Technology Pauline Mosley, DPS, and Professor and Department Chair of Information Technology Li-Chiou Chen, PhD, received $66,000 in funding from GenCyber, which is a cybersecurity outreach program sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA) and National Science Foundation (NSF), to expand the workforce pool of cybersecurity professionals. Pace’s project, Camp CryptoBot, gave high schoolers the opportunity to operate drones and cyberbots and learn about ciphers.

Through the program, students learned to decode different ciphers, which show them how different technologies work.

Fa l l 2018

37

From the Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Their accomplishments are a testament to the education Dear fellow Pace Setters,

they received and represent the strongest case we can make for why Pace is truly a transformative, life-

I’m Gary Laermer ’80, vice president for development

changing experience for students today.

and alumni relations at Pace, and it’s my pleasure to share with you some of the exciting things our alumni

I cannot wait to meet with more alumni, hear your

have been up to since the last issue of Pace Magazine.

stories, and partner with you to write the next

Taking on this job has been a homecoming of sorts for

chapter of Pace’s incredible story. So please, take the

me, since I am a Pace alumnus myself, Class of 1980.

time to read through what your fellow alumni have

Pace has changed quite a bit since then—there are so

accomplished and be sure to share your successes with

many great new majors and programs; new residence

us as well.

halls for students; and the University has truly evolved from a commuter school to a dynamic living and

Thank you once again for being a committed Pace

learning community, both in New York City and in

University alumnus.

Westchester.

Sincerely, Yet, for all that’s changed, so much has stayed the same. There is still the same focus on educating people to embark upon challenging and rewarding careers, the same drive to create a rich and experience-driven academic journey, and the same commitment to empowerment and opportunity for people from all

Gary Laermer ’80

walks of life. That’s what drew me to Pace as a student,

Vice President for Development and

and that’s what drew me back nearly 40 years later.

Alumni Relations

I am so proud to call myself a Pace alumnus when I look and see the great things that members of the Pace Community are doing. Our alumni are trendsetters, innovators, and leading entrepreneurs— they are making vital contributions in business, education, health care, the arts, law, finance, banking, and so many other fields.

38

Pace Magazine

Class Notes 1960s DAVID C. STEINBERG ’69

addressed Gilda’s Club on August 1, 2018, on cancer and cosmetics.

1970s JOHN C. CHAPMAN ’77

was appointed to the board of directors of Lannett Company, Inc., a pharmaceutical company based in Philadelphia, PA, that manufactures and distributes high-quality affordable generic medications that are the therapeutic equivalent of brandname pharmaceuticals.

JOHN J. BADI ’79 was appointed

sales and service manager by Greater Hudson Bank.

MICHAEL HERZ ’79, ’85 was

appointed president of the Westchester chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs. He also landed a new position as vice president of accounting and finance at NuEnergen, LLC, a management consulting firm in White Plains, NY.

1980s PATRICK R. COLABELLA ’80

was honored with the Civic Award by the Bay Ridge Community Council. The Civic Award is given to people who go out of their way to serve and dedicate themselves to their community.

And the Winner Is… Pace. What an exciting year for Pace alumni at the 72nd Annual Tony Awards!

Each year, the Tony Awards Administration Committee presents the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre to outstanding contributors to the Broadway industry. Among the 2018 winners is Ernest Winzer Cleaners, owned and operated by Pace alumnus BRUCE BARISH ’86 and his wife, Sarah Barish. Bruce, the third generation of the Steinhorn family to preside over the family business which has been proudly serving Broadway since 1908, began working there when he was just seven years old.

Recent graduate REILLY HICKEY also picked up a Tony Award for her work as a producer on the Broadway revival of Once On This Island. Hickey worked on the show while she was a student.

VALERIE KILCOIN ’80 was

elected president of the Orange Runners Club of Middletown, NY, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that serves as a local information clearinghouse for runners.

