#CLASS OF

THE MPASA TIMES SPECIAL EDITION

HONORING THE GRADUATES
MAY 2020
ISSUE NO.2 •

MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

 CHAIR'S LETTER
Dear MPA students,

Congratulations to all of you for completing the spring 2020

semester successfully! You all have risen to the occasion and adapted to remote

learning and communication. I want to thank my colleagues for mastering the

transition to remote learning by going above and beyond of what was required of

them.

I want to re-iterate how relevant an MPA degree is, especially during these trying

times, and to encourage you to continue to stay focused and complete your

degree in a timely manner. This way, you will be prepared for the next step in

your career during a time when ample opportunities for public service careers are

unveiling.

Remember to register for summer and fall classes. Our summer and winter term

classes will help you complete your degree faster if you can

commit to taking them. I would also like to remind you of our two graduate

certificates: Healthcare Policy and Management and Nonprofit Management. You

can complete one of them at no additional cost as part of your MPA degree by

carefully selecting your elective classes.

Communicate with us about your future actions. If you need to take a semester or

a year off please let us know so we could fill the right paperwork for you. When

returning from a leave of absence you need to fill out another form so you can

resume your studies. We should thank Max Weber for having to complete and file

all these forms! It is important for you to know the process so you can stay the

course.

Finally, I would like to express my wholehearted congratulations to our graduating

class of 2020! I am extremely proud of you and please remember to stay in touch

with us. You can connect with us via Facebook (@pacempasa), LinkedIn (Pace

University MPA), Twitter (@Pace_MPA).

We are here to help you so please do not hesitate to reach

out. Stay well and healthy.

My warmest regards,

Dr. Gina Scutelnicu

Chair, Public Administration Department

 Congratulations
From Your Professors

MPA faculty say congratulations to

our class of 2020 as they embark
PROFESSOR

on a new journey ahead... REBECCA TEKULA

Dear MPA Class of 2020,

Congratulations, class of 2020! We
 
are proud of you and excited to
Your accomplishments are not diminished by
see each of you enter the next
this crisis that does not allow you to
chapter of your lives.
physically walk across the stage to receive

your diploma. Not at all. Instead, what we

As you move forward, I leave you

with my favorite quote:  face in this moment in history underscores

the value of the degree you have worked so

"Learn from Yesterday, Live for hard to get. It is more important now than

Today, Dream for Tomorrow, and ever. 

Most Importantly, Be Your  

Dream!"  Your Master’s degree in Public

- John Garabedian Administration is something you will carry

into our new collective future, as you lead

I'll see each of you along the way! the public and social sectors as we face the

greatest challenge of our lifetimes. I sleep

better at night knowing that you are the

future of public administration in this

PROFESSOR
country and beyond.
ANDY CROSBY
 

Thank you for all you have done to serve,

and for all you will do in years to come.

Please keep in touch with us - we are all

looking forward to seeing your achievements

and are here for you if there is ever

anything we can do to support you.  We are

so very proud of you!!

Congratulations!

THE MPASA TIMES | 03

 A Note to Our 2020 MPA Graduates

Congratulations on your achievements

today! As the new guy here, I haven’t gotten

to know all of you as much as I would have

liked, but I have been incredibly impressed

by everyone I have encountered. And I can

honestly say that I have learned at least as

much from you as you have from me.

Remember, whether you are embarking on a

PROFESSOR
new journey in your career, or returning to a

STEPHEN ROLANDI job you have had for years, you truly do so

as masters— masters of public, nonprofit and

It gives me great pleasure to offer healthcare administration.

you my heartfelt congratulations  

and best wishes for success as you Be confident in your knowledge and

receive your MPA degree this judgement, but also humble and empathetic

spring. You are entering public in their application. Remember that our

service at one of the most relationship does not end here, but we

challenging times in human history. look forward to many years of continuing to

But I believe that you are all up to
learn from each other. We are sorry
the task of making our nation and
to see you leave, but excited to see where
the world a better place because
you lead. There has never been a
you have completed this degree.
time when your skills and leadership have

been more needed by our nation and

I want to close with a quotation
our world. I know you all will have a positive
from our 16th President, Abraham
impact!
Lincoln, who said in October of

1862:

"If we never PROFESSOR

try, we shall never succeed."   RIC KOLENDA
 

I hope you remember President

Lincoln's words throughout your

career.

