Katrina Fischer Kuh, JD (Elisabeth Hub School of Law) teaches and studies environmental and climate change law and in June 2025 she assumed the role of Faculty Director of Pace Environmental Law Programs. She co-edited and authored a chapter in the book Adapting to High-Level Warming: Law, Governance, and Equity (2024) in which environmental law scholars contemplate how law should prepare for and respond to warming well beyond 2 degrees Celsius. She also advocates for constitutional environmental rights, serving as Chair of the New York State Bar Association Environmental and Energy Law Taskforce on the Environmental Aspects of New York State's Constitution. Since New Yorkers voted to enshrine environmental rights as Article I, section 19 of the Bill of Rights, she has worked to support the robust interpretation and implementation of those rights, including publishing the article “New York's Constitutional Guarantee of Environmental Rights,” N.Y.U. J. Legis. & Pub. (2025) with Pace | Haub Law colleague Nicholas R. Robinson, JD and attorney Scott Fein, JD. The article was cited extensively in a July 2025 New York Supreme Court decision interpreting Article I, section 19, Friends of Fort Greene Park v. New York City Parks and Recreation Department. That decision and others applying New York's environmental rights can be found on Pace's Enviromental Rights Repository, established and maintained by Professor Kuh and her colleagues in the Pace | Haub Environmental Law Program.

Youngsoo Shin, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Seidenberg School of CSIS at Pace. Trained in Human Behavior and Design at Cornell, Professor Shin brings an interdisciplinary background that bridges cognitive science, design, and computing. His research focuses on Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and Human-centered AI (HCAI), with particular attention to how technology can be designed to enhance—not erode—human well-being.

In 2025, Prof. Shin has published three notable papers that showcase his vision. “Toward Personalized AI-Powered Recommender Systems to Support Users’ Daily Music Choice Experiences,” International Journal of Human–Computer Studies 23 (Sept. 2025), examines how recommender systems can adapt to individual personality and contextual needs in music consumption. His article “Smart Parenting, Smarter Planet: Designing Human-Centered IoT Solutions for Eco-Friendly Motherhood,” International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction (August 2025), explores how Internet-of-Things solutions can support sustainable parenting practices while maintaining usability. A third publication “Toward Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence for Users’ Digital Well-Being,” JMIR Human Factors (September 2025), synthesizes over 200 studies to propose a unifying framework for designing AI systems that safeguard digital well-being. Notably, two of these three papers appeared in top-tier, Q1 journals within the human–computer interaction field, underscoring both the scholarly quality and disciplinary impact of his work.

Taken together, these works illustrate Prof. Shin’s commitment to advancing technology that empowers rather than overwhelms. At Pace, he continues to expand this human-centered agenda through both teaching and research, preparing students to think critically about the ethical, social, and psychological dimensions of emerging technologies.

Catalina Florina Florescu’s, PhD paper version of Female Playwrights and Applied Intersectionality in Romanian Theater was published in May 2025 (Routledge). The book is a necessary researched project to promote the work and enhance the visibility of Romanian born female playwrights. Furthermore, it is an applied pedagogical version of a concept that sophisticated and has ever since ('89) improved how we understand discrimination through intersectionality.

It was reviewed in the prestigious "World Literature Today," as well as recently in Plays International and Europe.

This past summer, Professor Florescu was interviewed by the National Romanian TV (in Romanian), as well as by the National Radio station and press. While visiting her country of birth, Prof. Florescu was also a guest speaker at the University of Bucharest as well as UNATC.

Female Playwrights and Applied Intersectionality in Romanian Theater will also be added as part of the required texts for Prof. Florescu’s recently developed course about the very complex literatures from Eastern Europe, "LIT 213E Topic: Eastern European Literature in 20th-21st Centuries."

Catalina Florina Florescu, PhD, is a Romanian born American scholar, educator, and mother. She earned her doctoral degree with a focus on Medical Humanities from Purdue University. Out of her many academic and creative publications, she is very proud of her one-of-a-kind Staging Breast Cancer Trilogy and a book on applied intersectionality, titled Female Playwrights and Applied Intersectionality in Romanian Theater. She hopes to continue to enrich her students' lives and make them more connected with their complex body literacy.

Pace University’s PhD in Nursing Program:

Advancing the Future of Nursing Science

Offered through the College of Health Professions’ Lienhard School of Nursing, Pace University’s PhD in Nursing program stands as the only doctoral nursing program in the mid-Hudson region—an exceptional opportunity for nurses seeking to lead, innovate, and transform healthcare.