JAMES M. BROWN ’81 was named director of marketing at Marywood University in Scranton, PA. He is responsible for developing and implementing an integrated marketing and communications plan for the University.

GLORIA J. HEFFERNAN ’81

released a poetry chapbook, Some of Our Parts, through Finishing Line Press. She will be releasing her full-length collection, What the Gratitude List Said to the Bucket List, in spring 2019 through New York Quarterly Books.

ANTHONY J. KUCZINSKI ’81

was elected chairman of American

Insurance Association’s (AIA) Board of Directors.

EDWARD KRAMER ’82 joined Asurity Technologies as a senior advisor. Asurity Technologies is a compliance platform software company in Washington, DC. J. TRACY MYRICKS ’83 is celebrating his sixth year with MetLife Insurance Company, where he is a senior program analyst.

GERALD OGRIS ’83 was named an advisory board member by URentMe.com, an online startup for renting recreation and power sport vehicles. The advisory board will provide strategic guidance and help the company secure capital.

LYNN BAUSCH ’84 joined

Sterling Care, a leading regional Certified Home Health Agency in Greenwich, CT, as clinical manager.

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39

Class Notes DON BECKER ’84 was named executive vice president of real estate development and strategic projects by the Minnesota Vikings.

GERALD CULLITON ’84, VA

Connecticut health care system director, recently received the 2018 American College of Healthcare Executives Uniformed Services/ Veterans Affairs National Regent’s Award for leading an organization recognized for its clinical quality, research, and teaching.

BRIAN M. POSNER ’84 was

appointed chief financial officer for Cellectar Biosciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Madison, WI, focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted treatments for cancer.

AMY POSTER ’84 was hired by

global management consulting firm GIBC Digital in Brooklyn, NY, to lead its regulatory and compliance group in the US.

CHRISTOPHER ABBISS ’85

joined the MAC Group in North White Plains, NY, as part of the lighting brand management team. MAC Group is a sales and marketing company dedicated to supplying professional photographers, filmmakers, educators, and students with the world’s finest image-making tools.

FRANCIS G. FINEO, JD, ’85 was

appointed a Village Court Justice by the Quogue Village Board in Quogue, NY. MARIA LUSKAY, EDD, ’85 pro-

duced the documentary film Puerto Rico: Hope in the Dark and was interviewed on Channel 7’s Tiempo.

JANE BUCKIEWICZ ’86 was

appointed to the Foundation Board of Trustees at NJ Sharing Network, an organization whose mission is saving lives through organ and tissue donation.

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Pace Magaz in e

THERESA FANELLI ’88 became

a faculty member at Felician University in New Jersey.

EDWIN GONZALEZ ’88, a bursar’s office staffer at Rockland Community College, received the 2018 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. The award recognizes consistently superior professional achievement at the State University of New York.

AUDRE LUKOSEVICIUS ’88

was recently interviewed as part of a Women’s Accounting Leadership Series panel discussing challenges women face in the workplace.

MICHAEL F. SULLIVAN ’88

was hired as asset management specialist in the New York City region by Avison Young, the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm.

ADRIANA M. LUCHECHKO ’89 joined the board of directors

at Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope, a nonprofit in Palm Beach, FL, that helps qualified cancer patients pay non-medical living expenses.

1990s SEAN P. REARDON ’90 was

appointed director of sales and marketing for the new Omni Boston Hotel.

RAIMUNDO C. ARCHIBOLD JR. ’91 joined the board of directors at

DAVID M. REMSTEIN ’93 was named president and COO of FinMason, a financial technology firm in Boston, MA, that provides access to more than 700 calculations of every publicly traded asset in the world.

RYAN SCHOENFELD, EDD, ’93 was chosen as the new

superintendent to lead the Ardsley School District in Ardsley, NY.

CHRISTOPHER CUDDY ’94

joined Colliers International Boston, a global real estate services company, as executive vice president.

EUGENE ANTONOV ’96

was appointed chief operating officer of Trans-Siberian Gold Management LLC, a leading gold producer, developer, and explorer in Russia.

