Image

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to announce the creation of the Vanessa Merton Immigration Justice Fellowship, a key component of the school’s Immigration Justice Clinic focused on ensuring the legal system’s just treatment of immigrants in the Hudson Valley and local New York Metropolitan region. Barbara Sarmiento, a 2024 graduate of Haub Law, has been selected to serve as the program’s inaugural fellow beginning this fall.

Through the generosity of her family, the Immigration Justice Fellowship was established in honor of Professor Vanessa Merton, founder and recently retired director of the Immigration Justice Clinic, who has been a renowned visionary, providing leadership and advocacy in support of the clinic’s important mission for nearly two decades. The Fellow will serve as a liaison between the clinic, immigration organizations, and the migrant community, helping to connect those in need with free legal services, resources or referrals.

"We are deeply grateful for the inauguration of this new fellowship that will enable the Immigration Justice Clinic to expand its reach, particularly to those community members and families who are barred from most immigration relief,” said Stephanie Tombrello, Vanessa's sister. “Vanessa is known for her tenacity and dedication to accompanying and advocating for her clients, always exhausting every option. Now, the next generation of new students will carry on this commitment and thrive with the support and guidance of the inaugural fellow, Barbara Sarmiento, a recent Haub Law graduate who herself has witnessed Vanessa's passion and compassion over the past half decade."

A former paralegal, Barbara Sarmiento first joined Haub Law in 2018 as the Immigration Justice Clinic Administrator and an Assistant Clinic Administrator for John Jay Legal Services, the not-for-profit legal services firm that houses and runs the clinic and externship programs at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. Working closely under the auspices of Professor Merton, she was responsible for leading orientation and training for legal interns, supporting interns with their case management, and often worked directly with clients as a Spanish translator. “Professor Merton has had a profound effect on my life,” said Barbara. “I have always been impressed by her extraordinary intellect, knowledge of the law and passion as an advocate for immigrant rights. She has been an inspiration to so many students, like myself, demonstrating the hard work needed to represent clients well and further their interests.”

Realizing the vast need for immigration lawyers, it was this experience at the clinic and with faculty such as Professor Merton, that inspired Barbara’s interest in a law degree “to be able to do more to help clients.” As a part-time Flex JD student, Barbara has pursued her law degree at Haub Law for the past 4 years, all while juggling roles at the clinic and internships at organizations such as the Empire Justice Center. She is currently preparing to take the Bar Exam and looks forward to joining the clinic in her new capacity as Immigration Justice Fellow this fall.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to continue Vanessa’s extraordinary and vital work in immigration justice, through the creation of this fellowship which will enable us to expand our legal services to underserved immigrant communities, and support the hard work of our students and supervising faculty,” said Haub Law Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “Barbara is a most deserving fellow; as both a law student and a member of the clinic staff, she has demonstrated the type of dedication and personal commitment that has typified Vanessa’s tenure at Haub Law.”

If you wish to contribute to the Immigration Justice Fellowship and help further the important work of Haub Law’s Immigration Justice Clinic, please make a gift online “in honor of Vanessa Merton.”

Peggy Sue Got Married. Romancing the Stone. Friends. The Kominsky Method. Serial Mom. 

Image

Kathleen Turner’s illustrious career, which includes dozens of notable roles across various genres and two Golden Globe Awards (plus nominations for an Oscar, a Grammy, and two Tony Awards) has made her a household name across generations.

Now, she can add one more item to her CV—Professor at Sands College of Performing Arts.

Having recently joined the faculty at Pace University’s Sands College of Performing Arts, Turner is channeling her decades of high-level performing arts experience into educating the next generation of performers. In a candid discussion, she reflects on her decision to join Pace, emphasizing her belief in the importance of higher education within the performing arts.

What excites you about teaching?

A lot of it is passing it on. I’ve done a lot of work—a good body of work. It’s more than that; it’s about the ethics of it. What do we owe each other? What is the responsibility toward the audience? If you have this kind of ability, this gift of communication, then you really have to be aware of the responsibilities inherent in that, and choose them. Choose what kind of material you represent and do so with great care—this is probably more important than anything.

In your opinion, what makes a great teacher?

I suppose you’d have to start with passion for the subject of what they’re teaching. A real love of it. A real belief in it. Why else do it?

What are some qualities that you see in Pace students today that excites you?

