Pace Magazine Spring 2020

M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 0

WOMEN IN STEM THEY’RE SETTING THE PACE

Going the Distance!

6

Criminals can run, but they can’t hide from Leigh Anne Sharek ‘10…actually, scratch that. They can’t run from her either. Sharek, a criminalist in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in NYC, started running as an undergraduate at Pace. Today, she’s completed several marathons, is a wellknown runner, and took part in this year’s Olympic Trials.

Pace Magaz in e

Fa l l 2 018

1

Content

2

Pace Magaz in e

ts

Features

14 18

School Ties

PACE MAGAZINE Volume XXXV

| No. 1 Spring 2020

President Marvin Krislov

Pace Women in STEM

28

Must Love Dogs

Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, University Relations Mary Baglivo

Associate Vice President, University Relations Leila Franchi

Departments

5

Leadership Letter

7

News

12

Athletics

34

Research/Faculty Success

Director, Marketing/ Account Management Wendy Metzger

Director, Communications and Digital Engagement Alyssa Cressotti ’08, ’18

Pace Magazine Designer Michael Wilson

Contributing Writers Jillian Gorry ’11, ’21 Lance Pauker

Assistant Director, Production Maria De La Cruz

Associate Art Director Cicero Clamor

Designer Brienna Vos

Marketing and Production Coordinator Sahara Henley

Associate Director, Budget/Administrative Operations Ivy Riddick

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 © 2020 Pace University

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 Pace University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university.

Visit us online at: www.pace.edu/magazine

38

Class Notes

47

Big Numbers

48

Flashback

The Big Win Pace’s College Fed Challenge team had their fourth national win in six years! They beat teams from Harvard, the University of Chicago, and the University of Pennsylvania at the College Fed Challenge held in Washington, DC, this past fall. How’s that for Pace pride?

Cover: Elliana Gianacopoulos ’18 conducted research with one of our Women in STEM during her time as an undergraduate at Pace. Read more about her at www.pace.edu/ STEMwomen.

Inside front cover photo: Jason Suarez

S p r i n g 2020

3

Pace University’s Online Alumni-Student Mentoring Program connects students and alumni

Sign up today to become a member of our fast-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 • Participate remotely

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

Leadership Letter

I

t feels like everything at Pace University changed in a moment.

We’re both working from home, like so many of our colleagues. Our faculty and students are teaching and learning remotely.

Everyone’s days are filled with video-calls.

Our residence halls are largely empty, our campuses are quiet, and our Commencements postponed.

As a University, we’ve stepped up for our neighbors—donating masks and gowns for use in area hospitals and loaning a ventilator and other equipment to Montefiore Medical Center. And we’re connecting our health care students with institutions in need of staff. We’ve been working with our local government officials about the possibility of using our spaces for medical or FEMA needs.

It’s a new world, but we’re seeing that our values remain the same.

Pace students work hard and get things done.

Pace’s faculty and staff help change lives. Pace is dedicated to providing opportunities for hardworking, ambitious students who want to get ahead. And we all care about our communities.

That’s what this issue of Pace Magazine, well underway before everything changed, is all about.

Today, preparing students for success means providing the STEM skills they’ll need to thrive.

It means making sure women have the same opportunities men do. It means making sure our students are supported mentally and emotionally, not just academically and professionally.

In this issue, you’ll meet amazing Pace women who are succeeding in STEM fields, which have historically been too male-dominated.

You’ll learn about innovative Pace programs that use animal-assisted therapies to help people in challenging circumstances. In one, students work with therapy dogs to help incarcerated women learn parenting skills. In the other, aspiring health professionals learn how service dogs can help treat patients with a range of disabilities.

And we’ll introduce you to alumni who make a point of gathering at Pace events, or organizing their own get-togethers—sometimes even across the globe.

Amid so much change, the most important thing to remember is that our communities are always there for us. Stay connected with them, and stay connected with Pace.

Marvin Krislov President

Mark M. Besca ’81 Chairman of the Board of Trustees

S p r i n g 2020

5

Give!

Want to empower Pace students? Go to www.pace.edu/givetopace to make a gift today.

Volunteer!

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

Connect

with Fellow Alumni Visit www.pace.edu/events and click on Alumni Events to learn more about our upcoming virtual and in-person events.

To learn more about ways to stay involved, please contact us at 1 (877) 825-8664 or pacealum@pace.edu.

News

SPRING 2020

An Evening with Gutsy Women “If history shows one thing, it’s that the world needs more gutsy women.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY CONNOR MORGAN ’21

—The Book of Gutsy Women

Pace University welcomed gutsy women to the Pleasantville Campus on December 18, as Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton shared stories from their new book, The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience, a celebration of more than 100 trailblazing women throughout history who stood up to the status quo, asked hard questions, and got the job done. The last stop on the Gutsy Women tour for 2019, the event was moderated by acclaimed singer and actress and longtime Westchester County resident Vanessa Williams. Also in attendance, a very special guest, Pace alumna Opal Vadhan ’15, who is Secretary Clinton’s executive assistant.

S p r i n g 2020

7

3

News | 10 Things to Inspire You

Stemming the Tide Of hundreds of submissions,

Andrea Saum ’21 was selected as one of only five finalists for the #CreateCOP25 contest,

which sought to curate diverse visual stories on climate change and to engage people on issues that often feel overwhelming or terrifying. Her contemporary

The Winner’s Circle Lubin School of Business graduate students Hifza Rahim ’19, Sushmitha Mudda ’20, and Manushi Dave ’20 won the A+E Networks’ 2019 Interactive Case Competition!

Their innovative new streaming model, which capitalizes on ad skipping, beat out the competition. They qualified as one of the top four teams in the first round, and in the second, they beat out the likes of Carnegie Mellon, NYU, and Drexel. By the end, all three

2

Setters swept the competition and won first prize.

Collections for a Cause In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pace’s College of Health Professions and Dyson College of Arts and Sciences donated more than 15,000 gloves, 60+ N95 masks, 250

8

Pace Magaz in e

dance piece, “Tides,” was performed by her commercial dance classmates and shown as part of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid this past December.

4

Justice for Survivors of Violence Pace Women’s Justice Center

(PWJC) has been recognized as an Organization Changemaker

by Nonprofit Westchester. A

standard face masks, and

collaboration between PWJC,

nearly 50 disposable gown kits

Legal Services of the Hudson

to the health care workers at

Valley, and My Sister’s Place, this

Westchester Medical Center and

program is creating change in

New York State. We’re helping to

the community through PWJC’s

combat the critical shortage of

Family Court Legal Program,

personal protective equipment

which provides emergency legal

necessary to keep our health care

services on a walk-in basis to

professionals healthy and our

nearly 1,000 victims and survivors

communities safe.

of domestic violence annually.

5

$224,000 Amount raised through the generosity of Pace’s Student Government Associations and donors for the Pace Cares Fund, used to help students facing economic hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

8

Cooking Up Something Good The brothers of Pace’s Pi Lambda Phi headed

to the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley to help prepare breakfast for families with critically ill and traumatically injured children. The brothers dished up a healthy breakfast feast for more than 30 people staying at the house.

9

6

A Tree Glows in Pleasantville

Spreading Cheer

What’s nearly 15 feet tall, weighs

Matt Carino ’20, a Dyson student

to Pace’s Pleasantville Campus?

studying lighting design, was featured

A brand new solar tree that’s

in The New York Times for his

so lit it’s serving up more than

2,755 pounds, and is now providing 1,400 watts of energy

innovative and uplifting display outside his home in

just clean energy: students can

Montclair, New Jersey, in light of the COVID-19 health

now relax and, quite literally,

crisis. “I wanted to send a simple, strong, and positive

recharge with USB ports, WiFi,

message to the community,” he said.

an interactive LCD display screen, night lighting, seating for six, and more. Thanks to Con Edison for the support in making Pace an even greener campus.

10

Semper Fi

The embodiment of Semper

Fidelis (“Always Faithful”), United States Marine Corps veteran and recent Pace graduate Bonita

Rodriguez ’19 was named Student Veterans of America’s 2020 Student Veteran of the Year, the organization’s highest individual

AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT Before she was even accepted into The Actors Studio Drama School’s MFA

honor. Their dedicated network of more than 1,500 on-campus chapters represents more than 750,000 student veterans in 50 states and four countries.

“It has truly been an honor to

program, Kizzmett Pringle ’20 created a graduate school

have served my chapter as former

vision board, which included winning a prestigious

president of the Pace University

Princess Grace Foundation Award given to some of

Student Veterans of America

the nation’s most outstanding emerging performing artists. In 2019, that vision became

and be able to give back to our

a reality as Tony Award-winning Hamilton star and Princess Grace Award winner Leslie

student veterans on campus,”

Odom Jr. announced Pringle as the recipient of the Princess Grace Theater Honoraria.

says Rodriguez.

S p r i n g 2 020

9

News | Around the University BOARD ADDITIONS This spring, Pace University added three new members to its Board of Trustees.

