IUPD chief returns to O'Neill IUPUI, earns master’s degree

IUPD chief returns to O’Neill IUPUI, earns master’s degree

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Leslie Wells

Woman stands in graduation cap and gown on a brick sidewalk with green trees behind her. — Jill Lees is earning her MPA from O’Neill IUPUI in May 2022.

Written by: Jill Lees, O’Neill IUPUI MPA’22, Graduate Certificate Public Management’06, and chief of police for Indiana University Police Department-Bloomington

When I was in high school in Hammond, Indiana, I never would have believed anyone who told me I would attend and graduate from Indiana University. With barely any money in my pocket, I left home for Bloomington in 1991 to fulfill my dream of attending IU and joining the Indiana University Police Department cadet officer program.

In 1995, I graduated as a first-generation college student with a B.A. in criminal justice and was honored to have served IUPD from 1993 to 1995 as a cadet officer. Fast forward years later, I went back to the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI to earn a graduate certificate in public management in 2006. I always wanted to earn an MPA, but I decided to take a long break from school as I worked long hours as a police officer and raised my son.

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O’Neill alumna Jori Mundy delivers IUPUI commencement address

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Leslie Wells

Woman in white shirt stands in front of a gray wall, smiling with arms crossed. — Jori Mundy (MPA’15) will deliver the address at IUPUI’s 2022 commencement.

Written by: Amber Denney

Jori Mundy has a passion for helping people.

It was that passion and the encouragement from others that led her to pursue a master’s degree in public affairs from IUPUI in 2015. Recognizing one’s passion in life and using it to steer one’s path will be a theme in her speech at IUPUI’s undergraduate commencement ceremony at 4 p.m. May 14 in Carroll Stadium.

Mundy received her bachelor’s degree in African American and African Diaspora studies from IU Bloomington in 2008, and shortly thereafter, landed a government role delivering public assistance programs to Indiana residents. Mundy said she found great joy and pride in the work she did, but an 80-year-old client’s praise of Mundy’s talent for public service work secured her career path.

“She was just a sweet little lady who came, and I worked feverishly to secure her benefits only to realize that she wouldn’t be eligible,” Mundy said. “It was not the news I had hoped to deliver, but I still had to do the job, so I went to deliver the news. (more…)

O’Neill student finds purpose through advocacy and volunteerism

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Leslie Wells

woman smiles while holding golden IUPUI medal in front of her. — O’Neill’s Bri Youn was awarded the William M. Plater Medallion for Civic Engagement for her service to the campus community.

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 O’Neill’s Accelerated Master’s Program, working on both her bachelor’s degree in Public Management and her MPA in Policy Analysis. She’s balanced the rigorous program while working in O’Neill IUPUI’s Development Office, participating in faculty research opportunities, and managing her own family.

In short, Bri is busy.

But she’s kept community engagement as a top priority—especially when it comes to ensuring students’ voices are heard.

“I am a big advocate for education and uplifting student voices, which is why most of my civic engagement happens here on campus,” she explains.

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O’Neill student’s journey of community engagement earns her Plater Medallion

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Leslie Wells

Woman holding IUPUI medal in front of her and smiling. — Sukhdeep Kaur earned the William M. Plater Medallion for Civic Engagement.

As Sukhdeep Kaur prepares for commencement, she knows this isn’t the end of her educational journey.

Her next step? Law school. Sukhdeep has big plans for the criminal justice system. She’s already interning with Bleecker, Brodey, and Andrews, an Indianapolis-based law firm.

She says O’Neill helped prepare her for that position, as did her participation in Toastmasters International, one of the many civic engagement opportunities she took advantage of during her time at IUPUI.

“During O’Neill’s summer bridge program, I had the chance to connect with the O’Neill faculty,” Sukhdeep recalls. “They made me aware of all the different civic engagement opportunities I could take part in which allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and explore various organizations.”

For Sukhdeep, being civically engaged allows her to stay rooted and invested in where she lives.

“Civic engagement is a way for individuals to connect to their communities and to get out of their comfort zones,” she explains. “It helped me make connections with community leaders and helped me connect my learning to the world outside the university.”

The connections she’s built and maintained along the way helped earn her the William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion for 2022. Sukhdeep is one of six O’Neill students to earn the honor and among 25 students selected from across the IUPUI campus.

“I was in disbelief that I was considered but was also extremely proud to be named among the group of recipients,” she says.

For others who are interested in getting involved, Sukhdeep says all it takes is reaching out to IUPUI’s Office of Community Engagement or any number of organizations on campus. Students can also connect with their O’Neill faculty, staff, and student employees to learn how to take their first step on a lifelong civic engagement journey.

O’Neill student’s community-centered focus earns her top honor

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Leslie Wells

Woman smiles as she holds a medal around her neck. — O’Neill’s Autumn Hodge switched majors to make community engagement part of her career and earned the William M. Plater Medallion for Civic Engagement.

It was an oceanography class during freshman year that sparked something inside Autumn Hodge. She knew that class made her realize she needed to make a change.

“It helped me realize the degree I was pursuing at the time was not what I wanted to do,” she says. “I switched to O’Neill and changed my major to Sustainable Management and Policy because I wanted to make a difference through my career path.”

She wanted the difference she made to make waves around the world, even if she started small. She began volunteering on campus-wide service days as a site leader. She also committed herself to invest 40 to 60 hours each semester in community service with various organizations.

In fact, she credits her current career to civic engagement opportunities that have shown her how working together can create a better world for everyone. And she isn’t waiting until she has a degree in hand to start. In March, she began a full-time position serving as the impact coordinator for The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis.

“My civic engagement pushed me toward a career path focused on helping others,” Autumn says. “It’s simply lending a helping hand because you have the ability to do so and striving to create a society in which people are not suffering.”

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