2017 Plater Medallion winner: Anna Powell

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Michael L. Jackson

Anna Powell

Nonprofit Management Certificate

What was your reaction to being nominated and ultimately getting the news that you had won the Plater Medallion?
I was honored to be a Plater Medallion recipient because of the prestige of the award and the nomination from a faculty member.

Can you tell us a little about the work you’ve done that led to this award?
I am a regular volunteer with Indianapolis nonprofit organizations, Second Helpings as a volunteer chef instructor and Dress for Success, a personal shopper and mentor to empower women in need of professional attire and tools for career development. I hold a board position in an international grass roots organization, Slow Food where I serve as the chair of a program that promotes local and sustainable food. During this work I have had the pleasure of advocating for change at the state level regarding our current food systems. (more…)

2017 Plater Medallion winner: Ceceily Brickley

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Michael L. Jackson

Ceceily Brickley

MPA’17, Public Management

What was your reaction to being nominated and ultimately getting the news that you had won the Plater Medallion?
I was initially a little shocked but ultimately honored to be nominated for the Plater Medallion. We never really know the extent of our influence or who’s watching and this award has affirmed a lot of the work I have done and motivated me to continue pushing forward. (more…)

2017 Plater Medallion winner: Nicole Stewart

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Michael L. Jackson

Nicole Stewart

BSPA’17, Sustainable Management and Policy

What was your reaction to being nominated and ultimately getting the news that you had won the Plater Medallion?
I was surprised and honored by both the nomination and selection. It is easy to get caught up in other things and forget the true importance and impact of the work being done. Being nominated and the process of filling out the application was a much needed reminder. (more…)

Faculty Q&A: SPEA Assistant Professor Eric Grommon wins IU Trustees Teaching Award

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Jaclyn Lansbery

Each year, SPEA IUPUI awards a full-time faculty member the IU Trustees Teaching Award for their positive impact on learning. Assistant Professor Eric Grommon, who joined SPEA in 2012, was selected for the annual award.

In addition to teaching both graduate and undergraduate criminal justice courses, Grommon collaborates with students on a range of community-based projects. One of the most recent projects gave a graduate student the opportunity to co-author reviews of evidence-informed programs and practices in the criminal justice system that was integrated into the recommendations of the 2016 Indianapolis Criminal Justice Taskforce report.

Grommon is a widely published criminal justice scholar whose research focuses on corrections, offender re-entry, and the evaluation of justice system programs, policies, and operations. (more…)

Tom Guevara appointed director of the IU Public Policy Institute

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Michael L. Jackson

Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs Dean John Graham has announced the appointment of Tom Guevara as the director of the IU Public Policy Institute, located at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Guevara, who earned his Master of Public Affairs with a focus on finance from SPEA, has spent the past six years as deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. In his role there, Guevara led the federal economic development agenda, promoting innovation and competitiveness to help U.S. workers and businesses compete globally. As the agency’s most senior career officer, he led the Economic Development Administration during the transition of presidential administrations while performing the duties of the assistant secretary for economic development.

Prior to his position at the Department of Commerce, Guevara worked in a variety of state and local government positions in Indiana in addition to a six-year career in the private sector with Crowe Horwath LLP in Indianapolis. Following his graduation from SPEA, Guevara served as the assistant budget director for the Health and Human Services division of the Indiana State Budget Agency and also worked as controller for the city of Bloomington.

(more…)