Peta-Gay Clarke ’15 is a diversity manager and the program lead for Code Next at Google, where she works to improve diversity and inclusion in tech. She joined Google in July 2015, first as a community manager before moving to her current role in September 2018. In addition to her work at Google, Clarke serves as an adjunct professor at Pace University, teaching courses in the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Senator Peter Harckham and Alun R. Gilpin ’21 with President Marvin Krislov

Information Systems.

Michael A. Clinton is senior media advisor at Hearst

“Veterans have unique needs, backgrounds, and contributions that they bring to campus. It’s important that they have a place to congregate, socialize, and share their stories, challenges, and experiences,” says Retired Colonel Peter Riley, director of Veteran Services at Pace. “This Student Veteran Center will provide them with just that—a safe and welcoming place that they need and deserve.”

New York State Senator Peter Harckham announced last September that he has secured $200,000 in funding for Pace University to help build a Student Veteran Center within the Kessel Student Center on Pace’s Pleasantville Campus.

Construction of the new Student Veteran Center will be complete in spring 2020 and it will serve as a central location for veteran students to learn how to work with and navigate the VA, as well as the various educational benefits student veterans are entitled to including the Forever GI Bill, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program, and Vocational Rehab.

“This Student Veteran Center will serve as a safe zone for us to build community, have important conversations, and succeed here at Pace— and after we graduate,” says US Navy veteran and current Pace student Alun R. Gilpin ’21.

10

Pace Magaz in e

years in the publishing industry, serving in leadership roles at Hearst and Condé Nast. Clinton retired from his role as president of marketing and publishing director of Hearst Magazines in December 2019. Prior to this, he was the executive vice president, chief marketing officer, and publishing director of Hearst Magazines, a position he held since October 1997.

Eugene M. Tobin, PhD, is a retired senior program officer at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in the program for Higher Education and Scholarship in the Humanities. Prior to his work at the foundation, Tobin spent 23 years at Hamilton College as a faculty member, department chair, dean of faculty, and as president.

Tobin serves as a trustee on the board of the Swedish Program in Organizational Studies and Public Policy at the Stockholm School of Economics.

NATALIE CHITWOOD (CLARKE)

Pace’s New Student Veteran Center

Corporation. He spent 40

“ I finally got him where I want him!”

“ You’ve come too far to get in your own way. Let someone else say no to you. Don’t say no to yourself.”

—Kelsey Grammer

—Lupita Nyong’o

“ I never thought I’d be an actor.

Don’t tell anyone.”

—Al Pacino

4 2 6

1

3

5

7

8

PACE IS THE PLACE

From Academy Award winners and musical powerhouses to poets and scholars, here’s a look at some of the familiar faces that stopped by Pace in the last year.

1. Emmy, Tony, and Academy Award winner and CoPresident of The Actors Studio Al Pacino (The Irishman, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood) was interviewed by Tony, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awardwinning actress and fellow co-president Ellen Burstyn (Lucy in the Sky, Requiem for a Dream).

2. Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier) had his former boss, TV director James Burrows (Cheers, Frasier, Will & Grace), in the hot seat, as part of Inside the Actors Studio.

3/4. Musicians Carly Rae Jepsen (“Call Me Maybe”) and Megan Thee Stallion (“Hot Girl Summer”) took the stage in NYC as part of P.A.C.E. Board’s Unleashed concert.

5. Academy Awardwinning actress Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Us) gave wise advice to Actors Studio Drama School students during her Inside the Actors Studio interview with Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black, Mrs. America).

6. Academy Awardnominated director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women) interviewed Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Laura Dern (Marriage Story, Little Women, Big Little Lies).

7/8. 2019 Whiting Award winner and Pace alumna Nadia Owusu ’05 (Aftershocks) and Michael Lally (Swing Theory, Catch My Breath) shared their poems and prose with the Pace Community as part of the Poets @ Pace series.

S p r i n g 2 020

11

News | Athletics

G ET INVOLV ED :

SETTERS CLUB

Matt Day, Meredith (Dunbar) Day ’03, Kerry Winn, and Mike Winn with the late Joe O’Donnell.

The Setters Club

Leaving a Legacy Inducted into the Pace Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, former Director of Athletics Joe O’Donnell oversaw one of the most successful eras in Pace Athletics history, which included 27 NCAA tournament appearances, involving three NCAA Regional Championships, three NCAA Elite 8 runs, and three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.

O’Donnell had added women’s soccer in 1998, hiring now-Head Women’s Soccer Coach and Associate Athletics Director

12

Pace Magaz in e

strengthens Pace University’s commitment to student-athlete excellence in competition,

Mike Winn. When O’Donnell passed away last summer, Coach Winn and his wife, Kerry, wanted to honor his great Pace legacy.

The pair made a lead gift to establish the Joe O’Donnell Endowed Fund for Pace Women’s Soccer, which will be used to supplement and enhance the areas of most need for the women’s soccer program.

“Joe was a special person who believed in and supported his student-athletes and staff,” said Winn. “He provided me and so many of our alumni the

opportunity to become better people through the college athletics experience. Kerry and I will always be thankful for the support that Joe and his beloved wife Marie provided our family and we are excited for Joe’s memory to live on with the soccer program that he founded.”

Supporters can contribute to the newly created fund by visiting www.pace.edu/ settersclub and choosing the Joe O’Donnell Endowed Fund for Pace Women’s Soccer when making a gift.

the classroom, the community, and in life by providing the financial support that is integral for the success of our studentathletes. Help Pace Athletics reach their goal of $300,000 by June 30, 2020.

Make a gift today: www.pace.edu/ settersclub

SETTER ALL-STARS Brandon Jacobs ’21 Men’s Basketball Jacobs broke three different program records for assists this past season, including the school’s all-time mark (475) which had stood for over 20 years. He also snapped his own single-season assists record, while dishing out a new programbest—19 in a single game.

Peyton Wejnert ’20 Men’s Basketball Named CoSIDA Academic AllAmerica of the Year, Wejnert finished an illustrious career slotted sixth in program history with more than 1,700 career points and more than 700 rebounds. He is one of just three players in team history to register both of those career marks.

Jackie DelliSanti ’20 and Lauren Schetter ’21 Women’s Basketball DelliSanti and Schetter each joined the program’s “1,000-Point Club” this past season, while also becoming just two of 15 players in program history to record more than 1,000 career points

MEN’S LACROSSE COACH TAKES THE LEAD Coming off of his sixth season at Pace, Men’s Lacrosse Coach Tom Mariano has been named to a two-year term as President of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) following three years on the organization’s board of directors.

“It’s an honor to represent all the schools and players in college lacrosse,” said Mariano.

“The USILA traces our lacrosse history back to 1882.”

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, USILA is an association of member institutions and organizations with college lacrosse programs at all levels of competition.

“Clearly, the leadership of USILA is as impressed with Tom’s dedication to the sport and his record of excellence as we are here at Pace University,” said Pace Director of Athletics Mark Brown. “We are extremely proud of this achievement and congratulate Tom and USILA on the choice.’’

and 500 career rebounds.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Giving back to the community is something that’s ingrained in Pace’s student-athletes, and community and civic engagement is something that the Setters pride themselves in.

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Pace’s Swimming and Diving teams donned their pink tees in support of finding the cure for a disease that affects more than 3.8 million people nationwide. The teams participated in Westchester’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and worked to raise more than $1,500 for the American Cancer Society.

S p r i n g 2020

13

Many of us claim we’ll “keep in touch” after graduating, not entirely sure if it will really happen. For these Setters, however, keeping in touch isn’t simply a social nicety—it’s a major component of their lives, and by reconnecting in style, they’ve continued to reinforce and strengthen lasting bonds first made during their college years. Meet a few alumni who, through trips, rituals, and serendipitous run-ins, have extended their collegiality well beyond graduation.

BY

A LY S S A C R E S S O T T I ’ 0 8 , ’ 18

SCHOOL

TIE S 14

Pace Magazi n e

Girls Trip “I had never been to Jamaica, and our friend—who was from there—asked if I wanted to come along and I said yes,” recalls Gina Caro ’96. “And then, before you knew it, all five of us were going to Jamaica.”

For Caro and fellow Pace alumnae Raquel Muñoz ’95, Nicole Phillips-Moody ’96, Diana Reyna ’96, and Nadine Wallace ’96, this first trip was the start of something magical. “That first trip, we were just out of

college, and we were in a suite, but jam-packed and sleeping on the floors,” Caro laughs. “But we had a wonderful time together— you could’ve put us anywhere and we would’ve had fun.”

Since then, the women have traveled to each other’s places of origin—to Puerto Rico, to Grenada, to the Dominican Republic. When not enjoying the sand and surf of the Caribbean, they visit other big cities or head to the Poconos for a snowy winter retreat where they plan their next adventure.

“Our most recent trip, to Grenada, was amazing! We rented a huge house near the beach and toured the island. We

even met a fellow Pace alumnus at one of the local markets,” explains Caro, who admits they’ve all come a long way since that first trip in the mid-’90s.

Maintaining these tight-knit bonds can be difficult—life gets in the way, people grow apart, jobs change, families grow—but if you are lucky, Caro believes, you will find a group of friends who are willing to make the commitment necessary to maintain that friendship.

