Paul A.
Strouts (M.P.A. '89) left IPFW in 1993, but the university still benefits from his
presence here. From the time he received his undergraduate degree in business
administration from IPFW in 1981, until he departed for Florida State University in 1993,
Strouts transformed the business practices of the Fort Wayne campus.
After graduation, he was the first business administrator at IPFW, serving in Continuing Education. A business administrator's duties include coordinating a variety of business services, such as financial analysis, budget preparation, payroll administration and contract negotiation.
His success in these areas earned Strouts the respect of his peers. He received the very first Administrative Excellence Award in 1987, the same year he earned a Cost Reduction Incentive Award for IPFW from the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Success also produced continuous expansion of his responsibilities. By 1986, Strouts was also coordinating business services for the university's Weekend College program, Extended Studies, the university's student union building, and food service operations. All this occurred at the same time Strouts was pursuing his Master of Public Affairs. Strouts received an M.P.A. with a concentration in management in 1989. Looking back on that period, Strouts observes, "I particularly enjoyed the interaction between the classmates, most of whom were already in the midst of professional careers in the public sector."
When the directorship of Purchasing and General Services became available in 1988, Strouts was chosen for the position. As director, Strouts oversaw the university procurement processes, print shop, shipping and receiving, postal services, and contract management of the university's bookstore and food service operation. While in this position, Strouts introduced the campus services card and oversaw the installation of an outdoor emergency telephone system. Both services are fixtures on the IPFW campus today.
Despite an ever-increasing level of professional responsibility, Strouts generously donated his personal time to the university. He served on the IPFW Administrative Staff Council from 1983-88, including one term as president. He also served as a member of the IPFW Alumni Board from 1991-93.
In January 1993 Strouts left the university to take the position of assistant director of business services at Florida State University in Tallahassee, responsible for printing, postal service, and the computer warehouse. By the end of that year, he'd expanded his responsibilities as director of the Office of Telecommunications where he was responsible for all facets of university telecommunications, including university phones, the campus cable television network, and video conferencing services.
In 1997, Strouts was promoted again, this time to director of business financial and
auxiliary services. He was now responsible for all Florida State auxiliary operations,
with a budget of nearly $25 million annually, and a staff of more than 130 employees.
But he hasn't stopped there. He is now assistant vice president for administration, a
position he accepted last October. His new responsibilities include oversight of
personnel, purchasing, police, business services, telecommunications, environmental health
and safety, and space utilization. These areas involve 500 employees and budgets in excess
of $32 million. He credits the faculty, particularly Director Bill Ludwin and Associate
Professors C. James Owen and Jane Grant with preparing him to deal with the challenges of
his current position.
"I'm convinced," he said, "that I would not have had this latest
opportunity were it not for the background I received during my graduate degree program.
I've drawn on many aspects of those studies through the years, including recognizing the
value of statistical analysis, effective preparation, and environmental awareness."
Of his Fort Wayne experiences he concludes, "The years I spent there were the
best. It's difficult to keep in touch (with my professors and classmates), but I think of
them and my experiences at IPFW often. I wish all the best to SPEA faculty and staff, and
IPFW."
As we finish another academic year it is tempting to review our accomplishments: the students who are graduating, the new students we have recruited, the achievements of the faculty in research and public service, and the improvements made to day-to-day operations by our staff. On the other hand, we can also look forward to the next academic year, which will bring proposals for a criminal justice concentration in the M.P.A., a legal studies major in the B.S.P.A., and an interdisciplinary program in environmental studies. These new proposals are in the developmental stage and I expect they will become operational sometime next year. We have built on the good work of the faculty and staff in the past and these new developments promise to give students options for study that they want and that we are prepared to deliver.
SPEAking of... is a way for us to let you know about new developments in programs and to help us keep in touch with you and to let you know what your former colleagues are doing. Let us know what you are doing and we can pass it along in subsequent editions of SPEAking of....
