Rajni Jaiswal ’26 came to Pace with a background in political science, international relations, and teaching, and found in Dyson’s Master of Public Administration program a practical path toward public service. Guided by faculty mentors Gina Scutelnicu-Todoran and Hillary Knepper, Jaiswal deepened her work in equity, governance, research, and student support. After graduation, she is joining the Simons STEM Scholars Program at Stony Brook University as a program assistant, helping undergraduate STEM students navigate Summer Bridge and the academic year, while continuing research and grant-writing work with Pace’s Department of Public Administration.

Rajni Jaiswal ’26

Master of Public Administration

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Next step: Program assistant, Simons STEM Scholars Program, Stony Brook University; research assistant, Pace University Department of Public Administration

What brought you to public administration?
My earlier training was in political science and international relations, and before moving to the United States I completed an MPhil and taught undergraduates in Kolkata, India. I wanted to shift from studying politics to working inside the systems that deliver public services. The MPA at Pace gave me a practical foundation while keeping me close to the questions of equity and governance that first drew me to the field.

Which faculty members had the greatest impact on your experience?
Professor Gina Scutelnicu-Todoran has been my capstone advisor, mentor, and guide through everything at Pace. She understood what an international student goes through, and that meant everything to me. I am continuing to work with her after graduation as a research assistant in the Department of Public Administration. Professor Hillary Knepper has also been incredibly generous, coaching me through interviews and career decisions, and I am collaborating with her on the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration.

What are your post-graduation plans?
I am working as a program assistant with the Simons STEM Scholars Program at Stony Brook University, supporting undergraduate STEM students through Summer Bridge and the academic year. It is a strong fit for my interest in education access and student support, and it allows me to put what I learned at Pace into practice. I am also staying connected to Pace through research and grant writing.

Amanda DeSarno ’26 has always been drawn to the way stories, brands, and media connect people. As a BA in Communications student at Dyson College, she explored that passion through courses in electronic media, sports media, and hands-on internship experience in New York City. After working with SpoiledChild on a launch and collaboration with fashion designer Jeremy Scott, DeSarno discovered the kind of fast-moving, creative environment where she could thrive. Now, she is beginning her career as a client relations coordinator with The Clio Awards, supporting creative excellence in advertising, marketing, and communications.

Amanda DeSarno ’26

BA in Communications

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Next step: Client relations coordinator, The Clio Awards

What drew you to communications?
I enjoy connecting with and working with people. Growing up, I was always interested in the entertainment and marketing industries, especially the ways companies connect and communicate with audiences through branding, media, and advertising. That interest naturally led me to study communications.

Which Pace experiences helped shape your path?
Several Media, Communications, and Visual Arts courses stood out, including Writing for the Electronic Media, which helped me develop storytelling skills and create engaging content for television, and Sports Media, which connected my interest in sports with the way broadcasters engage fans in real time. My internship course was especially memorable. Through my role with SpoiledChild in SoHo, I discovered what I wanted to do: work hands-on with a team, support a launch and collaboration with fashion designer Jeremy Scott, and be part of a major event.

What are your post-graduation plans?
I will be working as client relations coordinator for The Clio Awards, an international awards program recognizing innovation and creative excellence in advertising, marketing, and communications. In my role, I will support award entry submissions, advise on categories for agencies and brands, review creative assets, oversee administration, and attend Clio Awards events. I am thrilled and eager to get started.

For Alessandra Barretta ’26, a BS in Biology from Dyson College became the foundation for something bigger: a future in dentistry. At Pace, she built deep research experience under the mentorship of Professors Daniel Strahs and Jeanmaire Molina, contributing to projects on drug resistance, bacterial communities, and dental caries. Now preparing for the Dental Admission Test while working as an orthodontic assistant, Barretta is bringing together laboratory research, clinical experience, and a passion for patient care as she works toward becoming an orthodontist.