I like the curiosity. I like the fact that they are willing and wanting to learn, to explore, in terms of material and process. The technique of it. I’m not dealing with performers who are already stuck in their ways which would be useless to me. I don’t subscribe to any one method or discipline; I would think that excluding things would be rather short-sighted. I’m pleased with the open-mindedness of the students.

On a technical level, what course(s) will you be teaching?

Pace has allowed me to pretty much design the course, which we’re calling: Stage to Screen. I’m trying to show and teach the choices and the difference in choices that you make for one medium as opposed to another. And also to teach them how to read a film script, how to visualize it.

It’s rather complicated at times, but I've got all seniors in the course, which I like–by the time they come into my class they have a certain level of experience and knowledge to begin with, so we can just take off.

In the course, do you spend any time on the business side of the industry?

Yea. Absolutely. This week, I brought in some very highly qualified agents to talk about their job, what the actor can ask of them, what they will be asked of, it was quite fascinating, the discussion and the questions that the students asked and did not really know before.

This is a business. This ain’t no hobby, honey.

Having now been around the University, what do you think has changed since you were studying to be a performer? What has remained the same?

We had no camera training at all 45 years ago. Nobody had the equipment. At that time, cameras were 500 pounds each. No school had that kind of capacity to handle that kind of thing. Technology has enabled us to do amazing things that were quite impossible in the past.

But I think the core thing that has not changed is doing it. Just doing it as much as possible. I tell students not necessarily to go to a conservatory or school which only emphasizes the craft–the broader the education, in many ways, the more beneficial for the actor. We need to know just about everything. I think again, why close yourself off? Go to a school where you get to work, to get on camera.

These schools that say you’re not allowed to perform for the first two years or whatever, to me are two years of wasted time. Don’t talk about it, do it!

What do you hope students will take away from spending time with you in the classroom?

I want the students who worked and learned with me to go out and to be able to do professional work. To be able to fulfill the actor’s role. Everybody has a learning curve, of course. And experience is always a teacher. But that being said, I don’t want any of my students to go out and let a production down.

If you were starting out today, what advice would you give to your younger self?

What I remember has remained true is to have true confidence in yourself. Don’t walk into an audition, don’t walk into a job, wondering if you can do it. You can do it.

The only responsibility is to be sure that you did the very, very best job that you could do that day. You may wake up in the middle of the night and say “Oh hell, I should’ve made that choice.” That’s okay. At the time, in the place, you made the best choice you could. That’s what you owe. Nothing more.

As the Spring 2024 semester came to an end, Seidenberg’s students and their families, faculty, and staff came together on our NYC and Pleasantville campuses to honor the Class of 2024 award winners at the annual Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems Awards Ceremonies.

View the event photos (Dropbox)

Below is a list of all the Class of 2024 Seidenberg award winners. The whole Seidenberg team congratulates you on these major achievements!

Doctoral Awards (Pleasantville)

• Outstanding Student of the Year: Paxton J. Louis

Graduate Awards (Pleasantville)

• Outstanding Student of the Year: Thomas W. Cookson
• Computer Science Departmental Award: Yuxiang Liu
• Cybersecurity Scholar Award: Justin Brandon, John Michael Mueller
• Information Systems Departmental Award: Sejal Arora

Graduate Awards (NYC)

• Outstanding Student of the Year: Darsh Hiteshkumar Joshi
• Computer Science Departmental Award: Ram Prakash Babu, Shiva Sourav Kasula, Jiatao Kuang, Rahul Anand Nayanegali, Fnu Pariva, Vinay Pusuluri, Prathima Seethalam Radhakrishna, Somil Haresh Saparia, Bansariben Sureshbhai Sorathiya, Swetha Voora
• Cybersecurity Scholar Award: Jash Mayur Ghelani, Amrutha Ginkala, Poojan Sunilkumar Shah
• Data Science Scholar Award: Piyush Gupta, Aishwarya Hiremath, Tirthkumar Mukeshkumar Patel
• Information Systems Departmental Award: Saloni P Bhaiya, Yash A Jivani, Yuraja Sohel Kadari, Guna Sai Koniki, Pratik Shashikant Mane, Alekhya Mudunuri, Dipen M Patel, Linhui Shi
• Telecommunications Award: Nambinachiar Devendran Konar
• Human Centered Design Award: Priyanka P Kadam, Liza Karimova, Susanna P Lammervo, Saumya Roy
• Francis Marchese Software Development and Engineering Award: Egemen Durmus

