Spring 2017 – Page 4 – Seidenberg School News

LST Honoree Speaker Series: Judy Spitz, Part II

See the first part of this interview here!

Welcome back! This is the second part of Judy Spitz’s incredible interview with Seidenberg student Niamh Fitzsimon. The event is the first in a series featuring previous winners of our prestigious Leadership and Service in Technology (LST) award.

Tickets for the LST Awards in April are available now!

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One of the topics that kept reoccurring during Niamh’s interview with Judy is something very close to our heart at the Seidenberg School: women in technology. Niamh herself is Vice President of the student organization Pace Women in Tech. She asked whether Judy found that being a woman ever played a part in how she worked with her teams.

“No, it never changed anything that I did, one way or the other. I will say that there’s all this data that shows that women feel like they need to meet 120% of the job requirements to apply for the job. Men are in the 50-60% range. Don’t look at job ads and say oh I can’t do that part I shouldn’t apply for it. Men look and say ‘oh, I can do most of those things’ and that’s plenty.

“Once, early in my career, I got called into the senior executive’s office and he said ‘I want to give you this job’. I said to him ‘I’m not sure that I’m qualified for that job’. He looked at me like I had three heads. I’m not sure he’d ever had anyone in that office he’d offered a promotion to who said no, thanks. The lesson is that if someone who knows you thinks you’re qualified for a job, you probably are.”

Judy went on to tell the audience to trust themselves more. “Your instincts are usually the right instincts.”

While on the topic of women in tech, Judy took some time to talk about how WiTNY came to be.

“The number of jobs in the technology industry has gone up but the number of women participating has gone down. During my time at Verizon, I became alarmed at the small amount of women coming up behind me. Who was going to be the next CIO? I got the WiTNY program going, a 5 year initiative to get more women studying STEM.”

The Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York, or WiTNY initiative, aims to significantly increase the participation of women in STEM fields in the New York market. Through strategic initiatives, WiTNY mainly works on enabling high school girls preparing for college to focus on STEM paths and secure rewarding and lucrative careers within the tech field.

As an institution with our own Women in Technology initiatives, like STEM Women Achieve Greatness (SWAG) and Pace Women in Tech, we think WiTNY is a wonderful, extremely valuable project.

Head to part 3 of Judy Spitz’s amazing interview here!

This was the first event in our three-event series, with the next taking place on March 22nd with Nicholas Donofrio, IBM Fellow Emeritus (Ret.) IBM Executive Vice President, Innovation and Technology, on our Westchester campus. The final event will be an interview with Austin A. Adams, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (Ret.), JPMorgan Chase, at our NYC campus on April 19th.

The LST Honoree Speaker Series is part of a run up to our annual benefit, the Leadership and Service in Technology Awards. Tickets are available now!

Part 3

LST Honoree Speaker Series kicks off on International Women’s Day with Judy Spitz

Although it wasn’t planned, the fact that the first of our LST Honoree Speaker Series fell on International Women’s Day was serendipitous to say the least. The event was part of a run-up to the Leadership and Service in Technology (LST) Awards, an annual benefit for the Seidenberg School during which we celebrate outstanding individuals who best exemplify leadership and innovation in the tech field. This year’s award will be going to Suresh Kumar, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at BNY Mellon. Tickets can be purchased at various levels for this fantastic opportunity to attend the reception, network with industry professionals and alumni, and support the Seidenberg School.

Judy Spitz is the Founding Program Directory of the Initiative for Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York (WiTNY). She received the LST award in 2012, when she was the Senior Vice President and CIO at Verizon. On Wednesday March 8, a crowd of over 100 students, alums, and friends from the Pace community got to hear an incredible interview where Judy shared the wisdom she has collected over an eventful career.

The event was introduced by Seidenberg advisory board member, Helen Altshuler, a senior engineering leader at Google, who remarked that “progressing in technology and making strides is a common goal for women and for men. The more people we can bring into this conversation, the more we can progress as a community.”

Progress was a key theme of the event. As Seidenberg student Niamh Fitzsimon opened the interview by asking about Judy’s career and advice for success, it quickly became clear that being open to different paths of progress is crucial.

“Don’t be so tunnel visioned,” Judy cautioned. “While you’re en route to doing what you want to do, there will be opportunities that come onto your radar and the key is not to be too rigid about whether it meets your checklist; whether you think it’s the right move. It’s a jungle gym, not a ladder. This idea where you’re going to get the next job then the next and the next in a linear fashion – that’s not going to happen. In a jungle gym, there are lots of different ways to get to one place. If some paths opens to you, move in that direction. You might end up having to turn back, but you’ll have learned something along the way.”

