Award Recognizes Outstanding Public Service by an Employee

Tresmaine R. Grimes, Ph.D., dean of the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education, and interim dean for the Sands College of Performing Arts at Pace University, was nominated for the Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service by an Employee.

Multiplying Good, the nonprofit organization that administers the Awards, announced the nominees at its National Celebration of Service earlier this month. Uniting over 200 service leaders from various media partners and corporate partners from across the country, the gathering was a testament to the organization's commitment to celebrating service, leadership, and excellence.

Nominated by Pace University, Dean Grimes was acknowledged for her work within her organization and community. Grimes has dedicated her career to improving the lives and mental health of others. In 2004, she had the opportunity to join a delegation of American mental health professionals who traveled to South Africa to study the impact on mental health of the South African population as it relates to apartheid-related trauma, sexual assault, and HIV/AlDS.

Dr. Grimes has been actively involved in service to her community for much of her life. In 2012, she established her own nonprofit organization, Sarah's Daughters Ministries, which focuses on supporting local organizations that assist women who are recovering from relationship violence and providing ministry to women and men to help them grow spiritually and find the best path forward.

“It's a tremendous honor to be nominated for the Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service by an Employee,” said Dean Grimes. “Throughout much of my life, I've embraced the notion that it's important to serve others and give back to others. I am extremely honored that someone would consider the actions I take worthy of acknowledgment.”

Dean Grimes received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University with a double-major in Afro-American Studies and Psychology, a Master of Arts in Psychology from the New School for Social Research, and a M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Her teaching career began at South Carolina State University as a member of the Psychology and Sociology Department there. During her nine-year tenure at S.C. State, Grimes received promotion to the level of associate professor and served as chair of her department for four years.

She arrived at Iona College in 2000 as an adjunct professor of psychology and moved through the ranks again to become a tenured associate professor of Psychology. She was promoted to the position of assistant vice president for academic affairs at Iona College in 2007 and served in the position for 8 years. Dr. Grimes served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, New Jersey from September 2015 until August 2019.

Dean Grimes has used her professional skills to assist many organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the Educational Testing Service, and the College Board. She has received many awards, including Teacher of the Year from the South Carolina Psychological Association and the Standing on Their Shoulders Award from the Bronx Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Over the past five decades, the list of Jefferson Award recipients has included hundreds of national figures — both public and private —more than 65,000 unsung heroes, and tens of thousands of employees and young people that represent the good that is happening in communities across the country. The list of winners includes an impressive who’s who of cultural icons, political dignitaries and everyday community members and volunteers.

"For over half a century, the Jefferson Awards has been dedicated to changing the narrative by highlighting the incredible acts of goodness happening all around us,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, CEO of Multiplying Good. “When we shine a spotlight on these acts of service on such a grand stage, their impact resonates throughout the nation, inspiring millions and prompting action."

"Jefferson Award recipients exemplify the pinnacle of selfless service," Mosley continued. ''Through sharing their narratives, we not only motivate them to continue their remarkable work but also ignite inspiration in others to create positive change."

In her remarks, Dean Grimes congratulated her peers and spoke about establishing a nonprofit that helps the faith community understand and get to the truth of domestic violence.

“Sarah’s Daughters Ministries is focused on helping women understand that love shouldn’t hurt,” Dean Grimes said. “If you find yourself or find a friend or someone you love in a relationship that's violent take a breath, control your rage, and figure out how you can help them.”

“I applaud Dean Tresmaine Grimes for this extraordinary honor,” said Joseph R. Franco, PhD, Pace University Provost, who attended the National Celebration Service event. “Her dedication to community and public service inspires our fellow colleagues in the Pace Community. She is truly deserving of this great honor.”