Undergraduate Awards (Pleasantville)

• Scholastic Achievement Award: Erin Sorbella
• Computer Science Departmental Award: Kenji Okura
• Information Technology Departmental Award: Alexandra Breygina

Undergraduate Awards (NYC)

• Scholastic Achievement Award: Joseph Paradiso
• Computer Science Departmental Award: Christian Concepcion
• Information Technology Departmental Award: Samantha Henry

School Awards (Pleasantville)

• Jean Coppola Award for Excellence in Service-Learning Research: Tyler Ian Besnoff, Andrew James Kirk
• Susan M. Merritt Computing Award for Academic Excellence: Zia E Joseph, Stephanie Ann Sicilian
• Seidenberg Civic Engagement Award: Simone Genesis Gonzalez, Daniel James White
• Alumni Achievement Award: Alexander J Hughes
• Seidenberg Scholars: Simone Genesis Gonzalez, Alexander J Hughes, Matthew Brandon Pollard
• Blue CoLab Innovation Award: Leanna L. Machado, Kenji Okura
• Career Services Award: Tyler Ian Besnoff

School Awards (NYC)

• Jean Coppola Award for Excellence in Service-Learning Research: Sankalp Raut, Kylie A LoPiccolo
• Susan M. Merritt Computing Award for Academic Excellence: Nadia Xu, Lauren DeMaio
• Seidenberg Civic Engagement Award: Oleksandr Sverenyak, Nishant Doshi
• Alumni Achievement Award: Austin Powlette, Evan R Altman
• Seidenberg Scholars: William Milun, Audrey Staub, Oleksandr Sverenyak
• Career Services Award: Daniel Pena, Smith Dsouza

Latin Honors (Pleasantville)

• Summa Cum Laude: Alexandra Breygina, Kenji Okura, Erin Sorbella
• Magna Cum Laude: Tyler Ian Besnoff, Altar Demaj, Alexander J Hughes, Zia E Joseph, Sean Tavares Kahn, Lucas Lecler Maturana, James Michael Maxwell, Domenico Monteleone, Christopher Peter Stissi, Jack R Sullivan, Daniel James White
• Cum Laude: Cristian E Bolanos, Jared Fligor, Ardin Kraja, Jake William-Emmett Sharkey, Zheng Zhou
• With Distinction: Jasmin R Juliano, Andrew James Kirk, George Moses

Latin Honors (NYC)

• Summa Cum Laude: Nicholas R Bono, Christian Concepcion, Samantha Henry, Joseph Paradiso, Oleksandr Sverenyak
• Magna Cum Laude: Shiyang Cai, Lauren V DeMaio, Hyemin Jeon, Kylie A LoPiccolo, Alexander Martinez, Daniel Pena, Austin Powlette, Thomas Shen
• Cum Laude: Kiersten S Bernius, Alexander J Klisouriotis, William I Milun, Brandon P Negron, Andrew Ngo, Joanne Pistulli, Anthony J Testani
• With Distinction: Nora A Broyles

Seidenberg Associate Professor and recipient of numerous grants for his research of technologies in the medical field, Dr. Zhan Zhang, has just received a new grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The new grant is a three-year project with $420,000 in funding, and will focus on developing AI-empowered decision support systems for emergency care services. This grant can support up to four undergraduate students doing research every year.

Dr. Zhang’s newest accomplishment continues his previous successes in research and grant acquisitions in the field of healthcare technology. His work primarily focuses on developing innovative solutions for emergency care personnel, including wearable devices for paramedics and collection of real-time patient data, UX design, and human-computer interactions. Dr. Zhang has previously been awarded multiple grants by the National Science Foundation (NSF), including a prestigious $500,000 award to develop touchless smart glasses for emergency care professionals. He also made history at Pace University with a previous NIH-funded project (research of care coordination and communication between medical teams using smart glasses and advanced interaction mechanisms like augmented reality), by becoming the first professor at Pace to receive grants from both the NSF and NIH.

When talking about his newest NIH grant, Dr. Zhang said that it is “a continuation of my prior work on digitizing EMS work through novel technology. The ultimate goal is to support informed decision-making and reduce medical errors in pre-hospital care.” The aim of the project is to design and develop an evidence-based cognitive aid that can effectively support prehospital providers in treating pediatric patients while considering their dynamic workflow.

