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Associate Dean's Message
Greetings! We’ve passed the summer midway point. Our May graduates are pursuing new careers or preparing for graduate school, some dedicated students are now well into the second summer session of classes, and we’re busily planning for the return of students for the fall semester. While the summer seems more hectic than ever, I have taken time to reflect on the past year and some of the changes that will occur the fall, and I’d like to share some thoughts with you.
This past spring, SPEA IUPUI awarded degrees or certificates to 157 students. Forty-four students earned Master’s degrees: 28 in the Master’s of Public Affairs (MPA) program and 16 in the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program. An additional 44 students earned graduate certificates. We’re optimistic that many of these students will continue on for their MPA or MHA degrees. At the undergraduate level, 67 students earned Bachelor’s degrees, including 39 in criminal justice, 18 in public health or health services administration, and 10 in public affairs. Although we have discontinued matriculation in to our associate’s degree programs, we also conferred two associate’s degrees. We’re immensely proud of our students’ achievements.
Our graduation dinner and commencement ceremony were joyous events. Alumnus Dale Neuberger, who has had a distinguished career in sports management and marketing, shared his perspectives on trends in governance at the dinner. Drawing on his experience in Indianapolis and his service on national boards such as the U.S. Olympic Committee, Dale noted that a trend that will influence the careers of all new graduates concerns the convergence of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Dale’s message was especially timely for our graduates who – if the recent past holds true – likely will change jobs and sectors several times during their careers.
During our graduation ceremony on Mother’s day, graduates, friends, and families were treated to reflections from Judy O’Bannon, the former First Lady (and First Mother) of the State of Indiana. Mrs. O’Bannon, who now produces the public television show “Communities Building Community,” spoke eloquently about the importance of public service and the need to appreciate the perspectives of others. I enjoyed watching students on stage whisper to Judy that she had “spoken to them.” We thank both Judy and Dale for their lives of service and their gift of time to SPEA.
As I look forward to the new academic year, I cannot anticipate all that will occur, but I know it will be a momentous year. One reason is that we will be seeking a new SPEA dean. Astrid Merget, who served for seven years as SPEA’s third dean, has resigned to accept an appointment as Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. SPEA IUPUI prospered under Dean Merget’s leadership, and we will miss her. Please join me in thanking Astrid and in wishing her well in her new position.
Associate Dean Kurt Zorn has been appointed Interim Dean and will lead SPEA during the coming year while a national search for Astrid’s replacement is conducted. Kurt has helped to lead SPEA for six years as Associate Dean for Fiscal and Academic Affairs and, with this experience, is well qualified to assume the mantle of leadership.
This coming year will be an historic one because it will mark the end of SPEA as what has been known in Indiana University as a system school. System schools have been those – like Nursing or Social Work – that have operated on multiple Indiana University campuses. As most of you know, SPEA historically has delivered degree programs in Bloomington, Indianapolis, Gary, Ft. Wayne, South Bend, and, most recently, Kokomo. We historically have shared common curricula in our public affairs programs and, with variations appropriate for differences in campus missions, a common commitment to public serve and the State of Indiana. At the end of this past academic year, to further the goal of mission differentiation across campuses, Indiana University President Adam Herbert and the IU Board of Trustees directed the dissolution of most system schools. School leaders were charged with implementation of a new administrative structure. SPEA IUB and IUPUI programs will remain linked administratively in what is known as a “core campus.” Campuses at Gary, Ft. Wayne, South Bend, and Kokomo will maintain delivery of public affairs and related degree programs, but these eventually will be integrated into other schools or divisions and likely will no longer be known as SPEA programs. SPEA faculty will work during the coming year to implement these changes.
Both SPEA IUB and IUPUI now deliver nationally ranked programs that are known for research as well as strong academic programs. The new structure will enable us to focus on building complementary programs in Indianapolis and Bloomington that will strengthen SPEA’s national reputation. I look forward to working with Dean Zorn and Associate Dean Clint Oster, my counterpart at SPEA IUB, on implementation of these changes.