“We make each other a priority,” she says. “I think that, and the genuine love and appreciation we have for each other, is why our friendship has lasted so long.”

AN EVENT TO REMEMBER “Every time I get a save-the-date, I know I can look forward to a mini-Pace reunion,” says Vinnie Birkenmeyer ’11, ’14. “I’ve actually been to more than 25 weddings with friends connected to Pace—everywhere from down the street to all the way out in Texas.”

S p r i n g 2 020

15

A Lost Generation Reunions are more challenging for College of White Plains (CWP) alumni who can’t go home again.

In 1975, CWP consolidated with Pace University and became the College of White Plains at Pace University. Several years later, the College of White Plains at Pace University closed and what is now the Elisabeth Haub School of Law took over its campus.

“It’s been hard, not really having a place to ‘go home’ to,” says College of White Plains at

16

Pace Magazi n e

Pace University alumnus Brian Donlon ’78. For Donlon, living through a college merger and eventual closure bonded him with his fellow CWP alumni.

They may not have had a campus to come home to, but they always had each other.

The turning point for Donlon and his compatriots was the very first College of White Plains at Pace University reunion hosted by the University in what was their former stomping grounds—

Preston Hall in White Plains.

“When we started planning the reunion, we thought we’d get 40 or 50 people, but we got about 175!” says Donlon. “It was awesome! I couldn’t believe it.”

Over the years, Donlon and his gang had remained in touch, getting together and traveling as a group frequently, but now, they have new ways to see each other—Pace’s annual holiday party, baseball outings, and so much more.

“I think there’s a lot of nostalgia. The University’s attitude towards CWP has changed and social media has helped, but I’m not gonna lie, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” says Donlon. “I love these people—they’re my closest friends on the planet, but it’s like herding cats sometimes.”

GROWING A NETWORK “After I graduated I wanted to stay involved with Pace and at the time, they had the Recent Alumni Committee,” recalls Roshan Marksman ’02. “Through that, I got involved with Pace’s Adventure Weekend, which was essentially an alumni-centered vacation. I went on a few of those—to Puerto Rico, on a cruise to nowhere—and I met some great alumni.”

Looking Back “We all grew up together at Pace University. Facebook has been wonderful to connect, but face-to-face is best. We love getting together at events on campus and it’s something we look forward to as a group,” says Steven Watson ’82. He and fellow Pace alumni return to Pleasantville every fall for Homecoming.

Bon Voyage!

“Over the years, you lose contact with people, but through the magic of social media, we’re reconnecting,” says College of White Plains at Pace University alumnus Hank Dickson ’85. He and his wife, Christine Botek Dickson ’87, set sail with old friends—Rosemarie GiovinazzoBarnickel ’86, Pamela Alcid ’87, and Kathie Davenport—and made memories that will last a lifetime.

“Rosemarie had been asking

my wife and I to go on vacation with her for some time, and when she said they were planning a cruise to Alaska, I knew we had to go,” says Dickson. “And we all ended up going last summer.”

Though some members of the group hadn’t seen each other in more than 25 years, getting together felt like old times. “It was as though we had just seen each other yesterday,” Dickson says. “We picked up right where we left off.”

S p r i n g 2020

17

Women in STEM: They’re Setting the Pace These Pace women in STEM are rockin’ it in the labs, in the field, and in the industry. They’re collaborating across disciplines and pushing the limits on cutting-edge research—not to mention, they’re helping young women follow in their footsteps. //// Words by Jillian Gorry ’11, ’21

18

Pace Magazi n e

These are just a few of Pace’s amazing women in STEM (after all, we are limited by page count), but if you want to meet more of them and learn about the great work they’re doing in the STEM field, visit www.pace.edu/STEMwomen.

S p r i n g 2 020

19

Quick! Picture a scientist in a lab.

Now, picture a web developer.

Next, picture a researcher.

Pop quiz: were the people you pictured men?

If you said yes, you wouldn’t be alone. And don’t worry, we won’t hold it against you. We promise.

These stereotypes, while pervasive, are far from the reality—especially at Pace.

STEM (read: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields are social fields. Across industries, STEM fields comprise a deeply interconnected web of professionals who help and inspire each other, and the network of women in these professions is steadily rising. According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, a national organization committed to encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM, half of the American workforce is college-educated women. The bad news is, right now, women only account for 28 percent of the workforce in STEM fields.

But there’s a silver lining to that sad statistic: since the early ’90s, the number of women in STEM fields has grown more than 20 percent and that number is increasing daily.

More and more, women are the researchers, developers, and bright minds of tomorrow—and here at Pace, they’re working together to not only effect major change in the industry, but also to ensure they pave the way for others like them to join in. In fact, nearly a third of our students at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems are women—and that’s a number we’re hoping to see grow.

Move over, men. Pace’s women in STEM are getting it done.

20

Pace Magazi n e

////

PACE

WOMEN

IN

STEM

/////

Peta-Gay Clarke THE CODING CRUSADER

P

eta-Gay Clarke ’15 is always looking toward the future. She’s the program lead for Google’s Code Next, a group pioneering efforts to increase opportunities for women and underrepresented youth in STEM. It’s a cause close to her heart.

“Prior to joining Google, I worked in various industries as a software engineer and then as a deputy director of IT. In many of these positions, I was often the only woman, the only person of color, and usually the youngest on my team.”

Clarke joined Google in 2015. Part of the grassroots efforts to lift the Code Next program, it began as a pilot with only 50 students in Oakland, CA, as well as NYC. “Our goal was to establish a robust high school technology pathway program [...] with a vision to cultivate the next generation of transformational Black and Latinx tech leaders,” she explained. This wildly popular program has since expanded to

P H OTO G R A P H B Y N ATA L I E C H I T W O O D

include more than 1,000 students with a 50/50 gender split across all their cohorts. And their first group of students will be graduating high school this year!

“When I came to Pace, I was a single mom, working full-time, looking for upward career mobility,” Clarke explained. “I want to see more women—especially single moms—have the same opportunity that I did.” She graduated Pace with an MS in Information Systems and now, not only is she an adjunct professor, but she’s also an alumni member of the Advisory Board for the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, and she recently joined Pace’s Board of Trustees (see page 10).

Her efforts to open doors in STEM continued when Clarke spearheaded the launch of a Black Girls CODE chapter in NYC, too, but her greatest accomplishment, she said, is her daughter. “Being a career mom for the last 14 years has been such a rollercoaster,” Clarke said. “I am proud to be a mom to a beautiful, smart, and fearless young lady.”

In the true spirit of inspiration, Clarke left us with a quote from Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

S p r i n g 2020

21

////

PACE

WOMEN

IN

STEM

/////

Andreea Cotoranu THE CYBERSECURIT Y E XPERT

“S

TEM is a powerful tool for understanding the world,” says Clinical Professor of Information Technology Andreea Cotoranu ’04, ’08, ’20.

Cotoranu’s expertise helps students get real-life experience with handling cyber-attacks and reporting incidents in a high-pressure environment.

But college students aren’t the only ones she teaches. Her efforts have been laser focused on Pace’s GenCyber program, a cybersecurity initiative funded by the National Security Agency that trains high school teachers. Over the past five years, the program has trained more than 100 teachers from 100+ high schools in 28 states.

As the c0-principal investigator of Pace CyberCorps®, a service program for college students, Cotoranu played a key role in securing a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

She’s also the co-principal investigator for the

22

Pace Magazi n e

Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Scholarship Program, aimed at recruiting the nation’s top cybersecurity talent to the DoD workforce.

Recipients of the scholarship are set up with paid summer internships in cybersecurity-related roles and a cybersecurity-related job with the DoD after graduation (pending security clearance, of course).

It’s not just cybersecurity that she’s into—she’s also the director of Pace’s NYC Design Factory, part of a global network of innovators that challenges students to launch brand new ideas on the intersection of design and technology.

It’s cutting edge, and Cotoranu is at the forefront.

Her favorite project (and one that she introduced), was the Challenge Based Innovation A3 at CERN IdeaSquare, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Pace students traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to design new products and services that address the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. “This experience is invaluable to students and may benefit all of us by preparing them to tackle wicked problems,” Cotoranu told us.

P H OTO G R A P H B Y N ATA L I E C H I T W O O D

S p r i n g 2020

23

Christelle Scharff, PhD THE M OBILE M OGUL

C

omputer Science Professor Christelle Scharff, PhD, has a global reputation.

She founded MobileSenegal Hub, a groundbreaking initiative in mobile training and entrepreneurship that significantly expanded the mobile ecosystem in Senegal. Since its inception in 2008, the program has trained more than 400 developers, as well as launched the first-ever mobile competition in the country.

24

Pace Magazi n e

“Computing is a difficult field and it is the quickest evolving field,” Scharff told us. “I am always telling students who ask me about my expectations that I want them to amaze me. I am often amazed.”

Her students have developed everything from mobile apps to IoT (Internet of Things) projects to games to even fashion technology. “I love to see things that I would never have thought about.”

