People want to be in attractive spaces. They want to be in compelling spaces. They want to be in spaces that honor their place in a community. They want to be in spaces that represent a significant investment in the work they’re doing inside those walls.

“Universities, like any enterprise, at the end of the day are either growing and evolving or shrinking. And Pace is growing and evolving; it's a big commitment,” surmises Jonathan Hill, DPS, Dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. “Pace is going to be at the top of the game for an urban university in terms of how we use space. We have designed an amazing launchpad for our students and faculty and staff to use New York City as the amazing campus environment that it is.”

With the impending opening of our new modern, sustainable, and welcoming campus building at 15 Beekman and the soon-to-start renovations of One Pace Plaza East, Pace has big plans for downtown.

Simply put: Pace is building.

15 Beekman: At the corner of opportunity and visibility

New library? Check.

New dining hall? Check.

New classrooms and student spaces? Check and check.

Our favorite feature: the cafe in the lobby.

This fall, Pace will open its newest building, 15 Beekman, a 26-story mixed use vertical learning hub on the corner of Beekman and Nassau streets. This new addition to Pace’s NYC Campus will be home to classrooms, student life spaces, the main dining hall, first-year student housing, administrative and faculty offices, the Birnbaum Library, and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

“15 Beekman will provide a ‘fresh face’ for Pace University—a state-of-the-art facility that combines living and learning. The building establishes a strong public presence and affords access to views and natural light throughout, so it will be an experience for all who use it,” explains Ibi Yolas ’97, vice president for University Campus Planning and Facilities. “I am always amazed how quickly these spaces get inhabited and put into full use. I think the lobby area with several different seating arrangements, a café, the interconnecting staircase, and the sense of the street-level bustle will create a dynamic space that will be exciting not only to the Pace Community but to passersby.”

While creating new space for members of the Pace Community was a necessity, the new building is more than just amazing architecture and swaths of natural light and cityscapes—it puts the academic experience at the fore. As a shining example of Pace’s Strategic Plan made tangible, this isn’t fluff remodeling, but rather a concerted effort to drive home Pace’s dedication to experiential learning.

“One of our big priorities in the Strategic Plan is to really emphasize experiential education and to be at the forefront of what people can do outside of the classroom while they're earning their education at Pace,” says Vice President for Strategy and Partnerships Jean Gallagher. “Learning, all types of learning, doesn’t just happen in the classroom and the new spaces are really bringing that to life with new laboratories and learning spaces, especially for Seidenberg.”

One of our big priorities in the Strategic Plan is to really emphasize experiential education and to be at the forefront of what people can do outside of the classroom while they're earning their education at Pace.

There’s immersive learning, and then there’s immersive learning the Seidenberg way. Students and faculty of Seidenberg thrive on collaborative exploration of the world around them, through advancements in cybersecurity, design and tech, and much more. Seidenberg’s new contiguous, three-floor home at 15 Beekman is going to support and advance the work done by their community.

“Physical space has such an impact on the way people learn. If you shut them up in a dark room, it's going to impact their ability to be open to what's being taught and be open to interacting with their faculty and their fellow students,” asserts Seidenberg Dean Jonathan Hill, DPS. “We're students of design thinking and being thoughtful and intentional in how you lay out a space to be together. People talk about space design, they talk about Feng Shui, but ultimately it all comes together in creating a space that is not just pleasant to be in, but also turns on all the switches—all the receptors—so that you're really ready to listen and learn and interact.”

“This is really an academic investment, making our programs to be as cutting edge and up-to-date as possible,” says Gallagher. “And more than that, it's an investment in our faculty and staff to give them the kind of places so they can do their best work. This constantly rethinking and updating and refreshing our spaces is just really critical for Pace to maintain a competitive advantage in what is an extraordinarily competitive market.”

People talk about space design, they talk about Feng Shui, but ultimately it all comes together in creating a space that is not just pleasant to be in, but also turns on all the switches—all the receptors—so that you're really ready to listen and learn and interact.

That sentiment is echoed by Student Government Association Executive President Aman Islam ’24. “Seidenberg is one of the hottest schools here at Pace and I am so glad they are getting to move into, what looks to be, a gorgeous and innovative space on our campus,” he says. “I am also extremely impressed with the design of the building, allowing for academics to be at the forefront of its use as the bottom half of the building while still ensuring epic views for all of our residential students.”

Topping out 15 Beekman will be a 12-story residential tower primarily dedicated to first-year student housing, complete with a total of 484 beds, a common fitness center, meeting and dining commons, and an independent residential entrance. This new residential space will temporarily take the place of Maria’s Tower, the soaring (but sorely outdated) space at One Pace Plaza East.