Graduates of this rigorous program emerge as trailblazers in nursing science, shaping the future of the profession through groundbreaking research, academic leadership, and the education of tomorrow’s nurses. The curriculum is designed to cultivate diverse nurse scientists who conduct and disseminate independent research aimed at improving health outcomes, particularly for underserved and marginalized populations.

Key features of the program include:

• Individualized Learning Paths: Offered in both full-time and part-time formats, the program is tailored to meet each student’s professional goals and personal needs.

• Robust Academic Framework: Students complete a minimum of 45 credits plus a dissertation. Courses are delivered on campus one day per week using a cohort model that fosters collaboration, mentorship, and peer support.

• Research-Driven Curriculum: Coursework emphasizes scientific inquiry, research design and methods, grant writing, statistics, teaching and learning, and dissertation development.

• Clinical Research Practicum: Each student partners with an accomplished nurse scientist in a clinical setting to gain hands-on experience and refine their research focus.

• Expert Faculty: All courses are taught by full-time PhD faculty with active, funded research programs and deep roots in clinical practice.

• Practicing Nurse Scholars: Every student in the program is a licensed Registered Nurse, with most serving in advanced practice or leadership roles across the region’s healthcare systems.

• Since its inception in 2017, the program has conferred 24 PhD degrees, contributing a growing cadre of nurse scientists who are reshaping healthcare through evidence-based innovation and advocacy.

Emily Welty, PhD (Peace and Justice Studies Program, NYC, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences) published a chapter "On Violence...here and now" in the newly released book Sage Handbook of Peace and Conflict Studies. Professor Welty was invited to contribute the chapter on violence to this new contribution to the Peace and Justice Studies canon. Welty is the Chair of Peace and Justice Studies here at Pace which is one of the largest PJS programs in the country.

James Lawler, DPS (Information Technology, Seidenberg School of CSIS) and Anthony Joseph, PhD (Computer Science, Seidenberg School of CSIS) published “Applying Agile Design Factory Methodology on Community Engagement and Social Entrepreneurship Projects of STEM: Impacts on Perceptions of Students.” The authors of this paper evaluated the benefits of a course in business Design Factory methodology, in educating Pace University students on the inclusion of community engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion and social entrepreneurship projects of STEM, and the authors found generally positive reflections of the students on the enhancement of the methodology beyond business dimensions.

Prof. Lawler and Prof. Joseph also published “Celebrating Disability Equality through an Annual Disability Film Festival at a Major Metropolitan University: Perceptions of Students without Disabilities.” The authors of this paper evaluated the learning opportunities and the perceptions of students without disabilities from films at the annual Disability Film Festival at Pace University, and the authors found impactful positivity by the students without and with disabilities from the films depicting people with disabilities as everyday people first who are living lives like those without disabilities.

James Lawler, DPS. and Maxim Khomutinnikov, MS (Seidenberg School of CSIS alumni) published “An Exploratory Study of Data Science Graduate Students on Perceptions on Competitive Skills Desired in an Expanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market.” The authors of this paper evaluated the perceptions of graduate international STEM students at Pace University as to desirable marketable skills required in the industry of STEM and found that non-technical skills were as important in learning outcomes to the industry as frequently recognized technical skills.

These studies were published in the 61st Annual Conference Proceedings of the Southeastern Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (SEINFORMS), in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, October 2025.

Prof. Lawler, the principal author, is the organizer of the Disability Film Festival at Pace University from 2002. He received the “Outstanding Research Service in Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Award” at the President's Reception of the SEINFORMS.

Elijah Salzer, DMSc, PA-C, NYSAFE, C-EFM, CAQ-OBGYN  (Physician Assistant Studies, NYC, College of Health Professions) is the recipient of the Emeritus Educator of the Year Award given annually by the New York State Society of Physician Assistants at its 50th annual conference in October in Albany, NY.

Kristen di Gennaro, EdD (English, Linguistics Concentration, NYC, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences) co-authored a paper with Felicity Flores (a Provost's Student-Faculty Award Recipient for AY 2022-23 and English Department alum with a minor in Linguistics) titled “Was Jackie Robinson BIPOC? A Study of Current Racial Identity Terms and Their (Mis)application to Well-Known Figures, Past and Present,” Journal of Language and Discrimination (July 2025). Previous research documents diachronic variation in preferred identity terms used for and by Black Americans. The current study builds upon this body of research by gathering contemporary data on racial identity terms. Results indicated preference for “African American” over “Black,” but both terms dominated over “People of Color,” “Non-White,” and “BIPOC.” The authors offer potential explanations for our findings and conclude with recommendations to avoid creating or prescribing terms from outside the Black community, a practice that can result in the creation of confusing or irrelevant terms and further marginalization of the people such terms claim to center.