For you and other alumni and friends of SPEA IUPUI, the coming changes in the School’s administrative structure will have few noticeable impacts. We will continue to provide updates through SPEA SPEAKS and other communications, and you will continue to receive the SPEA alumni magazine. And we will continue to provide more opportunities for you to remain connected with the School and help us grow.
Fall semester begins August 22. We’ll be greeting hundreds of students as they return to school, searching for a new dean, and reorganizing the school administrative structure. Our faculty will continue their many and varied research projects even as they renew their work with our students. It promises to be an exciting and memorable year. We’ll be in touch.
Greg |
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Alumnus Schoedel Recognized at IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy Luncheon
Carl Schoedel, MPl ’95, and his wife, Lisa, were recognized for their continued giving to SPEA IUPUI at the 2007 IUPUI Spirit of Philanthropy awards luncheon held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis. Carl is County Engineer and Director of the Kane County Division of Transportation in Illinois. Prior to joining Kane County government in 1997, Carl worked for seven years in utility engineering and two years in regional transportation planning.
(Photo includes IUPUI Chancellor Charles Bantz, Lisa and Carl Schoedel, and Associate Dean Greg Lindsey)
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Mark Your Calendars! Auction for SPEA Student Lounge!
Were you a SPEA student before BS 1000 became a lounge or do you have memories of the hand-me-down furniture and fluctuating room temperatures common to the room? This August, students will return for the fall semester to a completely renovated BS 1000. SPEA students will need your help raising money to pay for the BS 1000 technology needs!
How can you help? SPEA students, faculty, and staff are planning a live and silent auction on Friday, September 14, 2007. This event will be held in downtown Indianapolis at the Rathskeller. All alumni are invited to attend this event to socialize and raise money for a great cause.
Throughout August, we will be collecting items and “experiences” for the live and silent auctions. There are some fun and interesting items on the list so far, including:
Events with SPEA faculty: Day in the Garden with Kenna Quinet, Dinner with Sheila Kennedy, etc.
Services: Weekend of pet sitting, spa packages, knitting lessons
Items: Custom jewelry, Pacer tickets
If you have items to donate for the auction or have connections to area establishments, please contact Megan LaMade at mlamade@iupui.edu>. Donations must be received by August 31st.
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2007 SPEA Alumni Council Officers and Members Elected
Officers:
Chair: Herman W. Oliver, MPA ’81
Vice Chair: Angelina M. Bird, MPA ’00
Secretary/Treasurer: Kathleen Weaver, MPA ’89
Board Members:
Tabitha Cross, BSPH ’96
Allen Galloway, MPA ’85
Kathy Koehler, MPA ’98
Audrey Nelson, MHA ’97
Michael Ney, MHA ’90
Jennifer Ruby, MPl ’96
Mary Ann Sullivan, MPA ’00
Amy Worgan, BSPA ’96 and MPl ’00
Kathy Kohler, Herman Oliver, and Angela Volovich, BSPA/MPA ’05, have been appointed to the SPEA Alumni Board, consisting of alumni from all SPEA campuses. They will all serve two-year terms.
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Alumni Spotlight
This month, the spotlight is on Craig Hanks, MPA ’93. Craig is the Superintendent of the New Castle Correctional Facility.
Craig Hanks
Superintendent, New Castle Correctional Facility
The GEO Group, Inc.
What have you been doing since you graduated from SPEA?
After graduation, I remained working in the Indiana Department of Correction. I had the opportunity to be directly involved in the planning, building, and activation of the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility at Carlisle, Indiana, our state’s first maximum security facility since the Indiana State Prison was completed during the Civil War. The facility is a maximum/high medium security prison, which had an operational budget of $38 million, 2,160 offenders and 650 staff. Wabash Valley Correctional Facility has a high-security segregation unit, mental health treatment unit, and a youthful offender unit. It has achieved and maintained American Correctional Association Accreditation since 2000. It has also achieved and maintained accreditation by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care since 2000. I retired from State service on November 30, 2005.
