Magee’s work highlights impact of mental health stigma and other issues on shooting survivors

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Leslie Wells

Man sits in foreground taking notes and counseling a woman who is talking in the background.

A new study finds that shooting survivors may not seek the mental health services they need after experiencing gun violence due to stigma, fear and a lack of trusted resources. The study, led by assistant professor Lauren Magee with the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indianapolis, is featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open.

Magee and her partners with Stop the Violence Indianapolis interviewed survivors of gun violence in the Indianapolis area, all of whom were between the ages of 13 and 34 at the time they were shot. The study did not include survivors of shootings that involved fatalities.

“Despite describing symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress and anxiety disorders, half of participants we spoke with believed they were adequately coping without formal services,” Magee explains.

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Peterson Fellowship offers O’Neill students pipeline to opportunity

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Leslie Wells

A man with blonde hair stands against a white wall. He's wearing a pink button-up shirt and smiling.

Written by: Colin Kulpa

One of the O’Neill School’s defining characteristics is providing high-quality, hands-on learning experiences to its students. From research opportunities to community-based projects to its many internship opportunities, one fellowship stands out for its ability to connect students with experiences and even careers after they earn their degrees.

The Peterson Fellowship is a three-semester fellowship providing financial support for talented O’Neill graduate students to gain experience with the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office, IndyGo, and Indianapolis International Airport.

Three people stand under a tent in a field at the Indianapolis International Airport. — Ted Field (L) during his time with the Indianapolis International Airport as a McKinney Fellow.

Ted Field received the Peterson Fellowship while completing his MPA at the O’Neill School in Indianapolis. He started his journey as a Peterson Fellow with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, the body overseeing the airport, then moved to the mayor’s office. In the summer of 2023, he finished his time at IndyGo, the public transportation authority in Indianapolis.

“It has been really phenomenal for me to try my hand at a bunch of different things,” said Field. “Right now, I’m spearheading a customer perception survey IndyGo hopes to roll out sometime next year. So far, I’ve been responsible for creating the scope of work and developing a pilot program so that we can test it and make sure that it’s going to work.”

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Carson named a Research Frontiers Trailblazer for 2023

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Leslie Wells

O’Neill Associate Professor and Director of O’Neill’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety program Dena Carson is being honored for her work understanding youth gangs and youth violence. Carson was one of eight IUPUI faculty members recognized by the university as 2023 Research Frontiers Trailblazers.

The Trailblazer Award honors IUPUI associate professors who have made exceptional contributions to areas in their field of research within the first three years of their academic appointment. It’s not first time Carson has been recognized for her work. In 2019, she was awarded the prestigious Tory J. Caeti Memorial Award from the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Section of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Her most recent research projects have focused on the processes that impact whether a young person can leave gang life, how youth gangs and their members impact schools and communities, and how certain risk factors in a young person’s life impact whether they join a gang in the first place.

“I am thrilled to receive the IU Trailblazer award,” Carson says proudly. “I believe my work is very impactful and it’s really nice to have that recognized.”

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Spend spring break studying abroad in one of three locations

Posted on September 25, 2023 by Leslie Wells

A group of students are on the tarmac of an airport smiling and taking a selife — Preston Cloud traveled to the Cayman Islands to study coral reef restoration in March 2023.

Students at O’Neill IUPUI can travel to Berlin, Scotland, and the Cayman Islands. Scholarship opportunities are available to help cover portions of the program and students’ airfare. Visit this link to apply for O’Neill International’s study abroad programs.

COURSE LOCATIONS

Berlin: 1 credit hour

Program cost: $700 (does not include airfare)

Students traveling to Berlin will focus their studies on Metropolitan Development. They’ll study the policy approaches that helped transform the city and Germany itself into a modern economic powerhouse, turning Berlin into the entrepreneurial and innovative hot spot in Europe.

Scotland: 1 credit hour

Program cost: $900 (does not include airfare)

O’Neill’s course in Scotland will explore cultural management and heritage preservation. Students will be based in Edinburgh but travel to Glasgow and the Highlands during their trip. The goal is to provide students with a critical appreciation for major cultural institutions that focus on the visual and performing arts, historic preservation/public history, material culture, and international arts and cultural policy.

Cayman Islands: 3 credit hours

Class dates: Weekly for the first nine weeks of the spring semester | Program cost: $1,500-$1,600 (does not include airfare or snorkel gear)

Students who travel to the Cayman Island will study coral reef restoration and conservation. The first eight weeks of the spring semester are spent developing a project focus. Once students depart for the trip, they spend much of their time underwater, learning about coral reefs, ocean life, and conducting research on distinct and diverse ecosystems found only in the Caribbean.

“When it comes to climate change, people think about our ozone layer, the atmosphere, greenhouse gases—and that’s all important,” explains O’Neil Sustainability major Preston Cloud.

But he says people don’t often think about coral reefs or how many ocean species are going extinct.

“If the coral reefs die, our oceans die,” Cloud says, who attended the trip to the spring 2023 trip to the Cayman Islands.

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Community Safety Career Day returns to campus

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Leslie Wells

September is National Preparedness Month and the O’Neill School is working to help communities and individuals be ready when disaster strikes–and one of our biggest events is returning to campus to round out the month! The 2023 Community Safety Career Day will be on September 28 in Taylor Courtyard from 12:30–3 p.m. And this year, the event has expanded its focus.

“We wanted to be more inclusive of the many careers that play integral roles in keeping our communities safe and sustainable,” says O’Neill Career Advisor Stacy Lozer, who is leading the event.

While Community Safety Career Day has always included public safety organizations, this year’s event will also include those in the fields of community resilience and environmental and natural disaster safety.

“Expanding and refocusing this event delivers on O’Neill’s promise to support our students as they help to create thriving communities that are safe, just, equitable, and effective for everyone,” adds O’Neill Indianapolis Executive Associate Dean Jeremy Carter.

The event will begin with a ceremony to honor the American Red Cross—Indiana Region with O’Neill’s inaugural Community Hero Award. The recognition will celebrate the Red Cross’ work to help Hoosiers prepare for and respond to disasters.

Lozer says they will be one of dozens of organizations attending the event. As part of IUPUI’s Fall Career Week, Community Safety Career Day provides allows all IUPUI students to take advantage of new opportunities for career advice, as well as internship, employment, and volunteer opportunities across Central Indiana.

“Connecting students with professionals who are working in these fields is critical to their future success,” Lozer stresses. “The connections they make at events like Community Safety Career Day could help them launch their careers. It’s our job to give our students every opportunity to build relationships, gain experience, and expand their networks. This event gives them the chance to do just that and to have a positive impact on communities for years to come.”