TOURIA EL GLAOUI ’96, the founder of the 1-54 Art Fair, was interviewed for a Christie’s Magazine article about giving African artists international visibility, and building her own collection.

BRYAN EDMISTON ’97 was appointed chief accounting officer and principal accounting officer

by WisdomTree Investments, Inc., a New York City-based asset management company that focuses on exchange-traded funds.

MATTHEW GALLAGHER, JD, ’97 was appointed corporation

counsel by Yonkers, NY, Mayor Mike Spano.

The Daily Gazette, an independently owned daily newspaper based in Schenectady, NY.

MATTHEW GAYNOR ’97 was named a distinguished citizen of Livingston County, NY, at the 43rd Annual Iroquois Trail Council Boypower Dinner.

MARGARITA HARTLEY MOORE, LLM, ’91 was nominated to a

PAULETTE ALVITI ’98 was

judgeship on the Connecticut Superior Court by Governor Dan P. Malloy.

named chief human resources officer of Mondelēz International, an American multinational confectionery, food, and beverage company based in IL.

ZAVIDA MANGARU ’98 was appointed executive vice president of product and marketing

by North American Bancard Holdings, LLC, a multi-faceted and award-winning payment solutions provider in Troy, MI. THOMAS D. CISAR ’99

joined Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York as its director of procurement.

2000s KAREN J. DOBLIN, PHD, ’01 joined the prestigious

International Nurses Association with her upcoming publication in Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare. She is an established pain management nurse practitioner serving patients at Westchester Neurology Consultants in Yonkers, NY.

MICHELLE ARBITRIO, JD ’02

joined Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP as a partner, and has brought her impressive record of success to the firm’s New York office.

JOHN GAMBALE ’03 joined

the board of directors at Junior Achievement of New York, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

DR. IRINA GELMAN ’03, director

of public health for Fulton County, NY, and owner of EMVI Chocolate, was honored as a 2018 New York State Senate Woman of Distinction to represent the 49th Senate District. She was also named the next Commissioner of Health of Orange County, NY.

JOSEPH TABORSAK, JD, ’03

was hired as counsel by CATIC’s Rocky Hill, CT, office. CATIC is New England’s largest domestic and only bar-related title insurance underwriter.

Remembering the Honorable Robert G.M. Keating On July 14, Pace mourned the passing of the Honorable Robert G.M. Keating, who retired on June 30 after a decade of devoted service as vice president for strategic initiatives and then senior advisor to the president.

A lifelong advocate for our country’s founding ideal of equal justice under the law, Judge Keating served a long and accomplished career, including as Coordinator of Criminal Justice for Mayor Ed Koch, vice-chair of the Advisory Committee on the Judiciary for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and administrative judge of the NYC Criminal Court, where he oversaw the creation of one of the nation’s first programs to offer an alternative to prison for drug offenders. Judge Keating was chosen to lead the New York State Judicial Institute—the first judicial training and research facility in the nation built by and for a state court system, housed on Pace Law’s White Plains campus.

“Bob provided Pace with wise counsel and great leadership. He was a dedicated and innovative prosecutor, a wise and compassionate judge, and a great colleague and invaluable advisor to everyone at Pace,” said President Marvin Krislov.

In Memoriam Alfred T. Aitkens ’51 Jeannine M. Arrigo ’86 Dennis F. Bailey ’61 Michelle A. Bartlett ’10 Annette M. Battista Donald Biber ’54 Paul Bijelonic ’95 Colleen R. Booth ’89 Edward J. Borrazzo ’61 Anthony G. Campo ’54 Roberta M. Colman ’74 John Bruce Cowper Jr. ’56 Eileen P. Curtin Richard B. Dannenberg Daniel W. Demcsik ’52 John P. Dempsey ’74 James J. Drury ’73 Janice A. Durante ’74, ’82 Sal R. Fararo ’55 Professor Marilyn Fishman Louis A. Galli ’67 Dolores S. Gariepy, PhD Richard J. Germiller, JD, ’82 Joseph J. Gioia ’63 Sheila Goehrke ’76 Jeremy E. Gold ’69 Lawrence Goscinski ’60 Joshua F. Greenberg Alvin O. Gunneson, PhD ’78 Erivan K. Haub Robert Hecht, PhD

