The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) is the Leading Organizational Voice for Undergraduate Research.

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Maria T. Iacullo-Bird, Ph.D., assistant provost for research and clinical associate professor of history, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences at Pace University, has been elected 2024–2025 president of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).

Iacullo-Bird has an extensive background in supporting student scholarly and creative inquiry through her oversight for the Society of Fellows of Dyson College, as the inaugural director of the Center for Undergraduate Research Experiences, and for her leadership in the nationally based Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). First elected in 2013 as a CUR Councilor, Iacullo-Bird served as the CUR Arts and Humanities Division chair from 2016-2019 and since 2019 has been a member of the CUR Executive Board. She also is active in the international undergraduate research community as a member of the Alliance for Global Undergraduate Research (AGUR) Steering Committee and served as the U.S. CUR Ambassador to the Third World Congress on Undergraduate Research at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England.

She earned an A.B. in history from Barnard College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Columbia University‘s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. She was a participant in the Wellesley College, 2016-2017, Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Leadership Institute.

According to Iacullo-Bird, “student engagement in faculty-mentored undergraduate research contributes to higher retention and graduation rates, clarifies career goals, increases enrollment in graduate and professional schools, and furthers workforce development. Undergraduate research is a high-impact, experiential pedagogy that is transformative for student learning across disciplines and schools.”

In outlining her vision as CUR president, Iacullo-Bird said: “I will prioritize inclusive and equitable access to research experiences and resources for students and mentors. I am excited to connect with the passionate commitment, innovative practices, and thought leadership of CUR members and institutions to support and promote a robustly engaged CUR community. In joining the CUR Executive Team, I will bring my keen interest in advocacy at the federal level, and I am eager to advance CUR’s influential role in the internationalization of undergraduate research.”

As part of the appointment, Iacullo-Bird will serve as president-elect in 2023-2024, president in 2024-2025, and immediate past-president in 2025-2026, with terms starting July 1 and ending June 30.

“As both an educator and an administrator, Professor Iacullo-Bird is an inspiring and committed advocate for undergraduate research, and we’re honored and pleased that she has been chosen as CUR's president-elect,” said Pace President Marvin Krislov. “In leading undergraduate research initiatives that prioritize inclusive student access across our university, she has given new prominence and visibility to the research component of our experiential learning model. We know that engaging in academic research results in many positive outcomes for undergraduates, from increased retention to expanded career pathways, and we are delighted that she will be advancing this important work in this national leadership role.”

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, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

Photo Credit: Justin Casterline

Indianapolis, IN—The No. 3 ranked Pace University women's lacrosse team completed its historic season with a National Championship, defeating No. 1 ranked West Chester University 19-9 Sunday, May 21 to win the first title in program history. The 19 goals were the most ever scored in a DII Women's Lacrosse championship game, and the Setters are the first NCAA collegiate team in Westchester County to win a National Championship.

The Setters finished the season with a 21-2 record, winning a staggering 17 games against ranked opponents during the 2023 season, including a Golden Rams team that came into the National Championship game a perfect 22-0 on the year.

Head coach Tricia Molfetta spoke on the historic victory, saying "What you saw today, we had been doing all season. They've worked so hard for this, and even though we were beating teams by 10 goals all spring, I think there were still people that doubted us. It was fuel for us, and all we kept saying all year long, and this is something they came up with, is 'why not us'?"

She went on to talk about how much it meant to her and the team. "It's a tremendous feeling." Molfetta said. "We played West Chester in 2019 and we lost by 20 goals. To come here and play the way we did, on the road, against an undefeated team, it's remarkable."

Pace struck in the opening minute on a goal by grad student midfielder Kayla Conway (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh), and two minutes later got another from junior midfielder Angelina Porcello (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) as the Setters put up 10 goals in the first 15 minutes. Just short of the midway point of the period, the Setters scored three goals in a span of 1:19 as senior attacks Sydney Juvelier (Centereach, NY/Centereach) and Jolie Urraro (Sayville, NY/Connetquot) found the back of the net, followed by another from Conway. Pace didn't take their foot off the gas, as they later scored three in 30 seconds to extend their lead to eight. Porcello scored her second and third of the quarter, while Juvelier put in one more as well. After Conway's third of the quarter with 5:04 remaining, grad student midfielder Emma Rafferty (Bay Shore, NY/Islip) scored her first of the day with 11 seconds remaining to give Pace a double-digit lead.

