Liz Wager: Supporting success for all students

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Leslie Wells

A woman with light reddish hair sits smiling in front of a gray backdrop. — O’Neill Lecturer Elizabeth Wager is leading the school’s new undergraduate leadership program and overseeing the launch of O’Neill’s new Community and Organizational Leadership degree path, pending ICHE approval.

More than 20 years after leaving college to raise her family, O’Neill Lecturer Liz Wager went back to complete her degree.

“The concept that higher education is not for everyone presents an ideology of inequity,” she says. “I initially failed at college as a first-generation student because I simply did not know what questions to ask. But returning to IUPUI changed my life’s trajectory.”

The second go-around was different for Wager. She had 10 years of management experience and 10 years of entrepreneurship experience under her belt, providing a new perspective she says exposed gaps for nontraditional students, like herself.

“Higher education needs to be reimagined to recognize the value of experiential learning for both traditional and transitional students,” she explains.

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Investigate war crimes and human rights violations in new O’Neill course

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Leslie Wells

Computer screens showing information about a person in an investigation — Human Rights and War Crimes (SPEA-J 470, V 450 J 550, V 550) will teach students to identify places where war crimes and human rights violations happen, as well as the people who commit those acts.

Starting in the fall of 2024, O’Neill students can help support the global fight against human rights violations and war crimes.

“It’s definitely a human security and community resilience issue,” explains Assistant Professor Courtney Page Tan. “Conflicts, human rights violations, war crimes—they all tug and tear at our capacity as individuals and communities to thrive and reach their full potential.”

Page Tan’s partnership with the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center set the stage for creating both a course and an applied research opportunity that can count as an internship. What’s more, both options allow students to support the center’s work—all without leaving Indiana.

“It’s very, very rare for students to have the opportunity to interact with a federal agency remotely and in real time in this capacity,” Page Tan says. “This course offers students this incredible opportunity to get face time with center intelligence analysts and human rights lawyers, and to advance research that is making a huge difference in our national security.”

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O’Neill Indianapolis specialties move up in U.S. News and World Report rankings

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Leslie Wells

Aerial photo of buildings on the IUPUI campus with the O'Neill school building in the center. — The O’Neill School at IU Indianapolis

The O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indianapolis is celebrating another strong showing in the 2024–25 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate School rankings, with four of its Master of Public Affairs concentrations placing in the top 20.

O’Neill IU Indianapolis’ rankings include:

#2: Nonprofit Management
#12: Environmental Policy and Management
#16 (tie): Urban Policy
#17: Local Government Management
#29: Public Management and Leadership
#39 (tie): MPA overall

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Eclipse 2024: O’Neill faculty, alumni, and students help keep Indiana safe during the eclipse

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Leslie Wells

A woman stands at the front of a room leading a training session for police officers and safety officials. — Jess Kindig (BSPA’04, MSCJPS’12) leads a training session for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

On April 8, 2024, a massive influx of visitors will descend on Indiana, joining Hoosiers as witnesses to history: a solar eclipse with 60 Indiana counties in its path of totality.

“We’re going to be the adoptive parents of hundreds of thousands of new Hoosiers during this event,” says Jess Kindig (BSPA’04, MSCJPS’12), the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s North Region Exercise Program Manager. “Their lives are in our hands, so we’re very concerned with making sure everyone is safe, has a good time, and hopefully comes back to visit Indiana in the future.”

As is often the case during large events, O’Neill faculty, alumni, and students are playing an integral part in keeping native Hoosiers and visitors alike safe during the eclipse.

In addition to working at IDHS, Kindig serves an adjunct faculty member for the O’Neill School in Indianapolis. So does Melanie Pattenaude, the IDHS Logistics Section Chief and State of Indiana Emergency Management Assistance Compact Coordinator. She leads efforts to acquire and allocate resources for local leaders during emergencies.

For the past several months, she’s been working with state agencies and local partners to address resource gaps. That includes developing plans for what to do if communications go down or if local agencies run out of resources—things like fuel, water, food, road signs, barricades, even portable toilets.

“Our top objectives are always life safety, life sustaining, and property protection,” Pattenaude says. “But we have to weigh where the impacts are because if we give something to one location, we may be taking it away from another. We have to push resources to the right place at the right time and in the right quantity.”

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NSWC Crane announces first Educational Services Agreement with IU Executive Education

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Leslie Wells

Three women sit at a table at a news conference to sign documents. — Angela Lewis (L), Siân Mooney (C), and Sara Johnson (R) attended the ESA news conference at WestGate Academy in Odon, Indiana.

After nearly four decades of partnership, Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center has entered into a new era of education with IU Executive Education, announcing its first Education Services Agreement (ESA) with Indiana University. This ESA will allow the government to offer personnel the opportunity to take advantage of educational services through Indiana University—including Executive Education.

“For more than 35 years, the partnership between NSWC Crane and IU has offered high quality and relevant programs for Crane employees,” said Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School. “This collaboration is a testament to the mutual commitment and vision of both partners to advance the public good through education, research, and service. NSWC Crane also plays an important role in boosting the economy of Bloomington, Monroe County, and the surrounding area by offering thousands of jobs that feature higher-than-average wages. This partnership will equip Crane personnel with the skills and knowledge to manage complex projects effectively and efficiently, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements and contributions to Crane’s mission.”

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