Wayne E. Holling ’66 L. D. Horne ’55 Jane Hughes ’56 Kathleen J. Humen ’74 Gerald Imbo Eleanor Ingersoll ’51 Armen P. Kalbian ’50 John J. Kelly ’71 Sr. Winnifred A. Kelly ’76 Francis S. King Donald F. Koch ’76 Michael T. Kopa ’83 Carolyn J. Lacy ’92 Dr. Ilse R. Leeser Joseph J. Leonard Ryan J. Levesque ’06 Professor Norman B. Lichtenstein Kenneth Loesch ’58 Enrico V. Luongo ’85 Suzanne R. MacLear Michael G. Mastrangelo ’55 Leticia F. Matton ’88 Joan S. Maxwell ’47 James D. McCusker ’57 Frank John McDonald Joseph P. McKenna ’68 Edward McQuilken ’54 Barbara B. Morriss ’56 Neal E. Moshan ’72 Sr. Margaret Murphy ’86 Ott Olsen ’56

David A. Percy ’70 Susan Petrilli, JD ’90 Joy Poger ’92 Lillian P. Puleo Bruce Carlyle Redwine ’53 Reverend Marti Renn Delaney M. Rosenberger Diane S. Rosenblum ’78 Sr. Mary Louise Rouleau ’62 Frank P. Russo ’50 Richard Salvatore ’83 Jerome M. Schwartz Terence M. Scott, JD ’82 Alex Scotti ’53 Elliott Seidman ’51 Melanie A. Siegel ’98 Delbert C. Staley Samantha Stewart ’17 James Stoddard ’73 Harold V. Storch ’69 David A. Swope Jr. Edward C. Tseng, PhD William J. Verbist ’57 Stanley Weinstein Barbara C. Weston ’60 David W. Williams Thomas E. Wolff ’79 Clara Yallum ’55 William Zacharyczuk ’59 Pat A. Zimbalatti

Fa l l 2018

41

Class Notes | Donor Profile

P

hil Bleser ’81, ’84, ’94 is a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company and a Director of both the Progressive Corporation and Francesca’s

Holdings Corp. He is a highly experienced corporate banking executive, having worked for J.P. Morgan for 42 years. At J.P. Morgan, Bleser was Head of Corporate Banking in North America, providing traditional relationship banking services to large corporations, financial institutions, and global multinationals around the world.

A Pace University Trustee since 2009, he has been an active and committed donor to the University for more than 20 years. He has established the Philip and Marianne Bleser Semester Abroad Endowed Scholarship to support students at the Lubin School of Business engaged in semesters abroad and international field studies. To recognize his and his wife’s commitment to the New York City Master Plan, Pace will be naming the new Philip F. ’81, ’84, ’94 and Marianne Bleser Meeting Room at the revitalized One Pace Plaza.

Bleser gives back to Pace because he credits the University with empowering him in his career and giving him the tools he needed to succeed. “I was inspired to become a philanthropist because Pace changed my life,” he explained. “I was able to do so much more at J.P. Morgan because of my Pace education. I give back so that others can have that same transformative experience.”

PHIL BLESER ’81, ’84, ’94

“I want Pace to be a strong institution, and supporting things like study abroad are very important to me,” he said. “Traveling changes the way you look at the world—and the world is a pretty amazing place! In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to more than 50 countries around the world, see how the economies

Bleser gives back to the University he says changed his life.

work, and experience different cultures.”