Porcello picked up her fourth of the day early in the second quarter, and sophomore attack Nikki Mottes (West Islip, NY/West Islip) got in on the scoring with a goal following a West Chester penalty. Another yellow card by the Golden Rams was capitalized on by Juvelier with 9:01 left in the quarter to give the Setters a 13-0 lead. West Chester finally got on the board with 7:53 remaining, getting back-to-back goals by Keri Barnett and Lindsay Monigle. However, Pace got them right back with two goals in the final 2:01 of the quarter by Porcello and grad student midfielder Aleya Corretjer (Thiells, N.Y./North Rockland) to take a 15-2 lead into halftime.

The Golden Rams got the first goal of the third quarter as Julia Littlewood scored for West Chester, and they scored twice more during the period while holding Pace off the board. Monigle's second of the day with 12 seconds remaining made it a 15-5 game heading to the final period.

West Chester put in the first two of the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit down to eight goals with 12:19 remaining in the game. But Rafferty answered back for the Setters, picking up her second of the day with 11:16 left to extend the lead back to nine. The Golden Rams took advantage of a Pace penalty, getting a goal by Hannah Stanislawczyk to make it a 16-8 game, but Urraro found the back of the net with 7:03 to go. After another West Chester goal, Correjter scored her second of the day to give Pace a nine-goal lead. Urraro then put in the final goal of the game on a free-position attempt with 1:55 to go as the Setters took a 19-9 victory to claim the National Championship.

Pace outshout West Chester 39-18 on the day, while the Golden Rams won the ground ball battle 16-12. The Setters were dominant on draw controls, winning 23 of 30 draws. Porcello's five goals were one shy of the all-time record of six in a DII Women's Lacrosse championship game.

Speaking on the win, Corretjer said, "All season long, from the preseason in the fall, this is what we worked for." Corretjer said. "We worked every day for it, and just to get to this end goal, it feels amazing. All the work paid off."

Juvelier, Corretjer, Porcello and junior defender Alexandra Quinn (Eastport, NY/Eastport South Manor) were named to the All-Tournament Team, while Conway earned Tournament MVP honors.

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Recently, you co-published a peer-reviewed book chapter with Associate Professor Melvin Williams entitled, "Hip Hop’s White House Guest: Jack Harlow and White Rap Authenticating Strategies" in Race/Gender/Class/Media: Considering Diversity Across Audiences, Content, and Producers (5th edition). The research was a textual analysis of Harlow’s two studio albums, That’s What They All Say (2020) and Come Home the Kids Miss You (2022), and Harlow’s White rap authenticating strategies and potential social criticisms of racial injustice, Whiteness, and White privilege in rap and society.

Tell us what this research experience was like and how it was meaningful to you.

Never have I been so blessed and grateful to work with such a wonderful individual as Professor Melvin Williams. My research experience has been nothing but extraordinary, and I learned a great deal about academic research, fundamental life skills (such as decision-making, problem-solving, creative and critical thinking, self-awareness, and empathy), and how to advance my communication. It was very meaningful to me because as a student, when someone believes in you, it can be transformational. Fear dwindles, confidence climbs, and you gain the courage to set higher goals and take leaps of faith. I succeeded in collaborating through evolving ideas, dissecting data, and being involved in interpreting our discoveries. Lastly, I was granted a magnificent opportunity to travel to DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, for an academic conference to present my research to other academic scholars.

Your project received many accolades, such as the 2022-2023 Provost Student-Faculty Undergraduate Research/Creative Inquiry Award and presentation at the 2022 Midwest Popular Culture Association Conference.

What do you feel is the significance of your research and what do you hope readers will gain from it?

I hope that our research guides the reader to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between race, gender, class, media, and society through the lens of Hip-Hop. I want our readers to garner their own perspectives on the challenges that under-acknowledged communities face in the music industry and the ways that these challenges intersect with broader issues of diversity, representation, and authenticity. I believe that this research obtains important information and elaborate analyses of the ongoing discourse on social justice and equality in the music industry, and we invite readers to thoughtfully analyze these vital challenges.

How did you become interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies?

Since a young age, I’ve been fueled with a passion for media studies, and it has always been a component of my life. Naturally, I’ve developed a deep interest in the media’s antics, and I appreciate that Pace’s Communication and Media Studies department challenges its students to pursue magnificent careers. Early on, I realized that the skills obtained in communication and media studies are rich in personal development. Those we acquire are practical and applicable in real-world scenarios, such as communicating in many contexts, developing critical thinking skills, and becoming media literate consumers. At large, I am interested in how communication and media studies tackle and challenge oversimplified media concepts, and various aspects of society, including politics, culture, identity, and social issues.

Why did you choose to attend Pace?