About Multiplying Good

Multiplying Good is a national nonprofit that believes in the power of service to others to unleash potential, inspire individuals, and transform lives. Multiplying Good fuels personal growth and leadership development through a continuum that starts with engagement and culminates in recognition. It has offices in 11 communities across the country, delivering on-the-ground impact where it is needed most. Founded in 1972 by Sam Beard, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Senator Robert Taft, Jr., the organization has recognized the extraordinary public service of thousands with its Jefferson Award. To learn more, visit MultiplyingGood.org or follow Multiplying Good on Facebook.

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, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

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Isaiah Jimenez '23 embodies what it means to be an entrepreneur—and not just because he graduated from the Lubin School of Business with a BBA in Entrepreneurship. Before starting his career in real estate, Isaiah sold Pokémon cards as a kid, started his first business as a teenager, then continued to explore other entrepreneurial ventures throughout college. In this episode of The Lubin Link, Isaiah discusses his passion for entrepreneurship, why he believes business students should take art classes, and his advice for fellow aspiring entrepreneurs.

This episode was recorded on October 3, 2023.

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Tune into the Lubin Link podcast to hear how guests went from go-getting Lubin students to successful entrepreneurs, social media mavens, directors, CEOs, and beyond. They offer their best tips to students and share how you can make the most out of your #LubinLife.

Northwell Health, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank among over 115 recruiters

Pace University Career Services on Friday hosted one of its signature events: the Fall 2023 Job and Internship Career Fair. With record-breaking student turnout, it was one of the largest Job Fair in the University’s history.

Nearly 800 hundred students turned out – including many from Pace’s campus in lower Manhattan -- to the employment fair. Over 115 companies were in attendance including Northwell Health, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, and Unilever, among many others. The event featured employer sponsored food and coffee trucks, smoothies from the University’s student-run businesses, music, and other amenities like a Quiet Room.

The fair was open to all majors and was sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which is among the Big Four accounting firms, offering clients various professional business services, including accounting, auditing, human resources consulting, and strategy management.

“At Pace, we understand the importance of engaging and preparing our students early, and creating impactful employer events that lead to great internships and jobs,” said Phyllis Mooney, Assistant Vice President of Career Services at Pace University.

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Pace’s Career Services is a leader in the region for providing a range of career counseling and programming to ensure that the students they serve are career-ready and know how to confidently articulate the skills employers are looking for in their industry. In fact, over the last 5 years of graduating classes (2017–2021), Pace’s overall employment rate for Bachelor and Master graduates has been 10 percentage points higher than the national average according to The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) “First Destination Survey” report.

In addition, NACE’s latest Salary Survey report showed positive outcomes for Pace's Class of 2022. Bachelor graduates had full-time salaries that were $7,000 higher than the national average. The report also examined specific majors, with Pace's Registered Nursing majors earning $29,000 more; Communication, Journalism, and related programs earning $5,600 higher; Psychology $8,500 higher, Criminal Justice and Corrections $19,000 higher; and Finance $7,700 higher. For master’s graduates, majors like Education and Accounting earned $14,000 and $10,000 more respectively – all of which demonstrates Pace’s success.

Pace’s Career Services also offers their employer partners a tailored, successful recruiting experience that introduces recruiters to talented students that represent the very best of Westchester, the New York City region, and the world—resulting in extraordinary outcomes. Top brands that employ Pace students include Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Montefiore, New York-Presbyterian, Northwell Health, NYU Langone Health and PwC.

For Rishitha Mandali, a sophomore majoring in computer science, the packed room provided ample opportunities to land a job or an internship.

“It’s quite an advantage to have opportunities not only in New York City but also in Westchester,” said Mandali, who was among students from the lower Manhattan campus that attended the Job Fair. “It’s important to be exposed to different employers as this helps us navigate aligning our skills and interests to our future jobs.”

Sidney Nivar, a junior and sports marketing major, was surprised by the number of employers in attendance.

“There are so many opportunities,” Nivar said. “This is my second time attending and it was great being able to speak to employers. Career Services does a great job connecting students to employers. I am hopeful to get an internship after this.”