“The residence hall at 15 Beekman will primarily feature suite-style living, wherein most suites have between 7 and 10 students in mostly double and triple rooms, surrounding a shared common space,” explains University Director of Housing Operations and Assistant Dean for Students Patrick Roger Gordon. “This will give our NYC students the opportunity to develop small cohorts of friends within their suite, while also being part of a floor, a building, a community.”

One Pace Plaza East: A Major Pacelift

Also on the horizon is a new downtown destination, not just for the Pace Community, but for FiDi as a whole. In late 2022, the University announced plans to transform One Pace Plaza East to include new academic spaces, a modern upgrade to Maria’s Tower, and a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center that will serve its performing and creative arts programs and act as a central gathering space for our community and our neighborhood. This spring, the University announced even bigger news—the creation of the Sands College of Performing Arts, named in recognition of a $25 million gift from Pamela and Rob Sands, JD ’84.

“We are becoming the premiere school for performing arts in New York City. Our programs and faculty have always attracted top students and collaborators, but the state-of-the-art facility will make us a leader in advancing the field of performing arts,” says Jennifer Holmes, PhD, executive director of the new Sands College. “The new facilities will create more opportunities for innovation, experimentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration, plus the naming of the Sands College will give us stronger brand recognition nationally and internationally.”

We are becoming the premiere school for performing arts in New York City. Our programs and faculty have always attracted top students and collaborators, but the state-of-the-art facility will make us a leader in advancing the field of performing arts.

Reconstruction of the lower floors of One Pace Plaza East, will create an inviting and modern building with classroom and creative arts spaces, collaboration spaces, and a Performing Arts Center that will include a proscenium theater to replace the Schimmel Center plus other theater and support spaces. This provides the up-to-date instructional, creative, and performance spaces that a robust Pace experience requires, and it keeps our large gathering space—used by the entire University and the broader community—at the center of our campus.

“Pace, as an institution, is very outcome-focused; we want students to be learning in environments that are like their work environments are going to be. You can't really put someone in a 50-year-old classroom with a chalkboard at the front and expect them to go on to excel in some really high-tech professional environments,” explains Gallagher. “We want to give our students the space and tools they’ll need to envision themselves where they want to be after graduation.”

“These changes and physical improvements expand possibilities for creativity and innovation for our faculty, guest artists, and students,” Holmes says, noting that the renovation of One Pace Plaza East will create new opportunities for immersive theater, student-led productions, and creative experimentation. “We want spaces that inspire artists to create, the possibilities are endless and the flexibility in these spaces is an important aspect of our planning.”

Building on the previous reimagining of the West side of One Pace Plaza, work that was completed in 2018, is this new vision to create a more connected campus community. With the addition of 15 Beekman to Pace’s footprint downtown and the overhaul of One Pace Plaza East, Pace will in a sense be bringing our community closer together.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing much more of a campus feel, even though we're in the center of the city, than we have previously,” Gallagher says. “And that's been a long-held strategic ambition of ours on the Lower Manhattan campus. And to see it really finally coming to fruition is super exciting.”

One of the key components to re-envisioning a university space is not just the way a building is constructed, but accounting for the ways in which it will be used, really used, by the people who inhabit it. “Our team is very focused on creating better connectivity between the East and West sides of One Pace Plaza to improve circulation, wayfinding, and accessibility,” adds Yolas. “We’re keeping in mind how visitors and the outside public may use our facilities and how we may separate some of the functions to create more of a ‘public-private’ divide.”

Meeting the Neighbors

These renovations, expansions, revitalizations…they’re wonderful for the Pace Community, but even more importantly, we want the changing shape of campus to be wonderful for our neighbors downtown.

“A university should be a community resource. We want to be seen as that by employers, other businesses in the community, and also by people who live here,” asserts Gallagher. “We want our downtown neighbors to know that Pace does events, we do have an art gallery, we do offer performances.”

These changes on campus position us to be kind of a partner-of-choice in the neighborhood, she says, noting that there is the continued expectation that people will come to Pace because they know not only do we have great spaces where we can host great events, but we're able to accommodate them. In essence, not only will the physical changes to campus strengthen this revenue source for Pace, but also serve as a place for community engagement and pride.

For me, the most exciting part of Pace’s transformation is seeing how Pace is growing on a national scale. Pace is becoming a household name and we honestly deserve the recognition!

“For me, the most exciting part of Pace’s transformation is seeing how Pace is growing on a national scale. Pace is becoming a household name and we honestly deserve the recognition!” says Islam. “Pace is such a bold and dynamic community, and as we grow, more and more people will be able to see, and experience it.”