Congratulations on your

graduation.

THE MPASA TIMES | 04

 Well, you made it! While earning your

Master’s degree under any

circumstances is an impressive

accomplishment, completing your

degree in the spring of 2020 is

definitely going to be something that

will resonate with you forever. You

persevered through a global

pandemic; through the upheaval of

your studies, or maybe your job, or

your vacation plans. You know you’re

strong, resilient, and capable of

PROFESSOR navigating difficult times. You have

TIFFANY HENLEY the education, skills, and tenacity to

achieve your dreams. It won’t be

Dear MPA Graduates of 2020,
easy- when is life ever really easy?

But be confident. You know you will

Congratulations on overcoming the
succeed. You made it this far and
challenges of time management, work, life,
this is only the beginning. We will
family obligations, and COVID-19 to make
always be here to cheer you on, to
it to this moment in time. Every time I step
connect you to a contact, for a pep
into a classroom, give a lecture, meet with
talk, or just to listen. Remember to
each of you, or enter a grade, my thoughts
take advantage of Career Services-
have been for all of you to prosper, to
they’re here even after you graduate.
excel in school and at work, and to develop
Network with us on LinkedIn. Return to
the skills that are necessary to be a
our program as a guest speaker.
dynamic force in your respective field.
Remember to promote and support

your fellow Pace colleagues. Do good

Today, I am proud to say that all of you are
work and keep in touch.
competent, honest, compassionate,

resilient, and extraordinary and you

Congratulations MPA Class of 2020!
embody the principles of an effective

public administrator. As you transition from

PROFESSOR
students to alumni, please remember us

and stay in contact. You all are in a unique HILLARY KNEPPER

position during this unprecedented time,

but this is an opportunity to showcase your

talents and skills to be exceptional leaders

in public administration.

I wish you all continued success as you

begin your careers in public service!

Congratulations!

THE MPASA TIMES | 05

 PROFESSOR

SHEYING CHEN MPA PROGRAM

COORDINATOR
Congratulations class of 2020!
LAURA FUNG-ROSS 

2020 is certainly not the

way we had imagined it. We

are not at the MSG, nor

Radio City Hall to celebrate

your achievements. Instead,

to get to the finish line,

you had to work harder than

ever, to adapt to the

workings of this brave new

world. 2020 is a year to

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR
remember, and you get to

PACE MPA ALUMNA tell your kids and grand

PATTI DWYER kids.

Congratulations, graduates!
Congratulations MPA Class of 2020!

As you navigate the challenges that

lie ahead, your talents and

knowledge will serve you well.

Thank you for your personal

commitments to service and

community and best wishes for

continued successes.

THE MPASA TIMES | 06

 CHAIR AND PROFESSOR

GINA SCUTELNICU

I am extremely proud of all of you for reaching this important milestone in

your life. I will miss each one of you and I will forever cherish our learning

and life experiences. I will remember the highs and lows, the stories we

shared during class time, office hours and our Metro North rides, the

chocolate we ate together during difficult times, your conference paper

presentations, and how much you have grown since you started your MPA

degree.

You are an inspiration to me and I learned a great deal from you. While this

is a bittersweet moment for myself, it is also a time when I can quantify my

achievements as a professor. Your graduation today represents a success

for myself and my colleagues.

The first week of May is the public service recognition week so, I would like

to wholeheartedly recognize and congratulate all of you for choosing to

pursue a public service career.

“There’s no higher calling in terms of a career than public service,

which is a chance to make a difference in people’s lives and improve
the world.”  
- Jack Lew

Please don’t forget to stay in touch and good luck in your future endeavors!

THE MPASA TIMES | 07

 MEET OUR
#CLASS OF

MASTERS IN PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION

THE MPASA TIMES | 08

 Angelina Astrouskaya
Born and raised in Belarus, Angelina studied English

and Spanish at Minsk State Linguistic University.

Following graduation, she interned at the United

Nations in New York. After falling in love with NYC

she started her MPA degree. At Pace, she led the

MPA Student Association and worked as a research

assistant for Dr. Scutelnicu, Dr. Henley, and Dr.

