Double win for SPEA’s Gurleen Kahlon

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Leslie Wells

SPEA's Gurleen Kahlon wearing Plater Medallion for her civic service. — Gurleen Kahlon honored with Top 100 award and Plater Medallion

Gurleen Kahlon has always been motivated to succeed. She has set goals and achieved them at a rapid pace. In fact, she is planning to graduate with a criminal justice degree from SPEA in May, two years earlier than the traditional four-year plan. Yet her education won’t end there. At just 19 years old, Kahlon will begin her next pursuit: a law degree.

When she arrived at IUPUI, Kahlon set her eyes on an ambitious academic schedule, a wide array of community service projects, and one of IUPUI’s most prestigious recognitions: the Top 100 Award. The annual award honors 100 undergraduates who demonstrate academic excellence, campus leadership, and community engagement.

Yet Kahlon not only earned a place among the Top 100 Jags, she also was named a recipient of the William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion, acknowledging graduates who have demonstrated and excelled in their commitment to community engagement. (more…)

Spencer Lawson: Serving the community through research

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Leslie Wells

SPEA's Spencer Lawson earned the Plater Medallion for his research and impact on the community. — SPEA’s Spencer Lawson earned the Plater Medallion for his research and impact on the community.

The term “community service” may often conjure images of volunteer projects, donation drives, and fundraising. Yet research on the procedures that govern our cities and towns, as well as the outcomes those procedures have on citizens, is just as critical to improving and engaging in our communities.

It’s that side of service that has earned Spencer Lawson a special recognition for his impact on the community.

He and three SPEA students will be honored for their commitments to community engagement on April 10. All four were awarded IUPUI’s William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion, named for IUPUI’s former Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties who was a strong advocate of civic engagement.

“Since my first day at SPEA, I consistently heard that SPEA IUPUI produces graduates who make a difference,” Lawson says. “SPEA alumni look beyond their own lives to engage communities through myriad civic-community engagement experiences.” (more…)

Serving SPEA and students

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Leslie Wells

SPEA's team of student employees (L to R) Judith Atibil, Lauren French, Monica Zachary, Katie Boynton, Jen Popiela, and Jessie Silguero. — SPEA’s team of student employees (L to R) Judith Atibil, Lauren French, Monica Zachary, Katie Boynton, Jen Popiela, and Jessie Silguero.

When you walk into the SPEA Student Services Office, the first face you’ll see likely is that of one of SPEA’s six student workers.

Jen Popiela, Monica Zachary, and Katie Boynton serve as SPEA’s student success assistants, answering student questions, scheduling advising appointments, and ensuring students are aware of the many services SPEA provides.

“When I first became a SPEA student, the front desk worker was the one who welcomed me into the school and made me feel comfortable,” says Zachary, a public safety management major. “I want to make other students feel the same way I did.”

That commitment to fellow students extends beyond the front office. Judith Atibil and Lauren French are experienced peer advisors, connecting SPEA students to their futures. Jessie Silguero is the newest member of their team.

“I wanted to be a student worker for SPEA because I wanted to be more involved in my school,” Silguero says. “This position allows me to make more connections and to give back by helping fellow students who are on the same path that I am.”

Peer advisors are upperclassmen SPEA majors who have been through extensive training to assist in guiding students toward the best resources for academic and professional readiness. One advantage peer advising provides to students is its flexibility and availability of the advisors.

(more…)

MLK’s Assassination: Calming a City Amid Chaos

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Leslie Wells

Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy meet 22 June 1963 Civil Rights Leaders meet with the Vice President, Attorney General, and other officials. White House. Please credit "Abbie Rowe, National Park Service/John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Boston". — June 1963 Civil Rights Leaders meet with the Vice President, Attorney General, and other officials. White House. Photo credit: Abbie Rowe, National Park Service/John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Boston.

“I have some very sad news for all of you, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world, and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.” – Robert F. Kennedy, April 4, 1968

Fifty years ago, news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination shook an already divided nation, sparking riots, fires, and violence in more than a hundred cities across the country.

But not in Indianapolis.

“It could’ve been a really bad situation,” recalls SPEA lecturer Bill Foley. “A crowd is one step away from a mob.”

(more…)

PPI Researchers Evaluate Indianapolis’ Mobile Crisis Assistance Team

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Leslie Wells

Policy Brief: Staci Rising Paquet
Study Authors: Katie Bailey, Program Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute, and Brad Ray, Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research

Download the full report here

The City of Indianapolis has made strides in addressing the high rates of involvement of people with mental health and drug issues in the criminal justice system, a phenomenon spanning the country. A pilot program in the IMPD East District uniquely combines police, paramedics and behavioral health specialists to act as first-responders to any emergency calls related to mental health or substance use in the district. Researchers from the Center for Criminal Justice Research at the Indiana University Public Policy Institute (PPI) collected and analyzed data on the first five months of this program’s pilot operation.

“While initial findings show positive feedback for the MCAT pilot program, more research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness of the program,” says Tom Guevara, director of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute. “There’s no question that leading-edge programs like MCAT can have a tremendously positive impact on our city as a whole. We found, however, that a lack of outpatient treatment options and other barriers to expanding the program must be addressed in order to maximize the impact of the MCAT helping to address serious mental illness and substance abuse problems for Indianapolis.”

(more…)

Policy Brief: Staci Rising Paquet Study Authors: Katie Bailey, Program Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute, and Brad Ray, Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research

Policy Brief: Staci Rising Paquet
Study Authors: Katie Bailey, Program Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute, and Brad Ray, Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research