The interdisciplinary team will consist of experts in pediatric emergency care, human-computer interaction, natural language processing (NLP), and artificial intelligence (AI). They will focus on three main goals: to characterize medical errors in prehospital pediatric care through a “human-in-the-loop” computational approach, to design and develop user-friendly cognitive aids for prehospital providers, and to implement and evaluate the proposed technology solution in simulated environments. The students who will be recruited to conduct research on the project will also come from various backgrounds to foster collaboration and a diverse learning environment. They will be trained and mentored to develop both technical (e.g., medical informatics, NLP, user-centered design) and non-technical (e.g., communication, teamwork, and critical thinking) skills.

A Pomeranian dog and an octopus, respectively, bark at the edge of or tread water in giant holes in the earth and ice. They seem curious, distressed, or simply oblivious. Next, ruptures on the earth, signals of climate change and collapse, appear as sinkholes, the result of melting permafrost releasing volumes of trapped gas in an explosive crater-forming event.

A glimpse at the Manhattan Bridge, accompanied by loud traffic, provides an actual sense of location.

Image

It is DUMBO (an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), Brooklyn, across the river from Pace University's New York City campus, and, as part of an outdoor group exhibition in March and April 2024 entitled The DUMBO Projection Project, Volume 3, Professor of Art Jillian McDonald's work, Animals on the Verge, was being projected onto the neighborhood's iconic infrastructure.

McDonald's installment is unique in that it juxtaposes Google's ready-made 3D animals, considered as the "perfect quarantine activity," with both drawings of holes on paper and the use of Augmented Reality (AR). (In fact, McDonald’s hole drawings of animal burrows and entrances to tunnels were inspired by the COVID pandemic, when she often imagined escape routes). 

On how this project came together, she said, "I had one of my hole drawings on a table, and while positioning a bear [with the use of AR], had an aha moment: the situation seemed real, as if the bear was sitting on the edge of a deep hole. I always love making videos that slip in and out of fictional film space, when something is convincing one minute and then the illusion slips."

Experiential learning meets the arts

On this, she collaborated with Ben Pfeifer '26, Film and Screen Studies, supported by the Amelia A. Gould Undergraduate Research Assistantship offered by the Provost Office Center for Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) Summer Undergraduate Research. It represents an exciting opportunity at Pace that funds projects in the creative arts, pairing faculty who are working professionals in their fields with an undergraduate student.

Through her video animation and video courses, McDonald discovered Pfeifer to be a great match for a creative collaboration. He was driven and serious, enjoyed working on his projects, was communicative, and had a sense of humor, something McDonald appreciates in the making of film and art. They worked mostly independently, as video editing is mainly a solitary activity, occasionally meeting in her studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where her fragile drawings were located, and otherwise in the Art Department or on Zoom. 

Animals on the Verge, although already shot and edited in 2022, with a past exhibition at Undercurrent Gallery, required the addition of more animal scenes and the creation of a condensed version of the video for the DUMBO project, and that's where Ben stepped in. He filmed the new animal scenes, interspersed them in the original video, and edited a ten-minute version.

Image

Of his experiences, Pfeifer said, "Professor McDonald's mentorship was truly valuable. She provided very insightful instructions while also allowing me to explore and discover things on my own. Seeing the project projected on the Manhattan Bridge was surreal and a true expression of hard work paying off."

McDonald and Pfeifer also worked on other projects supported by the Amelia A. Gould Assistantship. In Sweet Spot and Soft Spot, a pair of videos featuring McDonald's hand caressing numerous mosses and mushrooms in various landscapes across Scotland, Ontario, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and New York, Pfeifer worked on color correction, sound matching, and adding new scenes while McDonald shot them.

Pfeifer also completed a re-edit of a video McDonald made in the forest as part of a residency at Stony Brook University that she repurposed for a music video of the song, “In the Woods,” by the folk Americana, Winnipeg-based band, Leaf Rapids. In addition, they are working together on Chandeliers!, a project McDonald started years ago but that Pfeifer helped bring to fruition, which features scenes of crashing chandeliers from horror films mixed with tourist videos of calving glaciers from YouTube. Finally, he made a ten-minute version of her newest work, Tunnel and Radio Skies, funded by The Canada Council for the Arts and Pace.