As the recipient of a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship award, Scharff taught at the University of Bambey in Senegal while furthering her research on mobile learning. She also launched a program to inspire children and young adults to embrace coding and STEM careers, and organized lectures, workshops, and exhibitions on fashion tech.

Scharff brought that passion for uplifting budding talent back to Pace, where she is always creating new and exciting research and education opportunities.

“Do not be scared!” Scharff advised. “Experiment and experience different STEM subjects, and define what you mean by success. We all have different definitions and it is important to create your own.”

With more than 40 published papers on global software development and mobile computing; very successful stints as program chair of the International Conference on Mobile Communication (M4D) and chair of the Computer Science Department at Pace; and work as the principal investigator of grants from the NSF, Google, VentureWell, and IBM; it’s safe to say Scharff embodies success. “With STEM, you have many opportunities to impact the world.”

P H OTO G R A P H B Y D R E W L E V I N

////

PACE

WOMEN

S JaimeLee Rizzo, PhD

IN

STEM

/////

ince my undergraduate research days, my work has been directed towards the synthesis and investigation of antimicrobial compounds and its applications,” says JaimeLee Rizzo, PhD, assistant chair and professor of Dyson’s Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences. She’s also the Director of Chemical Design and Synthesis for a biotechnology company that provides sustainable, eco-friendly solutions for foodborne, waterborne, and environmental bacterial, fungal, and viral infections and contaminations.

“In the past five years we have turned our direction to the development of antimicrobial formulations which utilize naturally derived materials and plant sources,” she explains.

Applications for these novel formulations include use as wound dressings, ointments, and body creams. “We are working with a company to patent and manufacture this work,” says Rizzo. “This is an exciting time for us!”

Rizzo’s resume boasts an impressive 17 patents and licensing agreements for her work in antimicrobial surfaces and potassium ion channels, 26 publications in peer-reviewed journals, two co-authored books, speaking engagements at national and international conferences, numerous grant awards, and she was even named an American Chemical Society Fellow.

On campus, Rizzo’s connection to her students is extraordinary. “I see students as they begin to absorb and understand the concepts of organic chemistry as their creative juices start flowing when they are engaged in problem solving,” she told us. “I truly enjoy working with students. They are energetic, full of new ideas, and fresh! It may sound cliché, but they really are our future!”

Of all her achievements in STEM, her greatest, she told us, happened right here at Pace.

In 2018, Rizzo was presented with the Homer and Charles Pace Faculty Award at the Spirit of Pace Awards gala—by her very own students, who call themselves the Organophiles.

“I was humbled by the outpouring of support and love from my former and current students that led to me being honored with this award. It was one of the most memorable times in my career.”

THE ORG A NOPHILES ORG A NIZER

P H OTO G R A P H B Y N ATA L I E C H I T W O O D

S p r i n g 2020

25

26

Pace Magazi n e

////

PACE

WOMEN

IN

STEM

/////

THE M A RINE M AVEN

Lauren Birney, EdD

C

reating opportunities for underrepresented students and women is the primary focus of my research,” Lauren Birney, EdD, told us. She’s an associate professor of STEM education, and she’s been putting her experience to incredible use. Birney is co-leading a powerhouse group of collaborators to build upon the New York Harbor School’s project to put science into the hands (quite literally) of middle school students in lowincome neighborhoods with high populations of English language learners and students from groups underrepresented in STEM. “I was so very fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly talented professors, teachers, and mentors,” she explained. “I just want to do the same.”

Birney has been hard at work developing the curriculum used by teachers at the New York Harbor School to teach children about the importance of restoring the oyster beds in

P H OTO G R A P H B Y N ATA L I E C H I T W O O D

New York Harbor through the Billion Oyster Project. “The harbor is like a living laboratory for education in STEM,” said Birney. “We want to give students the opportunity to learn outside the school building and benefit enormously from an increased awareness about their ecological place.” Along with other students, teachers, scientists, volunteers, businesses, and local organizations, Birney is at the forefront of efforts to reestablish New York as the oyster capital of the world—and they recently secured a $2.5 million dollar grant from the NSF. No small feat in the STEM field! “We have been very fortunate and very blessed with the wonderful partners we have on our NSF-funded grants,” she told us.

And she’s working to create even more opportunity, too. Right now, Birney has her eye on obtaining another grant from the STEM Collaboratory NYC Learning Center. “I can’t wait!” She enthused. “This will be an opportunity for STEM industry professionals, scientists, researchers, students, and teachers to come together while creating, designing, constructing, inventing, and initiating STEM innovations.”

S p r i n g 2 020

27

MUST LO

28

VE DOGS L AN C E PAU K E R

BY Lance Pauker

On a misty Saturday morning in February,

College of Health Professions (CHP) Professor of Nursing Joanne Singleton, PhD; Pace’s service dog, Professor Spirit; and 25 CHP undergraduate students boarded a bus departing from Pace’s Pleasantville Campus.

With coffees in hand, many students noted that while this 8:00 a.m. call-time was a departure from their traditional weekend sleep schedules, today was an exciting, special exception. The group was gearing up for a field visit to Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities (ECAD), a nonprofit organization devoted to training service dogs who go on to be paired with individuals with disabilities.

The field trip to ECAD would be about a lot more than just playing with cute animals—although it would be a little bit of that, of course.

30

Pace Magazi n e

P H OTOS BY L AN C E PAU K E R

As the bus trudged down a foggy I-84E, Singleton began to discuss why an individual with a disability or a degenerative condition might benefit from a service dog—and from the perspective of a health care practitioner, the importance of adequately understanding the needs of individuals with service animals.

The First of Its Kind For Singleton, her interest and subsequent educational activism surrounding service animals stems from a personal friendship. This thoughtful, inventive program was inspired by the late Luis Carlos Montalván, an Iraq War veteran whose life changed dramatically for the better after being paired with his service dog, Tuesday.

After hearing Montalván speak at a conference, Singleton realized there was a major gap between the level of care individuals with service dogs needed, and the level of care that most health care practitioners were able to provide—as the vast majority of nurses, doctors, and other health care practitioners have never been trained to treat individuals teamed with service animals.

In other words, she realized that health care practitioners should and could be doing better.

“As I listened to Luis, I realized, these health care providers he is talking about, this could me be!” said Singleton. “No one has ever taught me about this. As an educator, I have an opportunity to teach our health profession students about this, and make a real change.”

With the help of fellow CHP Professor Lucille Ferrara, EdD, she launched Canines Assisting in Health in 2017. It was the first college curriculum in the country of its kind, primarily dedicated to educating future health care professionals about the care of patients with disabilities who are—or may benefit from being—teamed with a service dog or those who participate in animal-assisted therapies. This new curriculum focused on teaching students how to include service and therapy dogs in comprehensive care treatment plans.

Singleton became certified in the human-animal bond and animal-assisted interventions, and began thinking about what kinds of interventions could most positively affect veterans and other vulnerable populations. So she took her newfound knowledge, and applied it to effecting positive change on campus.

Lu Picard, students were teamed up with service dogs in training, and engaged in a number of activities essential to both service dog care and training—grooming, walking, and much more. Through this training—as well as a Paws & Breathe® session led by Singleton and Professor Spirit, a non-pharmalogical intervention where students assess their stress levels before and after snuggling and meditating with the Golden Retriever— students were better able to gain an understanding of the complexities and rewards surrounding service animals and health care.

Many students were surprised at the level of diligence required for proper service dog training and its unforeseen nuances—for instance, Picard stressed that service dog trainers should never, ever snap their fingers to gain a dog’s attention, as a disabled individual paired with a service dog may not have the ability to snap.

“At first, it was nerve-wracking to be thrown into the training,” said nursing student Caitlin Cullen ’22.

“Overall, it was great to see the training process.”

Heading back to campus, students chatted animatedly amongst themselves—with many clearly finding the trip, as well as the larger initiative in which it is built around, both compelling and rewarding.

“Going into the health care field, it’s good to be aware of how to be appropriate and respectful of service dogs,” said Katherine Devaney ’22.

Educating Future Practitioners The students descended the bus and headed into the ECAD facility—the main component of which consists of a spacious room designed specifically for service dog training. Through the guidance of ECAD co-founder

S p r i n g 2 020

31

While serving on the Community Corrections Advisory Board for Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, Dyson Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Kimberly Collica-Cox, PhD, began to think about ways to implement rehabilitative programming that would benefit both incarcerated individuals and her criminal justice students.

After a number of fortuitous run-ins and countless hours of research, Collica-Cox and Dyson College,

32

Pace Magazi n e

in conjunction with the Good Dog Foundation, started to lay the groundwork for what has ultimately become the groundbreaking Parenting, Prison, and Pups Program—an evidence-based parenting program, which, through the use of therapy dogs and Pace students as teaching assistants, helps incarcerated women improve parenting skills and cope with the anxieties of parent-child separation.