Alessandra Barretta ’26

BS in Biology

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Next step: Preparing for dental school while working as an orthodontic assistant and continuing dental research

What drew you to biology?
I chose to study biology to build a strong scientific foundation for dental school, but also to immerse myself in a field driven by innovation, discovery, and curiosity. At Pace, I found an environment where opportunities are truly yours for the taking, and throughout my academic journey, I achieved more than I ever imagined possible.

How did Dyson help prepare you for what’s next?
Faculty-mentored research played a major role in my experience. I published research on drug resistance mechanisms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the mentorship of Professor Daniel Strahs, and later joined Professor Jeanmaire Molina’s laboratory, where we investigated bacterial community composition within Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower. I am now continuing research with Professor Molina on what may be Pace’s first dental research project, focused on bacterial communities associated with the development of dental caries.

What are your post-graduation plans?
I am preparing for the Dental Admission Test and plan to attend dental school with the goal of becoming an orthodontist. While studying, I am working as an orthodontic assistant, expanding my clinical knowledge and passion for patient care. I also remain actively involved in dental research and hope to see our work published by the end of the year.

Pace University’s Lubin School of Business has once again been named one of The Princeton Review’s Best On-Campus MBA Programs. The recognition places Pace among 208 business schools nationwide selected for excellence in graduate business education.

“This recognition reflects Pace University’s commitment to preparing students to lead in today’s dynamic global economy,” said Pace University President Marvin Krislov. “Through the Lubin School of Business, our students benefit from rigorous academics, experiential learning, dedicated faculty, and strong connections to New York’s business community. We’re proud to see those strengths recognized once again by The Princeton Review.”

The Princeton Review selected the 208 schools based on more than 60 data points collected from surveys of business school administrators and MBA students during the 2025–26 academic year. The designation recognizes schools that excel in academics, faculty, career services, experiential learning, and student satisfaction. Rather than publishing an overall ranking, The Princeton Review recommends MBA programs it believes best prepare students for professional success.

“Today’s business leaders must be prepared to think strategically, embrace innovation, and lead with integrity,” said Ajay Khorana, PhD, dean of the Lubin School of Business. “At Lubin, we combine rigorous academics with hands-on learning and strong industry partnerships to prepare our graduates for successful careers in an increasingly dynamic global marketplace.”

The designation reflects Lubin’s longstanding excellence in graduate business education. In addition to its inclusion in The Princeton Review’s Best On-Campus MBA Programs, Lubin holds dual accreditation in business and accounting from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, an elite distinction earned by fewer than 2 percent of business schools worldwide that offer business degree programs. The school is also recognized among LinkedIn’s Top 100 MBA Programs, while its online MBA program has been ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report.

“Today’s business leaders must be prepared to think strategically, embrace innovation, and lead with integrity,” said Ajay Khorana, PhD, dean of the Lubin School of Business.

The recognition is also reflected in Lubin’s student outcomes. Among Lubin master’s graduates in the Class of 2025, 96 percent were employed, continuing their education, or engaged in service, while 97 percent secured positions related to their fields of study. Graduates working full time earned an average salary of $74,222.

“Our goal is to provide students with an education that is both academically rigorous and deeply connected to the needs of today’s workforce,” said Alison Carr-Chellman, PhD, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Lubin’s MBA program reflects that commitment by combining innovative teaching with experiential learning that prepares graduates to lead in a rapidly evolving business environment.”

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For nearly five decades, Professor Emeritus Merril Sobie has been one of the defining members of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University faculty. Since joining the Law School in 1978, he has educated generations of lawyers while simultaneously helping shape the legal landscape for children and families throughout New York. A scholar, teacher, advocate, and public servant, Professor Sobie has influenced family law at virtually every level, from court administration and legislative reform to legal scholarship, judicial decision-making, and notably through the education of generations of law students turned lawyers.

Few legal scholars can claim that their work has become part of the fabric of a state's jurisprudence. Professor Sobie is one of them. Widely regarded as a leading authority on New York Family Court and family law, his scholarship has been cited repeatedly by the New York Court of Appeals and courts throughout the state. Most recently, in a significant 2026 child welfare decision, New York's highest court relied on Professor Sobie's historical analysis of New York's foster care laws in striking down a statewide regulatory program.

