Episodi

  • 31 | The Challenge of Rebuilding After Nepal Flooding with Shana Scogin

    31 | The Challenge of Rebuilding After Nepal Flooding with Shana Scogin
    Sep 22 2026
    On Aug. 26 of this year, a catastrophic flash flood and debris flow likely triggered by the collapse of a glacier impacted populated areas in Nepal near the border of China. By the time the rushing waters slowed, more than 1,350 people were dead in Nepal alone, with another 5,300-plus missing. In Tibet, there were more than 40 deaths and more than 500 missing.

    Videos of the flooding have been shocking to say the least. The sheer power of nature roaring through valleys at speeds of upward of 110 MPH erased buildings and bridges all along the flood route and left as much as nearly five feet of silt along the main disaster zone. In Nepal, the Roads Department estimated more than 65 bridges has been damaged, including 33 suspension bridges that had been damaged beyond repair.

    Farmland, electrical grids, roads, and infrastructure of nearly every kind was impacted with billions of dollars worth of damage.

    Again, the footage is shocking to see, and people and governments worldwide reacted by offering a wide variety of aid.

    The initial shock fades and the news cycle moves on, but Nepal will be facing enormous challenges to recover and rebuild from this disaster. How does a country begin to bounce back from such destruction in a practical sense?

    We’re joined today by one of the newest members of the O’Neill School, Shana Scogin. Shana is an Assistant Professor at the O’Neill School who interests focus on governance, environmental politics, disasters, and public goods, with a particular focus in South Asia. She also has studied the politics of disasters in three urban centers in Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.

    O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.
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    28 min
  • 30 | The Future of the O'Neill Leadership Center with Karen Gahl-Mills and Matthew Baggetta

    30 | The Future of the O'Neill Leadership Center with Karen Gahl-Mills and Matthew Baggetta
    Sep 10 2026
    In 2019, Paul O’Neill showed his dedication to Indiana University and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs by making a transformative $30 million gift, leading to the school being named in his honor.

    One of the motivating factors behind the gift was the establishment of the Paul H. O’Neill Center for Leadership in Public Service dedicated to strengthening society by cultivating the next generation of innovative and ethical leaders for positive impact. Building on the O’Neill School’s more than 50-year commitment to advancing the public good, the center enhances student leadership programs, expands executive education opportunities, and bridges research with real-world solutions. It also fosters new pathways for experiential learning, professional development, and community engagement.

    Earlier this week, the O’Neill Leadership Center announced new co-directors, Karen Gahl-Mills and Matthew Bagetta, who will lead the OLC as it expands student leadership programming and strengthens community-engaged scholarship.

    We’re thrilled to be joined today by Karen and Matt to talk about the future of this critical center. Karen Gahl-Mills is a professor of practice at the O’Neill School and serves as the O’Neill School’s director of Arts Administration Programs. She applies practical lessons learned during her distinguished career to her administrative work, and to teaching courses in nonprofit governance, leadership, strategy, fundraising, and public policy.

    Associate Professor Matthew Baggetta is an expert on civil society and volunteer associations. His research interests include civil society and civic engagement, membership-based organizations, and social movements. Baggetta’s work focuses on the impacts of volunteer associations on their members and the broader impacts of associations and movements on society.

    O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.
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    28 min
  • 29 | The Human and Economic Toll of El Niño with Chris Callahan

    29 | The Human and Economic Toll of El Niño with Chris Callahan
    Sep 4 2026
    Every day the news is filled with stories on extreme weather, its impact on human lives, and the economic impact of disasters. In 2026, the state of Indiana has already set a record for the sheer number of tornados in a year according to the National Weather Service, and there were 58 confirmed tornados in June alone in the state.

    The number of tornados doesn’t show a picture of the larger climate situation, but they are a symptom, particularly when shown over time. Four of the top five years with the most tornados have happened in the past four years, and the extreme weather events continue to rack up massive dollars’ worth of damage. Flooding rains in Indiana have impacted multiple parts of the state, and weather-related disasters are seemingly always in the news.

    That’s just here in Indiana. The same story is repeated at locations around the world, but data surrounding the human and economic impact of these events, be it from extreme heat, cold, storms, or other weather events, can be maddeningly difficult to attain or is controversial.

    We’re joined today by Assistant Professor Christopher Callahan from the O’Neill School. Chris is a climate scientist whose work focuses on the economic and social impacts of climate change. He uses tools from both physical climate science and quantitative social science to assess how to extreme climate events such as heat waves and El Niño events affect human health and economic growth around the world. He has also worked to develop quantitative frameworks for climate accountability, showing how major countries and fossil fuel firms have altered local climate and amplified the resulting social impacts across the globe.

    O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.
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    23 min
  • 28 | Looking back on the Siân Mooney Era at O'Neill

    28 | Looking back on the Siân Mooney Era at O'Neill
    Jun 30 2026
    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, four concentrations at the O’Neill School, including environmental management and policy, health policy and management, nonprofit management, and public finance and budgeting also are ranked No. 1. Additionally, multiple other concentrations rank in the top 10 in the country, including the nonprofit management programs at O’Neill’s Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses holding the top two rankings in the country.