Words many of our extremely driven, motivated students needed to hear. When you are so focused on following a strict career path to get to where you want to be, you could become blinded to opportunities that offer an alternative route to the end goal – or even ones that take you somewhere else entirely, somewhere that ends up better than your original plan.

Judy also outlined her 5 steps to success. Given the 8 step plan offered by Amtrak CIO Jason Molfetas during his Big Data Innovator talk last fall, perhaps the first and foremost step should be “Come up with a list of steps”!

Judy Spitz’s 5 Steps to Success

1. Be a great storyteller

“It doesn’t matter where you are in your career,” Judy said, “Whether you’re at the beginning and you need talk to the people you work for about what you are doing and why it matters, or you’re middle management and it’s about collaboration with your peers, or whether you’re in a leadership potion and you need to motivate the people you expect to follow along, you’ve got to be able to tell a great story.

“Storytelling has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You get better by thinking about it ahead of time, finding a hook; that hook is how people follow along. And rehearse your story. There has never been one time when I’ve had to stand up and give a presentation when I haven’t rehearsed it beforehand, out loud. Just standing there and reading what you think you want to say is a cognitive process. If you just practice in your room beforehand, I guarantee you will fumble it.”

2. Think non-linearly but execute in a linear fashion

“See both the forest and the trees: you have to be able to stand back and get the big picture so you can get an idea of what matters and what doesn’t,” Judy said. By seeing the big picture, you learn which smaller parts are the most important and can execute tasks in a way that makes sense on both the minute and grand levels.

“However, you also have to be the kind of person who can go down to the minute letter and actually do the work.”

3. Have passion

“Passion is what drives you to go to work when you have reasons not to.”

4. Be accountable

“Don’t ask yourself ‘did I do what I was supposed to do?‘, but ask whether the project did what it was supposed to do. If you just think about your own performance, you’ll never get promoted. Ask people what you can do to help them.”

5. Have humility

“It’s never about you.” As close as you can get to a project, sometimes the decision you want to make isn’t always the right one for the project. Remember that it’s not about you, it’s about the work.

Continue reading part 2 of Judy Spitz’s interview here!

The LST Honoree Speaker Series is part of a run up to our annual benefit, the Leadership and Service in Technology Awards. Tickets are available now!

Part 2

Krutika Wadhwa brings Indian culture and dance to the Pace University stage

“I’ve never been so proud of being an Indian before!”

Listening to Krutika Wadhwa (BS in Computer Science ’19) talk about Amateur Night is exhilarating. It turns out that not only is she a stunning traditional dancer, but she can tell a great story too – something she attributes to her mother’s writing talents and her own journey through elocution lessons.

Krutika is our only Indian undergraduate student, something she attributes to an unfortunate myth in international communities that undergraduates don’t get scholarships. Krutika herself gained scholarships on her acceptance to Pace that made her moving to the United States possible.

As well as being the one person you can count on to have a smile on her face, Krutika is a Seidenberg front desk staff member and probably spends more time here than anywhere else. We’re more than cool with it.

On March 2nd, she participated in Pace University’s Amateur Night, a showcase of some of the community’s top talent at the Schimmel Center.

The performance was a vibrant, energetic, traditional Indian dance which left an impression not just on Krutika, but on the community as a whole.

Read on to hear all about our smiliest student’s incredible experience.

Why did you decide to perform at Amateur Night?

I attended Amateur Night last year – it was my first event at Pace university! I had just come to the United States, and it was very inspiring to see all these students perform. I thought about how cool it would be if I did an Indian dance – people who had never seen something like that before, how awesome would that be? I made a mental note: do it myself next year. When the time came, I had to do two rounds of auditions before the final show. I did two routines, one for each audition. The second routine is the one I did on stage. Throughout the whole process I was never nervous about how it would go, because I was not expecting anything. Everybody in that show was already a singer or dancer and was a major in that field, and I was the only computer science student!

On the day, I was getting a little nervous because it was going to be in front of an audience, not just judges. I didn’t know how they would take it, seeing something they hadn’t seen before. I didn’t know my audience, I was going in blind. But I had awesome friends. Melanie Greene and Rachel Gonzalez (fellow Seidenberg students) helped me get ready. They even researched traditional Indian clothing for me to wear and helped me get dressed! And when the time came, I walked into the dressing room and all other 13 contestants were there and it was very intimidating – sharing one space with all who were competing.