Even after more than four decades on the faculty and attaining emeritus status, Professor Sobie remains an active force in the field. He continues to teach courses at the Law School, while also writing, advising, and advocating in the field to which he has devoted his professional life.

“My current major project is rewriting and updating a major part of the McKinney commentaries to the New York Family Court Act,” Professor Sobie said. “I have also published articles in the New York Law Journal, submitted an amicus brief in a recent Court of Appeals case, and continue my advocacy on behalf of the New York State Bar Association. This fall, I shall again teach at the Law School.”

Professor Sobie did not begin his career intending to become a family law scholar. In fact, he never took a family law course while earning his JD from New York University School of Law. However, his path changed in 1968, when Bernard Botein, the legendary Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, asked him to conduct a comprehensive study of New York City's Family Court.

“Originally I had no interest in Family Law,” Professor Sobie recalled. “One day in 1968, Justice Bernard Botein asked me to commence a long, in-depth study of the Family Court. My report, which hit the front page of the New York Times, recommended a total reform of the court. I was then appointed Executive Officer of the Family Court in New York City, where I implemented the reforms and ran the day-to-day operations. I have never looked back.” For Professor Sobie, and ultimately New York’s family justice system, that study was a turning point.

Before joining academia, Professor Sobie served in a series of influential positions within New York's court system, including Assistant to the Director of Administration of the Courts and Executive Officer of the Family Court of the City of New York. Drawing on that experience, he became one of the principal architects of modern family and juvenile justice law in New York. Among his most consequential achievements was serving as principal author of New York's Juvenile Delinquency Code, enacted in 1982, legislation that continues to govern juvenile justice proceedings throughout the state. Over the years, Professor Sobie also co-authored landmark studies on the legal representation of children, drafted standards governing children's representation, advised state commissions on child welfare, and helped establish best practices that continue to guide lawyers and courts.

When asked what has motivated his scholarship and reform efforts, he points to a consistent theme. “Largely my experience in judicial administration and my interest in reforming the legal system to serve the public, particularly the disadvantaged public.”

After nearly a decade in court administration, Professor Sobie was drawn to academia and the opportunity to help build what was then a young and ambitious law school. “I had always been interested in academia,” he said. “After a decade in court administration, I applied for a tenure-track position at Pace, which was then a new, promising law school in Westchester, where I resided.”

What began as a tenure-track appointment evolved into a career spanning nearly half a century and established Professor Sobie as one of the institution's longest-serving and most influential faculty members. As the Law School grew and evolved, so too did his role as a teacher, scholar, mentor, and authority on family law for the institution.

During his nearly five decades at the Law School, Professor Sobie helped establish the Law School's reputation and legacy. His scholarship, advocacy, and leadership in the field brought distinction to the institution, while his commitment to teaching helped shape generations of students who would go on to careers in family law, public service, child advocacy, government, and the judiciary.

Throughout his career, Professor Sobie has authored books, treatises, commentaries, and articles that have become essential resources for judges, practitioners, and scholars. His works include New York Family Court Practice and The Creation of Juvenile Justice: A History of Children's Law. For decades, he has authored the official McKinney's Practice Commentaries to the Family Court Act and Domestic Relations Law, resources widely relied upon by courts throughout New York State.

Professor Sobie is one of the most cited living legal scholars by the New York Court of Appeals, and by New York courts generally.

—Professor Emeritus Michael Mushlin

Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University colleague Emeritus Professor Michael Mushlin notes that Professor Sobie's influence extends far beyond academia. “Professor Sobie is one of the most cited living legal scholars by the New York Court of Appeals, and by New York courts generally,” Mushlin said. “His writing is regularly relied upon by the courts, and he is the leading expert on New York's Family Court and family law. It is an impressive achievement that speaks to the depth and importance of Professor Sobie's contributions and increases the prestige of our law school.”

