Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

A s Dyson College continues to flourish year aer year with achievements across all its programs, one constant remains—we prepare students with an education that integrates their interests, intellect, and career aspirations. Our programs, grounded by a strong liberal arts foundation, artfully blend theoretical learning with professional experiences, which sets students up for a range of outcomes and personal fulfillment over their lifetimes. As a result, we continue to see the value of a liberal arts education by virtue of the wide variety of accomplishments that Dyson College students, faculty and alumni have attained. is year, Dyson College has seen a number of notable first-time achievements. Poonam Doshi '17 became the first PhD to graduate from the Mental Health Counseling doctoral program. She successfully defended her dissertation, "Predictors of Counseling Self- Efficacy: Examining the Counselor Trainees' Perception of Supervisory Interaction Style." Taslim Tavarez Garcia '18, Political Science, and Peace and Justice Studies, was selected as a 2017 Truman Scholar, the first ever for Pace University. She will receive a $30,000 scholarship toward graduate school and plans to become an immigration attorney. Penned by Environmental Policy Clinic students, the Elephant Protection Act was signed into law by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo in October 2017. It is the first legislation written by Pace student clinicians that has been signed into law. Notably, New York is the first state in the U.S. to ban the use of elephants in circuses and other forms of entertainment. As the third in our series of Summits on Resilience, for the first time, this year's Water Cooperation and Conflict featured a scholar-in-residence, Dr. Peter Gleick, president emeritus and chief scientist, Pacific Institute, who participated in student workshops and colloquium, in addition to serving as the Summit's keynote speaker. You will learn much more about this highly successful event in this issue. I am pleased and honored to share with you these "firsts," and many more highlights of the past year in this issue. ese are the achievements that continue to shape the Dyson College story and enrich our legacy of providing students with a fine liberal arts education, coupled with real-world experiences, that benefits their lives and our local and global communities. eir success is what motivates all of us at Dyson and serves as an inspiration to our students. I greatly appreciate your continued, vital support of Dyson College's programs, faculty, and students. With your support, together we can ensure many more "firsts" to come. Dyson College Firsts From the Dean Nira Herrmann, PhD Dean, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences 2016–17 | 3

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