Charles “Chuck” Bonser, founding dean of the O’Neill School, dies

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Leslie Wells

Red background image with photo of man and text that says Chuck Bonser with obit information.

Dean Emeritus Charles “Chuck” Bonser, the founding dean of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs who led the school for nearly two decades, passed away August 14, 2024.

He was 91.

“We are forever indebted to Chuck Bonser and his vision for the O’Neill School,” said Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School. “His tireless efforts helped bring the school from just an idea into reality, and his vision created a forward looking, truly imaginative interdisciplinary and world-renowned force that strives to make the world better. We are honored to continue this mission, educating future leaders who are prepared to address complex issues and will carry the torch he lit more than 50 years ago.”

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Adriana Molina-Garzón: Helping vulnerable communities facing environmental challenges

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Leslie Wells

Closeup of a woman wearing a white blazer and standing on a city street. — Adriana Molina Garzón is joining the O’Neill Indianapolis faculty in fall 2024.

Adriana Molina-Garzón’s work has taken her to remote communities across the world, all with the goal of researching climate change and environmental issues in vulnerable communities. Each trip, she says, is a deeply moving experience.

“I have seen firsthand the challenges faced by local communities trying to balance precarious social conditions with conservation goals,” Molina-Garzón explains. “That’s why I am committed to promoting evidence-based policy solutions for sustainable development.”

Her research focuses on the conditions and arrangements that impact sustainable development in rural areas of low- and middle- income countries.

A woman wearing a tank top sits at a shaded table working on a caluclator. — Adriana Molina Garzón’s work often takes her to remote areas to study how middle- and low-income communities are affected by climate change.

She says humanity’s future hinges on the relationship between society and natural resources, including how to help communities—especially marginalized communities—overcome barriers to addressing climate change through collaboration.

“Having a better understanding of the social dynamics that could help communities organize and sustainably manage their resources is fundamental in achieving the dual goal of promoting environmental protection and the well-being of vulnerable communities,” she says.

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IU Indianapolis’ first new degree program: Community and Organizational Leadership Studies at O’Neill

Posted on July 29, 2024 by Leslie Wells

cardigan stands at the front of a classroom, lecturing students. — O’Neill Lecturer Liz Wager leads courses in the O’Neill’s new Community and Organizational Leadership program.

The O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Indianapolis is launching a new degree program to help grow leaders across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. And it is the first new degree approved for IU Indianapolis.

The newly launched Community and Organizational Leadership Studies program offers a bachelor’s degree, minor, and certificate option. The IU Board of Trustees approved the degree path in spring of 2024 and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education gave it the green light in July 2024.

“This COLS program provides students with training that transcends job titles,” says O’Neill’s Associate Dean of Student Services and Enrollment Management Suzann Lupton. “Being able to lead effectively is a critical skill that is applicable in every sector of our society.”

O’Neill Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Leadership Programs Liz Wager spearheaded the launch of the new degree. She spent several years leading a similar undergraduate program and helped shepherd it—and many of its students—during the program’s transition to O’Neill.

She says the COLS program is a diverse degree that will carry students through the many stages of their careers, regardless of where they are within an organization.

“Leadership does not require a title or position of power,” she says. “It requires an understanding of how to influence others to become the positive change agents needed to navigate today’s complex public, political, and organizational challenges.”

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O’Neill and the Olympics: Student helps in creation of swim trials centerpiece

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Leslie Wells

A woman wearing sunglasses stands outside in front of a replica of the Eiffel Tower. — O’Neill student Wendy Catalán Ruano stands outside the replica Eiffel Tower that was on display during the Olympic Swim Trials in Indianapolis (June 2024).

From inside the Latinas Welding Guild, O’Neill Sustainability major Wendy Catalán Ruano helped recreate an icon of the 2024 Paris Olympic Summer Games.

Like Catalán Ruano, the students with whom she works are welders. At the guild, she helps them with course admission, scholarships, and gets them started as they enhance their skills through hands-on work. In 2024, that work included creating a replica of the Eiffel Tower that served as the centerpiece for the Paris Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis.

“The plan was always to build an Eiffel Tower,” Catalán Ruano explains. “The Olympics team and local officials wanted to work with a nonprofit and were attracted to the guild’s mission.”

The nonprofit offers welding and manufacturing training to support students from marginalized communities. Its founder and executive director, Conseulo Lockhart, created it to empower students and increase diversity and opportunity within the field of welding.

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IU Executive Education builds leadership programs for Indiana Victims Assistance Training Project

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Leslie Wells

A group of people sit at tables in a conference room while a woman at the front is leading a training session. — IU Executive Education provides leadership training for the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s Indiana Victim Assistance Training Project (2021).
Photo courtesy: Indiana Victim Assistance Training Project

In the nonprofit world, a leadership role is often something people grow into through experience rather than something they’ve been trained to do.

Suzanne O’Malley says that’s something they see in the field of victim services.

“People go into this field to help others,” she explains. “They don’t necessarily have management training or an educational background in leadership.”

O’Malley leads the Indiana Victims Assistance Training Project, part of the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. IVATP offers support and training to anyone in the state who provides direct services to victims of crime, whether that be domestic violence or other crimes.

She admits this line of work can take a toll on those trying to help. From salary challenges to the emotional and mental weight of the cases they see, turnover rates are high. When her team surveyed those working in victim services agencies, they were surprised to learn that one of the reasons people were leaving was workplace culture, things like not having enough supervision or not having someone to turn to when they needed help.

That’s what her team wanted to address—and it’s why they turned to IU Executive Education. O’Malley had worked with IU Executive Education’s then-Director Sara Johnson in 2018 during a series of presentations. She says she recalled being very impressed with Johnson. So much so that when the time came to think about a long-term training program for the organizations they serve, she knew she wanted to reach out to Johnson.

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