I was nervous. I hadn’t been on stage performing in 4 years. Pace gave me that and I’m very grateful for it. I didn’t know if I still had it in me, and when I walked into the dressing room everyone was checking me out top to bottom because I was dressed in this weird outfit! They asked all these questions: what did I have on my hand, why did I have henna on, they complimented my jewelry. I couldn’t talk to anyone, but gradually I started. One of the best parts was that people could tell I was nervous and that it was my first time, and they spoke to me, made me feel comfortable. They told me not to worry about it, told me not to stress.

I was the second to last performer, so the nerves were building all night. Once it began, it was fast. I was backstage watching the performer before me and I told myself “just enjoy yourself. That’s what you’re here for. You’re going to get to do what you love and it’s going to be great.” Then it was my turn. I walked on stage. I cannot tell you how awesome the crowd was. As someone who was so scared and worried in the morning about what people would think, I was there on stage and people were screaming and it was just incredible. During the transition between the two songs, people screamed so loudly I will never forget it. I remember performing one move with so much energy and enthusiasm it’s etched in my memory for life. After I got off stage, I was crying. I was so happy. The best reaction was from the other contestants. They had all seen me perform and found me halfway to the dressing room. They surrounded me and gave me compliments, they told me how they saw I was nervous then I came on stage and it was like seeing someone totally different.

The best reaction though was from the crowd. About 5% of the audience was Indian, but that’s about it. People were coming up to me and said they had been so happy to see me perform. I was approached by some second generation Indians who told me that they felt represented by me, that it was the first time they had felt that way at an event not specifically for Indians.

At that point, I didn’t care if I won or if I lost, it didn’t matter. The response that I got, I don’t think I could’ve gotten that from an Indian only audience. People were just so welcoming and sweet to me.

I was representing my community, and the Seidenberg community. Most of my Seidenberg family was there, which made me feel very happy.

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Krutika came second in the competition, scoring a $500 award for her stunning performance.

In the end, winning second place didn’t really have much of an impact on Krutika’s experience. “After coming to Pace, I get to do all the things I loved doing in India. My mom is so happy back home in India because I’m happy.

“I have not been this happy ever before. I am doing so much here I couldn’t even have dreamed of in India. It’s not just me, it’s my parents. They can feel happy that the decision they made is the right one. They’ve even become Seidenberg International Parent Ambassadors in India.”

Krutika, we love you (and your parents). We also can’t wait for you to teach us your moves. Thank you for sharing your thrilling experience and what it means to you with your Seidenberg family!

Meet Jill Olimpieri, our new Event and Program Manager

Let’s all get together and shout out a massive welcome to our new event and program manager, Jill Olimpieri, who is already pretty much running the shop at our Pleasantville campus!

Jill may be new to Pace but she has a long history with working at universities… none as good as us, though. That’s evident from the way she considers joining the Seidenberg family one of her best decisions yet (and we agree)!

We asked Jill to kindly give us all of the details of her life, and she kindly obliged. Read on to learn all about our awesome new program manager!

As always – why Seidenberg?

I knew the moment that I took the elevator to the third floor of Goldstein, that Seidenberg was the right place for me. From the close-knit community to the amazing faculty, staff, and students, I knew that I would be able to grow professionally and personally. I enjoy that Pace is established and values tradition but, more specifically, the culture at Seidenberg allows for creativity and growth.

How are you finding it so far?

To be honest, no two days here at Seidenberg have been the same. I’ve learned a lot (I mean A LOT) about Seidenberg and the students. I have had the chance to be involved at both the PLV and NYC campuses, which has been a positive learning experience (or more so feeling like I could be Laina & Ava Posner’s forgotten older sister). Thankfully, everyone here has been extremely welcoming, which has solidified my reasons as to why I chose Seidenberg.

So what exactly does an events and program manager do?

In my new role, I am planning the Mobile App Contest, creating new programs and opportunities for the students, and assisting in recruitment initiatives. I’ll be serving as Advisor for the Seidenberg Tech Collective in PLV, so if you’re reading this blog, make sure you join!! Helping make Seidenberg bigger and better than ever is my top job responsibility, alongside many other talented staff and faculty members.

What are you looking forward to doing?

The most exciting thing I am looking forward to is providing opportunities that will continue making Seidenberg students stand out amongst the rest. Whether that means finding innovative opportunities off campus, or creating new ones, I am looking forward to using my imagination to help the students. Also, I’ll be heading to the Design Factory in April, so that seems like a pretty awesome opportunity, too!

What did you do before Seidenberg?

Before moving back to the Big Apple, I worked at colleges in New Hampshire, including Southern New Hampshire University and my alma mater, Keene State College. I earned my Master’s degree in Higher Ed Leadership, which led me to opportunities in assessment, event planning, and advising. I also was the Director at a Child Care Program for children aged 3-13, but decided I prefer to work with Big Kids, aka Dean Hill. I was then offered this new exciting opportunity as Events & Program Manager, and it has been one of my best decisions yet! I am looking forward to the future of Seidenberg and all it has to offer.

