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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ���ҹ����� is pleased to announce that the 2023 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy will be jointly awarded to Ambassador Marja Lehto of Finland and former Ambassador Marie Jacobsson of Sweden for their pivotal roles advancing environmental law and policy to protect the environment in times of armed conflicts.

Ambassador Lehto is Senior Expert on Public International Law for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and, until recently, Ambassador Jacobsson served as Principal Legal Advisor on International Law, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. While Members of the UN International Law Commission (ILC), both served successively as Special Rapporteur for the topic of the “Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflict.” In this role they worked tirelessly for a decade to develop the and then skillfully led the adoption of the draft principles by the ILC and their acceptance by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022.

The principles lay out the urgent need and common objectives to reinforce and advance the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of the environment for present and future generations, specifically with respect to the protection of the environment before, during or after an armed conflict, including in situations of occupation. Remarkably, over the years, more than 60 States engaged with the topic, offering support and observations as did international governmental and Non-Governmental organizations.

“We are honored to recognize two exemplary women for their groundbreaking work and leadership developing principles that will guide and protect the future of our planet,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Haub Law Dean and President of the Haub Award Jury. “The Elisabeth Haub School of Law’s No. 1 ranked environmental law program is committed to advancing the rule of environmental law across the globe and to developing the skill, knowledge, commitment and passion for the cause that both Ambassador Lehto and Ambassador Jacobsson so admirably demonstrate.”

The prestigious Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy was established in 1997 by the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ���ҹ�����, in cooperation with the Haub Family, to honor the legacy of Elisabeth Haub (1899–1977), a noted philanthropist and advocate for strong laws for the conservation of nature. The award was first established to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the United Nations Stockholm Conference and the 5^th anniversary of the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit and is considered the world’s most distinguished award in the field of environmental law. Chosen annually by an esteemed jury, the award recognizes the innovation, skill, and accomplishments of lawyers, diplomats, international civil servants and other advocates who work to create the world environmental order.

“Through the prestigious Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy we aim to recognize the tireless efforts of two bold women whose leadership, insight, and commitment are making a difference in our fight to create a more sustainable world,” said ���ҹ����� Trustee Liliane A. Haub. “The importance of protecting the natural environment and its vital resources during and after armed conflicts has becoming increasingly important, and their work will have an important impact on our humanity, especially for those whose countries are in disarray.”

“The principles respond to a long-time quest for a consolidated legal framework for the protection of the environment in armed conflicts. Their temporal scope derives from the recognition that to be effective, protection of the environment has to be continuous: before, during and after armed conflict,” said Ambassador Marja Lehto. “The conferment of the prestigious Elisabeth Haub Award to this work amplifies the message that the environment is no more a silent casualty of war.”

“The war on aggression against Ukraine has clearly demonstrated the need and complexity in managing environmental challenges in times of an armed conflict. Such challenges do not stop when a war is over. The principles clearly show that post-conflict rebuilding and repairing cannot be left to a war-torn State, but require cooperation of the international community”, added Ambassador Marie Jacobsson. “The Elisabeth Haub Award illustrates the necessity of post-conflict environmental peace-building.”

The ceremony for the 2023 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy honoring Ambassador Marja Lehto and Ambassador Marie Jacobsson will take place on Monday, October 23 at 4:00 p.m. EST and be broadcast virtually.

Incoming Class Represents an 8% Increase in First-Generation Student Applications

With a cheer squad, acapella singers, and faculty and staff enthusiastically welcoming the incoming class, ���ҹ����� on Tuesday hosted Convocation on two of its campuses: New York City and Pleasantville in Westchester County.

The energy and excitement on campus was evident as the ���ҹ����� community celebrated the arrival of nearly 2,404 new and transfer students hailing from 48 states and 98 countries from around the world. Notably, there was an increase in first-generation students – those who are the first in their families to attend college – that coincided with an 8% increase in applications from first-generation students.

Convocation is one of the celebrated traditions for incoming students as it sets the academic tone for their years to come; it was followed by an after-party complete with games, food, a DJ, and dance music.

During the program, ���ҹ����� President Marvin Krislov, Provost Joseph R. Franco, Associate Provost for Student Success Hillary Knepper, and Chief Diversity Officer Stephanie Akunvabey provided a warm welcome to the diverse group of students in attendance.

“I am thrilled to embark on my journey at ���ҹ����� in the heart of New York City as an international student from India,” said Garima Gandhi ’27, a Biology major. “The bustling streets, diverse cultures, and endless opportunities that the city offers have always held a magnetic appeal to me. Joining ���ҹ����� is not just about pursuing an education, it's about immersing myself in a global community, where I can learn and make lifelong connections.”