He believes it is important for Trustees to lead the way in giving. “As a Trustee, it’s all about setting an example. That’s part of being a Trustee, and I think that the Trustees at Pace do a great job with philanthropy. Gifts from donors support everything at Pace, from academic programming, to investments in technology, to capital improvements. It all comes through philanthropy. Give what you can to Pace—it’ll be beneficial to you, your fellow students and alumni, and the University itself.”

42

Pace Magaz in e

Cheryl Chalmers

By Robert Schurz ’18

THOMAS ZAVIEH ’03 was named principal by Frazier & Deeter, LLC, a nationally recognized CPA and advisory firm in Atlanta, GA. DR. ERIC M. NAZARENKO ’05 became a member of the

International Association of HealthCare Professionals.

JOSEPH F. SCHALLER, JD, ’05

was appointed as New Rochelle Police Commissioner.

NIKKI WEGNER ’05 is the senior regional director of brand partnerships at Foursquare, overseeing brand and agency partnerships for the eastern US. DR. LAUREN SANLORENZO ’06 received a master’s of public

GARY WAWRZYCKI ’09 has been

elected president of the board of directors at Support Connection, a Yorktown, NY-based nonprofit that provides free support services to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer.

ERIC MORRISSEY ’10 has been named

the chief administrative officer of the Village of Pleasantville.

JOHN OLIVEIRA ’10 became executive

manager of sales for Douglas Elliman in Chappaqua and Armonk, NY.

DOROTHY CROUCH ’11 was hired

by California Apparel News as associate editor.

JULIA PRIMAVERA ’11 was named

regional vice president of sales and marketing by Wingate Healthcare in Needham, MA.

BRANDON CONTRERAS ’12 joined

the ensemble of Jerry Springer: The Opera.

SHIMING PENG ’12 joined the Siegfried Group, LLP, a nationally recognized CPA and leadership advisory firm, as associate manager in the San Francisco market.

JESSE QUINN ’12 joined the

emergency department at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, WI.

MARC RIDER, JD, ’12 was appointed Deputy Ulster County Executive in New York State.

CAROLINE GOTTLIEB ’13 is in the feature film A Rising Tide, airing on Showtime. She also recently produced her first short film, Shark Week, in which she starred alongside writer/director/ actor Jeremy Radin.

health from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Her thesis research examined the role of polysubstance use on modifying disease severity in neonatal abstinence syndrome.

was awarded a doctorate in economics by the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

MADELINE WHITE ’13 joined KIVITV’s 6 On Your Side as a multimedia journalist in Idaho.

LATRICE M. WALKER, JD, ’06, a

JACOB TUCKFELT, JD, ’11 celebrated

SAMANTHA APICELLA ’15 released her self-published debut young adult novel, Through Her Voice, which is now available for purchase on Amazon.

New York State assemblywoman, was honored by SUNY Purchase as a distinguished alumna at their 46th annual Commencement.

She was also named one of City & State’s Albany Forty Under Forty.

JASON NEU ’08 was appointed

senior vice president, professional risk by Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, in Westchester, NY.

JOHN SEBALOS ’08 was appointed as director of technology by the Pelham Board of Education.

DENA SIMMONS, EDD, ’08

talked about “How Does Imposter Syndrome Affect Students of Color?” on TED Radio Hour.

ELIZABETH TERACINO, PHD, ’11

the one-year anniversary of his firm Tuckfelt & Zammitti, PLLC, a Warwick, NY-based law practice.

A Pace Love Story TSIVYA MILLER ’14 and ERIC KIRSCHNER ’13 were married

June 23, 2018, at the Nantasket Beach Resort in Hull, MA. The happy couple met at the Birnbaum Library on campus, shared their first kiss at Ryan Maguire’s, and Eric proposed at the same bench in Battery Park where they had their first date. A true Pace love story.

CARRIANN SILLMAN, JD, ’09

was hired as general counsel by Villa Restaurant Group, a global multi-brand restaurant operator and franchisor in Morristown, NJ.

