Press Release

Pace University Announces the Barry M. and Jackie Gosin Center for Equity and Inclusion

Posted
February 10, 2021

Gift Advances Diversity in Entrepreneurship, Career Advisement, and Campus Programming at Pace.

NEW YORK (Feb. 10, 2021)—Pace University today announced the establishment of the Barry M. and Jackie Gosin Center for Equity and Inclusion. This new center, established via a donation from the Gosins, supports ongoing efforts at Pace in anti-racism and equity, expands work to elevate job placement and entrepreneurship among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) students, and enhances academic scholarship in these areas.

Housed on Pace’s New York City campus, the Barry M. and Jackie Gosin Center for Equity and Inclusion launches with the overarching goal of increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups and fostering their success during the job placement process and throughout their careers. Specific objectives of the Center include:

  • Diversifying the entrepreneurship experience and education with enhanced support and programming through the Pace Entrepreneurship Lab and Center for Student Enterprise.
  • Increasing career advisement opportunities and resources for BIPOC students at Pace.
  • Expanding collaborative critical inquiry and community partnerships in anti-racism.
  • Supporting Pace’s academic units in faculty and student research and scholarship on equity and inclusion.
  • Facilitating the development of equity literacy, inclusive curricula and anti-oppression pedagogies.

"The establishment of this center represents an important step in the movement to diversify the voices in the corporate workplace and boardrooms across America. For many young people, college serves as a critical point in their journey to professional success, and it is our hope that this center will provide Pace students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities that lead to long and rewarding careers,” said Barry Gosin, the CEO of global commercial real estate advisory firm Newmark and a member of Pace’s Board of Trustees. “Pace has always been a beacon for historically underrepresented and first-generation college students as they seek a brighter future. We believe this new initiative will advance this storied institution’s ability to continue fulfilling that core mission, while paving the way for a stronger, more equitable New York.”

Ranked the number one private, four-year college in the United States for driving upward economic mobility, according to the Opportunity Insights research project at Harvard University, Pace University uplifts its students academically and professionally with relevant, focused and forward-looking degrees and programs. The Pace community is vibrantly diverse and inclusive, with ethnic, gender, and economic diversity that sets it apart from most other institutions in higher education. A majority of Pace’s student body identify as BIPOC, close to 30% of Pace students are from low-income families eligible for Pell grants, and close to 40% identify as the first in their family to go to college.

“Pace has a proud tradition of providing access to a quality education for all hard-working, ambitious students, including those from all backgrounds and many who are the first in their families to attend college,” said Pace President Marvin Krislov. “We know that college can transform a student’s life, and in so doing transform a family and community. Through Barry and Jackie Gosin’s generous gift, this new center will be critical in helping us live up to our commitments on diversity, equity, and access, and inclusion—and ensuring we deliver on that promise for all of our students.”

Tiffany SW Hamilton, chief diversity officer at Pace University said, “Higher education should be a transformative experience for students, faculty and staff. Historical barriers of the academy have often disproportionately impacted Black, Latinx and economically challenged individuals. Pace University champions diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. Yet, we must always strive to be better and do better. The Barry M. and Jackie Gosin Center for Equity and Inclusion is significant because it elevates the work at Pace and will make a tangible difference in the lives of our students and community. It’s an honor and privilege to do this work and open this new center.”

The work managed and facilitated by The Barry M. and Jackie Gosin Center for Equity and Inclusion will begin immediately.

About Pace University
Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. Follow us on Twitter or on the Pace News website.