On December 1, 2005, I began employment with the GEO Group, Inc. at the New Castle Correctional Facility at New Castle, Indiana. This is the first State Correctional Facility managed by contract to a private firm. Our most recent challenge has been the approval of a contract between Indiana and Arizona to house 1,260 Arizona offenders. The contract was signed on March 8, 2007 and the first planeload arrived on March 12, 2007. Believe me, when I began my career in corrections I did not fathom standing on a runway in Muncie, Indiana awaiting our first planeload of 105 male felons from Arizona.
How does your SPEA education help you in your current role?
My SPEA education, particularly my concentration in management, has been extremely helpful. I use many of the courses on a daily basis from budget, and policy, to human resources and management – they apply; even more so with a private company like the GEO Group. Many professionals in the correctional field major in criminal justice or criminology. I chose the MPA with a concentration in management, which I believe better equips anyone in the correctional field with direct skills used to manage and operate facilities.
Who was your favorite professor?
I had many great professors at SPEA IUPUI. I feel the quality of the professors is the strength of the school. I could recommend them all. However, two really stood out. Tom DeCoster. I learned more specific skills and knowledge from his Management courses than any I have ever taken before or since. I use what I learned from those classes daily. I was energized by his self-study group approach to instruction, and have tried to emulate it in the classes I have taught at Indiana State University, Vincennes University, and Grace College. Terry Zollinger. He took a course (Research and Statistics) that many, including myself, feared, and he made it interesting and applicable. As recent as last week my business manager and I were working on next year’s budget proposals using regression analysis and modeling. A great teacher.
What would we typically find you doing on a Sunday afternoon?
I hope to typically be playing golf or reading on a Sunday afternoon. However, at the present time and at least through the fall, my Sunday routine is to go to church, take my wife home, and go to work. While at the facility, I check shift reports, e-mail, incident reports, then walk a couple of ranges in the Mental Health Unit, visit the infirmary and meet with the shift supervisors. Then I return home to my wife for dinner together. This schedule will be necessary at least until the Arizona and Indiana populations are adjusted to the facility and to each other’s presence. |
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Faculty Spotlight
Terry Baumer, Associate Professor
What's your favorite restaurant?
The place I go most often is Puerto Vallarta, a wonderful Mexican restaurant at 56th and Lafayette Rd. If we ignore ability to pay, however, my favorites are Amalfi and Oceanaire.
Last book read: The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind -- pretty scary. On the lighter side: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Interesting hobbies, little-known facts, etc.: I like to play tennis whenever I can find the time.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I am working on a manuscript about violence and the use of force in a lockup.
What would we typically find you doing on a Sunday afternoon?
My wife and I like to go to a movie on Sunday afternoon. I am SO glad they opened the Keystone Arts theatres!
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Graduate Student Spotlight
The Graduate Student Spotlight is on second year MPA student, Megan LaMade. Megan is in the accelerated Master's program and is president of Alpha Phi Sigma, the criminal justice honor society. Megan is also an active member of the Public Affairs Student Association (PASA) and is on the planning committee for the fall SPEA auction.
Megan R. LaMade
Program: Accelerated Masters of Public Affairs with Criminal Justice concentration
Anticipated Graduation Month/Year: I received my BS in Criminal Justice in May 2007 and will graduate from the MPA program in May 2008
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN (originally from Johnson City, TN)
What you've enjoyed most about SPEA, IUPUI, and your graduate program:
The friendships I have made and the professional relationships I have established with students, professors and staff in SPEA have been most enjoyable part of my time at IUPUI. My classes have been enriched by the diverse opinions and perspectives of classmates and professors. My SPEA professors have been very influential in helping me attain my goals by providing professional advice, support and guidance when it was needed most. I have enjoyed the accelerated MPA/ CJ program because I will graduate one year early with my MPA degree and can begin my career. The classes offered in my field of interest have helped shape my future career ambitions.
