Nation’s first school of philanthropy graduates 50 students
INDIANAPOLIS—The first graduates of the new Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy received their degrees on May 12.
The students, who earned Ph.D., master of arts or bachelor of arts degrees in Philanthropic Studies, were graduated during Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) commencement ceremonies at the Indianapolis Convention Center.
The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is the nation’s first school dedicated to research and teaching about philanthropy.
The graduates represent a wide range of experience, from veteran philanthropic sector leaders completing graduate-level programs that expand their knowledge and enhance their careers and organizations to civically engaged undergraduates receiving their first degrees. Several are international, including students from Colombia, China, Japan and South Korea.
“We are pleased to celebrate the inaugural graduates of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy,” said Gene Tempel, founding dean of the school. “Today’s philanthropic sector needs well-educated professionals prepared to anticipate and address sophisticated challenges and opportunities. These outstanding graduates have already made a lasting difference, and they are in the vanguard of understanding and shaping 21st century philanthropy.”
A diverse array of organizations across the philanthropic sector and around the world will benefit from their expertise. Graduates have earned new positions from coast to coast with organizations such as the American Red Cross, The Nature Conservancy, community foundations in Iowa and Virginia and a private high school serving disadvantaged youth in Tucson, Ariz. Others are continuing their work for Indianapolis nonprofits, including the ExactTarget Foundation, Second Helpings, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Several students are expanding their education by pursuing advanced degrees.
The four Ph.D. recipients include philanthropic organization leaders, as well as scholars who are among the first generation to be educated specifically to teach and conduct research in the field of Philanthropic Studies:
• Jane Chu, president and CEO of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Mo.
• Sarah Nathan, who has accepted a position as assistant professor of philanthropy and nonprofit management at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Mass.
• Janice O’Rourke, executive director of the Indiana Mothers’ Milk Bank in Indianapolis
• Tamaki Onishi, who teaches nonprofit management courses in the political science department at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
About Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The School offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy—voluntary action for the public good—through its academic, research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.