Ali Motamedi, PhD (Computer Science, NYC, Seidenberg School of CSIS) has written and directed “When Language Ends,” which blends the highs and lows of body gestures, the strangeness and familiarity of words, and the flicker of lights to explore how we come to know one another. Created in collaboration with the independent platform @ihrartmovement and three immigrant-international talents, this work turned to stage in September 2025. Prof. Motamedi is an Iranian-born artist, author, university professor, and immigrant who has long told stories of identity, language, and migration.

Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Professor Emeritus Michael B. Mushlin, JD was honored with the John R. Dunne Champion of Justice Award by Prisoners' Legal Services of New York (PLS) at a ceremony that celebrated his long and impactful career as a scholar, advocate, and defender of prisoners’ rights.

At the award presentation, Karen Murtagh, Executive Director of PLS, delivered powerful remarks as she presented the significant award to Professor Mushlin. She praised Professor Mushlin’s life work, describing Professor Mushlin as a “giant in the field of justice,” a “tireless advocate,” and an “extraordinary teacher” who has been “steadfastly courageous and unrelenting in his pursuit of justice.” She spoke not just of Professor Mushlin’s career but his legacy, noting that for over 40 years, Professor Mushlin has taught, mentored and inspired students at Pace Haub Law not just teaching them about the law, but about humanity.

Ms. Murtagh highlighted Professor Mushlin’s lasting impact in the field of prisoners’ rights, noting his authorship of the seminal four-volume treatise on the topic, and his scholarship, which she called “practical, powerful, and deeply necessary,” and as “giving a voice to the voiceless and tools to those of us fighting for them.” She described his work as providing a “lifeline” to attorneys, advocates, judges, and law students. Concluding her remarks, she said, “When we look at your work, your writing, your teaching, your advocacy. We see more than a legal or teaching career. We see a life lived in service to justice, accountability, and human dignity. You have inspired generations of lawyers.”

In accepting the award, Professor Mushlin expressed deep admiration for PLS and the work that the organization does in “standing up for people who are too often forgotten.” Reflecting on his career, he emphasized the shared responsibilities of institutions and advocates to recognize and advance prisoners’ rights. He concluded with hope for the future thanks to the next generation of advocates who will continue the fight towards and one in which we all recognize that “the right for prisoners’ rights is the fight for a decent society.”

A nationally recognized and leading authority in correctional law, Professor Mushlin joined Pace Haub Law in 1984, teaching courses in Civil Procedure, Evidence, Prisoners' Rights, Criminal Procedure, and Federal Courts. He is the author of a four-volume treatise entitled Rights of Prisoners (5^th ed. Thomson Reuters). He currently serves on the Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure to the New York State Judiciary, where he chairs the subcommittee on judicial visits to prisons.

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is proud to announce two winners of the 2025 Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship. University Distinguished Professor of Law Bridget J. Crawford, JD, PhD received the award for her article “Taxing Sugar Babies,” in the Minnesota Law Review 109.737 (2024) and Associate Professor of Law Josh Galperin, JD received the award for his article “Interpreting Congress,” in the Wisconsin Law Review 89 (2025).

The Goettel Prize was created in 2004 to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship by members of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University faculty. Each year, members of the tenured and tenure-track faculty are invited to submit their work for consideration (on an anonymous basis) by a selection committee of outside reviewers. This year's committee consisted of three distinguished professors: Miriam Cherry, JD, St. John’s University School of Law; Christopher Hampson, JD, University of Florida Levin College of Law; and Sharona Hoffman, JD, Case Western Reserve University School of Law. This year’s selection committee review resulted in a tie, and thus there were two winners of the 2025 Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship.

“Professor Bridget Crawford has delivered a fascinating article in Taxing Sugar Babies,” said 2025 Goettel Award selection committee member Professor Chrisopher Hampson. “Her analysis is relevant for anyone who ponders the nature of work, value, contracts, morality, sex, stigma, and more. Crawford builds her conclusions upon the results of a meticulous, IRB-approved study of Reddit subpages. Besides being an adept way of studying sugaring, Crawford’s method will prove generative for legal scholars in other areas.”

