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… Read more »
Nineteen-year-old O’Neill Public Policy major Connor Elliott has already been on the frontline of elections. In spring 2023, he served on the reelection campaign for Indianapolis’ mayor. That opportunity led to another—campaign manager for a state representative—which led to another. “Every two years the state party holds a state convention, so you can run for… Read more »
From his home base in Indianapolis, O’Neill Assistant Professor Nathan Cook is working on projects from around the world, specifically in what is known as the Global South—what some call the developing world. In countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Cook looks at common-pool resources—things like groundwater basins, shared irrigation systems, rainforests, and other… Read more »
Senior Lecturer Pierre Atlas’ work bridges O’Neill’s two worlds. He teaches in the school’s Public Affairs program as well as in its Criminal Justice program. His courses focus on everything from terrorism and gun culture to community structure and urban policy. “Most people think of public policy as working in government at some level, but… Read more »
As soon as Bri Youn stepped foot on the IUPUI campus, her work ethic was evident, and her passion was palpable. “I had the heart for creating change, but I didn’t have the how,” she explains. “The O’Neill School helped me learn how to translate my passion into power and purpose.” Bri is part of… Read more »