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43

Class Notes Pace on the Ballot The path to political office is paved with hard work, determination, and a little bit of that Pace je ne sais quoi. These are just a few of the Pace alumni who were looking to make history and ran for seats in the state assembly, state senate, and even state attorney general.

CHARLES FALL ’14 is running for Staten Island North Shore State Assembly.

Fall, who was a Pace student when he was appointed to Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s administration as the Staten Island borough director and citywide Islamic liaison, currently serves as Chief of Staff for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in Staten Island.

ANDREA MARRA ’08 ran to represent Queens’ District 13 in the New York State Senate. If elected, she would have been the first openly transgender state senator and the first Asian-American state senator in New York history.

*Pace University does not endorse or support any candidate for political office.

ELIZABETH GARTI ’15 joined the Financial Accounting Foundation in Norwalk, CT, as vice president for human resources.

KERRI GEORGE ’15 joined the

cast of 54 SINGS P!NK. She was also seen recently as Veronica in the New York regional premiere of Heathers, for which she received a BroadwayWorld.com nomination.

THOMAS PARCHEN ’15 joined

the Siegfried Group’s New York metro market as a senior associate.

The Siegfried Group is a leading national CPA firm that helps financial executives with effective leadership and successful execution.

ASHLEY ROMANS ’15 won the

Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Lead Performance in the play Rotterdam.

CIARA GANNON ’16 was selected

by Community Board 8 as its new district manager.

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Pace Magaz in e

LAKRESHA ROBERTS ’04, née Sanford, ran for Attorney General of Delaware, a seat formerly held by the late Beau Biden.

If elected, she would have been the state’s second female attorney general and the first African-American to hold the position.

MATTIA PASTORE ’16 joined the Siegfried Group’s New York metro market as a senior associate.

ALEXIS (LEXI) RABADI ’16 was featured in the BroadwayWorld .com article “Pounding the Pavement with Positivity.”

TATIANA R. TILEARCIO ’16 was

promoted to marketing manager

by Synthesio, a global social media monitoring, listening, and analytics platform based in New York City, after interning there and being hired as a full-time marketing specialist.

STEPHEN WALLACE, PHD, ’16

became a professor at the School of Information Studies (iSchool) at Syracuse University, NY. JESSICA B. GRILLE ’17 was

promoted to senior analyst in the greater New York City area by Capstone Capital Group, LLC, a private finance company

committed to assisting clients with cash flow issues.

MARIA DAL SANTO, JD, ’17

joined Capehart Scatchard law firm as an associate in the workers’ compensation department in its Mount Laurel, NJ, office.

ANNIE ROSA ’17 was named sales operations manager at Valiant Entertainment in New York, NY. A subsidiary of DMG Entertainment, Valiant Entertainment is a leading character-based entertainment company that owns and controls the largest independent superhero universe in comics.

DAVIS WAYNE ’17 was cast in

Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, an epic musical anthology that honors the career highlights of Tony Award-winning director and choreographer, Jerome Robbins.

SARA WEST ’17 was promoted to senior marketing specialist by Snyder Group, Inc., an advertising and marketing communications firm based in Norwalk, CT. GABRIELA CAMPO ’18 joined

the cast of the Bay Street Theater and Sag Harbor Center for the Arts’ production of Evita. She will make her Broadway debut in The Prom in the fall.

WEDDINGS

MARIA MARGARITA CANALES ’90 and Jane Greenwood were

married June 24, 2018, in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

YIGAL MOSHE RECHTMAN ’02

and Marnita Veronica Robertson were married on May 20, 2018, at the Brownstone in Paterson, NJ. ANA K. SILVA ’03 and Phillip Hsu were married June 30, 2018, at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, NJ.

