Gale Epstein
Gale Epstein has been the principal patron of Seidenberg School’s Blue CoLab since its founding in 2020. The new center that bears her name will incorporate Blue CoLab and expand upon its mission, a goal that Gale and the lab’s executive director John Cronin have been discussing for the past year. Gale is co-founder, president and creative director of Hanky Panky, the 47 year-old, New York based, upscale Intimate Apparel company that markets interenationally. She was raised in St. Louis, Missouri where she crafted unique accessories and clothing since the age of twelve. She studied at Washington University and Parsons School of Design. Gale has championed sustainability at Hanky Panky, from production to packaging, relying exclusively on U.S.-made fabrics and manufacturing. She is an avid horsewoman, riding horseback for pleasure, as well as driving her beloved Morgan horses in carriage and sleigh. Gale has a lifelong commitment to supporting animal rights, environmental, social and arts organizations. She serves on the board of the Sing Sing Prison Museum, is a member of WellMet Philanthropy, and as patron of the BluCoLab sponsored numerous student internships. Visit the Hanky Panky website to learn more.
John Cronin
John is Executive Director of the Gale Epstein Center for Technology Policy and the Environment in the Seidenberg School for Computer Science and Information Systems.. He is an acclaimed environmental advocate named a “Hero for the Planet” by Time Magazine for his groundbreaking work on New York’s Hudson River. John’s affiliation with Pace University dates to 1986 when he co-founded the Environmental Litigation Clinic with Professors Nicholas Robinson, Richard Ottinger and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. In 1991, the Law School awarded him an Honorary Juris Doctor for his work on the Hudson and with the Clinic. In 1999, he was inducted as the university’s first Resident Scholar in Environmental Studies in Dyson College, where he later served as Senior Fellow for Environmental Affairs. Following a substantial donation of real-time water monitoring technology by GE, John moved to Seidenberg School and founded Blue CoLab, which he directs and co-teaches with Professor Leanne Keeley. He co-teaches the Animal Advocacy Clinic with Professor Michelle D. Land, and is the instructor for Design Thinking and Innovation, and for the master’s course The Art of Advocacy and Negotiation. A fuller bio appears here.