It is with great sadness that we read today’s Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating a constitutional right for all Americans. Today, we are all faced with the new reality that our right to make appropriate health care and reproductive decisions has been severely curtailed and the federal protections we have enjoyed for three generations are gone.

We take some comfort that here in New York, our state and local governments have acted to protect access to reproductive healthcare and our right to choose. Nevertheless, the ramifications of this Supreme Court decision will be dangerous and far-reaching. As the dissent in Dobbs notes, “[r]especting a woman as an autonomous being, and granting her full equality, meant giving her substantial choice over this most personal and most consequential of all life decisions.” Pace Women’s Justice Center has spent the past 30 years working to ensure that our clients can exercise their legal rights and have access to justice. It is now more important than ever that we continue to do so.

— Cindy Kanusher, Executive Director

Statement from Cindy Kanusher, Executive Director of the Pace Women’s Justice Center on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:

“It is with great sadness that we read today’s Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating a constitutional right for all Americans. Today, we are all faced with the new reality that our right to make appropriate health care and reproductive decisions has been severely curtailed and the federal protections we have enjoyed for three generations are gone.

“We take some comfort that here in New York, our state and local governments have acted to protect access to reproductive healthcare and our right to choose. Nevertheless, the ramifications of this Supreme Court decision will be dangerous and far-reaching. As the dissent in Dobbs notes, “[r]especting a woman as an autonomous being, and granting her full equality, meant giving her substantial choice over this most personal and most consequential of all life decisions.” Pace Women’s Justice Center has spent the past 30 years working to ensure that our clients can exercise their legal rights and have access to justice. It is now more important than ever that we continue to do so.”

It’s not unusual for working adults to consider a new career path. We develop new interests and learn how our lifestyles motivate us to succeed. Lauren Pappalardo did more than consider—she is making it happen.

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Lauren began her career with a degree in business management. She spent over five years working at various health and wellness media outlets, including Women’s Health Magazine and Well+Good while always prioritizing nutrition, fitness, and overall healthy living. Despite her already wholesome habits, she developed health issues that required her to make some changes to her lifestyle. She began working with registered dieticians and was inspired by how they were able to make such a positive impact on her. This fostered her passion and motivated her to enroll in the College of Health Professions Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics program.

Lauren is passionate about improving women’s chances for bearing children, based on dietary changes. She has focused her studies on preconception, concentrating on the hormonal condition Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and how poor nutrition can affect a woman’s ability to conceive.

In her favorite course, Nutrition Across the Lifespan, Lauren developed a recipe for a black bean chocolate walnut muffin to help support and manage PCOS. “Balancing blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation are essential for women with PCOS,” Lauren explained. “This recipe contains properties that address both factors. It contains beans, a high-fiber carbohydrate to help keep blood sugar levels balanced and walnuts and avocado oil that contain omega-3 fatty acids to help reduce inflammation.”

Lauren’s background in business management will be an asset to following her new career path. She hopes to utilize her combined education and experience to open a private practice that utilizes medical nutrition therapy and integrative nutrition practices. “I am excited to get to my goal of helping people with autoimmune diseases, PCOS, and gastrointestinal issues improve their lifestyle and continue to thrive,” said Lauren. Lauren Pappalardo did more than consider, she is a #PaceGoGetter and making it happen.

Pleasantville, N.Y., June 23, 2022 – Following a successful run of theater showings at four venues in Pleasantville and across Cape Cod, Pace University’s documentary film team – PaceDocs – is pleased to announce the online premiere of Tide to Table: The Remarkable Journey of Oysters is set for 7 p.m. on Monday June 27.

The documentary will be available for viewing on YouTube, and, along with other documentaries made as part of the program, will be available on-demand at Dyson College’s Media, Communications and Visual Arts’ YouTube channel.

“This year marks the first time in the program’s history that we have showed our film in four movie theaters,” said Professor Maria Luskay. “The audience response has been great, and it has been truly gratifying taking our show on the road.”

“The film process continues to be a fantastic experience for our students, who not only learned first-hand about the plight of the oyster farmer braving the elements, but also the grit and determination required to complete the film in 14 weeks,” Professor Luskay continued. “It has been a rewarding hands-on experience for us from start to finish.”

The successful free theater showings were a first for the program and marked the first in-person events for the documentary program since 2019, before the pandemic.

The filmed premiered in May to a full house at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville. That was followed by showings to capacity crowds at Wellfleet Preservation Hall in Wellfleet, the Chatham Orpheum in Chatham, and Cape Cinema in Dennis, Ma. during the month of June.

The film documents how oysters rely on the ebb and flow of the tide for flavor. One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day; their survival is determined by their farmers, deeply rooted in their tradition and connection to the sea. The documentary, filmed on-location across the flats of Cape Cod, the shores of Connecticut’s Long Island Sound, and the urban waterways of New York City, features scientists, historians, shellfish constables, and farmers. It explores the serendipitous relationship between nature, oyster farmers, modern aquaculture technology, and a movement to better understand their ecological value, while showing how oysters are thriving in areas such as Cape Cod and being restored in once depleted regions such as Connecticut and New York City as a means of improving water quality.

The documentary is produced by Professors Luskay and Lou Guarneri. The popular class, ‘Producing the Documentary,’ is part of the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences at Pace University’s highly regarded film program that requires students complete a full-length environmentally themed documentary within 14 weeks. During the process, they 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.

Tide to Table continues Pace University’s distinguished tradition of producing documentaries that shine a light on important environmental issues. In recent years, Pace filmmakers have produced documentaries around the globe focusing on a number of topics, including 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.

“The PaceDocs team, under the leadership of Professor Maria Luskay, has once again produced an extraordinary, meaningful, and professional film,” said Marvin Krislov, president of Pace University. “ ‘Tide to Table’ is another great example of the hands-on experience and valuable environmental lessons that Pace students receive when they take this course. I marvel at the consistent excellence and talent in this program and am incredibly impressed by this group of budding filmmakers.”

“Dyson College’s student filmmakers have produced another moving documentary that delves into an important ecological issue,” said Tresmaine R. Grimes, dean, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education. “The students learn and perfect their craft while educating us all. I am so moved by the talents of this team and the compelling film they have made. Congratulations to them and Professors Luskay and Guarneri for another impressive PaceDocs production.”

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. Follow us on Twitter or on the Pace News website.

About Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

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.