4 Highlighting student internships
BY COLIN KULPA
One of the O’Neill School’s defining characteristics is qual- ity, hands-on learning experiences. Two students this summer exemplified how O’Neill elevates education with placements beyond the classroom, helping improve communities in Indiana and across the country.
Ted Field
Ted Field received the Peterson Fellowship while completing his MPA at the O’Neill School in Indianapolis.
The Peterson Fellowship is a three-semester fellowship providing financial support for talented O’Neill graduate stu- dents to gain experience with the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office; IndyGo, the public transportation authority in Indianapolis; and Indianapolis International Airport.
Field started his journey as a Peterson Fellow with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, the body overseeing the airport, then moved to the mayor’s office. This summer he finished his time at IndyGo.
“It has been really phenomenal for me to try my hand at a bunch of different things,” Field said. “Right now, I’m spear- heading a customer perception survey IndyGo hopes to roll out
sometime next year. So far, I’ve been responsible for creating the scope of work and developing a pilot program so that we can test it and make sure that it’s going to work.”
In his stops across the Circle City, his hands-on experience went beyond what was offered in the classroom, all in comple- mentary ways.
Field dipped his hands in photography and videography while with the airport authority, producing work that would end up in their “decade of excellence” video project.
At the mayor’s office, he worked primarily with the education team, reviewing applications for new charter schools in the city. He conducted research and analysis and was a part of the inter- view process these schools require.
Field’s fellowship allowed him to diversify his education with distinct learning opportunities unique to the fellow- ship, which have taken him beyond what he could learn in the classroom.
“To be able to take the concepts that I was learning in class, use my experiences at these places to talk about how things worked in my class to bring that experience there, it was really neat,” Field said.
His fellowship experience paid off in the classroom, too, when it came time for his cohort’s capstone project.
“Instead of writing a paper, our capstone group decided to do a video,” Field said. “We worked with the organization Indiana Vote by Mail. Because I was able to gather some of the experi- ence doing videography at the airport, the group was on board with trying to do something a little bit outside the box and differ- ent, and something that honestly scared us a little bit going into it because it wasn’t the security blanket of writing a paper, but we were able to pull that off and feel pretty good about it.”
Field is not sure what is next, but he knows he wants to help improve his community. If anything, the Peterson Fellowship opened so many doors he will have a tough time choosing which one to walk through.
“The goal with going back to grad school and doing this pro- gram in general was to cast a wide net and allow myself the opportunity to say yes to multiple opportunities, which is what the Peterson fellowship has allowed me to do in tandem with that,” Field said. “If the Peterson Fellowship has shown me any- thing it is that there are so many different possibilities that most people don’t even know exist.”
Hannah Frome
Hannah Frome, an MPA student at the O’Neill School in Bloomington, is a member of the first cohort of students in the O’Neill D.C. Accelerator Program. The program combines O’Neill’s top-ranked MPA program with the experience of living and working in the nation’s capital.
After interning with Gallup this summer, Frome started with the Government Accountability Office at the end of August.
“I was actually able to get that internship just by talking to the Career Services Center, and they were able to connect me to one of the directors there, Cardell Johnson, who has a long-stand- ing relationship with O’Neill. I’m going to be in the Natural Resources and Environment division, which I was told is about 30% O’Neill alums, including everyone on my project, which is pretty impressive.”
While taking classes through O’Neill in Washington, D.C., Frome will work with GAO to gather and analyze data regarding drone usage in sectors of the federal government.
“Without going into too much detail, a specific committee of Congress is interested in the research implications of whether government departments use drones for research or whether they don’t,” Frome said. “There’s some cybersecurity and other concerns related to using drones. So, the question is, is it worth taking on those risks, because of the research benefits that the government would get? Or does the risk outweigh the benefits?” Frome is committed to improving the communities in which she is involved. This summer at Gallup she worked with a team committed to tackling food insecurity and diving deeper into
studying inequality with Black Americans.
“I was primarily supporting the Gallup Center on Black Voices, which is a 100-year commitment that they’ve made to really understanding the lived experiences of Black Americans,” Frome said. “Traditionally, a lot of the research has been what I would call statistics, right? It’s just fact based. This is what the dropout rate is, this is what recidivism looks like. But there’s not a lot of information on how Black Americans are experiencing their lives on a day-to-day basis. So, Gallup is partnering with different cities and doing extensive survey research focused on understanding the Black experience.”
Frome developed research agendas for both the educational and environmental areas of the center and made sure the areas had century-long relevance as the center continues its work. In addition, she helped kick off a project studying food insecurity in the Dallas- Fort Worth area. The results will be sent to the client, a large health system in the Dallas area, which will evaluate intervention methods they can take to lessen food insecurity in central Texas.
Frome’s O’Neill experience has been defined by saying yes to the many opportunities available. From jumping into that first D.C. Accelerator cohort to joining the board of Students for Equity in Public Affairs, getting involved has been crucial to her education.
