After two weeks of intense work at the 2024 AI Internship Experience Program, the student interns presented their successful final projects at Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. This dynamic paid internship program provided students with an intensive, hands-on experience in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence, culminating in a series of impressive presentations that showcased their analytical and generative AI projects.

The program was led by Seidenberg Professor, Associate Dean, and Co-Director of the Seidenberg AI Lab, Dr. Christelle Scharff, and Dr. Carmine Guida, Assistant Professor and head of Seidenberg’s new BS in Game Development.

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Over the course of the internship, students were divided into teams and tasked with two major projects. The first involved comprehensive research and analysis of generative AI technologies, allowing them to deepen their understanding of AI frameworks and methodologies. The second project required students to apply their knowledge to create innovative AI models capable of generating images. During these two weeks, the interns were mentored by Pace alumni and Career Services to help them apply this knowledge to real-world scenarios.

The final presentations highlighted the students’ newly learned skills, as well as their creativity. One team of interns developed AI models that could classify and generate images of different butterfly species, while another team focused on models that could recognize and generate images of different types of flowers, both demonstrating the models' accuracy in recognizing and replicating intricate patterns and colors. Further emphasizing the diverse interests of the students, one team explored the realm of gaming by attempting to generate images inspired by the Minecraft video game, and a different team developed a model that could recognize different Pokémon.

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Christelle Scharff, Associate Dean and Professor of Computer Science at Seidenberg, praised the interns’ achievements by saying that "the internship ended up being a great success in developing AI talents with the support of a dedicated team at Seidenberg. Interns developed classification and generative AI projects. It was rewarding to see them experiment with models to achieve better accuracy and seeing their approach to generate something that was recognizable. They made new friendships, and we could feel the Seidenberg community spirit."

The program not only advanced the interns' technical skills but also fostered a collaborative and supportive environment. As the students move forward, they carry with them valuable experiences and connections that will undoubtedly contribute to their future endeavors in the field of AI.

After the stock market crash of 1987, Mitchell Dinkin ‘92 made the decision to pivot from his aspirations in a career on Wall Street to law school. “I changed my undergraduate major to Political Science and from there law school seemed like an obvious path. I had a strong skillset in comprehension, analysis, and a passion for arguing.” Being a White Plains native also made what was then Pace Law School a natural choice for Mitchell. “Pace took a chance on me. I was accepted into the Conditional Acceptance Program (CAP), which meant that just two weeks after I graduated college, I was in law school and fortunately met the requirements in the CAP program for regular fall admission.”

Mitchell’s daughter, Amanda, a newly minted 2024 Haub Law graduate made the decision to also attend Haub Law based on her father’s positive experience. “While my father’s career as an attorney was not the sole reason that I decided to pursue law school, his experience at Haub Law certainly was why I decided to apply and ultimately attend.” After growing up as a White Plains native, Mitchell and his wife decided to move to Florida. After having taken and passed the New York and Connecticut bar exams, Mitchell also took and passed the Florida bar exam and began his career as an attorney there, which is also where Amanda grew up. Amanda notes that while she did not expect to move to New York, she is thankful she did. “I have been provided with so much opportunity by choosing to attend Haub Law.”

Mitchell describes his time at Haub Law as thoroughly enjoyable and upon graduating he felt very prepared to take the bar exam. “I had several clerking jobs throughout law school and having Pace on my resume was definitely a plus in Westchester and nearby Connecticut.” Amanda’s experience as a student at Haub Law was very similar to her fathers in terms of positivity. “The Haub Law community, faculty, staff, administration, and even other students have been nothing but helpful. Everyone at Haub Law is very welcoming and willing to help each other out. This goes a long way in law school.”

While initially surprised with the news that his daughter wanted to attend law school and the same school that he did, Mitchell had no doubts that she would succeed. “I was beyond proud of her. When we took the campus tour after her acceptance it was my first time back on campus in nearly 30 years and I felt so happy for her that she would be able to enjoy the same legal education that I had received and sit in the same classrooms that formed me into the lawyer I am today.”