Kolenda. Currently, she serves as a council member of

the NY's chapter of American Society of Public

Administration. Last summer Angelina completed an

internship at the Port Authority of New York & New

Jersey. Angelina is passionate about the environment

and sustainability and her next step is to continue her

career development.

MPA Track: Government and certificate in nonprofit

management

Deepa Jois
Deepa served as the Vice President of the Masters of

Public Administration Student Association for two

years. She was also a Graduate Assistant for the

Department of Public Administration, working with Dr.

Crosby and Dr. Chen on different research projects.

Deepa presented her research at Northeast

Conference on Public Administration. She also feels

very fortunate to have studied abroad at Oxford

University last summer where she met many

inspirational lecturers. Some of her long term goals

include hoping to be able to make an impact within

creating a public health policy allowing all individuals

equal access to healthcare. Deepa would like to

sincerely thank her professors, as well as family and

friends, for helping her achieve this degree!

MPA Track: Healthcare Administration & Nonprofit

Management
THE MPASA TIMES | 09
Victoria Quaranta
is currently the Assistant Director for Dyson College

and School of Education Career Programs and

Services for the Westchester Campus Career

Services Department. In this role, she provides

career-readiness programs, targeted job search

strategies, and connects students to internship and

full-time opportunities. Previously, she received a BA

from SUNY New Paltz in Art History with a minor in

Political Science. Victoria lives in Westchester County

with her husband and two kids.

MPA Track: Nonprofit management

Liza bell
is an administrative coordinator in Pace University’s

Office of the Provost. She served as a Global

Pathways tutor. She was recently designated as a

Fulbright Alternate for an English teaching

assistantship. She presented at the 2019

Northeastern Conference for Public Administration in

Brooklyn and at the 2020 Dyson Society of Fellows at

Pace University. Liza was selected to participate in

the 2020 Association for Environmental Studies and

Sciences. She would like to thank her family, friends,

and the Public Administration department for all their

support during the past three years.

MPA Track: Government management

THE MPASA TIMES | 10

 Shiva Shastri
Shiva Shastri is graduating with an MPA in Health

Care Administration. She is a member of the Pi Alpha

Alpha Honor Society since 2020. Shiva presented a

research paper project about financial impact of

Medicaid expansion under ACA on the United States

economy. Her research areas of interest are pediatric

care, behavioral health, and health policy. She

graduated from Medical School, C.U. Shah Medical

College, Saurashtra University in India. She

volunteered in remote village areas in India to

develop solid public health policy for neonates and

infants who suffered from preventable diseases such

as Polio and Kwashiorkor in their childhood.

Charity Ashe
"My interest and desire in achieving this degree

would give me the ability to generate the change

that I want to see in the criminal justice system."

As the oldest of four girls raised by her great-

grandmother and mother, Charity learned the true

meaning of hard work and dedication and she wants

to be a role model for her community and young

women and continue to achieve her goals by

obtaining a position within the public sector. Her plan

after graduation is to focus her efforts on working in

the criminal justice realm in policy formulation and

prison reform. During her time at Pace, Charity was

exposed and had the grand opportunity to engage in

many networking conferences and spoke with many

influential people. Charity enjoyed the incredible

academic curriculum and maintained a high GPA;

which awarded her into the Pi Alpha Alpha National

Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.

THE MPASA TIMES | 11 MPA Track: Government management

Fanny Lin
is graduating from Pace University’s Master in Public

Administration program on the Government track.

During her time at Pace, she has been a recipient of

the 2019/2020 Marilyn Petrower Scholarship for

academic excellence. She has also represented our

department at the Northeastern Conference for

Public Administration, in Brooklyn, presenting her

research, on November 6-8, 2019. Fanny Lin currently

works for New York City Council and hopes to

become a director in city agency and possibly run for

office.

MPA Track: Government management

Sue Rebmann
In September 2016, Sue enrolled in the MSEd, double

Master’s program at Pace as a full time student, while

raising a family and working full-time. She completed

the program in 3 years and 3 months, with a 3.96

GPA, and passed the 8 hour School District Business

Leader certification exam.

