O'Neill faculty and staff help support IU Indianapolis' Season of Giving

O’Neill faculty and staff help support IU Indianapolis’ Season of Giving

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Leslie Wells

A man and woman walk into a room pointing at where they should put gifts, while two other women push a cart full of presents. — Executive Associate Dean Jeremy Carter, Assistant to the EAD Jennifer Gilles, and two student employees transport gifts for the 2025 Season of Giving. (Photo by Liz Kaye/Indiana University)

Written by: Teresa Francis, IU Indianapolis Office of Community Engagement

At the O’Neill School in Indianapolis, “Major in Making a Difference” is much more than a slogan—it’s a mission our faculty, staff, and students live out every day. This holiday season, O’Neill faculty and staff answered the call to help local families through the IU Indianapolis Office of Community Engagement’s 25th annual Season of Giving campaign to support Christamore House and Hawthorne Community Center.

“I love Christmas, and to be able to see the smiles on some of the children’s faces,” said Mary Stevenson, director of Financial Stability for Hawthorne Community Center.

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O’Neill student learns from government shutdown during internship

Posted on December 8, 2025 by Leslie Wells

A man wearing shots and a t-shirt stands in front of the reflecting pool in Washington, D.C. with the Washington Monument in the background. — Public Policy major Connor Elliott participated in O’Neill’s Washington Leadership Program in fall 2025 and experienced the longest government shutdown in U.S. history firsthand.

Written by: Connor Elliott; Edited by: Leslie Wells

When the federal government closed its doors on October 1, 2025, hundreds of thousands of federal employees were told not to report to work. Lawmakers were in a standoff over appropriations legislation for the upcoming fiscal year.

O’Neill students studying in Washington, D.C., with O’Neill’s Washington Leadership Program were also caught up in the chaos, including Public Policy major Connor Elliott who was interning for California Representative Pete Aguilar. His position also included providing support for the House Democratic Caucus.

“The House of Representatives furloughed all interns at midnight on October 1,” he recalls. “So, from October 1 to November 12, I was not allowed to be in the office.”

But he says the decision wasn’t a surprise to him or other legislative interns.

“As part of our internships, we’re expected to stay up to date on the news,” Elliott shares. “As a result, by mid-September, I knew a shutdown was very likely.”

The process behind preparing for a government shutdown is one most people never see, but Elliott lived through it in real time.

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O’Neill student helps Indiana communities through CIRDA Scholar program

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Leslie Wells

A woman with red hair stands in the foreground with a city building behind her. — Community and Organizational Leadership Studies major Ruth Pearce was selected as the first CIRDA Scholar for the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority.

“I’m a nontraditional student in every sense,” Ruth Pearce explains.

The Community and Organizational Leadership Studies major says she became a mother when she was young and jumped straight into her career. It wasn’t until her children were teenagers that she made the decision to go to college.

“I actually earned my associate degree alongside my daughter,” she says. “She was a nervous dual-enrolled high school student, and I was a nervous nontraditional student in my late 30s. We were both nervous for different reasons, but we did it together.”

Her daughter went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree, inspiring Pearce to do the same.

“Once my daughter completed her B.S., it knew it was time for me to finally keep a promise to myself to finish my education,” she says.

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Backpack to Briefcase: Powered by alumni, designed for students

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Leslie Wells

A woman sits behind a desk across from a man as they discuss career options. — O’Neill Indianapolis’ Backpack to Briefcase event connects alumni, like Amber Greaney (left), with students to discuss career opportunities, review resumes, and build connections.

Authored by: Victoria Whaley
Edited by: Leslie Wells

To succeed after graduation, students need more than academic knowledge. They need guidance, mentorship, and real-world connections. That’s where O’Neill School alumni can step in. Through O’Neill Indianapolis’ Backpack to Briefcase program, alums can give students the gift of their time, experience, and opportunity. The program, created by O’Neill Indianapolis Career Services Director Stacy Lozer, is one way O’Neill helps bridge the gap between college and career through alumni engagement.

“In my role, I look for multiple ways to impact our students as they work toward their career opportunities,” said Stacy Lozer, director of career services for O’Neill Indianapolis and an alumna of O’Neill’s MPA program. “As an alum, I also know the immense value of my degree and how it helped me navigate my career through many different opportunities.”

Her experience and connections provided the foundation for Backpack to Briefcase.

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New O’Neill School course supports military-connected students

Posted on November 10, 2025 by Leslie Wells

Three women sit at desks in a circle in a military student class — Liz Wager (left) leads an O’Neill class designed for military-connected students. (Photo: Tia Broz)

Written by: Tia Broz and Leslie Wells

Indiana University supports veterans and other military-connected students year-round, through Military-Connected Student Services, scholarships and other resources.

At IU Indianapolis, that includes a new course in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. The school is home to 29 students who are veterans, with others who are currently serving in the military.

O’Neill’s SPEA-V 498: Military Student Connections was created by Liz Wager, lecturer of community and organizational leadership studies in the O’Neill School, and Janice Bankert-Countryman, assistant program director of the Center for Transfer and Adult Students.

The course—which is open to any student on campus who is a veteran or service member—provides a space where their voices and experiences are front and center.

“College is hard,” Wager said. “A lot of times, especially for what we used to call ‘non-traditional students,’ just to see that there’s a place for you and seeing yourself in other students is vital.”

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