In this issue you will find an update on Paul Strouts, an M.P.A. graduate and former purchasing director for IPFW. You will also find a brief story on Professor C. James Owen's sabbatical leave project and the assistance he rendered to the City of Fort Wayne through his development of councilmanic redistricting options.
Tom Bartholomy, chair of the Community Advisory Board (CAB), gives you an update of their activities, but I can give you a further update. (Parenthetically, I can also pass along that Bartholomy was selected for yet another award, the Alumni Citation Award. He promises to work for us as long as we keep giving him awards.) The CAB will be involved with the program proposals noted above and they will assist us with the development of an endowed scholarship. We have a $25,000 challenge scholarship which will total $50,000 when we raise the other $25,000. This endowed scholarship may be named by the donor and it will be awarded yearly from the proceeds of the endowment. If you or your company would like to make a mark on education in northeastern Indiana, we will happily work with you. If you know of someone who might want to double the impact of his or her gift to education, please pass on this opportunity.
You will also notice in this edition a solicitation for support. You may have read that IPFW students receive less support than the students at most state- assisted institutions (and you should note that we are state assisted not state supported). One way for us to make a dent in this deficit is to ask our alumni and friends to help. If you wish, you may designate your gift to a scholarship fund for SPEA-IPFW students or for general educational purposes for faculty and students.
As always, we appreciate your kind comments about SPEAking of... and if you tell us what you would like to see in future issues, it will help us improve our links to you.
Every year we meet hundreds of prospective college students, and after answering their first question, "What is SPEA?" we always get to answer the next most frequently asked question, "What can I do with a SPEA degree?"
Now that you have graduated and are out in the professional world, we invite you to help us respond to that question. Where did your SPEA degree lead you?
Send your business card along with your graduation date and undergraduate or graduate
degree, and any anecdotal information you'd like to share about your SPEA background to:
Jane Loomis
Undergraduate Student Coordinator
School of Public and Environmental Affairs 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) for SPEA-IPFW has been hard at work in furthering the mission of our school, which is to be the "preeminent source of educating and training students for management and administrative careers in the public and not-for-profit sectors in our region." The people committed to this task who serve on the CAB are Jim Anderson, Tom Bartholomy, Linda Buskirk, Ron Buskirk, Karen Goldner, Bruce Hamilton, Stacy Hartman, Neil Moore, Nelson Peters, and our newest member, Ann Fumarolo, president of Science Central. These individuals are all graduates of SPEA-IPFW and, as our mission statement promises, all are enjoying management and/or administrative careers in the public and not-for-profit sectors.
The past year for SPEA CAB has been centered on the accreditation process for our Master of Public Affairs program. The accrediting organization, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), requires an intensive review of the program by the faculty as well as an interview with SPEA CAB. The preliminary work performed by Professor Bill Ludwin and the faculty was reviewed by the CAB before submitting it to NASPAA. We should be very proud of our school. This 151-page report details every aspect of our M.P.A. program including the credentials of our highly acclaimed faculty.
SPEA CAB is not all work and no play. For example, witness the annual awards reception. Last year's party attracted more than 100 alumni, students, and faculty to Pine Valley Country Club to honor the best our division has to offer. This year will be no different as SPEA CAB will recognize the winners of two awards. The third annual Community Achievement Award will be presented to an outstanding individual selected by SPEA-IPFW alumni. Also, the CAB, together with the faculty, will grant the Distinguished Alumni Award on one of many deserving candidates.
The members of SPEA CAB are committed to improving our school and furthering its mission. We look forward to seeing all of you at this years awards reception to honor those who exemplify our values.
"My fall semester sabbatical was exciting, enjoyable, and professionally fulfilling. My major project was to write a position paper, entitled 'Smart Growth,' for the City of Fort Wayne," remarked C. James Owen, associate professor, SPEA-IPFW. After a decade of pursuing an ambitious annexation strategy, Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke is seeking an alternative method of providing municipal services to outlying suburban residents. "Smart Growth" is a strategy that focuses on directing urban growth to areas where supportive infrastructure, e.g. roads, sewer, water, schools, is already in place.
