Google Pier 57 was recently full of energy as over 500 tech enthusiasts gathered for GDG DevFest NYC 2024, an event dedicated to exploring “Responsible AI for the Future of Tech.” Among the organizing team was Seidenberg Professor, Associate Dean, and Co-Director of the Pace AI Lab, Dr. Christelle Scharff, who collaborated with Google Developer Groups (GDG) over two months to curate a compelling agenda featuring Googlers and industry professionals.

The festival, organized by Google Developer Group NYC lead Anna Nerozova, highlighted robust ties between Pace University and the tech community. More than 50 Pace students attended, underscoring the university's and Seidenberg’s commitment to experiential learning and industry engagement. Notable moments included a keynote about responsible AI from Seidenberg Advisory Board member and Pace University Board of Trustees member Peta-Gay Clarke, who serves as the Global Community Programs Lead at Google. Dr. Scharff had the honor of introducing Clarke, while she also delivered an insightful lightning talk, “From Pixels to Fashion,” on her own research into AI and fashion, sparking conversations with students from Pace and beyond, including peers from NYU and Stevens Institute.

Seidenberg’s Lauren DeMaio, an MS in Computer Science student and leader of the Google Developer Student Club at Pace, introduced two of the event's speakers, further showing her dedication to bridging academic learning with industry practice. Seidenberg alum Bhavik Chopra, now a Data Analyst at Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was also heavily involved in organizing the event.

Reflecting on the event, Dr. Scharff shared that she was honored to be at the event among so many peers and students, and that “the collaboration and enthusiasm at GDG DevFest NYC reflect the dynamic future of AI and its role in shaping technology responsibly.”

GDG DevFest NYC exemplified the power of partnerships, knowledge-sharing, and hands-on learning. Seidenberg's presence not only highlighted the school’s leadership in tech education but also inspired students to actively engage in shaping the tech of tomorrow.

For more on Seidenberg's involvement in groundbreaking tech events, visit GDG DevFest NYC 2024.

Three-year project will explore themes of resilience, decolonization, and cultural ecologies

Pace University was recently awarded $476,000 from the Mellon Foundation to support a three-year interdisciplinary initiative, Islands, Archipelagos, and Cultural Ecologies. The project will advance environmental justice and the environmental humanities at Pace, building on the university’s strengths in experiential learning and place-based education.

The initiative will focus on developing an institutional identity for Pace’s lower Manhattan location as an island campus in New York City while connecting with other archipelagos in relationship with the United States. Through comparative studies of the islands of New York with the US legacy in the Marshall Islands and the territory of the US Virgin Islands the program will explore themes of vulnerability, responsibility, resilience, and decolonization.

“This grant provides an extraordinary opportunity for Pace University to deepen its leadership in environmental justice and interdisciplinary scholarship,” said Pace University President Marvin Krislov. “The Mellon Foundation’s support will enable us to harness the collective expertise of our faculty and students, bridging the humanities and environmental sciences to address urgent local and global issues.”

Led by a team of Pace faculty, the initiative includes Erica Johnson PhD, associate chairperson and professor of English; Emily Welty PhD, department chairperson and associate professor of the Peace and Justice Studies program; Matthew Bolton PhD, Political Science professor; Melanie DuPuis PhD, Environmental Studies and Science emeritus professor; and Katrina Fischer Kuh, Haub Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law.

“The Mellon Foundation grant underscores the humanities’ essential role in addressing critical global challenges,” said Tresmaine R. Grimes, Ph.D., dean of the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education. “This initiative highlights Pace’s leadership in experiential humanities, empowering students to explore resilience, decolonization, and cultural ecologies through innovative, place-based learning.”

The project is motivated by Pace’s recent participation in the Climate Exchange, a multi-institution initiative addressing climate challenges, and faculty research in environmental law, justice, and humanities. It will support activities such as faculty-mentored student research, curriculum development, and public engagement projects to address issues like waterfront planning, cultural production, and nuclear justice.

“The Elisabeth Haub School of Law has long been a leader in environmental law and justice,” said Horace Anderson Jr., J.D., dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “This initiative builds on our expertise in addressing the complex relationships between law, policy, and the environment, and it offers an unparalleled opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration.”

