O'Neill MPA student named among IUPUI's Elite 50 grad students

O’Neill’s Riley Sandel named to IUPUI’s Elite 50

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Leslie Wells

Riley Sandel stands in front of a red O'Neill School sign — O’Neill graduate student Riley Sandel was named among IUPUI’s Elite 50 grad students.

Riley Sandel has come a long way from that first day on IUPUI’s campus in 2018. Having earned an undergraduate degree in architecture, Sandel began designing and building a new future by earning a master’s degree through O’Neill IUPUI.

Sandel has used an O’Neill education to help communities better understand their own needs and potential by staying connected and listening to the people who live in those areas.

“You should be a member of the community first, and an expert second,” Sandel says. “If you don’t put citizenry and relationship-building first, you can easily produce poor policy or outcomes.”

That commitment to community-engaged policymaking earned Sandel a spot among IUPUI’s Elite 50 graduate students for 2020. It was a fitting end to a stellar master’s degree journey.

What was your reaction to being selected for an Elite 50 award?

“It was certainly a shock! I was nudged into applying by a faculty member at O’Neill and was happy to put my name in the hat among graduate students at IUPUI. Of course, with more than 8,000 graduate and professional students affiliated with our institution, it is very humbling to be recognized as a part of the 2020 cohort for the Elite 50 award. It is also great to be part of a group awarded this recognition for academics and extra-curricular commitments to community involvement, campus involvement, and scholarly work.”

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O’Neill’s Amber Rose Greaney earns spot in Premiere 10, Elite 50

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Leslie Wells

Amber Greaney stands next to a tree on IUPUI's campus — Amber Greaney was named a Premiere 10 among IUPUI’s Elite 50 graduate students.

When Amber Rose Greaney walked onto the IUPUI campus, she knew exactly what she wanted to do: make the world a better place. For her, that means helping people and communities focus on environmental sustainability.

From serving on IUPUI’s Sustainability Council, to working on Greening IUPUI grants, and presenting her work at national conferences, Greaney has dedicated her career at IUPUI to her cause.

Now, she’s being recognized for that work. Last year, she was named as a Top 100 undergrad student. This year, she is among IUPUI’s Elite 50 graduate students. But, to Greaney’s surprise, there was more beyond that honor. She also earned a spot among the university’s Premiere 10 students.

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O’Neill Student Emergency Fund helps students during times of crisis

Posted on May 5, 2020 by Leslie Wells

graphic showing housing, job loss, auto, health categories

When students walk into O’Neill Associate Director of Student Services James Eckerty’s office, he often ends up talking to them about far more than academics.

James Eckerty wearing gray colored shirt — O’Neill Associate Director of Student Services James Eckerty

“I’ve seen how life’s obstacles can really affect our students,” he says. “We know if they don’t have a place to call home or a reliable source of food or transportation, it can destroy their focus on college and the future.”

Eckerty talks to students about on-campus work-study opportunities, scholarships, and other resources, including the IUI O’Neill Student Emergency Fund.

The fund provides financial assistance for students facing unforeseen emergencies—unexpected job loss, car repairs, housing issues, medical bills, and more. They apply for assistance and a committee reviews their request to determine if they qualify and how much they could provide.

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O’Neill emergency fund helps cover costs for student after crime

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Leslie Wells

Jadah Cunningham was planning to spend the weekend at her parents’ house. She went into work ready to finish her shift before heading home. But while she was working hard inside, a thief was working outside.

“When I got off work, I discovered my car had been broken into,” she recalls. “My backpack, purse, and an entire suitcase of my stuff was missing. I felt violated.”

Not only was Jadah preparing for her weekend trip, she was also in the middle of mid-terms and just eight days away from leaving for a professional conference in Phoenix.

“I feel lucky to be in the financial situation I’m in, but it was still incredibly difficult” she says. “My teachers were understanding and gave me extensions on my assignments, but I had to figure out fixing my car window, which was destroyed, and replacing everything that was stolen.”

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Understanding the impact of COVID-19 executive orders

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Leslie Wells

By: Kelsey Cook, Office of the Vice President for Research, and Leslie Wells, O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI

As COVID-19 began spreading across the United States, governors found themselves needing to react—and fast. Many began issuing executive orders aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. O’Neill IUPUI’s Peter Federman and Cali Curley are examining the executive orders issued and future ramifications of those decisions.

Federman and Curley, both assistant professors in the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, are looking at executive orders issued from all 50 states. They are coding each one to gain a better understanding of which orders worked and which ones did not make an impact.

“We want to know what orders are coming from the top level, when they were put into place, what they do and don’t do, how they delegate power, and how they differ from state to state,” Federman said. “We are building a very robust data set that will help us understand the overall progression of how the country and each state has adapted using these executive orders.”

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