This plethora of projects is welcomed by Pfeifer, who chose Pace as a perfect place to explore countless possibilities, a place where a person with many interests would not be confined to any one box. He said, "I have a real interest in visual pleasure and experience, and I hope to continue working on projects that are meaningful to myself and the audience. I hope to never stop creating."

Image

On the importance of funding artists

Art is where McDonald's energy naturally goes, and so, she is appreciative of support she has received throughout the years during her prolific career, whether in the form of grant funding, such as the Amelia A. Gould Assistantship, or residencies, both crucial resources for an artist who self-describes as someone who doesn't necessarily make art she can sell, therefore operating differently in the art world.

Creation is key. "Everything has potential to be made into art, and making it is a way to communicate and make sense or senselessness of the world."

Cianna Bar

Class of 2025

Currently Studying: MS in Social Media and Mobile Marketing

Current Internship: Digital Transformation Intern, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) North America

Image

Lubin graduate student Cianna Bar '25 is sharpening her analytical skills at her internship at Jaguar Land Rover, a brand with a great work culture and reputation for innovation and excellence.

How has the Lubin School of Business helped you prepare for your current internship?

The support from my professors and Career Services has been invaluable. They have offered guidance and resources that helped me navigate the competitive internship landscape.

What attracted you to this internship?

Jaguar Land Rover has a great work culture and the brand has a reputation for innovation and excellence. I am honored to get this opportunity to work with a global leader and be part of a team that drives industry advancements.

Describe what a typical day looks like as an intern at Jaguar Land Rover?

A typical day as a digital transformation intern at Jaguar Land Rover starts with a team meeting where we discuss ongoing projects and set priorities for the day. Collaboration is a key part of the role, so I frequently work with colleagues on various projects, contributing ideas and solutions. The environment is fast-paced, and there's always something new to learn, whether it's about the latest automotive technologies or emerging market trends.

What has been the highlight or most enjoyable aspect of your internship so far?

The highlight of my internship, so far, has been the opportunity to work on a project that directly impacts the company's strategy. The supportive and collaborative culture at Jaguar Land Rover has also made the experience enjoyable, as I've been able to learn from and be inspired by some of the best professionals in the industry. Here's a shoutout to my amazing managers Liz Willard and Rem Dinio!

How has this experience shaped or impacted your career goals?

My experience working as an analyst on various projects has profoundly shaped my career goals by deepening my understanding of managing projects and the critical role technology plays in reshaping business operations and marketing strategies. As a marketing student, I've seen how digital transformation enhances data-driven insights. This has significantly sharpened my analytical skills and exposed me to industry best practices, broadening my horizons and inspiring me towards pursuing roles promoting innovation and technology.

How will this experience impact your next semester at Lubin?

I feel more confident because this hands-on experience has helped me highlight marketing areas where I can further specialize, which has encouraged me to enroll in elective courses related to this area of expertise.

My advice to other Lubin students is to start early and leverage all the resources available to you. Career Services at Pace University is a fantastic asset, so make sure to utilize their workshops, resume review sessions, and networking events. Be proactive in seeking opportunities, and don't be afraid to reach out to professionals in your desired industry.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students who would like to pursue an internship in the future?

My advice to other Lubin students is to start early and leverage all the resources available to you. Career Services at Pace University is a fantastic asset, so make sure to utilize their workshops, resume review sessions, and networking events. Be proactive in seeking opportunities, and don't be afraid to reach out to professionals in your desired industry. Lastly, stay open-minded and be ready to learn—internships are as much about discovering what you enjoy, as they are about gaining work experience.

Connect with Cianna:

• Connect with Cianna Bar on LinkedIn
• Follow Cianna Bar on Instagram

The rise of accessible generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is quickly transforming  fields as users find innovative use cases. During his last year at Pace Mike Derasmo ’24, who just graduated with his BBA in Global Marketing Management, decided to explore this new technology and incorporate it into class projects by creating custom chat bots. 

OpenAI’s Chat GPT platform has been a frontrunner in the AI conversation, breaking the record for the fastest online platform to reach one million users, achieving the benchmark in under five days. (Compare this to X, which took two years to reach one million!) 

Many, like Mike, saw the immense potential of Chat GPT and jumped at the opportunity to explore its capabilities.  "Once Chat GPT came out, and I saw how people were using it, I realized this was something that can solve anything, if you set it up correctly,” Mike said. “I immediately saw the opportunities for businesses. I knew that it could help me start my own business and set me apart from others in the job market if I got an early advantage.”

