The PaceDocs team focuses film on the musical traditions of the Azores and the cultural legacy of the Viola da Terra

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Pace University’s award-winning student documentary team – PaceDocs – will premiere their latest film, “Viola da Terra: Harmony of the Azores,” at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 5, 2025, at the Jacob Burns Film Center.

The documentary was filmed over spring break on the Azorean islands of São Miguel and Terceira, in Portugal. It explores the story of the Viola da Terra, a traditional 12–15 string instrument with deep roots in Azorean identity, music, and cultural preservation.

The documentary was produced by Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Professors Maria Luskay, EdD, and Lou Guarneri, and Pace University’s documentary film team.

Tickets for the reception and screening are available, though space is limited. (Use code PaceDocs25 for free tickets.)

“Viola da Terra is a moving exploration of music and identity that brings the story of the Azores to life through powerful voices and beautiful cinematography,” said Marvin Krislov, President of Pace University. “The PaceDocs team, under the leadership of Professor Maria Luskay EdD, has once again produced a professional, meaningful and timely film.”

The documentary is the focus of the popular class, “Producing the Documentary”, which is part of the. Dyson College of Arts and Sciences at Pace University’s highly regarded film program that requires students to complete a full-length environmentally themed documentary within 14 weeks. During the process, students learn teamwork, problem-solving, research, and organization, along with technical skills such as lighting, sound, camera work, interviewing, and other real-life lessons necessary to complete a film.

“From navigating travel between 2 of the Azores 9 islands to conducting complex interviews and editing in multiple languages, they’ve grown into real-world storytellers—and it shows in this film,” said Luskay.”

The PaceDocs crew split their time between the islands, beginning on São Miguel, where they filmed at Água d’Alto Beach, Sete Cidades and the Vila Franca do Campo Municipal Museum. In Ponta Delgada, they met with master musician Rafael Carvalho, visited his school and documented performances from students and local artists. They also toured a viola-making workshop led by artisan Hugo Raposo.

On Terceira, the team continued filming with interviews at City Hall with Mayor José Gabriel do Álamo de Meneses, who spoke about the importance of preserving Azorean heritage. Additional scenes were filmed at Escola Básica e Secundária Tomás de Borba, where music teacher Lázaro Silva and two students, Santiago Toste and Constança Santos, discussed their experiences playing the Viola da Terra. The trip concluded with a musical performance and community celebration at the Angra do Heroísmo Interpretive Center.

Made up of both graduate and undergraduate students, the team was deeply moved by the opportunity to collaborate on a film of professional quality.

“Working on Viola da Terra was a completely different but equally powerful experience,” said Jackson Blackburn, a senior in the combined BA/MA digital communication and media/multimedia program. “Having also been part of the PaceDocs team last year for The Cooper, I came into this project with a deeper appreciation for the process, but the cultural connection and emotion in the Azores brought something new. It reminded me why storytelling matters.”

“Viola da Terra” continues a proud tradition of producing high-quality, meaningful and award-winning films. In recent years, Pace filmmakers have produced documentaries from around the globe focusing on a number of topics, including the craft of barrel making in Spain (The Cooper, 2024), which received multiple international awards; the farm-to-table food movement in France (2023); how oysters depend on the ebb and flow of tides (2022); the importance of bees as pollinators in our food supply (2021); the impact of earthquakes in Hawaii (2019); the endurance of the people of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria (2018); Cuba at a cultural crossroads (2016); reviving Curacao’s coral reefs (2015); as well as many other poignant films.

“Once again this year, Dyson College’s student filmmakers have produced another fascinating documentary,” said Tresmaine R. Grimes, PhD, Dean of the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education. “As they hone their craft, they also enlighten us to important issues across the societal spectrum. This year’s focus on the Viola da Terra in their work, Harmony of the Azores, reveals the importance of preserving cultural traditions and how this musical instrument is a symbol of the Azores’ musical heritage and a testament to its community’s spirit.”

About Dyson College of Arts and Science

Pace University’s liberal arts college, Dyson College, offers more than 50 programs, spanning the arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and pre-professional programs (including pre-medicine, pre-veterinary, and pre-law), as well as many courses that fulfill core curriculum requirements. The College offers access to numerous opportunities for internships, cooperative education and other hands-on learning experiences that complement in-class learning in preparing graduates for career and graduate/professional education choices.

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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Alison Rebels, OTD, clinical assistant professor for the Occupational Therapy, MS program is a leader in her research on spirituality in Occupational Therapy (OT), and a highly involved member of the Pace community.

This past fall, Alison had the opportunity to host a workshop at the annual New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA) conference on her research to Pace students and other OT professionals alike. We connected with her to learn more about the presentation process, and the importance of passion.

How did you get involved with NYSOTA?