Yolas agrees with the sentiment, saying, “I believe the investment we are making in our campus is a clear indication of our commitment to improve not only the Pace Community experience, but also the experience of the wider community, our neighbors, and Downtown New York City. I firmly believe we can be the leading destination for the arts in downtown.”

See the Progress

While 15 Beekman will be opening this fall, One Pace Plaza East is still in the works. Stay connected with progress, updates, renderings and so much more.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are constantly in the headlines, from advancements in access to ethical concerns about the impact on human labor and specific groups. For computer science experts like Christelle Scharff, PhD, the focus lies less on what AI can and will do and more on its current limitations, especially when it comes to incomplete datasets that illustrate bias in these AI systems.

Scharff has been at Pace for 22 years as a professor of computer science, and she’s currently associate dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. When she began exploring AI as a PhD student, she described her work as mostly “theoretical”, working on theorem proving problems. She was fascinated with studying how a computer can understand mathematical and logical concepts like deduction rules, equality, commutativity, and associativity. As AI technology developed, so did her interest in machine and deep learning and also in mitigating potential biases in AI. Scharff’s research has been focusing on Africa since 2009 when she received a grant to work on entrepreneurship and mobile app development in Senegal. Since that time, more opportunities to study AI in Africa arose and now Scharff and her students are continuing to explore how to ensure AI keeps up with growing global inclusivity.

As AI technology developed, so did her interest in machine and deep learning and also in mitigating potential biases in AI.

Two of her most recent projects with PhD students, Kaleemunsia and Krishna Bathula, center on African fashion. The first sought to expand the scope of a popular fashion dataset called Fashion MNIST. Datasets are the pillars of the AI movement, and safeguards are required to create and use datasets.

While Fashion MNIST is able to identify certain garments, fashion items that fall outside its very limited descriptions (which mostly fall under Western terminology and trends) are easily misclassified. “If you ask this dataset to recognize a sari, it’ll probably tell you it’s a dress,” Scharff says as an example. She explains that like with the sari, this dataset doesn’t know how to identify specific African fashion items. “Because I worked in Africa as a Fulbright Scholar, I focused this project on African fashion and involved graduate students from Senegal.” The plan was to create a dataset to address African fashion and recognize two popular Senegalese garments: boubou and taille mame. To put the importance of incorporating a wider, more global language into these AI models, Scharff explains, “If you were to go to the tailor and say, ‘I want a dress’ the tailor wouldn’t know where to start.”

"The other step in any project related to AI is that you need to ask the subject matter experts."

—Scharff

The other African fashion project Scharff and her team worked on is likely more tangible to those outside of the AI community. They worked to recreate a popular pattern in Africa called wax—a colorful, geometrical pattern that is often shined with wax.

The team collected a dataset of around 5000 free wax patterns and created new, satisfying patterns that are AI-generated. From there, the team printed select patterns and partnered with local artisans in Senegal to create fashion items including bags. The dataset was built to generate a variety of patterns. To get a proper sample, one needs upwards of 10,000 different images, Scharff estimates. If a dataset had mostly blue patterns, the generative patterns would stick mostly to blue, or if there weren’t enough floral images, they would need to add those images to the dataset to get them. The very nature of exclusion changed what the AI could produce, demonstrating the need to expand these datasets to reflect the world as it is, not just what has been inputted thus far.

Her students are hard at work, building out that dataset and corresponding models to generate interesting wax patterns.

"My biggest concern is diversity biases. But I think right now the discussion is much more open, at least everybody is aware of the issue. So, then it's a question of having the policies, tools, processes, practices to make it completely happen."

—Scharff

And for those worried about the AI takeover of jobs? “The other step in any project related to AI is that you need to ask the subject matter experts,” Scharff says. She explains that once these patterns were created, they need to be reviewed by fashion experts to understand what was working and what wasn’t. A computer can create a pattern, but it can’t (as of yet) also categorize it as what is fashionable for everyday wear, artistic, or what kind of aesthetic category it belongs to.

Scharff is excited for where AI is going, and how ubiquitous it’s becoming. Her greatest concerns are exactly what her work is doing, balancing datasets to be representative and diverse. “My biggest concern is diversity biases. But I think right now the discussion is much more open, at least everybody is aware of the issue. So, then it's a question of having the policies, tools, processes, practices to make it completely happen.”

What makes a book worth publishing? Whose stories are being told? Over the past several years, diversity in publishing has become a national conversation, and Dyson College of Arts and Sciences alumni working in the industry are invested in moving the field forward.