Once Chat GPT came out, and I saw how people were using it, I realized this was something that can solve anything, if you set it up correctly.

Mike first used Chat GPT to help with Pace’s Animal Advocacy Clinic, an experiential course where students directly lobby on issues of animal and wildlife welfare. Mike created a bot that could assist in the research to support these arguments, serving as a fast-paced database for the students as they prepared their lobbying efforts. He used it in particular when the class appealed to New York State Senator Pete Harckham about Senate Bill S9069, which would restrict anticoagulant pesticide in New York, using the bot to review their research and other data to better advocate for the bill.

During the process of building the bot, Mike realized he could find other uses for the bot. He got the chance to test this out in his Digital Marketing class in the spring, when the class had acted as marketing consultants for local small businesses. Mike’s team worked with Twenty Sided Store, a board game store and event space, offering new strategies for their social media presence and website. 

 I knew that it could help me start my own business and set me apart from others in the job market if I got an early advantage.

Twenty Sided Helper, another custom bot, was Mike’s solution to bolster their marketing. Not only could his team use the bot to get deeper insights into the business for the project, but the tool could potentially even be used by the company going forward. He demonstrated for the class and the business owners how his bot could quickly identify customer engagement across social media platforms, discover product trends based on sales, and more. “You could even have it look at competitors and see what they’re doing and use it to help develop a plan on how to do the same things while retaining your own identity,” explains Mike.

As an early adopter of generative AI, Mike’s advice to other students interested in learning more is to just start using the tools. “Get into it and hit roadblocks,” he says. “Once you solve how to get past those roadblocks, you’ll be ahead of a lot of people in your industry.”

I can apply all the work I’m doing now into the professional world.

Post-graduation, Mike is looking forward to taking these practical applications of AI into his future career. “I want to own my own business one day. I can apply all the work I’m doing now into the professional world,” he says. “I think modern AI programs are amongst the coolest innovations of all time, as they can solve just about anything if you ask it properly.”

Why not earn credits for your degree while exploring the world? At Pace, you can take in-depth courses or save open electives for amazing international experiences. Did you know a semester abroad can cost the same—or even less—than a semester at Pace?

Earn Credits and Have Fun Abroad!

Why not earn credits for your degree while exploring the world? At Pace, you can dive deep into courses in your discipline or save your open electives for an amazing international experience by taking Areas of Knowledge (AOKs) abroad. Whether you're studying abroad for a semester or a whole year, Pace requires a full course load.

Big Savings

Believe it or not, a semester abroad can cost the same—or even less—than a semester at Pace! When you study abroad, you’ll pay Pace tuition and fees, plus housing to an overseas institution (which often costs less than housing at Pace!). All your federal and state financial aid applies, and for some programs, up to 100% of your Pace scholarships and grants apply. Plus, there are plenty of additional scholarships available.

Boost Your Job Prospects

Students who study abroad are more attractive to employers. It enhances intercultural awareness, critical thinking, self-confidence, academic performance, language skills, and professional development. You’ll learn to problem-solve, train for international careers, develop a global outlook, and collaborate with diverse backgrounds—skills that are crucial for today’s graduates. Talk about a resume booster!

Graduate on Time, or Even Earlier

Most Pace students who study abroad graduate on time or even earlier. Nationally, study abroad participants also have higher graduation rates. Plus, students who go abroad tend to have higher GPAs than those who don’t. 

Don’t Fear FOMO

Sure, you might miss a few events back home, but you’ll be gaining a world of new adventures. New interests, experiences, and friends from all over the world await you. You’ll grow in ways you never imagined and gain a clearer sense of self. Many college graduates who didn't study abroad say their biggest regret is not going.

Ready to think about studying abroad as a Pace Student? Check out the Study Abroad website and save the dates for upcoming study abroad fairs on both the NYC and Pleasantville campuses. 

Heera Sojan

Class of 2024

Currently Studying: MS in Accounting Data Analytics and Technologies

Current Internship: Audit Intern, Office of the New York City Comptroller

Pronouns: She/Her

Image

Heera Sojan '24 is climbing the ladder of success as an audit intern at her summer internship with the Office of the New York City Comptroller. She is a graduate student pursuing her MS in Accounting Data Analytics and Technologies.

Her internship has helped her understand different bureaus such as audit, public affairs, budget, etc., and how they serve the public.