President Krislov spoke to students about how it is incumbent to understand the real gift is learning and education, and the wonderful opportunities ���ҹ����� provides to confront new ideas and engage with them.

“As you start your ���ҹ����� career, I want you to always remember how many opportunities there are all around you,” President Krislov said in his remarks to students. “I want you to try new things. Join new student organizations. Meet new people. Give yourselves reasons to go out, to explore, to pause Netflix and shut your laptops. That is all part of your ���ҹ����� Path.”

NYC Student Government President Aman Islam encouraged the incoming class to get involved and seize every opportunity available to them as ���ҹ�����’s respective classrooms extend far beyond campus.

“Go to a march, get involved in your new community, sit in on a city council meeting, ask questions to your local leaders, explain your opinion, and listen to others,” Islam said, encouraging incoming students to get involved in advocacy. “Remember that people our age sparked some of the biggest changes in the world through protest, voting, and hard choices…what will the legacy of our generation be? I am constantly trying show people around me how important it is to be an advocate for yourself and others.”

Pleasantville’s Student Government President Nicholas Diaz spoke to students about the importance of having a supportive community when confronted with life’s challenges.

"In only the year that I have been at ���ҹ�����, I have seen how close of a unit the ���ҹ����� community is and how we thrive off support,” he said. “As I talk about support and encouragement, I remember a time where that’s all I needed. On January 6, 2023, my grandmother lost her battle against cancer and my whole world had come crashing down. With the semester about to commence in the next 2 weeks, I contemplated taking a semester off because I felt that there was no way I could do it without her. I received so much love and support from my professors and peers and even students I had not known at the time. That’s the moment I realized ���ҹ����� was more than just a school, but we were a family.”

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About ���ҹ�����

Since 1906, ���ҹ����� has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, ���ҹ����� 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.

Welcome to the new academic year at ���ҹ�����, and welcome to the start of our exciting future.

There are big changes at all three of our campuses, starting with our physical plant. At the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, we spent the summer completing some much-needed infrastructure and security improvements. On the Pleasantville Campus, we opened new lab spaces for Dyson College and the Seidenberg School that will keep our students on the cutting edge of important and growing fields like environmental science and cybersecurity. And of course, in New York City we opened our brand-new 26-story campus center at 15 Beekman, which includes a new residence hall, new common spaces and gathering spaces, modern new dining facilities and a modern new library, and a dedicated new home for the Seidenberg School—plus, I must say, some truly stunning views over Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New York Harbor.

I enjoyed welcoming our incoming first-year and transfer students at Convocation ceremonies in New York City and Pleasantville yesterday, and I’m looking forward to connecting with many more of you at events scheduled over the next few weeks. For new students, I’ll be popping into Weeks of Welcome events as often as my schedule permits.

I hope to see all of you—students, faculty, and staff—at the Back-to-School welcome events that Provost Joe Franco and I will be hosting on September 12 in Pleasantville and >September 13 in NYC. I’ll be joining the Dean’s Welcome Back BBQ at Haub Law tomorrow afternoon. And I can’t wait to cheer for our ���ҹ����� Setters football team, and during halftime celebrate our national champion women’s lacrosse team, at our in Pleasantville this Saturday. If you’re able to see it, on Saturday night, September 9, the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in Westchester will be illuminated in ���ҹ����� blue and gold to celebrate our women’s lacrosse champions.

Finally, mark your calendars for the official ribbon-cutting for 15 Beekman on October 11. And maybe if you have a chance, say a quick goodbye to the east side of One ���ҹ����� Plaza. Demolition work for the renovation starts any day—and the architects’ latest conceptual plans for the new public spaces (there will also be a transformed residence hall in the tower) look fantastic.

It’s going to be a great year.

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Joe Treviño

Class of 2015

Master of Science in Forensic Science

Joe Treviño is a criminalist with the New York City Police Department with a decade of experience in forensic intelligence, crime scene and medicolegal death investigation, and working in a law enforcement environment, in addition to pursuing a doctorate in forensic science at Oklahoma State University.

This past July, Treviño was selected from a competitive group of applicants as a 2023 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholar, through which he will conduct research and apply evidence-based practices to criminal justice.

How is this meaningful to you and what do you hope to achieve as part of this program?

This program represents the culmination of my skills and experiences as well as a look into the future. My selection is the type of milestone I always thought people with more experience than I received, but someone saw the spark and potential in me. I am extremely excited to meet like-minded individuals and researchers with whom I can exchange ideas, form friendships, and collaborate.