Professor Crawford’s article, “Taxing Sugar Babies,” analyzes online discussions among sugar daddies/mamas and sugar babies to explore how taxation intersects with the stigmatization of sex work. The dominant narrative frames sugar baby payments as “gifts,” while tax professionals counter that they are taxable income. Crawford argues that although taxation is legally appropriate, enforcement is unlikely, leaving sugaring in a gray area between intimacy and sex work. This “gift” rhetoric sustains stigma, deprives sugar babies of labor protections and benefits, and diminishes recognition of their risks and contributions. “I’m honored to receive this recognition,” said Professor Crawford. “Through my article, I hope to draw attention to the complex realities of sugaring, the tax implications that are often overlooked, and the broader conversations about stigma, fairness, and recognition in sex work.”

Of Professor Galperin’s article, 2025 Goettel Award selection committee member Professor Sharona Hoffman noted that, “’Interpreting Congress’ is an ambitious, illuminating, and thought-provoking paper. It makes a very valuable contribution to the statutory interpretation literature.”

In the article, Professor Galperin introduces the concept of congressional interpretation, a judicial strategy in which courts infer congressional intent from assumptions about legislative behavior rather than from statutes or legislative history. This practice, evident in cases like Loper Bright v. Raimondo and Biden v. Nebraska, blends textualism with unacknowledged assumptions about Congress, subtly but significantly reshaping separation-of-powers principles. Galperin argues that failing to recognize this interpretive method undermines judicial legitimacy, while the method’s deregulatory outcomes suggest policy-driven motives. Using noise law as a case study, the article calls for more transparency and consistency in how courts use congressional interpretation.

“I am flattered the readers thought this was a valuable article,” remarked Professor Galperin. “Congressional interpretation is becoming a very common practice, but one that is getting little attention even though it profoundly affects separation of powers, agency authority, and the legitimacy of courts. I hope my article will spur more discussion.”

To strengthen the integrity and transparency of federally funded research, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has implemented new research security requirements. These updates aim to safeguard the U.S. research enterprise by ensuring proper disclosure, responsible collaboration, and comprehensive security training for all participants in NSF-funded projects.

Research Security Assessment and Required Recipient Documentation

NSF reserves the right to perform risk assessments, using analytical tools, of proposals and awards submitted to the Foundation to assess nondisclosures of required information from senior/key personnel, and establish other policies and procedures for identifying, communicating, and addressing security risks that may threaten the integrity of Foundation-supported research and development.

Research Security Training

NSF requires research security training certifications from proposers and individuals identified as senior/key personnel by the proposer. Proposers may utilize any training that addresses cybersecurity, international collaboration, foreign interference, and rules for proper use of funds, disclosure, conflict of commitment, and conflict of interest

Each individual identified as a senior/key person must certify that they have completed the requisite research security training. The courses are available to Pace faculty through the CITI Program. Research Security Training (Combined) and Researchers - Information Privacy & Security (IPS) are the CITI modules that satisfy these requirements. The courses have to be completed 12 months prior to proposal submission.

 Login instructions to the CITI Program website

A Celebration of Book Publications:

Honoring Our Faculty Authors

Celebrate the creativity, scholarship, and impact of Pace faculty authors! The Office of Research and Graduate Education invites you to A Celebration of Book Publications: Honoring Our Faculty Authors.

This special event celebrates Pace faculty who have published books between 2020 and 2025, showcasing the creativity, scholarship, and intellectual impact that define our university community. Through a series of engaging presentations, faculty authors will share the stories behind their work—the questions that drive their research, the ideas that spark discovery, and the broader influence they hope to make through their writing.



The featured books span a wide spectrum of disciplines and perspectives, exploring themes such as gender and leadership, justice and social change, technological innovation and AI, art and cultural identity, and the psychology of belief and perception, among others. Together, they reflect the remarkable diversity of thought and expertise that makes Pace a hub for dynamic, cross-disciplinary dialogue!

Whether your passion lies in science, the arts, social issues, or global policy, this celebration offers a chance to engage with faculty authors whose ideas are shaping the conversations of today—and tomorrow.

When: Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 1:00 pm.–4:00 p.m.

Where: Pleasantville Campus
Register to join the celebration

Turning Coursework into a Journal Article: Steps to a Successful Publication  

This session introduces graduate students to the process of transforming a strong seminar paper into a publishable scholarly article. The program begins with a breakdown of the publishing process, followed by a panel of recent graduate students who successfully transformed coursework into journal articles. The panel will provide candid advice, highlight key challenges, and share practical strategies for navigating the publishing journey. 

