Our professors bring their real world experience into the virtual classroom. The faculty members at the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences are both scholars and expert practitioners in fields including communication, media, and film production and direction. Their expertise in the industry allows them to integrate real-world case studies and recent trends into the coursework, giving students exposure to the things they will work on in their career.


Kate Fink, PhD
Kate Fink, PhD
Program Director and Associate Professor

Kate Fink, PhD

Program Director and Associate Professor
Media, Communications, and Visual Arts

Kate Fink is a journalism studies scholar and former journalist, specializing in audio storytelling. Her research interests relate to news business models, community engagement, and technology adoption among journalists. Prior to joining Pace, Fink worked as a radio journalist and host at WDUQ, an NPR member station in Pittsburgh, as well as WINA, a commercial news station in central Virginia. Fink serves as a faculty in residence on the Pace-Pleasantville campus and advises the student newspaper, the Pace Chronicle. Fink is also an affiliated fellow of the Information Society Project at Yale University Law School and a former fellow of the Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Columbia University.

Education
PhD, Columbia University, New York, NY, 2014
Communications

MPhil, Columbia University, New York, NY, 2012
Communications

MBA, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, 2009

BA, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 1998
Slavic Languages and Literatures

Recent Publications
Fink, K. (2020). Freedom of information in college: How student journalists learn to file public records requests. College Media Review 58.

Fink, K., & Palmer, R. (2020). “We Have to Stand Out to Blend In”: Ordinary Transgender People Speak About Being Subjects of News Stories. Journalism Studies 21(8), 1109-1126.

Fink, K. (2019). Freedom of information in community journalism. Community Journalism 7(1), 17-37.

Fink, K., Finewood, M. H., & Molnar, L. (2018). Framing Pier 55: Negotiated resilience and contested waterfronts. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 9(3), 364-370.

Awards and Honors

  • College Media Association Ingelhart Grant, 2019
  • Top paper in Applied Communication, Eastern Communication Association, 2019
  • First-place paper award, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Small Programs Interest Group, 2017
  • Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication History Division, August 8, 2015—Covert Award
  • Journalist’s Resource, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University, December 19, 2014—top academic paper

Licensures and Memberships

  • FAA Part 107 license (for commercial drone pilots), 2016-present
  • Editorial Board Member, Journalism: Theory, Practice, and Criticism, 2017-present
  • Editorial Board Member, Digital Journalism, 2016-present
Louis Guarneri
Louis Guarneri
Clinical Assistant Professor

Louis Guarneri

Clinical Assistant Professor
Media, Communications, and Visual Arts

Lou Guarneri is an award-winning filmmaker with a background in broadcast and television post production. After graduating from the Pace MCVA undergrad and graduate programs, Lou worked at A&E Networks in post production. He went on to work as an associate producer for the History Channel. On the side, Lou continued to work on a variety of independent projects, including short films, sketch comedy, documentaries, weddings, music videos, podcasts, and more. Lou has always remained close to Pace. After teaching adjunct for several years, he became a full time professor and now teaches filmmaking in the MCVA department.

Maria Luskay, EdD
Maria Luskay, EdD
Professor

Maria Luskay, EdD

Professor
Media, Communications, and Visual Arts

Maria Luskay is a writer, producer and director with 30+ years of experience in industrial and documentary film production.

Education
EdD, Nova, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 1998
Higher Education

MS, College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY, 1990
Communication Arts

MBA Certificate, Long Island University, Dobbs Ferry, NY, 1988
Business Administration

BA, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY, 1985
Literature and Communications

Awards and Honors

  • Frozen River Film Festival, 2020 , Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise
  • Roma Cinema Documentary Award, 2020, Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise
  • New York Cinematography Award, 2020, Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise
  • The Lift Off Sessions, 2019, Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise
  • Best Shorts Competition, 2019, Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise
  • Williamsburg International Film and Music Competition, 2019, Hawaii: Living on the Edge in Paradise
  • Rincon International Film Festival, 2019, Puerto Rico: Hope in the Dark Award Winner
  • Best Shorts Competition 2018, Puerto Rico: Hope in the Dark Award Winner
  • Miami Independent Film Festival, 2018, Puerto Rico: Hope in the Dark Award Winner
  • Spotlight Documentary Film Awards, 2018, Puerto Rico: Hope in the Dark Award Winner
  • A2F2 Wild and Green Shorts Films Festival, Ridge to Ranch to River to Reef, 2018, Winner
  • Spotlight Documentary Film Award, 2018, Ridge to Ranch to River to Reef,
  • Accolade Global Film Competition, 2018, Ridge to Ranch to River to Reef, Award Winner
  • Cinema New York, August 2017, Cuba’s Crossroads, Official Selection
  • Young Filmmakers, September 2016, Cuba’s Crossroads, Official Selection
  • Accolade Global Film Competition, September 2016, Cuba’s Crossroads, Award Winner
  • Best Shorts Competition, April 2017, Cuba’s Crossroads, Award Winner
  • Spotlight Documentary Film Awards, December 2016, Cuba’s Crossroads, Award Winner.
  • NYC Short Documentary Film Festival, March 2017, Cuba’s Crossroads, Official Selection
  • John Muir Wildlife Film Festival, February 2016, , Curaçao’s Coral Challenge – Reviving the Rain Forests of the Sea, Official Selection
  • Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, August 2015, Curaçao’s Coral Challenge–Reviving the Rain Forests of the Sea
  • Best Shorts Competition, July 2015, Curaçao’s Coral Challenge–Reviving the Rain Forests of the Sea, Award of Merit, Documentary Short.
  • Accolade Global Film Competition, June 2015, Curaçao’s Coral Challenge–Reviving the Rain Forests of the Sea, Award of Merit, Documentary Short.
  • Accolade Global Film Competition, September 2014, September 2014—Award of Merit