    Beyond the rankings, Dean Mooney has guided the school through record enrollment, the establishment of the Environment, Society, and Sustainability Institute, eight new degrees and certificates across IU Bloomington and IUI, more than $60 million in awards since 2019, more than $24 million in raised gifts, a growing portfolio of international partnerships, the hiring of 53 faculty members, including 37 tenure-track faculty members… the list goes on and on.

    But all great times must come to a close, and this spring, Dean Mooney announced she would be pursuing her next chapter and stepping down as dean effective June 30. We’re thrilled to have Dean Mooney—who was the first-ever guest of O’Neill Speaks—join us to talk about her time at O’Neill, what her experience was like, and what’s next.

    O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.
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    31 min
  • 27 | The O'Neill Sustainability Internship w/McKenzie Jones, Mae Allen, and Jessica Davis

    27 | The O'Neill Sustainability Internship w/McKenzie Jones, Mae Allen, and Jessica Davis
    Mar 3 2026
    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 generation of tomorrow.

    And the generation of tomorrow is already playing their part.

    At the O’Neill School on both our Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses, sustainability interns conduct holistic assessments of the O’Neill School and its operations to identify areas where improvement is needed.

    Studying things isn’t enough. Awareness is critical, as well, and the group has built a website to allow stakeholders to understand where and how improvements can make a difference.

    O’Neill Speaks is joined today by McKenzie Jones, Mae Allen, and Jessica Davis. McKenzie is the Bloomington Sustainability Intern at O’Neill is a second-year graduate student working toward a Master of Public Administration as well as a Master of Environmental Science with a concentration in Energy and Climate Change Solutions. Mae is the O’Neill sustainability intern on the IU Indianapolis campus pursuing a degree in sustainable practices and policy. Jessica is IU’s Associate Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer and is an associate faculty member at the O’Neill School.

    Visit the O’Neill Sustainability website at https://blogs.iu.edu/oneillsustainability/

    O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.
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    25 min
  • 26 | "Power Lines: The Human Cost of American Energy in Transition" with David Konisky

    26 | "Power Lines: The Human Cost of American Energy in Transition" with David Konisky
    Nov 4 2025
    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. Too often, Americans are left out of the decisions that determine how power is produced and distributed, leaving energy in America a matter of race, class, and wealth.

    We’re joined today by Lynton K. Caldwell Professor David Konisky, who is co-author along with former O’Neill School faculty member Sanya Carley, of the new book “Power Lines: The Human Costs of American Energy in Transition.”

    David’s research and teaching focuses on U.S. environmental policy and politics, with emphasis on environmental and energy justice, regulation, federalism, and public attitudes. Konisky is a founding co-director of the Energy Justice Lab, a research collaboration between Indiana University and the University of Pennsylvania to explore, measure, and improve the equity and justice dimensions of society’s ongoing energy transition.

    O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.
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    22 min
  • 25 | The O'Neill School's new MM-MAAA dual degree with Karen Gahl-Mills

    25 | The O'Neill School's new MM-MAAA dual degree with Karen Gahl-Mills
    Oct 30 2025
    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 that will provide students with a unique opportunity to earn both a Master of Music and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration in just three years. The innovative structure allows musicians to deepen their artistic practice while also developing the skills necessary to thrive.

    Students in the program will benefit from the rigorous musical training offered by the Jacobs School, one of the world’s premier music schools, alongside the management expertise of the O’Neill School, the top-ranked public school for public affairs known for its interdisciplinary approach to education. The result is a curriculum that blends artistry with leadership, preparing graduates to advance both their own careers and the broader cultural sector.

    We’re joined today by Karen Gahl-Mills, the Director of the Arts Administration Programs here at O’Neill. She has been at the O’Neill School since 2019 following a career as a public and nonprofit sector leader, including CEO roles at Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, a large grant-making organization in Cleveland, Ohio; the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra in upstate New York; and the Westchester Philharmonic in suburban New York City.

    O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.
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    17 min
  • 24 | Prepping for Career Fairs with the O'Neill Career Hub

    24 | Prepping for Career Fairs with the O'Neill Career Hub
    Sep 30 2025
    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 still requires support to get that career started. That’s where the O’Neill School’s Career Hub comes in.

    It’s Career Fair season, and that means opportunities abound for O’Neill students as they look to build their future. We’re once again joined by Becca Keough and Lillian Clarke from the Career Hub office. Becca is the assistant director of on-campus recruitment, and Lillian is a career coach.

    O’Neill Speaks is the official podcast of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. All opinions and comments on O’Neill Speaks belongs to the host and guest of the O’Neill School and don’t necessarily reflect those of the school itself. Music for O’Neill Speaks is by Manos Mars.
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    23 min