As my passion for OT has grown, so has my desire to dive deeper into the heart and core of the profession. I see members of NYSOTA as change-makers—individuals committed to lifelong learning, leadership in the field, and ensuring the continued success of our profession. It’s a mission I feel both a professional responsibility and a strong desire to be a part of.

Why do you think it's important as a healthcare professional to attend conferences/engage with professional organizations like NYSOTA?

So many reasons! Being a part of NYSOTA allows me to participate in the conversation regarding regulations, laws, and policies that benefit and shape the future of OT. NYSOTA membership provides access to numerous resources to help me stay informed about best practices and the latest trends within the profession. For example, NYSOTA offers Communities of Practice where occupational therapists (OTs) specializing in or interested in different niches of the profession can connect and collaborate.

By engaging with all that NYSOTA has to offer, including attending conferences, I reap the benefits of professional growth, valuable connections, and a deeper appreciation for the wonderful field of OT.

What is the process of presenting at a conference like?

Typically, you submit a proposal months in advance, outlining a detailed description of your presentation topic and objectives for your session. If accepted, you are assigned a session format, which may include participation in a poster expo, facilitating an informal conversation on the topic, leading a short course, or conducting a longer workshop.

During the conference, multiple sessions usually take place simultaneously, and participants can choose to attend the sessions most relevant to their interests. The atmosphere is generally professional, yet friendly, engaging, and supportive.

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What did you present at the 2024 NYSOTA conference?

My presentation was titled “The SpiritualOT Journey: The Effectiveness of an 8-Week Workshop on Increasing Student Understanding of the Role of Spirituality in OT Practice.” I created and facilitated The SpiritualOT Journey, a workshop for second-year Pace University Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) students during the Summer 2024 semester. The curriculum covered the history of spirituality in OT, evidence-based practices, and, most importantly, self-exploration of concepts related to the human spirit—such as meaning, authenticity, interconnection, intuition, and mindfulness. It is only through self-exploration of our own spirit that we can truly understand the personal nature and depth of the spirit of others.

My research revealed that the workshop enhanced students' understanding of their own spirituality and that of others, deepened their awareness of its relationship with OT, and increased their confidence in incorporating spirituality into OT treatment.

What inspired your research for "The SpiritualOT Journey"?

As a holistic profession, OTs consider the mind, body, and spirit; however, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the role of spirituality in OT and how to incorporate spirit into our treatment with clients. Spirituality is very much within our scope of practice. A spotlight needs to be placed on spirituality within our profession, as research indicates that incorporating spirituality into client care enhances health outcomes, well-being, and life engagement. I experience these benefits in my own life as I explore and nurture my own spiritual wellness. For me, this looks like journaling, mindful drawing, and yoga to quiet my mind and connect with my deepest, truest self.

By addressing the spiritual wellness of our clients, occupational therapists can support them in accessing inner healing, discovering meaning in life, living with purpose, and remaining true to their values and beliefs.

—Alison Rebels, OTD

To me, that is a beautiful professional role and responsibility that must not be neglected.

What is the biggest take away you hope students and OT professionals will have from your presentation?

I hope that those who attended my presentation left with a passion to advance the conversation regarding the importance of considering spirituality within OT and all areas of healthcare. I hope attendees left with an appreciation for the beauty of spirituality as a topic that is universal to humans, yet so deeply personal. One’s spirituality may be religious in nature, or it may not. It may be related to connectedness with a higher power, or to a connection to self, others, or nature. It may be related to one’s search for meaning, a motivating force, or a worldview. It is vital to consider our clients' spirituality and how it may act as a source of hope, comfort, purpose, and/or strength, particularly during times of challenge and transition.

Has your research topic influenced any of your teachings at Pace?

Yes! I created The SpiritualOT Journey and can’t wait to continue growing the program while learning alongside students and colleagues who embrace the importance of considering the mind, body, and spirit in healthcare.

Most recently, you were recognized with a Pace University President’s award. How does that feel?

I am deeply honored to be selected as a recipient of the 2024 President's Award for Outstanding Contribution. I’m so proud to be part of the Pace University community, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to share my knowledge, passion, and heart with students who will go on to shape society, culture, and the world to come. As future healthcare professionals navigating both expected and unforeseen challenges, my wish is that students always return to the reason they chose this path—one most often rooted in their heart and their deep desire to support the healing of others.

Any additional details you'd like to share?

Special thanks are given to Dr. Beau Anderson, Dr. Sophie Kaufman, Dr. Jennifer Tokash, and Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L, who greatly enriched the workshop's content.

If you are interested in discussing this topic further, I would love to connect at arebels@pace.edu!