"I could not have done this on my own. I am very

grateful to all my professors, who shared their

knowledge, their ideas and their personal learning

experiences with me. I grew as a person and as a

leader in my community."

Sue is currently employed at Erie 1 BOCES as the

Manager of Financial Services and feels like she's in

the best part of her career. Sue's career goal is to

continue to inspire those around her, continue

learning and continue to be a positive role model in

her community and in the field of education.

THE MPASA TIMES | 12

 Guangyi Han
a U.S. ARMY Veteran, currently works in the U.S.

Department of Defense as a federal employee. Mr.

Han started his MPA healthcare track at Pace

University in 2018 spring. During the process of

pursuing his master degree, Mr. Han focused on how

to improve the healthcare services provided to

veteran population. In 2019 October, Han presented

his research paper regarding Veteran healthcare

issues at NECOPA (Northeast Conference on Public

Administration). After graduation, Han will continue

pursuing his career in federal government and non-

profit agencies to help Veteran population in the

New York Metropolitan area.

Lafragia Moore
is an MPA candidate on the Healthcare

Administration Track. She was an active member of

the Master of Public Administration Student

Association and participated in many of their social

events and attended several panel discussions. In

summer of 2019, she studied abroad with the MPA

program at Oxford University where she had the

opportunity to participate in different lectures, and

experience British culture. In November 2019, she

attended the Northeastern Conference for Public

Administration, in Brooklyn at Long Island

University and served as a volunteer.

THE MPASA TIMES | 13

Cardine Smith
"Today makes everything seem real."

Cardine have had a relationship with Pace University

for many years. In 2013, she graduated from Pace

with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. Immediately after, she

landed a paralegal job at a nationally recognized

law firm in New York.

"Pace prepared me for the professional world. It was

at a career services fair that I picked up a business

card from a federal agency representative. After a

few months and some thought, I decided to do some

research and apply for a few federal jobs. Sure

enough, I was hired."

Cardine has been a claims specialist at a federal

agency for almost six years. She does have other

plans. With her MPA, Cardine looks forward to the

wide road ahead, filled with opportunities. "I’ve

always worked hard and stayed focused. This new

journey is no exception. I am ready for new

challenges. I am extremely proud to be a Pace

graduate for the second time."

Major P. Hatch
Studied in the Master of Public Administration on the

Non-Profit Management Track. After completing my

degree in fall of 2019, I accepted a position at

Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Now that I

have reached this milestone of obtaining my degree,

it is my hope to one day become an Associate Dean

within Higher Education in the future.

THE MPASA TIMES | 14

 Deborah Dolce
Deborah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in

Philosophy and a minor in English. She currently works

as an Office Coordinator at Memorial Sloan Kettering

Cancer Center. Deborah loves helping out others

which is what led her to pursue the Masters in Public

Administration at Pace University.

Her plans after graduation is to continue working at

her job while also trying to gain some nonprofit

experience in the near future. With that Deborah is

hoping to transition out of working in the health

sector to a nonprofit one.

Her track is Healthcare Administration and Nonprofit

Management.

John Catanzaro
John Catanzaro lives in Carmel, NY. Throughout his

time at Pace University, John has been surrounded by

helpful faculty that truly care for their students which

has allowed him to excel in this program.

"I hope to translate the theories and concepts I've

learned throughout this program to further develop

my career and passion for the healthcare space."

John is a recipient of the Petrower Scholarship.

THE MPASA TIMES | 15

Monisha D. Moore
is a dedicated mother of two. Celebrating 20 years

of Service working at Pace University NYC campus, as

the Assistant Director of Community Standards in the

office of Residential Life and Housing. Serve 13 years

as Faculty Staff Advisor to an undergraduate chapter

of Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. on Pace NYC Campus

area.

MPA Track: Government management

Iris Villatoro
is currently an Education Coordinator for the

Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology at

Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein).  She

has over 15 years’ experience working within the

nonprofit sector in an administrative capacity and is

a firm believer that every experience has shaped and

prepared her for her studies at Pace and role at

Einstein.  Over the past five years, Iris has continued

to grow within Einstein and is grateful for the

opportunity to meet and work closely with hundreds

of first year medical students and distinguished

faculty. She considers herself a lifelong learner and

takes pride in the work she completes.  Outside of

her professional life, she helps run a family-owned

business while enjoying spending time with her family

in their Bronx community. Iris aims to to achieve

a promotion, gain management experience,

and continue to grow as a professional within the

nonprofit sector.

