We are proud to recognize our O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduates who have distinguished themselves in their careers and who serve as accomplished role models for today’s O’Neill students and the broader community as leaders who make a difference. O'Neill honors these alumni through a variety of awards, including the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Representative Cherrish Pryor earned her Master of Public Affairs degree in Public Management from O’Neill Indianapolis in 2005. Within three years of earning her MPA, she served as a member of the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council, and was later elected to the Indiana House of Representatives.
Pryor is now the floor leader for the Indiana House Democratic Caucus and a member of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus. Her commitment to effecting change isn’t limited to the Indiana Statehouse. In addition to serving many nonprofit and public organizations, she sought to expand her impact by cofounding “Hoosier Women Forward,” a group dedicated to training and empowering women to become active and effective civic leaders.
From earning the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden to being named Legislator of the Year by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Pryor's efforts have been recognized many times over and the O'Neill School is proud to call her one of our own.
Undergraduate and master’s alumni are eligible for this award—the most honorable alumni distinction bestowed by the O’Neill School. Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis. Annual award winners are selected in early spring.
Kevin Jowitt was selected as the inaugural recipient of O'Neill Indianapolis' Distinguished Alumni Award. Jowitt earned his Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Public Safety from O'Neill in 2012. He began his law enforcement career at Indiana University in 1977 and later served as the chief of police in both Westfield and Noblesville, Indiana. He also served as a division commander for the Hamilton County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Office. Jowitt is a past president of the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police and serves on its foundation board. He received the Distinguished Hoosier award in 2018 from Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. In addition to his involvement with the O'Neill Distinguished Alumni Council, Jowitt also teaches as an associate faculty member for the Criminal Justice and Public Safety programs at the O'Neill School.