Favorite SPEA Class:
I have two favorite classes, one from the criminal justice undergraduate program and the other from the MPA program. J321 American Policing with Dr. Robert Brown was a favorite because it addressed the important social issues in policing (past and present) and focused on the front-end of the criminal justice system. I learned how to critically analyze criminal justice academic research and ways to approach the ‘sticky’ issues. This class significantly impacted my personal goals and untimely inspired me to pursue a graduate degree in public affairs and criminal justice.
J666 Criminal Justice Policy and Evaluation with Dr. Crystal Garcia is my favorite graduate class because it focused on the social impact of criminal justice policy on policing practices, judicial decision making, the correctional system, and offender treatment and aftercare. I had the opportunity to apply research skills, critically analyze current policies and develop a better understanding of the difficulties with creating and affecting criminal justice policy. These two classes were demanding, inspiring and ultimately shaped my educational and career goals.
Career Plans:
After graduation, I would like to work for a private or governmental agency as a crime policy analyst or in closely related field. With this type of occupation, I would like to aid in the evaluation of current crime reduction policies to better understand the social impact and analyze the costs verses the benefits. I am also interested in research, testing and implementation of criminal justice programs which specifically address prevention efforts for at-risk youth, substance abuse issues and offender reentry. I hope to stay in Central Indiana after graduation and apply the skills learned in the MPA/ CJ program at the state and local levels to help create smart policies.
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Undergraduate Student Spotlight
May 2007 graduate Brian DiPiro is the focus of this Undergraduate Student Spotlight. While a student at IUPUI, Brian was on the men's soccer team and a member of the IUPUI O-Team (orientation leader).
Major/Program: Criminal Justice major with a certificate in Business Foundations
Graduation Month/Year: May 2007
Hometown: Elkhart, Indiana
What you've enjoyed most about SPEA and IUPUI: The thing I enjoy most about this school is being able to learn from people on both sides of the line. You get to learn the academic side from full-time faculty who have spent their careers mostly studying the criminal justice system. On the other side you have adjunct professors who can bring a lot of the real world experience not normally found in the classroom setting.
Favorite SPEA Class: J301 Substantive Law or J302 Procedural Criminal Law
Career Plans: Following my graduation I intend to continue going to school and attending graduate school for my MPA with a concentration of Policy Analysis. I also intend to go to law school after that. I hope to become a criminal prosecutor someday and in the mean time hope to get a job working in state government or in a law firm in order to gain some experience while I am finishing up school.
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Class Notes
Did you get a new job, relocate, or expand your family? Let us know what and how you are doing! Please send your updates to Andrea Anderson at infospea@iupui.edu.
Victor Cardenas, MPA ’03, became Village Manager of Brooklyn, Michigan in April. He previously worked as assistant to the city manager in Oak Park, Michigan.
Robert J. Halter, MPA ’91, has been named chairman of the Indiana Business Diversity Council. Rob is the Director of IUPUI Purchasing Services.
Bruce Hauk, CPM ’06, has been named the Town Manager of Westfield, Indiana. He will be helping the town transition to a city by January 1, 2008.
Kim Hodges, MPA ’03, was recently named as a director of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis. Kim serves as the Development Director for the Herron School of Art at IUPUI.
G. Elaine Johnson, MPA ’80, was recently appointed secretary of the Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis. Elaine serves as the Director of Compensation and Organizational Development in the Office of Human Resources Management and Development at Butler University.
Dr. William Lewis, BSCJ ’96, was named the first director of Institutional Diversity at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts.
Eileen Ridgway, BSCJ ’77, was named “Paralegal of the Year” by the Indianapolis Bar Association in March. Eileen is a paralegal with Bingham McHale.
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