As much as I feel like I chose Pace, I have always felt that Pace chose me! From the first time I stepped on campus, the passion and thrill that I felt have still not left. To me, Pace abounds in uplifting their students to reach remarkable achievements and acknowledging diligent individuals. It is a wonderful university located in one of the most inspiring locations in Manhattan.

What have your experiences been like with the Communication and Media Studies Department?

I thrive in the Communication and Media Studies department because they are very invested in their students. The overall culture within the department is a one-of-a-kind environment, and they give students a chance to engage in hands-on media production, research, and critical dissecting of media messages. I am very fond of the supportive faculty, and the unique array of courses they offer.

“Never have I been so blessed and grateful to work [on co-authoring a peer-reviewed book chapter] with such a wonderful individual as Professor Melvin Williams. My research experience has been nothing but extraordinary, and I learned a great deal about academic research, fundamental life skills, and how to advance my communication.”

What other activities and organizations have you been involved with as a student?

As a student, I am very glad that I became involved in organizations, and I had some of my favorite college experiences at Pace-run activities. I am a Pace Press staff writer and a member of Gamma Iota (the fraternity chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association's official honor society at four-year colleges and universities), and the National Society for Leadership and Success. In Gamma Iota, I held an executive board position, and as part of that, presented an inauguration for new members, as well as had the privilege to co-host a Q&A with Marielle Segarra, an award-winning podcast host of NPR’s Life Kit. I was also a student representative for new hires in the Communication and Media Studies department.

As a first-generation, Latino undergraduate college student, tell us of any challenges you have overcome in your personal and/or academic journey that you are proud of, and would like to share.

I have encountered many challenges that I am glad to have surpassed. Without guidance of family members and others who had gone through the educational system, I had a very individualized experience in navigating the complexities of college. Similarly, I overcame other issues such as networking, and how to thrive as a self-reliant individual in a metropolis. One of my greatest accomplishments is creating a standard for my nieces and nephews in Pennsylvania to follow and assisting them in pursuing college.

What would you like to do upon graduation/what are your career goals?

Upon graduation, I am very enthused to jumpstart a career in the communication and media studies industry. My favorite areas of interest include media production, journalism, public relations, research and analysis, and event planning. I am still deciding and applying to jobs, but I know that I am interested in the production side of the industry, and I aspire to work in television, film, radio, digital media, or content creation.

What advice would you like to give to our current students?

“Eat your rice.” If I must elaborate, sometimes in life, the glamour and glory must remain hidden and disguised for you to remain steadfast and enthusiastic in your pursuit of greater achievements. If you are captivated by superficial beauties and distractions, growth is hindered, causing you to lose track of why you started in the first place. Eat your rice. Simplicity is powerful. Instead of dwelling on the reasons behind your problems, focus on seeking solutions to overcome them.

A number of Dyson students in the STEM disciplines earned accolades at research conferences this spring, highlighting their impressive faculty-sponsored work.

NEURON Conference

Emma Brown ’23, Behavioral Neuroscience, won best poster at the NEURON (Northeast Under/graduate Research Organization for Neuroscience) Conference, hosted by Quinnipiac University. In her category, Brown was competing against 54 other students from prestigious universities throughout the northeast.

Eastern Colleges Science Conference

Eight students from biology, chemistry, behavioral neuroscience, and forensic science—accompanied by Associate Professor of Biology Daniel Strahs, PhD, and Assistant Professor of Biology Wei Fang, PhD—attended the 2023 Eastern Colleges Science Conference at Sacred Heart University.

Noor Aayla ’23, Behavioral Neuroscience, received the Chemistry Poster Presentation Award for her work with Strahs: "A Method to Analyze Eletctrostatic Interactions Between Ethacridine and Topoisomerase IA in E. coli."

Denia Diaz ’23, Biology, and Anastaiia Kirdiianova ’26, Behavioral Neuroscience, who both conducted research with Jeanmaire Molina, PhD, received the Ecology Poster Presentation Award for their poster "A Symbiotic Trifecta: The world's Largest Parasitic Flowers, Their Host Plant, and the Microbes that Live Within."

Northeast National History Conference

Emily Schmidt ’23, MS Environmental Science and Policy, took second place in the graduate student category at the Northeast Natural History Conference in Burlington, Vermont, for her poster titled “Are Human Perceptions of the Environment Consistent with Ecological Data? A Study of User’s Opinions and Water Quality in the Pocantico River, Westchester County, NY.” Her research was a collaborative project with Clinical Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Michael Rubbo, PhD, and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Anne Toomey, PhD.