During her time at Haub Law, Amanda was a very actively involved student. She participated in the Amelia A. Gould Representation in Mediation Clinic, she was Haub Law’s American Bar Association Student Representative, SBA Historian and Vice President, graduated as President of the Law School’s Jewish Law Students Association, a Dean’s Scholar, and was part of several winning moot competition teams along with Internal Competitions Director for the School’s top ranked advocacy program. In recognition of all her positive contributions during her time at Haub Law, Amanda was selected to receive the prestigious 2024 Dean’s Award at commencement.

Now that Amanda has officially graduated from law school, she notes that it is fun to converse with her father in “legalese” and that both can learn from each other. “Coming to law school was a very rewarding experience, although very challenging,” said Amanda. Both her and her father agree that the amount of personal and professional growth that occurs in law school is inspiring, and they are glad to have that journey in common. Now that she has graduated, Amanda will be joining the First Year Associate class in Kennedy's Law New York City office. An AV rated attorney, Mitchell has now practiced in Florida for over 30 years and has been a solo practitioner for most of his career.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins among those honored at event to raise funds for student scholarships and special initiatives

During a special event at the American Museum of Natural History, Pace University recognized five outstanding community and business leaders, and alumni at The Spirit of Pace Awards. Celebrating Pace University’s role as a national leader in providing a college education with strong return on investment, the annual event brings the University community together to support student scholarships and special initiatives.

"The Spirit of Pace Award recipients are an exceptional group of leaders who have significantly contributed to Pace University, their communities, and the world," said Pace President Marvin Krislov. "We are excited to honor these individuals and profoundly appreciate their friendship with the University and their dedication to creating opportunities for our ambitious, hardworking students."

“It is wonderful to come together as one Pace Community, proudly celebrating our rich history and bright future in positioning students for success in their careers and lives,” said Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Gary Laermer. “The commitment of those exhibiting the Spirit of Pace to supporting the next generation of community and business leaders deserves our recognition and gratitude.”

New York State Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who graduated from Pace with a Bachelor of Science in 1986 and a Master of Public Administration in 2008, received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Senator Stewart-Cousins held the positions of President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, and she is the Senator for the 35th District. As the longest-serving Democratic Majority Leader in New York State Senate history, and the first woman and African American woman to occupy this role, her tenure is distinguished by significant legislative achievements and a steadfast commitment to addressing the needs of New Yorkers.

Pace University trustee and senior media advisor of Hearst Michael A. Clinton, who received a Master of Business Administration in 1983 was presented with the Impact Award by editor-in-chief of ELLE Nina Garcia. Clinton joined Hearst in October 1997 and was elevated to executive vice president, chief marketing officer and publishing director of Hearst Magazines in 2001. Prior to that, Clinton was executive vice president of Condé Nast Publications, where he oversaw sales and marketing for the company’s 15 national titles, including Vogue, Vanity Fair and Architectural Digest. Before that, he was Condé Nast’s senior vice president of group sales and marketing and spent 10 years at GQ magazine, including six years as publisher. He holds an honorary doctorate from Pace University.

Pat A. Di Filippo, who serves as the executive vice president of Turner Construction Company, received the Leader in Management Award. Di Filippo began his career with Turner in 1984. He gained experience on a wide variety of projects and advanced quickly through roles of increasing responsibility, earning a promotion to vice president and regional business manager in 1998. He also served as Vice President and General Manager of our New Jersey office before leaving the New York region in 1993 for Texas. Di Filippo was named executive vice president in 2005, returning to his New York roots and expanding his leadership.

The Lubin Alumni Achievement Award was presented to Kevin S. Richards, who graduated with a Master of Business Administration in 1999 and is a partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP, and the audit and assurance leader of the US Financial Services industry practice with more than 20 years of experience serving some of their most prominent clients with national and global footprints. Richards has coordinated and led complex multilocation audits and has supported management teams through IPOs and a wide range of capital market transactions, SEC reporting, acquisition due diligence and accounting, and general business advisory. Richards has a wide range of client leader and industry experience, from real estate to investment management, and served as a technical accounting resource for the US Audit and Advisory practice.

Honorees, alumni, friends, and donors raised more than $1,000,000 for the celebration to support the Pace mission and students.

About Pace University

Since 1906, Pace University has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace offers bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs to 13,600 students in its College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, School of Education, Sands College of Performing Arts, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.