How did you become interested in your work and get started in your career?

As a child, I would marathon-watch the early true crime shows with my mom (I was hooked on Forensic Files) and wanted to be a forensic chemist, so I went on to pursue a bachelor’s in forensic chemistry at Sam Houston State University in my home state of Texas. Upon graduation, I didn’t feel that I was ready to enter the job market, so I enrolled in the Master of Science in Forensic Science at ���ҹ�����, returning home for my required internship as a death investigations intern at the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office in San Antonio. After receiving my master’s degree, I applied to laboratory and field investigations jobs, and started my career at the Garland Police Department, also in Texas, as a forensic investigator.

I was very much drawn to the flexibility of the Master of Science in Forensic Science program at ���ҹ�����. The networking and career opportunities in the New York City area were also an attraction, and I felt that being in this location would be a contributing factor to my success.

What attracted you to pursue the master’s degree at ���ҹ�����?

At the time, forensic science programs were going through a bit of a transformation and the big question was whether you chose a program that had specializations and tracks or one that was more customizable. I was very much drawn to the flexibility of the program at ���ҹ�����. The networking and career opportunities in the New York City area were also an attraction, and I felt that being in this location would be a contributing factor to my success.

How were Dyson faculty or other members of the ���ҹ����� community instrumental in your personal and/or professional journey?

Professor Peter Pizzola, PhD, was instrumental in establishing our sense of purpose and service to the public, which is hard to teach and easy to overlook, so I appreciate being guided through that process through his lectures and experiences. Professor Zhaohua Dai, PhD, the director of the forensic science program, was also an important mentor to me; he maintained contact after I graduated and invited me back as a guest lecturer, which began my path in academia and as an adjunct faculty in the program. I am tremendously grateful to both of them.

What challenges have you faced that you overcame and are proud of, and can share?

One of the first barriers I faced was financial. As a first-generation, Hispanic American student, my hope for an education was in scholarships and grants. Thanks to my mom’s unwavering support and relentless stewardship while I was in school, I received a full academic scholarship to any college of my choosing through the Gates Millennium Scholarship. College was an uneasy battle, with the hopes and dreams of my family and the burden of not being allowed to fail. I had stumbles, as any student would, but I recovered quickly.

What advice would you give to our students, as they navigate their college life?

Society already puts so much pressure on you to figure out your life. Don’t increase it by being hard on yourself. You are allowed to have no answers by the time you finish school. You are allowed to figure it out later. You are allowed to fail. You are allowed to struggle. You are allowed to be you. If you are concerned with not knowing something well enough or need help with a subject, reach out to your professors or advisors.

Another year means a new executive board for our New York City and Pleasantville Student Government Associations. Incumbent president for the NYC Campus Aman Islam ’24, is joined by his Pleasantville Campus counterpart Nicholas Diaz ’26 in sharing their hopes, dreams, and goals for the coming school year.

First things first, what’s your major?

Aman: Political Science.

Nicholas: Digital Journalism.

How did you get involved in student government?

Aman: The Student Government Association was the first organization I joined on campus when I entered the ���ҹ����� Community in Fall 2020 during the height of COVID. SGA to me was a great organization to join, mainly because I was heavily involved in Student Government in high school. I simply joined the first Zoom meeting, and the rest was history!

Nicholas: Throughout my entire four years in high school, I was heavily involved in student government and I knew that I wanted to continue that in college. Coming into ���ҹ�����, a predominantly white institution, I knew that I wanted to positively impact all the communities I represent, and there was no better way than SGA. I submitted my application with my fingers crossed and now the rest is history.

How can the ���ҹ����� Community interact with SGA and get more involved?

Aman: I think it is imperative for all students to get involved with the SGA because we are here to represent them! When we get feedback from the student body, we can then rely on that information to get an issue resolved. This is extremely important as our campus is currently experiencing a major expansion and construction is set to begin. We are here to ensure administrators have a sense on how the student body is feeling and what they can do to help. Also, SGA is here to support other student organizations. We want to collaborate with every organization!

Nicholas: One of the biggest things we want to make clear and known to the ���ҹ����� Community is our open door policy. If you see any of us in our office, please don’t hesitate to come in and say hello! We want to curate a space where students feel comfortable enough to express their thoughts, concerns, and feelings. We also are implementing a suggestion box that is located right outside of the office, so if you aren’t comfortable enough to express yourself person to person, you can also drop it in the box which is monitored weekly! Our Instagram is also updated regularly with current information so If you haven’t already, follow us!

