O'Neill Speaks

For the past seven years, Siân Mooney has served as the dean of the O’Neill School, leading the school through its most prestigious era in its half-century of history. First and foremost, there is the recognition from U.S. News and World Report, which ranks the O’Neill School’s Master of Public Affairs program as the top graduate program of its kind in the nation. Along with the top-ranked MPA, fo...

Sustainability has long stopped being just a corporate buzzword or nice elective. It’s a critical part of planning in just about every aspect of our lives, the fundamental operating system for a world facing rapid climate shifts and resource scarcity. It’s about building systems that are regenerative rather than just extractive, ensuring that our progress today doesn’t become a debt for the genera...

As climate change continues to wreak havoc across the globe, how best to combat the issue remains a topic of hot debate. In the United States, the vision of a green-energy future is entangled with complex realities. Aging infrastructure strains under modern demands, the adoption of new technologies remains uneven and fragmented, and many households struggle to secure reliable, affordable energy. T...

The O’Neill School offers a host of graduate degree programs to students who are looking to expand their skillset, including degrees that capitalize on the wide-range of expertise across the IU campus. The latest in the O’Neill School’s growing dual-degree offerings comes via a collaboration with the Jacobs School of Music. The new Master of Music-Master of Arts in Arts Administration dual degree...

The O’Neill School is known around the globe for making a positive impact in the real world, and you can find O’Neill alumni creating and influencing policy in nearly every aspect of our lives, be it in the public, private, or non-profit arenas. The world-renowned faculty and innovative education at the O’Neill School is one part of the equation, but preparing students for a purpose-driven career...

The O’Neill School is known around the globe for making a positive impact in the real world, and you can find O’Neill alumni creating and influencing policy in nearly every aspect of our lives, be it in the public, private, or non-profit arenas. The world-renowned faculty and innovative education at the O’Neill School is one part of the equation, but preparing students for a purpose-driven career...

The past 12 months at IU has seen Hoosier football enjoy success at a level never approached in the nearly 140 years Indiana has played. Head coach Curt Cignetti was hired, led his team to the first double-digit win season in IU history, and he was named national coach of the year by several organizations. IU men’s basketball saw transition as well, with new head coach Darian DeVries being hired,...

The O’Neill School has a well-earned reputation of producing graduates who make a difference by leading for the greater good. That’s not just a tagline. Our grads are the reason we’re the top-ranked public school for public affairs in the nation. Our reputation is built on the work of those who go out into the real world and make an impact by making that world a better place. One such graduate is...

The O’Neill School has a well-earned reputation of producing graduates who make a difference by leading for the greater good. That’s not just a tagline. Our grads are the reason we’re the top-ranked public school for public affairs in the nation. Our reputation is built on the work of those who go out into the real world and make an impact by making that world a better place. One such recent gradu...

One of the first actions of the new US presidential administration was an executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been tasked with reviewing and reducing federal spending. Since the executive order was signed January 20, the headlines have flown on a near-daily basis about cuts, reforms, and mass layoffs of federal workers. The actions are controversial, imm...

On Aug. 12, 1986, then-president Ronald Reagan, held a press conference in the Rosemont Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago, the 38th of his presidency. Before taking questions, President Reagan said he wanted to send a special message to America’s farmers, namely that he had a goal to remove what he believed were some regulatory barriers that were holding back the farmer’s prosperity....

For the past several years, researchers, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have warned of the growing issue of social isolation, a growing loneliness epidemic, and the impact it is having on the physical and mental health of people not only in the United States but around the world. The Surgeon General reported that social isolation increases the risk of premature death b...

When Hurricane Helene roared across Florida and up the East Coast in late September, relief efforts began immediately. People were without power, water, food, medical supplies and a host of other basic needs. The Federal Emergency Management Agency exists for these types of situations, but it’s also when nonprofit organizations spring into action. From high-profile organizations such as the Americ...

Back in 2017, the United States congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which featured several significant changes to the individual income tax, including reforms to itemized deductions and the alternative minimum tax, an expanded standard deduction and child tax credit, and lower marginal tax rates across brackets. Proponents hailed the measure as a much-needed reform that would generate econo...

In the effort to combat climate change, a move away from fossil fuels, particularly when it comes to the way get around, is seen as one of the critical steps to making progress. Electric vehicles, or EVs, in particular are seen as the next step in the evolution away from fossil fuels. The idea of an electric vehicle isn’t new—the idea is nearly 200 years old, and the first mass-produced EVs were b...

It’s difficult to take a glance at the news and not be inundated with stories about climate change, environmental disasters, and the legal controversies that surround anything having to do with the environment. The push and pull of policy makers and lobbyists and courts grab the headlines and are seemingly constant source of discussion, but often overlooked is the role of the people responsible fo...

In May 2023, the United States Supreme Court handed down a ruling that limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to protect millions of acres of wetlands from pollution by saying that the EPS could not regulate discharges into wetlands unless they have a continuous surface connection to larger bodies of water. Then, just a few weeks ago, the Indiana State house passed and Governor Eric...

There was a time not so long ago during which the phrase “school-based law enforcement” personnel wasn’t part of our lexicon. Then came the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, which marked a turning point in the expansion of campus policing. Federal support was key in the expansion of the strategy, and between 1999 and 2005, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services wi...

The COVID-19 pandemic pulled a number of issues into the spotlight, and one of the brightest spotlights fell on health care supply chain issues. Most stories focused on securing enough masks for medical professionals early in the pandemic, but everything from hand sanitizer to IV bags to medical tubing became an issue for the healthcare community. Crisis creates the opportunity for change, especia...

The field of human resource management is growing faster than the national average. It’s easy to understand why. As job markets evolve and companies innovate to recruit the best talent, a competent, trained HR manager is critical to helping employers navigate what can be a complicated area. We’re joined today by Senior Lecturer Cheryl Hughes, who specializes in human resource management in the for...

What is the path to a rewarding career in public service for young people who have a passion for serving but don’t know where to get started? Show up. It’s as simple as that according to Brian Payne, the new executive in residence at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Payne joins us to talk about his career, why he was drawn to the O'Neill School, and how his relations...

The mercury has been soaring for weeks now as summer temperatures have reached record-breaking levels throughout the United States and the world. For many, staying cool isn’t a luxury. It’s a matter of life and death. And, of course, staying cool doesn’t come for free. Rising temperatures lead to skyrocketing energy bills for consumers, and when those bills aren’t paid, utility companies are disco...

The issue of climate change is considered by many to be THE most critical issue of our time, and extreme weather-related disasters continue to stack up week after week. Combating climate change will require a number of strategies, the most critical of which is the drastic reduction of fossil fuel emissions. But another key strategy is the use of nature-based climate solutions that allow the use an...

The news was splashed across the country May 31 when police in Atlanta arrested three leaders of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which supported protesters of the city’s proposed police and fire training center. Investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation say they found evidence linking the trio of leaders to financial crimes, including money laundering and charity fraud. That’s how the st...

For more than a year, Ukraine has been defending itself from the invading Russian army, and the world has been watching to see what happens next. The outcome of the war is in doubt, but Bob Kravchuk , a professor at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and a world-renowned expert in Ukrainian-Russian relations, says that the very survival of Russia may be at stake in the...