Through this program, Collica-Cox and her criminal justice students visit the Manhattan Correctional Center and the Westchester County Department of Correction, and over the course of 14 sessions engage in animal-assisted simulations and training programs. Given that about 1.7 million

P H OTOS BY B A R RY WI LLI A M S ( B OT TO M C E N TE R , B OT TO M R I G H T )

Parenting with Pups

Collica-Cox believes that the strategies taught through this program can help enhance bonds between inmates and their children, reduce recidivism, and mitigate repetitive negative parenting patterns.

children nationwide have a mother in jail or in prison, Collica-Cox believes that the strategies taught through this program can help enhance bonds between inmates and their children, reduce recidivism, and mitigate repetitive negative parenting patterns. On the undergraduate end, the course helps criminal justice students understand the complexities of facility management and the types of beneficial rehabilitative programs that are possible.

Wet Noses, Warm Hearts “We use the dogs in two different ways. First, as an emotional support animal,” says Collica-Cox, which she notes can be quite important when individuals are disclosing personal information. Having the dogs be present with the women is a form of animalassisted therapy. Petting the dogs, engaging with the dogs, and being present with the dogs has been shown to reduce stress, lessen anxiety, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce the perceived feelings of loneliness.

“The other way is that we incorporate the dogs into actual curriculum lessons. If we were talking about things like problem-solving, we could use the dogs to start off with a problem. And then once they grasped the concept, moved to a more serious situation, like their children.”

For instance, if you are going on vacation—who will take care of your dog? If your dog is ill or eats a bad substance, how do you handle it? If your child keeps missing curfew, how do you respond?

For one incarcerated mom, interviewed as part of a segment for News 12 Westchester, the opportunity to interact with therapy dogs like Fonzi, the admittedly handsome German Shepherd, gives her the space to talk about her children and her separation from them.

“Even though our children are not here, the class brings hope,” she said. “It brings all the mothers together.”

All in all, the program has been quite a success. Now entering its fourth year, it has received considerable regional and even national recognition. In 2018, Collica-Cox was awarded a prestigious national Jefferson Award for outstanding public service for her work.

Yet, arguably, the program’s real impact is exceedingly personal.

“The dogs really help to open up lines of communication,” says Collica-Cox. “They serve as benign examples, and then we can get into deeper, emotional issues around parenting and children.”

For one student, the experience of working with the Parenting, Prison, and Pups program was as much a class on humanity as it was civic engagement or criminal justice. “We got to see a population that is looked down upon, stigmatized, ridiculed,” he said. “But hearing [their stories] really hit me in the heart.”

Making an Impact For both initiatives, there is still much to be done.

One of Singleton’s long-term goals is to eventually affect policy, using evidence-based research to enter the insurance realm—and ask a forward-thinking insurance company to implement insurance support for individuals to be teamed with service dogs. And Collica-Cox hopes to gain further funding for the program so that it can continue to make a difference, and perhaps even expand.

Yet, while their work is ongoing, there’s no question that when it comes to animal-assisted therapy, Pace has both the bark and the bite to make a true impact.

S p r i n g 2020

33

Research

Saving Sea Turtles

Pace professors wear quite the

the rescue program director at

array of hats in myriad fields

the New York Marine Rescue

and locales. Thanks to the work

Center (NYMRC) in Riverhead,

of Biology Chairperson Andrew

New York, remained in touch

Wier, PhD, we can now add “sea

with Wier after graduation and

turtle rescuer” to our collective

helped spur what’s been a fruitful

faculty resume.

collaboration. Notably, Wier has

Wier has been working with

34

Pace Magaz in e

ventured out to eastern Long

former graduate student Maxine

Island to assist in the rescue and

Montello ’14 to assist in the rescue

rehabilitation of these sea turtles

and rehabilitation of cold-stunned

who migrate through the New

sea turtles. Montello, currently

York area.

“New York State responds to the secondhighest number of cold-stunned sea turtles in the greater Atlantic,” said Montello. “The phenomenon is similar to hypothermia.

They’re cold-blooded, so they actually can’t regulate their internal temperature.” Since the NYMRC’s inception, they’ve rescued, rehabilitated, tagged, and re-released more than 4,000 marine mammals and sea turtles.

When a cold-snap occurs, and water temperature suddenly drops in the Atlantic,

The Value of a College Degree

the turtles inevitably slow down, and are “I think college administrators

sometimes unable to migrate to warmer

The value of an undergraduate

waters.

degree has emerged as a hot-

need to convert more graduates

“These are turtles who run into freezing

button issue over the course of

into cheerleaders,” said

water, float to the surface, and basically are

the 21st century. While research

Chiagouris, who believes getting

recovered on the shore,” said Wier. “They’re

indicating that an increase in

students to understand the

warmed up and retained at the New York

earning potential and career

value of their degree is critical to

Marine Rescue Center.”

advancement opportunities

creating college ambassadors.

The program, currently a small team

for college graduates is clear, a

The biggest finding of

of just four people, has wholeheartedly

changing economy and increased

Chiagouris’ survey? The majority

welcomed the collaboration with Wier, and

costs has put higher education

of respondents believe that higher

both sides are keen on involving Pace’s

under a sharper microscope.

education was a good investment,

graduate students in various initiatives at the center. Currently, the data collected by

To put it bluntly: is college worth it?

however many wished they had taken advantage of more

the team is used to increase understanding

Lubin Professor Larry

of different species, including growth rates,

Chiagouris, PhD, is seeking

age at maturity, reproductive seasons,

answers from those with the

longevity, migration patterns, illnesses

freshest, and arguably, most

favored their specific institution.

and death, environmental changes and

relevant perspective—members

Among those surveyed, 62%

disturbances, and much more.

of the Millennial generation, now

would recommend their college

realizing the advantages of their

to friends and colleagues, with

degree in today’s workforce.

younger Millennials more likely

Both parties realized the benefit of working together; for NYMRC, collaboration with Pace enables more curious minds

Through his study titled The

opportunities offered by their institution.

A majority of respondents also

do so.

While there are several reports

to do impactful research and necessary

Millennial College Graduate

conservation work. For Pace, NYMRC

Report, Chiagouris is in the

still to be released, Chiagouris’

provides internship, volunteer, and research

process of surveying graduates

work is undoubtedly providing

opportunities, as well as the ability to apply

ages 25 to 35 on their perceptions

timely insights into the value

for unique and exciting research grants.

of their college experiences.

of higher education, which will

He recently released the first of

enable Pace and other institutions

several reports, which compares

to better serve and prepare

the views of older and younger

students for success during their

Millennials.

undergraduate years and beyond.

For both parties, the future is bright, and the water, warm.

“It’s a win-win situation on both ends,” says Montello.

S p r i n g 2 020

35

Faculty Success Educating Students and Teachers School of Education Associate Professor Christine Clayton, EdD, was selected as a 2020 Clinical Fellow for the Association of Teacher Educators.

Clayton was chosen based on her deep commitment to clinical practice in teacher education.

Under the Microscope Dyson Assistant Biology Professor Sally Marik, PhD, alongside her colleagues Nancy Krucher, PhD; Sergey

THE MEAT(LESS) OF THE MATTER

Kazakov, PhD; and Aaron Steiner, PhD, was recently awarded a $372,304 grant from the National Science

Will going vegan help fight climate change? Well, it depends on who you ask.

Americans eat four times more meat than the global average, and the UN predicts that worldwide consumption of animal-based food will rise 80 percent in the next few decades. This rise in global meat-eating threatens to increase deforestation in the Amazon and other parts of the world, with the expansion of land needed for pasture, corn, and soybeans.

Scientists on both sides of the debate agree on one thing: the industrial livestock system that produces 95% of the world’s meat is a major source of hydrocarbon methane, a potent greenhouse gas emitted by cows. While not as long-lived as carbon in the atmosphere, methane heats the climate faster— at a time when we need to slow warming.

“With the current rise of plant-based meat, new ways of livestock production, and how both address climate change, it’s important to bring people together to talk about these different paths to the future of protein consumption,” says E. Melanie Dupuis, PhD, professor and chairperson of the Department of Environmental Studies and Science.

Dupuis played a major role in bringing together scientists, farmers, ethicists, activists, and industry experts to discuss and debate these very questions at the Dyson College Institute for Sustainability and the Environment’s fourth Resilience Summit on “The Future of Meat?” This year’s Summit was co-sponsored by Dartmouth College.

36

Pace Magaz in e

Foundation through the Major Research Instrumentation program.

The grant has allowed them to purchase an automated high-resolution fluorescence imaging system—think a hitech microscope—that will bolster Pace’s neuroscience, developmental biology, and cancer biology research potential.

What makes this microscope so special? For one, fluorescence microscopy is highly sensitive, specific, reliable, and extensively used by scientists to observe the localization of molecules within cells, and of cells within tissues. Secondly, it is an exceedingly rare instrument.

“We plan to use the system to collect data on diverse topics such as neuroscience, inheritance patterns, signaling pathways, and novel drug delivery systems,” said Marik.

Dreaming

BIG

PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN ROUNTREE

“On any given day, my mom and dad might’ve been studying for an exam, attending parentteacher conferences, or writing a research paper—all while working full-time and getting three meals on the table,” says Horace E. Anderson Jr., JD, the newly-appointed Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “It couldn’t have been easy, but they were our example. That might be why my three sisters and I have 11 degrees between us.”