The exciting part of Owen's sabbatical developed when he was asked to conduct a GIS-based redistricting map for Fort Wayne City Council districts. Redistricting is always an adventure when conducted at regular intervals after each 10-year population census. The city's rapid growth through annexation, however, created a lopsided district with 50 percent more constituents than the next largest district. Council leadership decided to preempt a possible lawsuit by redistricting before year 2000 census returns were completed. He prepared three alternate plans as requested, and all were "shot down in partisan political bickering-a most entertaining drama to witness," he commented.
The most enjoyable part of my sabbatical developed when Owen was invited to present a
paper, "GIS Applications in an Urban Setting," at the annual conference of the
European Group of Public Administration, which is part of the International Institute of
Administrative Sciences. The conference was held in Paris at the École Nationale de
l'Administration and included receptions in the French Senate and National Assembly.
"I missed teaching," noted Owen.
In fall 1998, criminal justice majors formed a criminal justice club and subsequently chartered a chapter of the national criminal justice fraternity, Lambda Alpha Epsilon, which was named Alpha Omega Psi. The Alpha Omega Psi chapter now has 24 members, who are the following:
| Michelle L. Bibbo | Leslie A. Chalfant | Tonda S. Dohse |
| Angela L. Dial | Mark E. Easterday | Roby D. Feaster |
| Suzanne M. Gamble | Nicole M. Geller | Susan L. Greer |
| Michael J. Henderson | Cassie L. James | Bruce T. Johnson |
| A. Brooks Kelley | Nathan L. McElroy | Cody J. Metz |
| Sheila E. Murphy | Ann F. Rivir | Denese M. Seward |
| Angela D. Shoemaker |
Club members elected the following officers:
During the 1998-99 academic year, the Alpha Omega Psi chapter brought a
number of guest speakers from the criminal justice community in Allen County to lecture on
topics of interest to SPEA students majoring in criminal justice. These guest speakers
spoke on topics ranging from how to prepare for an interview with a criminal justice
agency to the "psychology of combat" and the use of technology in policing.
Speakers included:Kim Huffine and Danielle Inman, Allen County Prosecutor's Office;
Alpha Omega Psi held its first annual banquet at the Old Country Buffet, Coldwater Road, on March 19, 1999, from 6-7:45 p.m. Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke was the guest speaker and members were presented with certificates at the banquet. For information about the criminal justice club, contact any of the club officers or Professor David May. |
Dan Hannaford, Fort Wayne Chief of Police, speaking at a CJ Club meeting. |
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Photo from a recent CJ Club meeting. |
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Below is a list of our criminal justice majors who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0, and a 3.2 GPA in criminal justice courses, which qualifies them for membership in the criminal justice honor society, Alpha Phi Sigma.
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1999, was declared C. James Owen Day
by Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke to honor Owen's service as Board of Works member and for
Owen's efforts on the Stormwater Management Board. Owen had served as a Board of Works
member since Feb. 19, 1992. He is also a former city director of community development and
planning and has served on many other boards. Owen will continue his public service as a
member of the Fort Wayne Board of Park Commissioners.
SPEA-IPFW faculty nominated the following students for Pi Alpha Alpha, the national honorary society for schools of public affairs and administration. An undergraduate nominee must maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0, and undergraduate and graduate nominees must maintain a SPEA cumulative GPA of 3.5. The 1999 nominees are:
| Sherri Bassett | Amy Durr | Sherry Hartzler |
| George Newton | Sandra Schuler | Kathleen Sundholm |
| Andrew Dobson | Jeanne Roon |
Tamara G. Davich, Editor
Division of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University-Purdue University
Fort Wayne
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