Calendar OCTOBER 29

• R egional Alumni Event: Mumbai, India

OCTOBER 30

• S etter Madness Basketball NOVEMBER 3

• S enior Day: Football,

Volleyball, and Women’s Field Hockey

• Men’s Basketball Dinner • F eeling Wicked: The Magical Side of the American Songbook

NOVEMBER 8

• Comedian Hari Kondabolu

NOVEMBER 14 • Abacus: Small Enough to Jail NOVEMBER 15

• Comedian Louie Anderson NOVEMBER 17

• Women’s Basketball Tip-Off NOVEMBER 27– DECEMBER 2

• P ace Performing Arts presents Peter and the Starcatcher

NOVEMBER 28

• Pride Hoops Night DECEMBER 7–9

Technology

DECEMBER 13

•A lumni Holiday Party

featuring Pace’s 30 Under 30

DECEMBER 14

• Ana Gasteyer: Holiday Tipple DECEMBER 16

• R ob Mathes Holiday Concert

2019 JANUARY

• R egional Alumni Event: Los Angeles, CA

• Baseball Hot Stove Dinner

•D ancesPace: Pace Commercial

FEBRUARY 9

DECEMBER 8

FEBRUARY 10 • Mary Poppins Sing-Along

Dance program concert

NOVEMBER 13

• L eaders in Service and

2018–2019

•

Football Dinner

• Lacrosse Face Off Brunch

FEBRUARY 14

•A n Evening with Ronny

Chieng, Dulcé Sloan, and Rory Albanese

FEBRUARY 21

• 1964: The Tribute FEBRUARY 24

• New Shanghai Circus FEBRUARY

• R egional Alumni Event: Naples, FL

MARCH 7

• Law Leadership Dinner MARCH 27

• Scholarship Dinner LOUIE ANDERSON

APRIL 25

• Pace Athletics Hall of Fame APRIL

2018–2019 SCHIMMEL LINEUP

•S ummit on Resilience • Mortola Luncheon

From comedy to cabaret, documentary screenings to dance spectacles, the Schimmel Center at Pace University welcomes a diverse lineup of world-class artists that will educate, inspire, provoke, and entertain. Pace alumni receive 20% off all single tickets to Schimmel Center events. Visit http://schimmel.pace.edu.

MAY • Pace Alumni Weekend in NYC •C ommencement 2019 and Golden Graduates Luncheon

JUNE • Spirit of Pace Awards Dinner

Fa l l 2018

45

Class Notes | Event Photos

Mortola Society Luncheon (left)

Spirit of Pace Awards Dinner (below)

Marvin on the Move: White Plains (right)

Pace Day at Yankee Stadium (below)

46

Pace Magazine

Big Numbers Pace Athletics By the Numbers (2017–2018 academic year)

3.26 overall student-athlete GPA with 5 teams earning the highest in the Northeast-10 Conference

2,000+

12

teams earned spots in Northeast-10 Conference post-season events

302

student-athletes on the NE-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (69%)

HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE COMPLETED BY STUDENT-ATHLETES

2

teams broke school-record win totals WOMEN’S LACROSSE FIELD HOCKEY

$250,000

+

raised by the Athletics Department in support of student-athletes

$2,000

RAISED FOR THE NORTHERN WESTCHESTER HOSPITAL BREAST INSTITUTE

1

#

FIELD HOCKEY TEAM LED ALL NCAA DIVISION II TEAMS IN GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE (.88)

Fa l l 2018

47

Flashback

Is that fine China?

And suits and ties?

Freshmen lunch looked a bit different in the 1940s on Pace University’s NYC Campus.

48

Pace Magaz in e

Give!

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Get involved and join Pace’s network of alumni volunteers by visiting www.pace.edu/aspire/alumni.

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Reconnect with fellow alumni and engage with the Pace Community at one of our exciting events.

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PA I D PA C E U N I V E R S I T Y

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www.pace.edu/pacemagazine

Alumni Holiday Party Join us for a fun-filled evening with old

Thursday, December 13, 2018

and new friends at our annual alumni

6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

holiday party. All alumni are welcome as we

Naples 45

celebrate our notable 30 Under 30!

MetLife Building, 200 Park Avenue New York, NY 10166

For more information and to register, please visit www.alumni.pace.edu/holidayparty.