Candidates for Indiana governor discuss policy issues in IU Public Policy Institute's Gubernatorial Forum

Candidates for Indiana governor discuss policy issues in IU Public Policy Institute’s Gubernatorial Forum

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Leslie Wells

Watch the 2024 Gubernatorial Forum above.
The Indiana University Public Policy Institute, housed within the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, is providing a way for voters to hear directly from Indiana’s three 2024 gubernatorial candidates on issues that are critical to Hoosiers and the state’s future. It’s part of the Institute’s Decision 2024: Your Voices, Your Future project, which includes in-depth reports on key topics and a gubernatorial forum with candidates that is free from debate and commentary. All three interviews are available to the public online.

PPI’s Center for Civic Literacy hosted Jennifer McCormick (D), Sen. Mike Braun (R), and Donald Rainwater (L) for prerecorded 30-minute interviews with PPI Director Tom Guevara. In each interview, Guevara asked the candidates identical questions on key topics such as childcare, healthcare, housing, Indiana’s workforce, environmental resiliency, and more. Interview questions align with a series of upcoming reports set to be released in the weeks leading up to the election.

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Community Safety Career Day leads to internships for students

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Leslie Wells

A woman stands with four men in front of a FEMA sign. — Candace Smallwood (second from right) stands with FEMA representatives at 2023 Community Safety Career Day.

The 2024 Community Safety Career Day is Thursday, September 26, 2024, in Taylor Courtyard from 12:30 until 3:30 p.m. The event is open to all IU Indianapolis students.

Written by: Candace Smallwood, MPA candidate (Homeland Security and Emergency Management)

The O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Indianapolis prides itself on connecting its students with opportunities throughout their time at O’Neill.

In 2023, O’Neill brought back a reimagined version of a previous event during Fall Career Week, renaming it Community Safety Career Day and expanding its focus to go beyond careers in criminal justice and public safety. The new CSCD now also showcases careers community resilience and environmental sustainability, ensuring it is upholding all three pillars of the O’Neill School.

For its inaugural launch, 25 agencies participated in the event, offering the chance for students of all majors to connect with professionals in their fields of interest. CSCD allowed students, including myself, to learn not only about careers in the field but current job opportunities, internship openings, and volunteer activities.

Through this event, I was introduced to Marion County Emergency Management. As a Public Safety Management major, this was the perfect opportunity for me to gain experience at the local level with a government agency.

After talking with emergency management specialists at the event, I decided to pursue an internship with MCEM in spring 2024. I had amazing opportunities to attend special events such as the NBA All-Star Weekend and Indy 500, meeting professionals and building my network, and contributing to agency projects, all of which solidified my desire to continue on my career path in emergency management. I was able to relate what I was doing at my internship to my classes, strengthening my understanding of my coursework.

I also had the unique opportunity to be deeply involved in the planning and execution of Community Safety Career Day. I worked with O’Neill Director of Career Services Stacy Lozer to help plan this event. This year, as the O’Neill Career Services Graduate Assistant, I have worked with Stacy to ensure this event is valuable and a great experience for all student attendees.

This direct connection between the classroom and a career is why I encourage all O’Neill students—and all students across campus—to attend Community Safety Career Day and pursue an opportunity with an agency/organization. You will gain invaluable experience, become a marketable candidate, and gain insight into your field.

O’Neill School welcomes Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness to faculty roster

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Leslie Wells

a man wearing a white button-up shirt and blue blazer stands looking up and smiling. — Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness is the first sitting mayor to serve on O’Neill’s associate faculty.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness is joining the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Indianapolis as an associate faculty member for the fall 2024 semester, leading a course designed to help future leaders better understand what it means to be a public servant.

Fadness—who earned his MPA with O’Neill in 2007—will be the first sitting mayor to serve on the O’Neill School’s faculty in Indianapolis.

“We are thrilled and honored to add Mayor Fadness to our elite faculty roster at the O’Neill School,” says O’Neill Associate Dean of Student Services and Enrollment Management Suzann Lupton. “Mayor Fadness will provide critical real-world insight and experience to O’Neill students, helping to guide up-and-coming leaders on the importance of public service and how they can go on to make a difference in their communities.”

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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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