What do you do in your free time?

I spend my weekends traveling to see some of my closest friends. I am always seeking new adventures with my four legged child, Georgia; you can find us somewhere frolicking near a body of water. I also consider myself a Professional Bridesmaid (not kidding…well maybe) and am always interested in making new memories whenever I can. I also really like donuts – anything to do with donuts is a win in my eyes!

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Anything to do with donuts is a win in anybody’s eyes, so Jill is certainly not alone! Some of the programs Jill is working on can be found on our high school outreach page – be sure to get in touch if you’d like to hear more about them!

Welcome to the Seidenberg family, Jill! We are delighted to have you on board!

Accepted students came to meet us and it was awesome

The first weekend of March brought frigid temperatures, but many students who have been accepted to the Seidenberg School braved the weather to meet us for lunch and learn with the Dean events on both campuses.

On the Pleasantville campus, accepted students and their parents visited Seidenberg for the first time for a warm, friendly event that included games, presentations, lunch, and the chance to get to know our community a little better. Seidenberg students, faculty, and staff attended to meet with our prospective new students – it was a lot of fun and we were delighted to meet the students we have invited to join us in the fall.

To offer a little taste of our academic program, we held a cryptography competition: teams were given a decoder pinwheel and had to crack several codes. The first few to finish were awarded prizes, so the competition got pretty heated and many a Seidenberg t-shirt was won. Congratulations to our winners!

There were also presentations from Matt Ganis, a Seidenberg alum who works at IBM. Professor Ganis also teaches here at Seidenberg – he offers classes in programming for Python.

Dean Dr. Jonathan Hill also made some remarks.

“College is both a choice and a cultural fit,” said Dean Hill, emphasizing the importance of finding the right program and community for your individual needs.

The next day, in New York, the lunch and learn took place as part of an overnight #PaceBound event happening at Pace University. There was an impressive turnout as accepted students and their parents flocked to join us for presentations, food, and fun!

Just like the Pleasantville event, faculty, students and staff enjoyed meeting new accepted students and getting the opportunity to chat about just what makes Seidenberg so special.

Seidenberg students Connor, Melanie, Eiman and Christian sat on a panel discussion and shared their experiences and the opportunities they have received as students at Pace. They also offered tips on how to navigate college-work-internships balance and their favorite things about Seidenberg.

Guest appearances were also made in the form of Lego robots – part of a programming challenge that got students thinking about code (there’s no such thing as a day off here!).

Seeing programming come to life in a hands-on exercise really helps cement the idea of just what you can do with programming.

We very much hope that everybody who attended our lunch and learn events had an excellent time. We certainly did – and we hope to see you here in the fall!

Want to learn about upcoming events? Connect with us!

Meet Matt Brown, our new advisor in NYC!

A big welcome to our newest academic advisor, Matt Brown, who is waiting to meet you at our NYC campus!

Although new to Seidenberg, Matt has been with Pace University for four years. He’s no stranger to advising, though – he was previously an academic advisor for the Challenge to Achievement at Pace (CAP) Program in the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), where he advised first-year students of all majors and supported them during their transition to the Pace community. In the past, he also instructed University 101, worked with peer leaders, and led CAP’s peer mentoring program.

We caught up with Matt to ask him about how he ended up lucking out and getting a job at the best technology school ever. Here’s what he had to say!

So, why Seidenberg?

I wanted to become an advisor for Seidenberg because of its reputation of being an active community. Not only do I enjoy advising, but I appreciate being a part of a community that collaborates, supports one another, and strives to be the best version of itself. I sensed those qualities here.

How’re you finding it so far?

I’m finding that Seidenberg lives up to its reputation. Everyone I’ve met has been very welcoming and you can always find students in the lounge. There are a lot of events being hosted to educate and connect everyone. Seidenberg also offers awesome resources to our students.

What are you looking forward to doing here?

I’m looking forward to connecting with and learning from the Seidenberg community, especially our students, and supporting them while they try to get the most out of their time at Pace. Also, I heard there’s some cool things happening within the student organizations and on the 10thfloor.

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Matt is correct, there ARE cool things happening with student orgs (like the newly official Pace Women in Tech club) and at the Applied Data and Networking Sciences lab on the 10th floor!

We are so happy to have Matt working with us at Seidenberg and look forward to his work with our students as they navigate their university careers.

Once again, welcome Matt!