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, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

On Wednesday, October 11, Political Science and Peace and Justice Studies students Ellis Clay ‘25, Antje Hipkins ’24, and Jasmine Cintrón Soto ’25 delivered statements to the United Nations General Assembly First Committee, a forum focused on global disarmament and international security.

Clay, Hipkins, and Cintrón Soto are interns at Dyson College’s International Disarmament Institute, and, under the advisement of Associate Professor Emily Welty, PhD, engage directly with the UN General Assembly First Committee and with civil society organizations.

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Clay’s statement (PDF) was drafted by students in Professor of Political Science Matthew Breay Bolton’s (PhD) Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control course. Through consultation with 70 civil society organizations and coalitions around the world, including two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Abdulla AlSuwaidi ‘25, Finance (Lubin), Elena Bater ’25, Peace and Justice Studies, Victoria Klioutchnikov ’25, Global Marketing Management (Lubin), Ke Luo (Luke) ‘24, Political Science, Gianna Matteo ‘26, Arts and Entertainment Management (Lubin), Chandler Murphy ‘24, Political Science, and Daniel Welden ’26, Political Science, helped prepare the testimony, which centered around youth inclusion and disarmament education.

“We the youth have the most to gain from a future that is peaceful, just, inclusive, prosperous and environmentally sustainable,” said Clay in the statement. “But rather than repeating clichés that ‘youth are the future,’ please see that we are here now. We are at the frontlines of social movements calling for disarmament, human rights, climate action, and an end to police brutality.”

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Clay hopes the statement will illustrate his generation's passion in advocating on this topic. He said, "I hope when others read or hear the speech, they take away that youth voices are strong, and they will be heard when it comes to disarmament because we need this current generation and the next to be pushing for not only an end to nuclear weapons, lethal autonomous weapons, but all weapons that in its use stand in direct violation of international humanitarian law."

Hipkins, whose internship placement is with Reaching Critical Will, the disarmament project of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, delivered a statement focused on gender, intersectionality, and disarmament that was co-signed by 17 civil society organizations.

In Hipkins's statement (PDF), she noted that “The patterns of harm caused by weapons and war, the diversity of people participating in disarmament processes, and the norms, discourse, and analysis of militarism” all have gendered implications, adding that “diversity is essential for challenging socially constructed norms about identity that impact the approach of diplomats, activists, and academics to weapons and militarism.”

Speaking at the UN was particularly meaningful on a personal level for Hipkins, who said, "When I first moved to New York City, my family and I stayed at the hotel across the street from the UN. You could see the Secretariat building from the window of our room. I’d always dreamed of working at the UN in some capacity, and so being able to deliver a statement with fellow Pace students at my side, especially in my last semester, felt like a really full circle moment for me."

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Cintrón Soto's statement (PDF) focused on the “use of cyberspace for peaceful purposes.” Speaking on behalf of ICT4Peace and eight other organizations, she emphasized, “The Internet and connected devices are being weaponized in ways that negatively impact on human rights, such as through surveillance, hacking, censorship, and intentional disruption of internet services and access.”

On the experience, Cintrón Soto said, "Being a student meant representing the dreams and voices of my peers, advocating for transparency and change. As a Latina, I emphasized the importance of diverse voices in shaping a more inclusive and equitable world. Ultimately, I look forward to seeing more strong and powerful Pace students use opportunities like these to amplify their voice and know that meaningful change is possible."

Pace students speaking at the United Nations has become a mainstay in the Political Science and Peace and Justice Studies programs, providing students real-life opportunities to advocate on globally significant issues. Additionally, The International Disarmament Institute, co-directed by Bolton and Welty, is becoming a space of world-class education and research, and plays a convening role in support of disarmament policymaking, from humanitarian, human rights and environmental perspectives. Pace’s contributions to promoting the involvement of young people in disarmament forums were featured in a report this year by the UN Secretary-General.