Research Interests
Writing, producing, and directing
Expert witness: screenwriting and editing

Mirjana Mira Pantic, PhD
Mirjana Mira Pantic, PhD
Assistant Professor

Mirjana Mira Pantic, PhD

Assistant Professor
Media, Communications, and Visual Arts

Mirjana Pantic has a PhD in Communication and Information earned from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is originally from Serbia where she received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in European Union studies. Pantic has more than 12 years of professional experience in the media industry.

Education
PhD, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2017
Communication and Information

MA, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, Serbia, 2013
European Studies

BS, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, Serbia, 2004
Journalism and Communication Studies

Awards and Honors
College of Communications and Information, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, April 16, 2018–outstanding dissertation award.

The Participatory Journalism Interest Group of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, August 2017–Top student paper (second place).

US Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, 2016–Certificate of appreciation for contribution to the research report “The Belgrade Police: Refugee coping strategy and public diplomacy.”

The Annual Research Symposium of the University of Tennessee College of Communication and Information, 2016–First prize proposal poster.

Five Best News Sites in Serbia Award given to the Novi Magazin website when she served as co-editor-in-chief of the website, 2014.

The Best Report Award granted by the Serbian EU Integration Office and the Delegation of the EU in Serbia for the best article published in print media on the EU integration process, 2011.

Certificate for participating in a journalism program of study during the academic year 2009-2010 at the Department of Communication, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, 2010.

Certificate for distinguished performance in a Professional Development Year Program sponsored by the Voice of America’s International Media Training Center and Bradley University (2010).

Certificate of successful completion of the program Economic and Political Reporting from Southeast Europe granted by Thomson Reuters Foundation and a German foundation Robert Bosh Stiftung, 2009).

The Best Report Award granted by the Serbian EU Integration Office and the Delegation of the EU in Serbia for the best article published in print media on the EU integration process, 2009.

Award for Excellence in Investigative Journalism granted by the Independent Journalist Association of Serbia and the US Embassy in Belgrade, 2009.

Award for Reporting on European Regions granted by the European Movement in Serbia, 2006.

Research Interests
Digital media, journalism tenets, participatory journalism, active audiences, media sustainability, intercultural communication, and international communication.

Michelle Pulaski Behling, PhD
Michelle Pulaski Behling, PhD
Assistant Chair and Associate Professor

Michelle Pulaski Behling, PhD

Assistant Chair and Associate Professor
Media, Communications, and Visual Arts

Education
PhD, University of Connecticut

MA, University of Connecticut

BA, Villanova University

Awards and Honors
Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, April 2012–Dyson Technology Award
CTLT, August 2009—Teaching Online Certification

Licensures and Certificates
CTLT, August—Teaching Online Certification
First member of the university to become certified to teach online. The three part certification process includes completing online workshops and mentoring other faculty.

Research Interests
Media effects and pedagogy

Paul Ziek, PhD
Paul Ziek, PhD
Department Chair and Associate Professor

Paul Ziek, PhD

Department Chair and Associate Professor
Media, Communications, and Visual Arts

Before joining Pace, Paul worked as a project management professional for a SDVOSB that held a Mobis Contract. Over his 15 years, he executed a wide range of capital operations projects for media organizations. He worked with organizations of all sizes on ways to seize opportunities for business success. His expertise was helping companies during times of change, such as mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, consolidation and expansion. Some of his clients included the New York Post, Chicago Sun-Times, Tribune Education, and Barking Dog Productions, to name just a few.

Education
PhD, Rutgers, The State University
Communication

MA, New York University
Media Ecology

BA, Rutgers, The State University
Communication

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