Julianna Vukaj

Class of 2026

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Currently Studying: BBA Finance, BS Economics

Member (Clubs): Founder and President of Women in Lubin, Investment Team Member, Chief Events Director for Honors Advisory Board (HAB)

Why did you choose Pace University and the Lubin School of Business?

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Having been born and raised in New York, I always knew I wanted to go to college in Manhattan. Interestingly, my sister graduated from Pace in 2013, so at first, I actually tried to make my own path and looked elsewhere. But when it came down to making a final decision—one that would provide real access to opportunities and resources to help me stand out in the business world—I found myself drawn to Pace and Lubin. Lubin has a reputation for strong internship and post-graduation career success rates, cutting edge facilities such as our Bloomberg Lab, notable professors who support you every step of the way, and—most importantly—being located at the center of the business world.

How have clubs on campus helped enrich your student experience?

Aside from having the opportunity to found an organization, existing clubs on campus have tremendously enriched my experience. As Chief Events Director of the Honors Advisory Board—an organization run through the Pforzheimer Honors College—I’ve had the opportunity to lead a team that creates exclusive events for 750 honors students and contributes to delivering a distinguished honors experience, all while building my leadership capabilities. Additionally, being on the Investment Team has allowed me to surround myself with like-minded individuals I can learn from and engage with in market-driven discussions—contributing directly to my goals for a future career.

What inspired you to create Women in Lubin?

A “Women in Business Society” was the first thing I searched for when I came to Pace, and I knew we had to have one—especially since Pace was initially founded as a business school. It only made sense to create an environment where undergraduate women studying business could connect and work toward a common goal: breaking into male-dominated industries. Although I was happy to see we had other women’s groups, it turned out we didn’t have one that specifically represented women business majors or catered to their needs. That’s what led to the idea of creating the organization from scratch.

What have been the major takeaways from your current role as President of Women in Lubin?

One of the biggest takeaways from my role as President of Women in Lubin has been learning how to turn rejection into redirection. The first time my e-board and I pitched our organization, it was rejected—we needed more structure, stronger ideas, and a clearer niche. It was disheartening, but instead of walking away, we took the feedback seriously and spent the next semester building a brand that couldn’t be overlooked. We developed a social media presence, connected with potential event speakers, and refined our mission to reflect what was missing on campus. After receiving approval and launching 18 successful events in our first semester, I’ve learned that resilience is just as important as vision—and sometimes, it’s not about changing the goal, just the approach.

How has being a member of the Pforzheimer Honors College benefitted you?

Being a member of the Pforzheimer Honors College has allowed me to attend exclusive honors events and build close relationships with friends and professors in my honors courses. Most significantly, the Honors College has helped me thrive in what I’d call a “small pond, big fish” environment—where I’ve had the chance to stand out, take on leadership roles, and contribute meaningfully to my community.

You’re Chief Events Director of the Pforzheimer Honors College, what has been the most rewarding part of this position?

The most rewarding part of being Chief Events Director has been the opportunity to shape—and be part of—a team where everyone’s creative ideas are heard and valued. From brainstorming themes to executing final details, I’ve learned that the best events come from open communication and mutual respect. Helping our team grow together and take pride in what we create has made this role especially meaningful.

What has been your favorite opportunity at Pace?

There are numerous opportunities I’d characterize as stellar; however, my favorite has been founding and launching Women in Lubin with an amazing e-board. With support from the Office of Student Engagement and the Lubin School of Business, we had a successful first semester and laid the groundwork for a lasting organization.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students?

My greatest piece of advice for Lubin students is to keep up with events and programs hosted by Lubin and its student organizations. You’d be surprised at the opportunities and ideas that can come from simply having conversations with peers and professors in the Lubin community.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

In my experience, #LubinLife has meant not only being surrounded by people who strive for success—but also by those who lift others up along the way. For that, I am truly grateful.

Connect with Julianna:

• Connect with Julianna on LinkedIn
• Follow Julianna on Instagram

When Vidhi Kothari ’25 began her journey at Pace University, she didn’t expect to become the founder of a startup. But what she did know, was that she wanted to create meaningful value in the world. That desire—to build, to contribute, and to empower through employment—became the foundation for her path as an entrepreneur, innovator, and student in Pace’s BS in Computational Economics program at the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

“I realized early on that the more skin I had in the game, the more driven I became,” Vidhi said. At Pace, she found the freedom to explore a wide range of interests, from cybersecurity to finance, renewables, and healthcare. This multidisciplinary experience helped her shape her understanding of what it takes to build and innovate in the real world. Now, Vidhi is building Pigeon, a tool for developers that makes it easy to deploy AI agents to automate workflows for enterprises.

From Wall Street to a Computational Mindset

Since New York is the finance capital of the world, Vidhi naturally gravitated toward the finance industry at first as she spent summers in sales, trading, and investing. "In New York, finance is everywhere," she said. "But I didn’t want to just analyze systems—I wanted to build them."