THE MPASA TIMES | 16

 Murat Ozgur Guvendik
is a correspondent at Anadolu Agency, Turkey. He

graduated Istanbul University with bachelor degree of

Economics. After graduation he began his journalism

career in 2014. Besides he had been a board member

of youth wing of Justice and Development Party,

which is the ruling party of Turkey, in between 2014

and 2016. He  studied Master of Public Administration

at Pace University.

MPA Track: Government management

THE MPASA TIMES | 17

 AND OTHER MPA
GRADUATES OF 2020...

Miguel Andrade

Joshua Anyasi

Janike Bradshaw

Joseph Colombo

Carmene Dalmeus

Cheryl Garcia

Elliot Garcia

Carol Gibbs

Julia Golden

Anastasia Martin

George Pacciano

Veronica Paredes

Polina Polskaia

Jessica Rhind

Caroline Rivera

Shanna Simon

Danyell Simpson

Linda Steinberg

Sherylyne Toque

THE MPASA TIMES | 18

 AWARDS

THE MPASA TIMES | 19

 PI ALPHA ALPHA
AWARDS
2020

John Catanzaro

Caique Santos

Alexandra Hummel

Deepa Jois

Lafragia Moore

Victoria Quaranta

Shiva Shastri

2019

Joshua Anyasi

Charity Ashe

Angelina Astrouskaya

Toryan Lamar Bartlett

Liza Bell

Janika Bradshaw

William DeFeis

Mario Garcia

Daniel Mikhelashvili

Antonio Namwong

Stephanie Pimentel

Tiffany Reid

Danyell Simpson

THE MPASA TIMES | 20

 DYSON COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
AWARD

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT

OF THE YEAR:

Angelina Astrouskaya

MPA DEPARTMENT AWARDS

HIGHEST ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT:

Liza Bell

Polina Polskaia

Victoria Quaranta

SAL PREZIOSO AWARD 

FOR SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT:

Angelina Astrouskaya

Deepa Jois

THE MPASA TIMES | 21

 EXCELLENCE IN SCHOLARSHIP AWARD:

Liza Bell presented her research paper "Plastic Bag Legislation:

Evaluating and Determining Effective Policy" at the 2019 Northeastern

Conference in Public Administration, Brooklyn, NY. November 7, 2019.

She also presented her research at the 2020 Dyson Society of Fellows

Conference.

Deepa Jois presented her paper "Gender inequality and women

attempting to break the glass ceiling for senior level positions" at the

2019 Northeastern Conference in Public Administration, Brooklyn, NY.

November 8, 2019.

Han Guangyi presented his research paper "Main Factors

Contributing to the VHA’s Incapability of Providing Adequate Access to

Care" at the 2019 Northeastern Conference in Public Administration,

Brooklyn, NY. November 8, 2019.

Fanny Lin presented her research paper "How Can the Five-Borough,

Ten-Year Plan Improve Affordable Housing in NYC?" at the 2019

Northeastern Conference in Public Administration, Brooklyn, NY.

November 7, 2019.

Veronica Paredes co-presented with Dr. Tiffany Henley her research

paper "An Examination of the Impact of Private Insurance on Health

Outcomes."

THE MPASA TIMES | 22

 NEW AND CONTINUING STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO JOIN
THE MPA STUDENT ASSOCIATION (MPASA)

Want to join MPASA as part of the team?

Send you resume and a letter of interest to Dr. Tiffany Henley ([email protected])

and Ric Kolenda ([email protected]). In your letter of interest tell us why you're

interested in joining MPASA and how would you contribute to its work.

AVAILABLE POSITIONS:

President

Vice-President

Communications Manager

Treasurer

For positions' descriptions email Dr. Tiffany Henley ([email protected])

Don't miss our events by staying connected:

Instagram: instagram.com/pacempasa
Facebook: facebook.com/mpasapace (follow the page) &
facebook.com/groups/655471351952446 (join the group)

Twitter: twitter.com/pacempasa

THE MPASA TIMES | 23