“These themes—climate justice, creative interventions, and decolonization—reflect the core strengths of our faculty and the mission of Pace University,” said Johnson. “This initiative will amplify Pace’s role as a leader in environmental humanities and justice.”

The initiative aligns with Pace University’s commitment to experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration, creating opportunities for students and faculty to explore pressing global challenges while contributing to local communities.

About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive.

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.

Team secures honorable mention as national finalists, competing among elite institutions.

Pace University’s Federal Reserve Challenge Team continues its legacy of excellence, winning the 2024 New York Regional College Federal Reserve Challenge competition and ranking in the top five nationally out of 119 participating institutions— the largest in the competition’s history. The team also received an honorable mention as national finalists, competing against prestigious schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Michigan.

The Federal Reserve Challenge is a premier academic competition where college teams analyze current economic conditions and propose monetary policy solutions to Federal Reserve officials. Pace’s team distinguished themselves with their outstanding economic analysis and policy formulation, defeating top regional schools such as New York University, Columbia University, Rutgers University, and Baruch College to claim the regional title. In the semifinals, they surpassed SUNY Oneonta and Manhattan University, advancing to the national stage where they competed against the nation’s top institutions.

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“This team exemplifies the value of experiential learning at Pace,” said Anna Shostya, PhD, chair of the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences’ economics department. “Their success in the regional competition and recognition at the national level highlight their dedication, preparation and the support of our faculty and alumni.”

Led by co-captains economics major Liam Chentoufi ’25, and Suraj Sharma ’25/’26, pursuing a combined Business Economics/MS in Applied Quantitative Economic Analysis and Policy, the team included undergraduate and accelerated degree students:

• Justin Boudreau ’25 (Computer Science, Economics)
• Brooklyn Bynum ’26 (Business Economics/MS Applied Quantitative Economic Analysis and Policy)
• Gunnar Freeman ’26 (Computational Economics)
• Shaniah James ’26 (Economics/MS Applied Quantitative Economic Analysis and Policy)
• Grace McGrath ’26 (Economics/MS Applied Quantitative Economic Analysis and Policy)
• Kristina Nasteva ’26 (Business Economics)
• Harvey Nguyen ’26 (Economics/MS Applied Quantitative Economic Analysis and Policy)
• Giancarlo Raspanti ’26 (Business Economics/MS Applied Quantitative Economic Analysis and Policy)
• Viktoriia Yevtushenko ’25 (Business Economics)

Chentoufi reflected on the transformative impact of the competition. “The Fed Challenge hones students' abilities to parse incoming, and sometimes contradictory, data while teaching them how to communicate economic stories effectively,” he said. “It's hard to imagine how different life would be if I hadn't found the Fed Team. Participating in the Challenge and learning under the economics department has impacted my life in more ways than I can fathom, and I am forever indebted to those who have made this possible.”

Sharma emphasized the program’s career benefits, noting, "The Pace Fed Team is a direct gateway to understanding how central bank policy shapes economies and unlocks prestigious opportunities on Wall Street and beyond. The Team's near-perfect track record is proof of this; every member has either secured an internship or is actively interviewing—a testament to the program's impact. The mentorship from advisors and alumni, and the privilege to lead such a hardworking group, fulfills the promise of opportunity Pace guaranteed us years ago."

The team was coached by professor Gregory Colman, PhD, professor of economics, and Mark Weinstock, CBE, clinical associate professor of economics.

“I am incredibly proud of this team,” said Colman. “Their dedication, resilience and ability to address complex economic challenges are a testament to their hard work and the strength of our program.”

“The students demonstrated an impressive understanding of monetary policy and the U.S. economy,” added Weinstock. “Their commitment and preparation for the competition’s challenging Q&A section were especially remarkable.”

The College Federal Reserve Challenge highlights Pace’s commitment to experiential learning. Many alumni who participated in the competition have gone on to secure prestigious internships and employment opportunities due to their experience at the award-winning competition. In fact, these alumni often return to mentor current teams, fostering a cycle of student success and career readiness.

In recognition of Pace University‘s consistent performance and success in the College Federal Reserve Challenge, John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, has accepted an invitation from the Fed team captains to speak at the Pace Economics Society and Women in Economics student organizations in February 2025. This follows their October event featuring renowned labor economist Daniel Hamermesh on Pace’s New York City campus.

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.

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.