For Anderson, whose parents immigrated to the US from Jamaica more than 50 years ago, the opportunity that education provides is unparalleled and deeply personal.

“I have an appreciation for what it means to pursue the American Dream—why people do it, why it’s so important, why it makes this country so different from others,” he says. It’s this insight that enables him to support and guide the students at Haub Law, many of whom are the first in their families to go to law school.

“I always tell the students ‘I’m your uncle, the lawyer,’” he says.

“If you don’t have anyone in your circle who can give you the inside scoop, I’ll be that person for you.”

“ I got a great sense of what opportunity really means from my parents.”

— H O R AC E E . A N D E R S O N J R .

S p r i n g 2020

37

Class Notes 1950s

1960s

1970s

ARTHUR GRABINER ’50

LYNN KEARSEY (NÉE

PETER CARLISI ’71

served as a grand marshal for the 2019 Veterans Day Parade in Queens, NY. He is a World War II veteran who served in the United States Navy, earning numerous honors.

RONSEN) ’68 published

published the book What’s Another Word for Thesaurus?, a coffee table read full of wit, quips, and queries.

her mystery novel Death by Dose, fulfilling her high school yearbook “wanna do,” which was to become a nurse and a writer.

MICHAEL CONNORS ’72

was honored with the Thaddeus S. Dabrowski American Heritage Award at the 2019 Conservative Parties of Kings and Queen’s Counties’ American Heritage Dinner.

ROBERT ROBOTTI ’78 , a Pace trustee, has been appointed to the board of directors of PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. in Calgary, AB. THERESA PASQUA ’79

Mourning a Legend Pace University and the Actors Studio Drama School mourn the loss of James Lipton, the creator and dean of the program from 1994–2004, the dean emeritus from 2005 to today, as well as the original host of television’s Inside the Actors Studio. “James Lipton was a great writer and actor, a great interviewer, and,

was named principal at Holy Savior Academy in South Plainfield, NJ. YOUNGOR SEVELEE TELEWODA ’79 presented

her credentials as the new Permanent Representative of Liberia to the United Nations in Vienna. She is also Liberia’s ambassador to Germany.

most important, a great teacher. He was a revered leader of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University, and we are all deeply saddened by this loss. we know that his legacy will live on in the generations

1980s

of actors he inspired,” said Pace University President

NEIL GORDON ’80

Marvin Krislov.

published his latest book, The Righteous One, in October 2019.

We send our condolences to his wife, Kedakai, and

38

Pace Magaz in e

It appeals to readers willing to explore the ability of the mind to live without the constraints of the body.

RONALD LEE ’81 was appointed Trenton school chief by the Trenton Board of Education after serving as the superintendent of the Orange School District.

JAMES MCHUGH JR. ’81

was inducted into the St. Augustine High School Hall of Fame in Brooklyn, NY. He’s devoted his career to education as a school dean and NYC Department of Education officer.

STEVEN MILLIGRAM, JD, ’81 was elected to the Ninth

Judicial District of the New York State Supreme Court in last year’s elections. He has served as a trial lawyer, health care attorney, and a Monroe Town Justice since 2012.

HAROLD E. KAPLAN, JD, ’83 was granted pro bono, out-of-state practice status by the North Carolina State Bar, enabling him to practice pro bono for Pisgah Legal Services in Asheville.

Kaplan was recently elected president of Blue Heron Point Property Owners Association, Inc. in Lake Lure. He is the principal with Kaplan Dispute Resolution located in Fairview.

SHIRLEY ACEVEDO

ANTHONY POLVERE ’85

BUONTEMPO ’84, ’11 won

was featured in Unseen Visitors, a photography exhibit in Powell, WY, that showcased the work of faculty in the Communications Department at Northwest College.

the AARP Purpose Prize honoring her work as a founder of Latino U College Access in White Plains, NY, a nonprofit that helps first-generation low-income Latino students enroll in and graduate from college.

DAVID HIRSH ’84 , a Pace

trustee, was appointed to the advisory board of Domio, the NY-based technology-powered apartment-hotel start-up.

VICTORIA HOLT ’84 was appointed to the board of directors of Piper Jaffray, a Minneapolis, MN-based investment bank.

ROBERT RANIERI ’85 has been named chairman of the board of directors of the Wartburg Home, a senior residential and health care provider in lower Westchester County, NY. DORA GOMEZ ’86 , was

DAN MELLON ’84 became the vice president of sales transformation at Sinclair Broadcast Group.

the recipient of the 2019 InfraGard Northeast Region IMA Leadership Award, presented to her by the FBI’s Assistant Director in Charge.

The award commemorates the contribution InfraGuard makes to the collaboration between the FBI and private sector.

DONNA RENDEIRO ’84

GAIL A. MATTHEWS, JD,

was featured in NJ Spotlight about her new role as executive director of the state’s Office of Planning Advocacy and secretary of the New Jersey State Planning Commission.

’87 was appointed associate

BLANCA DE LA ROSA ’85

published a new book, Pursuing a Better Tomorrow, which details hardships immigrants face to achieve success upon reaching the United States.

NANCY KOBA, JD, ’85 was

elected to the Ninth Judicial District of the New York State Supreme Court in last year’s elections. Koba served 30+ years as a civil litigator in the state Supreme Court.

general counsel of the American National Standards Institute. Prior to that she served as deputy chief of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s civil division.

AMY ACKER ’88 co-authored

Hidden Talents, which was published in October 2019.

The book serves as a roadmap, guide, and interactive experience based around the concept of “leadership for life.”

1990s JOSEPH MONTERO ’90,

a licensed certified public accountant, has been promoted to a member of the firm at Smolin in Fairfield, NJ.

KARL RABAGO ’90, senior

policy advisor of the Pace Energy and Climate Center, co-authored a Newsweek article on renewable energy sources.

BRIAN ROTHERY, JD, ’90

joined the Garden City, NJ, law firm Scully, Scott, Murphy & Presser PC as a partner.

YVETTE THOMAS-HENRY ’90 was appointed the

regional vice president and general manager at Four Seasons Resort Nevis in the Caribbean.

JOANN TINNELLY ’90 was named interim CFO of Reed’s Inc. in Norwalk, CT. She has served as vice president and corporate controller of the company since July 2018.

appointed chief credit officer of Gateway First Bank in Jenks, OK.

was recently elected to the town board for Riverhead, NY. He is an owner of DeLea Sod Farms, a past president of the Long Island Farm Bureau, and a member of the board of directors of Island Harvest Food Bank.

ANTHONY FOSCHINO ’92

was re-elected to the Norwood, NJ, Borough Council. He previously served in elected positions at Norwood Board of Education and Norwood Zoning Board.

CRAIG ZOTTOLA ’92 was promoted from detective to sergeant for the Greenwich Police Department in Greenwich, CT. He has moved up the ranks since he joined the department in 2010 as a patrol officer.

MARY ELLIS ’93 was

appointed interim assistant superintendent of the Irvington School District Board of Education in NY.

KATHLEEN WESLOCK,

TIMOTHY SHANLEY, JD,

JD, ’90 has received Cornell

’93 was elected mayor of

University’s Judge William B. Groat Alumni Award. She is the chief human resources officer at Livent Corporation and speaks to groups on topics including women in leadership, next-generation human resources, and diversity and inclusion.

JOAN SCHMIDT, JD, ’91 DEIRDRE CHERRY ’89 was

FRANK BEYRODT JR. ’92

was appointed executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary of Arena Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, CA.

Wyckoff, NJ, for 2020.

HARRY SOMMER ’94 was

appointed CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. Sommer had served as president of international operations for the company, and as chief integration officer and VP of international business development.

JUDITH WATSON ’94 was appointed chief executive officer of Mount Vernon

S p r i n g 2020

39

Class Notes Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. in Mount Vernon, NY. GINA CAPONE, JD, ’96 was

elected to the Ninth Judicial District of the New York State Supreme Court. She has been an attorney since 1997, and practices general law with a concentration on matrimonial, family real estate, and criminal law, as well as wills and probate. Since 2001, Capone has served as Putnam Valley Town Judge.

CATHERINE MANLEY-

SUSAN CAPLAN (NÉE

LORIANNE O’DONNELL

CULLEN ’96 has been

SHAPIRA) ’97 was

’98 became chief operating officer of Abilis, a Greenwich, CT-based nonprofit that provides assistance to adults and children with developmental disabilities and their families.

named chief nursing officer at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, NY. She had been the vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn.

appointed chair of Northern Illinois University School of Nursing in DeKalb, IL. In 2018, she was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

JOSEPH SCURALLI, DPS, ’96 was re-elected for his

fifth term with the Township Council for the Township of Wayne in New Jersey.

VANESSA FERRER ’96

was featured in an article in Westchester Magazine about the launch of her new business, Merch Cat, a web and mobile app business that helps musicians sell and manage merchandise.

LISA FANTINO, JD, ’97

THOMAS DUFFY ’99

celebrated the success of her third book, Fractured, which tells the story of a New York City detective investigating a series of murders.

released his seventh novel, Social Work, which touches upon issues of mental health.