How has the Lubin School of Business helped you prepare for your current internship?

The amazing Career Services office helped in tailoring my resume and allowing me to network with potential employers. Also, learning about governmental audit at Lubin and being able to apply it at work is a huge opportunity.

As an international student in the US, I was inquisitive to know how the government audits different agencies. Getting to work for the government sounded like a great opportunity to learn this.

What attracted you to this internship?

As an international student in the US, I was inquisitive to know how the government audits different agencies. Getting to work for the government sounded like a great opportunity to learn this.

Describe what a typical day looks like as an intern at the Office of the New York City Comptroller.

I work Mondays-Thursdays, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., in-person. A typical day includes reporting to my supervisor in the morning, discussing my assignments and working on them, and going to a workshop/speaker series from 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

What has been the highlight or most enjoyable aspect of your internship so far?

The Office of the New York City Comptroller organized a "Meet the Leadership" series, where all the interns meet and pose questions to leaders of different bureaus such as audit, public affairs, budget, etc., to understand how they serve the public. They also talk about the career path they followed.

How has this experience shaped or impacted your career goals?

I am considering working for the government so that I can serve the public.

How will this experience impact your next semester at Lubin?

This experience has helped me gain professional experience, connect with professionals who work in this field, and develop skills that will impact my next semester.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students who would like to pursue an internship in the future?

Keep applying to every internship/job you can—you never know what incredible opportunity you may land.

Connect with Heera:

• Connect with Heera Sojan on LinkedIn
• Follow Heera Sojan on Instagram

Image

An avid reader and world traveler, Steffen Pedersen has worked his entire legal career as a maritime lawyer in international law firms. Currently, he is working as a maritime arbitrator with a keen interest in deep sea mining. He is also a frequently published author and panelist on the topic of international arbitration and mediation, with a focus on East and South-East Asia. Steffen decided to pursue his LLM in Comparative Law at Haub Law to open the door to more opportunities in the United States in his career as an international arbitrator.

What brought you to the United States, can you tell us about your background?

I am Danish, I was born in Denmark, but grew up internationally, in London and Hong Kong. So, ironically, I am qualified as a Hong Kong and English lawyer, but not a Danish lawyer. Thus far, I have worked my entire legal career as a maritime lawyer in international law firms in East Asia in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. I studied Mandarin specifically with the intention of working in East Asia as at that time it was obvious that this was the growth area in the world and local language skills would become more and more important. Life always has other plans. My wife is Korean, but she grew up in the United States and that brought us here. We have adorable, but crazy children, who are 11 and 5. We have lived in the United States since January 2022.

What drove you to pursue an LLM at Haub Law?

I did not know a lot about graduate schools when I initially started applying, but as I did my research, a number of factors attracted me to Haub Law. The entire application process was seamless, the campus is very conveniently located for me, and it is the number one ranked law school in environmental law, which gave me the chance to learn about new areas while making myself more marketable.

Once you entered the program, how did you find the LLM experience at Haub Law?

Haub Law is a flexible, easy-going school and I really enjoyed studying there. It was a different experience as an almost 50 year old, whereas many students are younger – the juxtaposition between our thinking was interesting. I absolutely loved my International Environmental Law class with Professor Smita Narula. It was a great experience and she is a masterful teacher. I also enjoyed Constitutional Law immensely; this was a completely new area for me and I found it really intriguing.

Would you encourage others who are thinking about it to pursue an LLM?

Absolutely, just do it. You only live once. Regret the things you've done, not the ones you haven't. I am confident that my LLM will bolster my career and pave the way for me to remain marketable to employers moving forward. To have studied at a top tier institution such as Haub Law that has a premiere reputation in environmental law is invaluable especially with the discernible change in global consciousness on the importance of environmental issues.

I am confident that my LLM will bolster my career and pave the way for me to remain marketable to employers moving forward.

What are you currently pursuing career wise?

I am working as a maritime arbitrator. I have a keen interest in deep sea mining in particular, it is a very unique and niche area. I am planning to take the NY Bar Exam as soon as possible, which for me will likely be February 2025, as I have hearings in London in June and July of 2024 which prevent me studying for the July exam. From there, I hope to start pursuing arbitration appointments in the United States. I also signed up to take the Marshall Islands bar exam before COVID struck. I am still waiting to do that and hope to find the time soon.