Presenters: Anna Beskin, PhD (Director, Faculty and Graduate Research, Office of Research and Graduate Education), Manaswi Soni, MA (Coordinator, Office of Research and Graduate Education), Ashley Rose Dustin, MS (PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychology, Health Care Emphasis), and Ji Hoon Park, MA (PhD Candidate, School Psychology) 

When: Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Where: Zoom. Register for this presentation

Faculty Research Spotlight: Creative Notebook Sharing

Join Ty Defoe (Oneida and Anishinaabe Nations), Writer-in-Residence at Pace University, for an intimate sharing from his creative notebook and his forthcoming project Skeleton Canoe, premiering at Lincoln Center (skeletoncanoe.com). Through an Indigiqueer lens, Ty explores how decolonized art forms and trans futures intersect through the queering of time, space, and storytelling.

Presenter: Ty Defoe, MFA (Clinical Assistant Professor, Writer-in-Residence, English Department, Dyson, NYC)  

When: Thursday, November 13, 2025, 3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m. 

Where: Zannino Conference Room (1 Pace Plaza, NYC Campus) or Zoom

Register to join via Zoom

Exploring Prestigious Fellowships for Undergraduates: Fulbright, Millennium, and Watson

Join us for an information session designed for undergraduate students of all majors and years to explore prestigious opportunities such as the UN Academic Impact-Millennium Scholarship, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. Discover how these competitive awards provide valuable experience, foster social impact, and support your academic goals while funding global opportunities that can launch your next chapter after graduation. 

Presenters: Anna Beskin, PhD (Director of Faculty and Graduate Research), Sue Maxam, EdD (Assistant Provost for Wellness), William Offutt, JD, PhD (Professor of History, Dyson; Faculty Advisor, Pforzheimer Honors College)

When: Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m. 

Where: Zoom. Register for this Session  

Faculty Research Spotlight: Interdisciplinarity Through an Evolutionary Lens

In this presentation, Professor Karthikeyan will share an overview of her research career at Pace University, shaped by the theoretical framework of evolutionary psychology and its application to studies on voice, speech, and human mating strategies. The talk highlights how these explorations have refined understandings of mate preferences and how evolutionary perspectives naturally foster interdisciplinary thinking in her classes. 

Presenter: Sethu Karthikeyan, PhD (Associate Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders, CHP, NYC)

When: Thursday, January 29, 2026, 3:25 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.  

Where: NYC Campus or join via Zoom

Register to join via Zoom  

Annual Spring Research Conference

Save the date for the annual spring research conference hosted by the Office of Research and Graduate Education. 



When: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Where: NYC Campus.

Register for the Spring Research Conference

We are happy to announce the revised Research Protections website. Please visit it to see our new web home.

The transfer to Cayuse is going well! Look for your link to join on November 3, 2025. If you have any questions about your legacy studies and how they are being moved over, please email Lindsey Lee at llee2@pace.edu.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: WELLNESS AWARDS



Pace has funds for 7 Wellness Awards of up to $2,500 each that promote Pace’s priority of creating a “culture of wellbeing” and align with one or more of the 8 dimensions of wellness (emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual). They can be geared toward students, faculty, staff/administrators, or the entire Pace community.   Proposals will be selected by a committee according to scalability and potential for the greatest impact on the institution as well as the needs of the population(s) you are targeting. Cross-divisional collaboration is encouraged! Please complete the application by Friday, November 14th.  Award recipients will be announced by Friday, December 5th for implementation in spring, 2026. Questions? Contact Sue Maxam, Ed.D. at: smaxam@pace.edu or wellness@pace.edu

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: VIRTUAL EXPERIENTIAL WELLNESS SUMMIT

Pace invites faculty and staff from across the institution to submit proposals for interactive, experience-based sessions for our upcoming Virtual Experiential Wellness Summit to be held on January 14, 2026 from 10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Our theme and the goal of this event is: "Cultivating a Culture of Care, Wellbeing and Connections at Pace.”  Proposal topics should be based on one or more of the eight dimensions of wellness (e.g., emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual).  Deadline for proposals is Wednesday, November 12^th. Click here for proposal link. Questions? Contact Sue Maxam, Ed.D., at smaxam@pace.edu or wellness@pace.edu

Do you have a recent publication, grant, or other updates?

Share your research news here!

Visit the Office of Research and Graduate Education website for information and updates

Questions? Email: Elina Bloch, PhD, Associate Director for Research

at ebloch@pace.edu