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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O’Neill’s Christian Buerger receives award for research on charter schools

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Leslie Wells

man holding award plaque — O’Neill Assistant Professor Christian Buerger won the 2021 Jesse Burkhead Award for the best article in Volume 40 of Public Budgeting & Finance.

O’Neill IUPUI Assistant Professor Christian Buerger received the 2021 Jesse Burkhead Award for his article, “The Influence of Finance Policies on Charter School Supply Decisions in Five States” from the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management.

Buerger received the award at the ABFM’s 2021 annual conference in Washington, D.C. ABFM is the budget and finance sector of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA).

“To receive this award in the name of such a noted researcher as Jesse Burkhead is truly an honor,” said Buerger. “I’m both proud and humbled to carry on the legacy in public affairs at the O’Neill School.”

The honor is named for Jesse Burkhead, who had a distinguished career as a professor of economics and public administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

“Jesse Burkhead’s legacy as an insightful budget scholar and a friend to those in the field is memorialized in this award,” said Mark Robbins, chair of the Burkhead Award committee. “The committee found Christian Buerger’s work to exemplify these qualities. It’s both carefully executed and clearly explained with policy-relevant implications.”

In his award-winning article, Buerger examined charter school data from five states: New York, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio. He wanted to see whether charter school finance policies influenced where charter school operators choose to set up shop. (more…)

New report evaluates IPS police on racial equity for students

Posted on September 27, 2021 by Leslie Wells

image of police officer at high school football game

As debates nationwide focus on police reform and issues of equity, a new report from the Center for Research on Inclusion and Social Policy at the IU Public Policy Institute examines equity in school policing within Indiana’s largest school district.

The latest report is a follow-up from a study in 2015. That’s when Indianapolis Public Schools asked PPI to assess the IPS Police Department and identify opportunities to collaborate with staff and administrators.

Five years later, IPS returned to PPI to have a team evaluate IPS PD’s practices and recommend changes that could provide a safe environment, and help students succeed.

“As in-school policing becomes increasingly commonplace, it is critical to understand how these practices affect academic and social outcomes, specifically for students of color,” said Roxy Lawrence, CRISP’s director of evaluation. “We hope this research sheds light on how IPS PD polices impact students while also providing a roadmap for the district on how to address these disparities in meaningful and equitable ways.”

CRISP researchers surveyed and interviewed members of IPS PD, school administrators, staff, teachers, students, and parents/caregivers. They also reviewed IPS PD’s operating procedures and case record data before presenting their findings to the IPS school board meeting on September 21, 2021.

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