Applications open for CRISP Research and Evaluation Clinic

CRISP Research and Evaluation Clinic opens applications

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Leslie Wells

image of papers, charts, graphs, and text

Students from IUPUI can put their research and data analysis skills to use to make real change for community organizations in Indianapolis.

Applications are open now through November 7 for students to join the research team at the Center for Research on Inclusion and Social Policy’s Research and Evaluation Clinic in the spring 2022 semester.

The team of student researchers is overseen by CRISP’s Director of Evaluation and CRISP Clinic Director Roxy Lawrence.

Roxy Lawrence, Director of the CRISP Research and Evaluation Clinic, Director of Evaluation for the IU Public Policy Institute’s Center for Research on Inclusion and Social Policy (CRISP)

“Joining the CRISP Clinic team provides students the opportunity to make a tangible difference in our community,” Lawrence explains. “These students aren’t waiting until they’ve graduated to make an impact—they’re gaining real-world research and evaluation experience, building their networks, and contributing to efforts to make Marion County a more equitable place.”

Those selected will work in teams to learn about local issues and conduct an original community-engaged research or evaluation project. Each project includes work with a community partner who is actively addressing major social issues in Marion County. Students will have the opportunity to develop relationships with community leaders and learn more about how issues of social policy and equity intersect and affect people living in Indianapolis.

More information for students is available at this link. A limited number of scholarships are available.

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National Student Exchange program lets students study and travel

Posted on October 25, 2021 by Leslie Wells

woman stands in front of snowcapped mountain by frozen lake — O’Neill sustainability major Valerie Pokorny traveled to Alaska to spend a semester studying with the National Student Exchange program.

Valerie Pokorny and her friends were on a midnight walk. They quietly crept through the trees, keeping their eyes fixed on the Alaskan night sky. They had received an app alert that it would be a good night to see the northern lights.

She was in a place quite unlike Indianapolis—and that was just what she had been looking for.

“I wanted to go somewhere very different,” she explains. “The United States is huge and has so much to offer—why not look here?”

Pokorny, an O’Neill Sustainable Management and Policy major, was spending her spring 2021 semester at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau thanks to IUPUI’s National Student Exchange program.

They’re called “study away” programs—a more domestic version of study abroad opportunities—and they allow IUPUI undergraduates to spend a semester or academic year at one of its partner schools around the country, in U.S. territories, and in Canada.

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Transfer students share their paths to O’Neill

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Leslie Wells

headshots of three students — Raj Gadapaka (L), Alicia Dinkeldein (C), and Kelsey Weaver (R) all transferred to O’Neill from other schools in 2018.

For the past three years, Kelsey Weaver, Raj Gadapaka, and Alicia Dinkeldein have been at IUPUI working hard on their degrees. Come December 2021, they’ll turn in their last assignments, earn their final undergraduate grades, and get to turn their tassels and their stories to the next chapter.

It’s a fitting end for all three. The trio also had similar starts to their O’Neill journeys: transferring here from other universities.

Gadapaka was a Business Administration major at Ivy Tech while Weaver was at Hanover College. Both will soon have their O’Neill Management degrees in hand. Dinkeldein had studied athletic training at Ricks College, now Brigham Young University–Idaho. She left school during her sophomore year to return home to get married.

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IU Honors O’Neill alumna Marie Johns for her life of service

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Leslie Wells

Marie Johns speaks at a conference in 2011. — O’Neill alumna Marie Johns, deputy administrator for the Small Business Administration during President Barack Obama’s administration, speaks during a program titled “Exporting for Growth” in October 2011. Johns will receive the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Indiana University on Friday, October 15. (Photo courtesy of The Washington Post; Photographer Matt McClain)

At 6:15 a.m., the streets of Washington, D.C., are beginning to come to life. O’Neill alumna Marie Johns is lacing up her walking shoes to head out with her 10-year-old wheaten terrier, Riggins.

It’s a daily 2-mile tradition for the duo. These early morning hours are where Johns (BS’79, MPA’82) finds the calm before the chaos.

“It’s the best way to start the day,” she says. “The air is clean. Everything is quiet and fresh.”

That quiet is soon overtaken by meetings. As the CEO for management consulting firm PPC-Leftwich, Johns’ days are packed with everything from utility industry projects to board meetings with universities and her church.

Life in D.C. wasn’t something Johns sought out. Decades earlier, a career move for her husband—also an IU alum—relocated their family from Indianapolis to the East Coast.

“I had a bit of small city syndrome, wondering how we would adjust,” she admits. “Washington has a very different rhythm than Indianapolis.”

And while her rhythm and location had changed, Johns had not. She brought her career expertise and commitment to community service with her to Washington.

Making a difference—both professionally and personally—is who she is and always has been. That’s why Indiana University is recognizing her with its highest alumni honor: the Distinguished Alumni Service Award. Recipients are leaders in their fields who have made significant contributions benefiting their community, state, nation, or the university.

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Leaders must adapt to the new world of work

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Sara M Johnson

Photo of three people wearing masks in an office typing on laptops

The world of work is changing—and so are workers’ expectations. The call to leaders is clear: adapt now or risk the organization’s future.

Adaptability is one of the keys to effective leadership. Those who adapt well know how to adjust their style when the situation calls for it. Another key is continual learning—being willing to find new ways to do things that will help you lead others and your organization while also improving worker satisfaction and organizational outcomes.

These elements of effective leadership are especially necessary in our current work environment. As employees around the world return to offices and worksites, leaders must recognize and act upon the reality of our new world of work. Not doing so means potentially losing good workers and watching organizations fail as a result—and the price of this turnover has a ripple effect on our communities and society, including economic impacts, hiring challenges, and an increased competition for quality workers.

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