CHARLES-EDOUARD KIM TRIPODO ’96 has

been named vice president of human resources at TissueTech, in Miami, FL . Prior to that, she was director of human resources at ChenMed.

DENIS ’98 was featured in

an article in the San Francisco Examiner about his efforts to keep his seafood export business in Haiti open amidst recurring fuel shortages and currency devaluation.

Births

RICK SUAREZ ’99 was appointed chief executive officer of Clarfeld Citizens Private Wealth in Tarrytown, NY. He first joined the firm as a student, and until recently served as COO.

2000s HEIDI DAVIDSON ’00, co-

founder and CEO of Galvanize Worldwide, was elected chairperson of the board of directors of the Business Council of Westchester in Westchester County, NY.

BRENDAN MCGRATH, JD, ’00 was sworn in as a City

Court Judge for the City of Yonkers, NY.

DANIELA PAOLINO

GABRIELLE GANNON

(NÉE MANSELLA) ’07

(NÉE GOETZ) ’09

and her husband, Michelino, welcomed a

and her husband, Robert, welcomed

baby boy, Michelino “Mico” Leo Paolino,

Juliette Grace Gannon into the world

into the world on August 23, 2019.

on October 3, 2019. This future member of the Class of 2040 plans to major in smiling and minor in chubby cheeks.

40

Pace Magaz in e

BRETT DREYER ’01 was elected to the Board of Education in Cranford, NJ. He is currently a manager with Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, NJ. DAVID RYZHIK ’01 became

vice president of investor relations for MKS Instruments, Inc. in Andover, MA.

Marriages RICK VEIT, JD, ’86 married Maria Scott on June 1, 2019, at the United States Military JOHN DILLON ’03 was

appointed the vice president and division general counsel for American Water’s Southeast division in Lexington, KY.

Academy’s Community Chapel in West Point, NY. Veit has been in private practice for 27 years, is a major in the New York Guard, and is an officer for the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the US Army.

ANDREW MORRISON ’10 married Lauren Elyse Romo on September 28, 2019, in

Santa Fe, NM, where the bride’s family resides.

USO SAYERS (NÉE

Alumni JOHN KREMIDAS ’11 and CHRISTINA DANZA ’12 came back to where their

FRASER) ’04 was named

love story started—right here on Pace’s NYC Campus. The wedding party? All alumni,

managing director of Johnson Lambert LLP in Park Ridge, IL.

plus one first-year student: Stephanie Baldelli, Keith Zientek, Christopher Bruno,

JENNIFER ANN VORHIES,

said Danza. “Pace holds such a special place in our hearts and it always will.”

Andrew Hoppas, Michael Paccione, and Brianna Adelle.

“Our story is a testament to the future and relationships that can be built at Pace,”

JD, ’04 , partner with Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor in Phillipsburg, NJ, was named president of the Warren County Bar Association for a one-year term.

DAMIAN FINLEY ’05 was

promoted to vice president of construction and development of Robert Martin Co. in Elmsford, NY.

STEVEN LEIDENFROST ’05

joined Asta Funding, Inc. in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, as CFO. DEBRA MANDERS ’05 had

her abstract paintings featured at an art reception at Valley Cottage Library in Valley Cottage, NY.

KASHYAP PATEL, JD, ’05

The Kremidas and Danza Wedding

2010s

was featured in an article in News India Times about his appointment to senior director of counter-terrorism at the National Security Council.

ERICA DELANEY ’10 joined AXA XL’s Northeast regional environmental team in NYC as a senior underwriter.

TERENCE COPPINGER

SHIRAZ SAEED ’10 was

’06 joined Mazars US LLP,

a leading accounting, tax, advisory, and consulting firm, as a tax partner in their Long Island office.

featured in Insurance Business about starting a career in insurance while finishing his MBA at Pace. He joined Starr Companies as a national

practice leader specializing in cyber risk.

LAUREN CLANCY ’11 was

interviewed by NorthJersey. com about IV+Revolution, her business that offers relief from nutrient depletion and dehydration via IV infusions.

HEATHER DEICHLER, JD, ’12 has joined the Lincoln

Financial Group in Radnor,

PA, in the newly-created role of senior vice president and head of product management for Lincoln MoneyGuard®.

PEDRO RIVERA ’12 has

joined Fox 40 in Sacramento, CA, as a morning news anchor.

TIMOTHY IZZO ’14 was sworn in as a firefighter in the Westport Fire Department in Connecticut.

S p r i n g 2 020

41

Class Notes SMITH KIDKARNDEE,

ERICK BETANCOURT ’15

PSYD, ’14 was featured in

conducted a Q&A session at the University of Rhode Island where he offered advice on hiring an agent, going on auditions, and finding a professional community that supports your vision.

the Manchester, CT, Journal Inquirer about learning to embrace the different parts of himself and his identity through community, running, and dance training.

KATHRYN BOSCH ’15 was

featured in BroadwayWorld about being chosen for a young professional’s fellowship at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, CA. She will be their scenic construction fellow.

ASHLEY ROMANS ’15

has been promoted to series regular for season two of the AMC show NOS4A2.

SPENCER CLARK ’16 was featured in Broadway Buzz, about landing dream roles in West Side Story, Cirque du Soleil, Cats, and Frozen.

LAUREN C. ENEA, JD, ’16

Honoring a Dear Friend Pace University staff, students, and faculty mourn

was appointed to the board of directors of CAREERS, a nonprofit providing job training, placement, and ongoing support for individuals with disabilities in Valhalla, NY. HAYLEY GRIFFITH ’16 is

starring in the horror comedy, Satanic Panic.

the loss of our tremendously beloved and esteemed colleague Debbie Levesque, assistant dean for Community Standards and Compliance. Levesque dedicated nearly 40 years of her life to Pace—always working to support students and colleagues, always on the move, and always willing to help whenever anyone needed a hand or a hug.

One colleague spoke of her commitment and

DAVID SHOCKET ’16 and JONAH CAMIEL ’19 were

associate lighting designers on Tony Award nominee Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

deep love of the University and its community: “I saw Debbie’s passion and leadership during Hurricane

CASSIDY STONER ’16

Sandy—choosing to ride out the storm here on

appeared in Charlotte Magazine about her career and touring with the musical Aladdin.

campus with us. From her I learned to always put the needs of my staff and students above all else.”

We hope to come together once again as a community this fall on Pace’s Pleasantville Campus to celebrate her life and the lasting impact she’s made on all of us.

42

Pace Magaz in e

ELEN KRUT, JD, ’17 wrote her first book, Summer on a Poultry Farm, inspired by her life as an attorney and official

for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services.

NATALIE POWERS ’17

was interviewed in a BroadwayWorld article about her role as Chava in a Fiddler on the Roof revival at the Orpheum Theater in New York, NY. RAFAEL SILVA ’17 was cast as a series regular on the Fox drama 9-1-1: Lone Star, playing the part of a police chief.

NATASHA VAN DE WETERING ’17 published

Grow, a collection of poetry that relates plants and nature to human emotion.

ALEXANDRA DEROSA ’18

and PAVAN NAIDU ’18 worked on installing the new solar-powered e-tree on Pace’s Pleasantville Campus.

RICH EVERLY ’18, became

director of facilities in the Hornell City School District.

He’s also the district’s director of technology.

HAROLD HODGE JR. ’18

wrote and directed Fancy Maids, which was named Rave Theater Festival’s Outstanding Play for 2019.

BARTEK SZYMANSKI ’18

appeared as a guest star in the fifth episode of the seventh season of the series Chicago P.D. SOPHIA PERRICONE ’19

joined NBC 24 in Toledo, OH, as a multimedia journalist.

In Memoriam Walter J. Adams ’84

Joseph A. Dubato ’52

Ellinor Kasuga ’49

Ira D. Popkin ’68

Glenn E. Albro ’49

Donald A. Ehrgott ’50

Christopher P. Kelts ’95

Frank Quattrone ’81

Michael N. Alekshun ’91

Ronald E. Emerine ’76

Charles Kirkiles ’50

Sr. Virginia Rahilly ’57

William B. Allin ’76

Richard H. Epperlein ’63

Jeffrey Kitter ’77

Donald Rassaert ’80

Ruth A. Alston ’83

Lynn Finkelstein ’80

Richard A. Kuntzman ’52

Richard E. Reynolds ’67

Brendan F. Alworth ’70

Peter Fraedrich ’73

Eli Kwartler ’52

Stephen Rosmarin ’51

Steve C. Arniotes ’52

Alvera D. Fray ’75

Willie Lau ’66

Charles Rupprecht ’56

Peter A. Bacinski ’71

Helane A. Friedman ’80

Veronica L. Layer-Keefe ’95

Rosemary Rutherford ’89

Thomas J. Ballen ’79

Gladys M. Froustet ’57

Gene F. Lee ’82

Paul F. Ruzicka ’74

Alfred R. Barsotti ’51

Bruce E. Fusillo ’74

David Lieberman ’50

Mohamed A. Saleh ’77

August J. Bellome ’92

Anthony P. Galimi ’70

Kelly L. Lindenboom ’14

William H. Sandholm ’68

Louis C. Bicknese ’49

Vincent F. Galvin ’05

Timothy M. Lorch ’86

Henry E. Sauter ’49

John H. Bilello ’66

Joseph Gancila ’91

James K. Lyder ’95

Nicholas Scalzo ’95

Josephine Blanchett

Walter Gangloff ’59

Donald J. Mahler ’49

Robert Schauer ’56

Carmen C. Bocachica ’81

Juan A. Garrandes ’75

Alan J. Mandle ’68

Angelo J. Scott ’56

Beth A. Bove ’83

Mildred Gerestant ’94

Frederick C. Marasco ’00

Semo P. Sennas ’70

Stephen J. Brady ’83

Edward D. Gibbons ’71

Faith A. Martin ’91

Stephen H. Shapoff ’67

Lynne V. Byrne ’88

Rosemary M.