“There have been multiple opportunities where professors have mentioned, ‘Hey, there’s this workshop coming up for learning scrum methodology,’ or there’s an event you can go to. Or show- ing up to all the Career Hub’s great opportunities to network with employers,” Frome said. “I think all the opportunities that O’Neill provides have gotten me in this position. I’m just incredibly well positioned going forward, and I’m really appreciative of that.”
Support student internshipsThe O’Neill School understands the importance of student internships, and—with your help—we’re com- mitted to helping undergraduate and graduate students gain the skills only hands-on experience can bring. Because some internships are either unpaid or low- paying, we have created internship funds designed to support students while they are applying their class- room knowledge in the professional workplace.Please consider supporting student internships by donating to the Greater Good Internship Fund (Bloomington) or the Making a Difference Internship Scholarship (Indianapolis) at magazine.oneill.indiana. edu/give-now. Your gift allows students togain valuable experiences that will prepare them for career success.
Gifts in honor of our 50th
Pat Ryan and Kathleen Ryan Acker
“John was the first in his family to attend college, getting his undergradu- ate degree with the aid of a Navy ROTC scholarship. He was always interested in supporting students because getting hisdegree was difficult for him. He wanted to make it easier for students. This schoolis the culmination of a dream of his. He would be so pleased to see where it is today and the impact its graduates have made.” —Pat Ryan
When John Ryan became president of Indiana University in 1971, he had many goals—one of which was to establish a public affairs school.
Considering his educational background in public adminis- tration, Ryan had a vision for an IU that served the state and the nation by providing public servants with a solid education in public administration. The field of environmental science was emerging, as well, and Ryan believed it was the perfect time to establish a new school that blended public administration and environmental science. That belief led to the founding of the then-School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 1972.
In honor of President Emeritus Ryan’s role in the founding of the O’Neill School, his colleagues and friends established the John W. Ryan Fellowships. On the occasion of the school’s 50th anniversary, President Ryan’s widow, Pat, and daughter, Kathleen, honored John Ryan by making significant contribu- tions to the Ryan Fellowships. John W. Ryan Fellows spend a semester working with government or NGOs on key projects.
Class NOTES
If you have an update you would like to appear in Class Notes, email us at oneillar@iu.edu.
1970s
Becky Honeywell, BSPA’79, was named the executive director of Friends of Indy Animals.
1990s
Dawn Moore, MPA’94, and her team have been selected to receive the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary’s Honor Award. This award recognizes employee excellence in helping the USDA achieve its strategic goals.
Brian Guse, MPA’95, and his team have been selected to receive the USDA Secretary’s Honor Award. This award recognizes employee excellence in help- ing the USDA achieve its strategic goals.
Monisha Mitchell, BSCJ’96, was nominated for the American Heart Association Women of Impact Award. She strives to raise awareness for her rare congenital heart defect.
Bob Grewe, BSPA’85, MPA’97, was selected as the new executive director of Daviess County Economic Development Corporation.
Katie Culp, BSPA’99, was named to the Indiana Business Journal’s “Indiana 250” honorees list.
2000s
Laura Boeckman, MPA-JD’01, was appointed to the board of the Florida Bar Association.
Victor Cardenas, MPA’03, was named the Novi City Manager.
Scott Fadness, MPA’07, was named to the Indiana Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40 Alumni of the Year” list.
2010s
Brian Steed, Ph.D.’10, was named com-
Distinguished Alumni Service Awards
missioner of the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Portia Bailey-Bernard, BSPA’13, was named to the Indiana Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list.
Jessica Hardison Weaver, MPA’13, was announced as NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference commissioner.
Ashley Gurvitz, BSPA’16, was named to the Indiana Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list.
Ameen Mahasin, BSPA’11, Grad. Cert.’16, was named to the Indiana
Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list.
Jason D. Dudich, BSPA’01 Jason D. Dudich is the associate vice president for finance and economic strategy at Indiana University where he advances the university’s eco- nomic engagement initiatives and government relations efforts. Prior to IU, he worked in a variety of budget- ary and leadership roles for the state of Indiana, city of Indianapolis, and the University of Indianapolis. At IU, Dudich is a member of the O’Neill School’s Distinguished Alumni Council and IU Alumni Association’s Board of Managers.
Deanna Oware, MPA’00 Deanna Oware is the chief financial officer for the Department of Rail and Public Transportation for the common- wealth of Virginia, where she oversees the department’s $1 billion budget. She also leads financial programming, financial reporting, fiscal operations, and audit. Previously, Oware was the CFO for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Since grad- uating from the O’Neill School, Oware has exclusively worked for state gov- ernments, serving in leadership roles in multiple agencies.
2020s
Xander Sobecki, MPA’20, won the American Society of Association Executives 40 Under 40 Award as the marketing and communicationsdirectorat the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. The award honors outstanding association and nonprofit professionals for their professional accomplishments, com- mitment to the industry, leadership skills, and continued potential in their field.
Diamond Curry, BSPA’20, MPA’22, joined the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce in South Carolina as manager of local government affairs.