30 | The Future of the O'Neill Leadership Center with Karen Gahl-Mills and Matthew Baggetta

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.