What plans does SGA have for the year? Any projects/initiatives high on your radar?

Aman: This year we want to focus our attention on organization collaboration! We want to put on major programming events, ensure the transition to 15 Beekman is smooth, and make sure our 2024 seniors have the best experience possible considering the lack of senior year excitement in high school due to COVID!

Nicholas: SGA has a lot of plans that we are excited to make a reality for the year. We are super excited to implement a pep rally to show support for our Athletes and Spirit Squads! We also plan to host a fashion show to celebrate our creatives and artists on campus. We also have career and interest oriented opportunities planned for students. The biggest thing we have planned is to bring back our spring concert and hopefully bring another musical artist to campus!

What are you most excited for?

Aman: Our Fall Carnival which is scheduled for September 8th! We’ll have carnival-style games, food, face painting, music and more! to stay up to date or to volunteer.

Nicholas: I am so excited to see all the things SGA accomplish this year! I have such a good team who are ready to get things done and are all super eager to get to work and do wonderful things for our ���ҹ����� Community so I know the sky’s the limit on everything we will do! I truly feel that I was put on this earth to help people so to be able to work closely with the community truly fills my heart!

A fun fact about yourself!

Aman: I just came back from a month-long trip across Europe, and it was the greatest experience of my life thus far.

Nicholas: I love to dance and have been dancing since I was two years old!

To learn more or get in contact with Student Government Association on New York City’s Campus email them at sganycpresident@pace.edu or sganyc@pace.edu and .

To learn more or get in contact with Pleasantville’s Student Government Association email them at sgapresident@pace.edu and .

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Clinical Assistant Professor of Writing and Cultural Studies Vyshali Manivannan, PhD, has earned several impressive accolades in recent months.

First, Manivannan was recognized with the Distinguished Scholarly Achievement Award, regarded as the School of Graduate Studies at Rutgers’s most prestigious honor, awarded to the student who “demonstrates the highest possible level of academic excellence and achievement” in scholarship and research. Manivannan received the award in May 2023 after graduating with a PhD in communication, information, and media.

This summer, Manivannan received three awards, which were announced at the 2023 Computers and Writing Conference. She was named an honorable mention for the 2023 Kairos Best Webtext Award for published in Spark: A 4C4Equality Journal. The work is a choice-based interactive nonfiction game allowing the user to navigate the experience of a chronically ill queer woman receiving emergency medical care.

Manivannan was also honored with the 2022–2023 Computers and Composition Michelle Kendrick Award for Outstanding Digital Production/Scholarship for her co-edited special issue on "Carework and Writing During COVID," and , published in the Journal of Multimodal Rhetorics.

In addition, Manivannan also received the 2023 Technology Innovator Award, given by the (7Cs), which recognizes long-term, innovative contributions to the computers and writing community that push the field regarding excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, and call our assumptions into question.

A thought leader committed to creating and sustaining a welcoming and just campus climate for the ���ҹ����� community

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Stephanie Akunvabey, a native New Yorker who has dedicated her career in higher education to championing issues relating to equity and inclusion, has been named ���ҹ�����’s new associate vice president for diversity and inclusion and its chief diversity officer.

Akunvabey, Ed.D., joins ���ҹ����� after holding leadership roles at colleges and universities throughout the region. Most recently, she served in a similar role at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island where she provided strategic leadership and developed policies and practices that support an anti-racist, diverse and equitable community across the university’s campuses in Bristol and Providence.

In making the announcement, ���ҹ����� President Marvin Krislov praised Akunvabey’s experience in the field and her understanding of the university’s mission of Opportunitas, or creating opportunities for students, particularly those who are the first in their families to attend college.

“Stephanie is a talented leader with deep experience in the DEI space,” said Krislov. “���ҹ����� is committed to providing transformative experiences for our diverse student body, and we’re pleased that we’ll be able to benefit from her insights and expertise. We’re excited to welcome her back to her hometown of New York and into our ���ҹ����� Community.”

As chief diversity officer, Akunvabey will lead a division that is committed to creating and sustaining a welcoming and just campus climate for all members of ���ҹ����� through inclusive policies, practices, and programming for the University and its three campuses -- in New York City, Pleasantville, and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains.

As leader of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, she oversees the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX Compliance; Office of Sexual and Interpersonal Wellness; and Office of Multicultural Affairs. Akunvabey will also provide thought-leadership and oversight at The Barry M. and Jackie Gosin Center for Equity and Inclusion, which in 2021 was established to support ongoing efforts at ���ҹ����� in anti-racism and equity, expand work to elevate job placement and entrepreneurship among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, and enhance academic scholarship in these areas.