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“That’s what excites me most about this industry: the new directions it’s going in and all the opportunities to make sure young readers see themselves in what they’re reading,” said Alma Gomez Martinez ’22, ’23, who completed a combined degree in English and Publishing from Pace and now works as an editorial assistant for Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

While at Pace, Gomez Martinez double minored in women’s and gender studies and critical race and ethnicity studies, underscoring her deep-rooted beliefs in representation and social justice. “I like to think that as I’m working toward being an editor, I’ll eventually play a significant role in steering my little corner of publishing in a diverse direction,” she said.

While the conversation of diversity in publishing has picked up steam in the national media recently, Mae Martinez ’20, ’21, notes that it’s not a new concept within the industry. “I think it’s important to acknowledge that this conversation has been around for a while, and largely championed by BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and People of Color] authors, publishing professionals, and of course, readers,” she said.

If it’s the same group of college-educated, primarily white American, heterosexual, cisgendered people choosing what books ‘deserve’ publication, or ‘deserve’ the limelight, clearly the bookstores and libraries would be uninviting—and frankly boring—places to be.

Martinez, who also completed the English and Publishing combined degree program, is currently working as an editorial assistant for Ballantine Bantam Dell at Penguin Random House. “My job largely impacts what content is published out in the world, and I think all editors have a personal responsibility here,” she said. “My editorial practices are built with an intersectional foundation, meaning that inclusivity, mindfulness, and intention are always at the forefront.”

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“For my own part, I try to help those looking to break into publishing by sharing my own journey as a woman of color navigating this world,” said Sabeen Aziz '16, English, a senior editorial assistant at Wiley. “And at my work, we are very particular about finding diverse reviewers and making sure a book has diverse contributors.”

Asante Simons ’17, English, an editor at Harper Collins, noted that increased diversity in the publishing industry is crucial for representation—but also that diversity helps make reading, put simply, more interesting. “If it’s the same group of college-educated, primarily white American, heterosexual, cisgendered people choosing what books ‘deserve’ publication, or ‘deserve’ the limelight, clearly the bookstores and libraries would be uninviting—and frankly boring—places to be.”

At Pace, students enrolled in both the English and Publishing programs dive deep into themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their coursework and beyond. In the English program, students explore whose voices have been amplified throughout the history of literature and whose stories have mostly gone untold.

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Associate Professor of English Sarah Blackwood, PhD, chair of the English department, noted in articles for The New York Review of Books, Inside Higher Ed, and The Chronicle of Higher Education that, despite a systemic divestment in the humanities nationwide, enrollment in Pace’s English program continues to grow because of the department’s commitment to keeping students engaged—often through experiential lessons devoted to challenging traditional ways of thinking.

“Studying English teaches you how to critically analyze concepts and create persuasive arguments—skills useful in any position,” said Aziz, who noted that her English professors at Pace, who were passionate and engaging, challenged her to be a better thinker and writer.

In the publishing program, DEI is purposefully woven throughout the curriculum, including in courses such as Book Design and Production, taught by Adjunct Professor Peggy Samedi, senior production manager at Penguin Random House. She said, “DEI is not only for departments with editorial functions. A representative workforce that mirrors the needs and values of our changing customer base is essential for all parts of our industry. Non-editorial colleagues are sometimes the book's first readers and can become their biggest advocates.”

Adjunct Professor James Perry, who teaches the Financial Aspects of Publishing graduate course and works as vice president and director of finance at Random House Children’s Books Inc., added, “One of the goals of DEI is for everyone to have a seat at the decision-making table. An important part of being at the table is understanding the economics of the publishing world. The more informed we are on financial aspects, the better chance we have of making sound analytical choices that are both profitable and equitable for all. In the Financial Aspects of Publishing course, the students have resoundingly and organically achieved this in both theory and reality.”

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Through courses like Samedi’s and Perry’s, the professors in the MS in Publishing program ensure that students are well prepared for careers in a changing industry.

“We incorporate DEI in everything we do, ensuring that diverse books and authors are included in any discussions about the industry,” said Manuela Soares, MFA, director of the MS in Publishing program. “Our guest speakers and faculty are drawn from diverse publishing professionals, so all of our students can see themselves in those role models.”

In response to the 2022 Economic Impact Survey (PDF) on the publishing industry in New York City, the first survey of its kind, Soares emphasized Pace’s unique role in connecting future publishing professionals to the industry in the city. The survey underlined progress the industry has made regarding diversity, while underscoring areas for continued improvement and offering suggestions for actionable steps within the field. In alignment with the recommendations, Soares highlighted Pace’s commitment to educating publishing students on diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and on making quality education accessible to all.

Aziz applauded the notion that these important conversations are continuing to happen in the industry, but noted that “if you look at the current data, there is still a long way to go.”

Martinez added that it’s not just those working in the publishing industry who can help push the movement forward: “If anyone is interested in getting involved, a good starting point is to read widely from authors who have experiences that are not your own.”