Rose C. Mason ’82

Floyd A. Smith ’51

Ella B. Mathews ’70

Michael L. Smith ’73

Gille Crescenzo ’83

Marie T. Byrne ’52 Richard A. Calvo ’70

Louis E. Golia ’71

George McCarthy ’72

Enid Storey ’87

Philip A. Cammarano ’63

Martin Gorman ’51

Roseanne C. McConville ’83

Sharon M. Sutton ’87

Robert K. Caulk ’71

James W. Greenwood ’73

James R. McGurran

Wayne T. Tanchak ’81

Dorothy H. Cimino ’75

Serge W. Gremmo ’72

Thomas M. McKenna ’72

Sr. Joan H. Toomey ’74

Robert J. Clark ’68

Neil W. Groglio ’78

Vincent C. Milatta ’73

George L. Ulrich ’50

Ronald J. Cococcia ’94

I. David Grossman ’50

Michaelle

Hal J. Upbin ’61

Robert J. Cotter ’75

Sr. Mary Joan Haley ’43

Eugene F. Cronin ’51

Beatrice A. Henningham ’07

Gabriel P. Nasser ’79

James P. Walsh ’56

Harry V. Cunningham ’51

Joseph E. Henry ’84

Zanib Naveed ’11

John Walton ’93

Ida E. Daggett

Robert E. Herrmann ’51

George Negas ’57

Dorothy F. Watson ’82

Kathleen A. D’Agostino ’71

Edward B. Hirschberg ’60

Anne M. Nichter ’80

Vincent Webberly ’60

Andrew R. Dalessio ’14

Francis M. Huba ’49

Martin R. O’Meara ’79

Joy Ann Weber ’86

Jerry D. Dancer ’72

Frances Hutton ’50

Melvin Ostrow ’77

Stephen J. Weber ’74

Margaret M. Dannevig ’82

Martin Jaffe ’75

Irene Pagh ’42

Djerizza Weisz ’98

Robert F. Di Lello ’57

John Jarka ’82

Wilhelmina Parker ’77

Stanley Wexler ’84

Glenn P. Donaldson ’69

Veronica D. Joyce ’75

Jacob Perillo ’13

Robert Wilkie ’78

Caroline J. Doyle ’88

Ashley Kardian-Caggiano ’12

John R. Pezzulli ’68

Dale C. Wright ’72

Myrthil-Labranche ’92

Myles H. Walburn ’89

Remembering Joseph Lizzio ’75 Pace University mourns the loss of former University comptroller and alumnus Joseph M. Lizzio ’75. He served as a corporal in the US Army during the Korean War, later attending Pace University where he earned his MBA from the Lubin School of Business. After graduation, Lizzio joined the Pace administrative team, serving as the University Comptroller for more than 25 years. During his time as comptroller, Lizzio was one of the founders and board members of what is now Pace’s Academic Federal Credit Union.

“He worked long and hard for Pace University, providing strong financial leadership, during a time when Pace was growing from a two-campus college to a multi-campus university. Joe had a wonderful, self-deprecating sense of humor and he was an avid photographer and golfer,” says Ron Nahum ’75, ’81, a former Pace colleague and fellow alumnus. “His love for Pace was only exceeded by his love for his family.”

S p r i n g 2020

43

Class Notes | Donor Profile

David Z. Hirsh ’84

A

fter retiring from Blackstone in 2018, Pace University trustee David Z. Hirsh ’84 expanded his focus on the communities and causes dear to him by investing more of his time and energy into his philanthropy. In addition to his support of THANC (Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer) Foundation, CaringKind, and NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, Hirsh deepened his impact through a greater commitment to his alma mater by not only providing continued financial support but also by being generous

44

Pace Magaz in e

with his time and expertise at a critical point in the University’s expansion and revitalization of its downtown campus.

Reflecting on his decision to join the Board of Trustees, Hirsh cited the opportunity to contribute his professional expertise to a project that could be transformational for the University’s future. He shares, “The impetus for getting more involved on a day-to-day basis was the potential for Pace’s redevelopment as part of the New York City Master Plan. This is an opportunity to get more involved,

where the skills and expertise from my career could help the University to improve its financial foundation.”

Though he was not always as engaged an alumnus as he is today, as both an advisory board member and trustee, Hirsh always maintained a critical awareness of the impact his accounting education had on his career. He recalls that until he retired, “The accounting knowledge I acquired during my studies at Pace [...] has been useful every now and then with real estate deal structuring.”

His belief in Pace’s approach to combining real-world experiences and academics also shows up in his commitment to supporting the University through scholarship, academic enrichment, and support of the Annual Fund.

When asked why he invests both his time and his resources in Pace, Hirsh reminds us that, “Pace changes lives, particularly for first-generation students, those who are the first in their family to attend college.” Hirsh continues to demonstrate that Pace alumni intrinsically understand the power and value of community, education, and both giving back and paying it forward.

WE HEARD YOU! We asked and you answered. Thanks to all of our alumni who took the time to fill out our Alumni Survey, here are just a few things we learned:

O F TH OS E WH O R E S P O N D E D :

59% received an

39% received a

both an undergraduate

undergraduate degree

graduate degree

and graduate degree

Top 4 Things Alumni Care About:

Top 5 Things Alumni Want from Pace:

1. Value and respect for degree

1. To be informed about opportunities

2. Accomplishments of alumni and students

2. Connections to other alumni

3. A diverse and inclusive environment 4. Availability of scholarships

OUR PROMISE TO YOU:

3. Continue to grow and build our alumni programming 4. Alumni events hosted in your area 5. Networking opportunities

9%

9 out of 10 alumni surveyed said they had a good/great opinion of Pace

» We will continue to build our programs to create opportunities for alumni to connect. » We will create better volunteer opportunities for all alumni. » We will send communications tailored to things you care about most.

You told us what you care about and what we can do to build a better alumni program at Pace University. Now, as we implement these changes, we want to continue to hear from you. Tell us how we’re doing or share suggestions with us at PACEALUM@PACE.EDU.

S p r i n g 2020

45

Class Notes | Event Photos Brooklyn

Holiday Party

The Pace Proud Tour hit the road this year, visiting some of our more than 150,000 alumni across the country! We finished the year off here in NYC at our annual Alumni Holiday Party.

Homecoming Los Angeles

Fort Lauderdale

Miami

46

Pace Magaz in e

Big Numbers The Hard Sciences at Pace University Students in chemistry, physics, or biology programs

UNDERGRADUATE

471

45

Science laboratories

GRADUATE

at Pace

75 27,680 Number of hours per semester students spend in laboratories

145 Total number of microscopes at Pace

16,000+

$2,309,684+ Total amount of funding awarded to chemistry, physics, or biology research since 2015

32,530

580

Beakers used by students

Test tubes used by students

Liters of laboratory media used

per semester

per semester

per semester*

*We don’t want to get too technical, but laboratory media is basically a solid, liquid, or semi-solid medium designed to support the growth of microorganisms or cells.

S p r i n g 2020

47

Flashback

In 1970, a group of Pace students came together to form the University’s first organization for black students. The organization has become an integral part of student life at Pace, and this year, students in Pace’s Black Student Union celebrated 50 years of making an impact on campus.

48

Pace Magaz in e

Black Student Organization, 1980 Courtesy of the Pace University Archives

Save the Date

The 1906 Challenge honors the year in which Pace University was founded and celebrates the entire Pace Community—past and present! Join the movement and invest in the future of Pace and all of our amazing students!

Sign up to be a social media ambassador and transform your social and professional circles into powerful philanthropic networks. Tweet, share, and post using #Pace1906—it’s that easy!

For more information, visit:

www.pace.edu/1906Challenge

NONPROFIT ORG. U. S. P O S T A G E

PA I D Pace Magazine Marketing and Communications One Pace Plaza New York, NY 10038

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

www.pace.edu

www.pace.edu/pacemagazine

Help a Pace Student in Need As the University has taken the necessary health and safety precautions in response to COVID-19, many students are suddenly facing unprecedented challenges as they strive to continue their education. We will always be true to our mission of Opportunitas, doing everything we can to create opportunities and advantages for hardworking, ambitious students from all walks of life. Now, more than ever before, we need your support to ensure our students have the opportunity to succeed and achieve at Pace.

www.pace.edu/MakeADifference