This realization as a junior at Pace led her to pivot into tech and startups, seeking out innovation in those industries and figuring out ways to bring societal impact through them. Switching majors to Computational Economics was, in Vidhi’s words, a “game-changer.” The program allowed her to merge two worlds—finance and coding—giving her the tools to tackle complex, real-world problems through a technical lens.

The program deepened my understanding of how data drives decisions and innovation in fast-moving industries. It gave me the technical chops to thrive in the startup world.

Connecting Energy, Cybersecurity, and AI

Settled into her new major, Vidhi began examining financial incentives for energy companies in the Southeastern U.S. during a Dyson Summer Research project. But the work led her somewhere she hadn’t anticipated: cybersecurity. “I realized that securing infrastructure was just as critical as the transition to clean energy,” Vidhi said. That insight led her to a cybersecurity class taught by Professor Joe Acampora—and eventually to an internship at Copia Automation, a Series A industrial automation startup.

In that cybersecurity course, a light bulb went off. Vidhi discovered how edge computing could secure industrial systems more efficiently than traditional cloud-based models. “We explored how digital twins and AI agents could detect anomalies at the edge,” she said. “It was a whole new way of thinking about infrastructure protection—decentralized, reliable, and secure.”

An Applied AI course was another key experience in Vidhi’s Pace journey as her machine learning-based solar forecasting project used LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) networks and further deepened her focus on energy optimization. The project focused on reducing energy costs, and while the group didn’t meet their original goal, it gave Vidhi invaluable insights into how inefficiencies in energy management can have real financial impact.

A Startup is Born

Vidhi’s experience across industries prepared her for what came next: launching Pigeon, a startup that helps enterprises deploy AI agents more efficiently to tackle complex challenges. The inspiration came while working at different startups, where she noticed a surprising problem:

Everyone was building AI agents—but no one was solving how to deploy them.

A conversation with a friend at Bell Labs in Munich crystalized the potential of this opportunity, leading to the birth of Pigeon. Vidhi has a very clear idea of how this startup can change the world: “Think Jarvis from Iron Man. Pigeon is making AI agents a reality, seamlessly integrating them into industries to automate workflows and solve problems like never before.”

A Go-Getter in Action

Vidhi’s path from finance to tech, from student researcher to startup founder, reflects not only her personal ambition but also the kind of multidisciplinary, forward-looking education that defines a Pace Go-Getter. Along this rewarding personal journey, Vidhi’s biggest breakthrough came from realizing that true innovation doesn’t just mean pushing forward, but often requires stepping back and rethinking the problem at hand, building it from a different angles. This is a mindset that she intends to carry into all of her future projects, and that she encourages in others looking to make their mark in tech. “Take risks. The more you invest in an idea, the more meaningful your impact will be.”

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Pace’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program has been recognized by the U.S. News & World Report (USNWR)’s 2025 rankings as one of the Best Graduate Public Affairs Schools, an increase in 61 spots since 2019, and reflecting the Public Administration Department’s growing impact in public service education through the excellent work of faculty and students.

 “While USNWR is one of the many indicators to measure the quality and reputation of our public affairs education, earning this important milestone is a huge accomplishment for our small but mighty department,” said Gina Scutelnicu Todoran, PhD, chair and professor of the Public Administration program.

The STEM-designated, interdisciplinary MPA curriculum at Pace offers flexibility across sectors such as government, healthcare, and nonprofits, and the program was one of the first in the nation to integrate experiential learning and a strong public service focus. Hands-on experiences allow students to gain practical skills, engage in policymaking, build professional networks, and make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Scutelnicu-Todoran, also chair of the Northeast Conference on Public Administration (NECoPA), and recent recipient of the 2025 Rita Mae Kelly Distinguished Research Award, has collaborated over the years with MPA Professor and Interim Associate Provost Rebecca Tekula, PhD, to drive meaningful change in various communities through grants and external Pace partnerships.

Examples include a nearly $30,000 grant by the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies to assess the financial status of approximately 75 New York State agencies under its umbrella; conducting a new comprehensive survey targeting the Latino community, with the Hispanic Advisory Board, and under the leadership of Westchester County Executive George Latimer; and identifying, along with other MPA faculty, mental health, counseling, substance abuse, and suicide prevention services needed in lower Westchester through a partnership with The Community Fund.

MPA student-faculty research has also enabled students to turn real-life research into impactful advocacy, with the program’s alumni, such as Andrea Grenadier ‘16, succeeding in rewarding careers that demonstrate the value of the program.

With its enrollment continuing to grow, we expect to see many more students and alumni thriving in careers in the public sector where they will make significant contributions to the world we live in.