Recently, New York's highest court cited an amicus curiae brief submitted by Professor Sobie in a significant child welfare case. In its 2026 decision, the Court of Appeals relied on his historical analysis of New York's foster care laws in striking down a statewide regulatory program. In doing so, the court acknowledged Professor Sobie’s direct contribution to its reasoning. The decision added to an extraordinary record of citations by New York's highest court, underscoring the enduring authority of his scholarship and expertise.

While Professor Sobie's scholarship has shaped New York law, colleagues and former students often point first to his impact in the classroom through the generations of students he has taught since arriving on campus in 1978. Over more than four decades, students have filled his classrooms to study Family Law, Children and the Law, Advanced Family Law, Comparative Family Law, Juvenile Justice, and Jurisprudence, learning directly from someone who helped write many of the statutes, standards, and legal frameworks they were studying.

Drawing on his experience as a court administrator, legislative drafter, scholar, and practitioner, Professor Sobie encouraged students to think critically about how legal systems affect real people and real families. “I always tried to connect my classes with legal doctrine and lived experience,” shared Professor Sobie. “I would often challenge my students to consider both the technical and human dimensions of the law.”

Even after attaining emeritus status, Professor Sobie has remained deeply connected to the Law School and its students, continuing to teach, mentor, and share the benefit of a career spent improving New York's justice system. While his legislative and scholarly accomplishments are widely recognized, Professor Sobie places teaching among the achievements of which he is most proud. When asked to identify the highlights of his career, he points to “the reform of the Family Court, my legislation, my study of the representation of children, and my teaching and advising of students.”

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Professor Emeritus Jay Carlisle described Professor Sobie as a transformative figure whose impact extends well beyond the classroom. “Merril deserves enormous credit for the evolution of family law in New York and beyond,” Professor Carlisle said. “For decades, judges, practitioners, policymakers, and scholars have looked to his work for guidance. He is held in extraordinarily high regard throughout the field—not only because of his scholarship, but because his work has consistently improved the lives of children and families.”

Colleagues, like Professor Carlisle, say Professor Sobie’s dedication to students has been as enduring as his commitment to scholarship. “Merril's impact on the Law School cannot be separated from his impact on family law. For generations of students, he has been the person who introduced them to the field and challenged them to think about how the law affects children and families. His scholarship brought distinction to the Law School, but his dedication to teaching and mentoring is every bit as important as his academic achievements. Few people have contributed more to the development of modern family law, and few legal scholars can claim that their writings have become part of the fabric of a state's jurisprudence. Merril’s scholarship has done exactly that.”

Professor Sobie's contributions have been recognized repeatedly throughout his career. In 2020, the New York State Bar Association honored him with a special Lifetime Achievement Award for decades of contributions to family law and children's law, a recognition celebrated by then-Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Janet DiFiore.

It has been a long road, but a wonderful journey. In recent years I have experienced an additional benefit. Representing and advocating for children keeps one perennially young.

—Professor Emeritus Merril Sobie

In 2023, Professor Sobie and his wife, Hope, established the Merril and Hope Sobie Fund through a $100,000 gift to the New York Bar Foundation to support initiatives that advance justice for children. Of the gift, Professor Sobie stated: “This gift reflected a lifelong mission that has held true throughout my career: ensuring that children and families have access to a legal system that is fair, effective, and compassionate.”

Despite a career that has influenced legislation, court systems, legal education, and judicial decision-making, Professor Sobie remains modest about his path. His advice to young lawyers reflects lessons drawn from a lifetime of public service. “Be flexible and do not decide until you have some experience,” he said. “I became prominent in a field I had never considered until several years after receiving a JD.”

Today, Professor Emeritus Merril Sobie remains one of the most respected voices in family and children's law. Yet his legacy extends beyond the legislation he drafted, the court reforms he implemented, and the scholarship cited by New York's highest courts. It also lives on in the thousands of Haub Law students he has taught, advised, and inspired since arriving at the Law School in 1978. For nearly half a century, Professor Sobie has helped shape both New York law and the institution he has long called home.

Of his career, Professor Sobie notes, “It has been a long road, but a wonderful journey. In recent years I have experienced an additional benefit. Representing and advocating for children keeps one perennially young.”