During her tenure in higher education, Akunvabey has held a number of leadership roles. While at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, she served as interim assistant dean of academic affairs where she helped develop the college’s equity plan and classroom equity efforts, enabling Kingsborough to participate in Achieving the Dream and USC Race and Equity Center’s Racial Equity Leadership Academy. Akunvabey also led campus dialogues and workshops to address social justice, civic engagement, and equity issues.

Akunvabey has an Ed.D. in Higher and Postsecondary Education, an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Personnel Administration from New York University, and a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology and Africana Studies from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. She has conducted research on college access for Black and Latino youth in America, on access and inclusion issues in higher education in India and Israel, and on educational equity for young girls in South Africa.

“I’m excited to return home to New York and to join ���ҹ����� in its mission of preparing students to be tomorrow's leaders and changemakers,” said Akunvabey. “I’m also eager to build on the strong foundation at an institution that truly exemplifies diversity and is committed to fairness, equity, and inclusion for all of its students.”

About ���ҹ�����

Since 1906, ���ҹ����� has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York, ���ҹ����� 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.

Generative artificial intelligence isn’t new, but it’s certainly having its time to shine. With the release of public models such as Chat-GPT, AI is at the fingertips of anyone with an internet connection. Students in the field are getting to dive deeper and expand what we know of its capabilities. This is happening in the form of research, start-ups, and hackathons, such as the Inclusive Hackathon, sponsored by Digital Page and , in which ���ҹ����� students took home the win.

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Darsh Joshi ’24 is pursuing his and was on the winning team. This hackathon was somewhat out of the norm. Usually, hackathons last a few days, but the more intensive ones may take a week. “But this was an exceptional hackathon,” Darsh says. “It lasted for five long weeks. The extended length's purpose was to learn generative AI from the basics first.”

He explains that companies like Capgemini have noted the boom in generative AI and are seeking to find practical applications for it within their companies to implement solutions to long-standing problems. They want to know how participants’ solution with the use of generative AI can help automate data analysis and record keeping to improve efficiency.

That was what Darsh’s team was tasked with figuring out.

Their team was first given the option to either tackle an generative AI problem or an ESG problem, a movement focused on the intersection of good business with positive environmental impact. They chose to tackle generative AI.

For those of us in the crowd who don’t understand the ins and outs of AI, Darsh breaks it down into what this means practically for a company. “In finance, there’s lots of data. Companies use this data to generate reports, process the data, and come up with an outcome,” he says. “They wanted us to create something where the company’s internal employees can directly upload a document into that website or web application and get any insights, they want just by querying the document like casual users do when they use Chat-GPT.”

This kind of functionality has obvious benefits for any company, reducing time spent analyzing data and (hopefully) reducing human error. Darsh further explains the importance of why these companies are looking for internal solutions, rather than utilizing open-source AI tools: privacy. This understanding is a large part of why Darsh’s team stood out to the judges and ultimately won.

If I want any resources ���ҹ�����, has it. If I want to upskill myself, ���ҹ����� has it.

“We introduced a security feature which could encrypt important information that is only stored within the company, and then decrypt that information when it comes back with a response,” Darsh says. “We introduced this data security and governance feature into our solution, and it led us to our victory.”

Their team, consisting of ���ҹ����� students ’24, ’24, and ’24, divided the work, conceptualized their idea, fine-tuned their model, and provided a solution that impressed the judges and helped expand their knowledge on working with these new models of generative AI.

Post-hackathon wins, Darsh is still steeped in AI work. He’s currently an AI and Machine Learning intern for Advance Dental Care of Vernon, where he’s helping create an internal AI model of cognitive document processing, allowing the staff there to better keep track of customer data and other business-related reporting. He also works for the Computational Intelligence Lab and runs the Data Sciences Club right here at ���ҹ�����. “We are doing amazing things,” he says. “We’re working on a couple of collaborations. We have a team of people working on events, social media, and web content.”

Students who want to be on the frontier of AI innovation can find those opportunities here at ���ҹ�����, whether at the Computational Intelligence Lab or learning from faculty exploring the technology. “If I want any resources ���ҹ�����, has it,” says Darsh. “If I want to upskill myself, ���ҹ����� has it.”

Get involved with ���ҹ�����’s Data Sciences Club and pick up new skills at the Computational Intelligence Lab.