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.”

Monroe County prosecutor honored for research partnership with O’Neill faculty to promote equitable justice

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Leslie Wells

A woman wearing red and a man in a suit are smiling holding a red sculpted vase. — PPI Director Tom Guevara (left) and Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Erika Oliphant (right) hold the John L. Krauss Award.

Monroe County, Indiana, has been at the forefront of justice system change when it comes to piloting new programs in the state.

“We were one of the first to do drug treatment courts, we were one of the first few mental health courts, we were one of the pilot counties for pretrial release program,” recalls Prosecuting Attorney Erika Oliphant.

They’re also now on the leading edge of research, partnering with the Monroe County branch of the NAACP and Paul H. O’Neill Professor Eric Grommon to take a closer look at decisions made in her own office as people make their way through the criminal justice system—and the potential impacts those decisions have on racial and ethnic disparities in Monroe County.

“The justice system often falls short of its constitutional duties to be fair and impartial to everyone,” Oliphant says. “I truly believe this type of assessment is simply the right thing to do and helps us find ways to improve the system while increasing public transparency about what we are doing.”

Oliphant was recently honored by the IU Public Policy Institute with the John L. Krauss Award for Public Policy Innovation for her efforts to promote equitable justice in Monroe County. The Krauss Award is given to an individual or entity for applied research or activity that helps Indiana and/or Indiana communities with real-world solutions.

“I would not have this award, were it not for my team—I didn’t win this award alone,” she says with a smile. “I owe a debt of gratitude to my research team.”

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O’Neill alumna returns to earn master’s degree through specialized MPA

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Leslie Wells

A woman stands in a pedestrian tube wearing a red IUPUI shirt. She's smiling and has both hands in the pockets of her jeans. — O’Neill MPA candidate Andrea Fisher (BSCJ’23) is advancing her degree through a unique MPA track that lets her specialize her studies in her area of interest. (Photo Credit: Liz Kaye)

It was just three months ago that Andrea Fisher was preparing for commencement. She had completed her Criminal Justice bachelor’s degree with O’Neill in just two years thanks to earning her associate’s degree while still in high school.

“I chose criminal justice because I felt like the only way to make the difference is from the inside,” she says. “Being an advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves is a major propellant for me.”

Now, she’s starting a new semester at IUPUI, back in the classroom working on her next degree. She wanted to expand her opportunity for impact by pursuing a unique Master of Public Affairs track, specializing her studies in her specific area of interest. Fisher hopes pursuing a specialized MPA will eventually lead her to law school.

“An MPA allows me to broaden my career opportunities both within the justice and legal systems and within nonprofit organizations, the government, and other avenues,” she explains. “In public affairs, I can make a great career out of advocacy work and public policy. And with a law background on my side, it will make me stronger voice.” (more…)