BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—The Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs will present its Distinguished Alumni Award to Amy Kennedy-Reynolds, MPA’85, and Chris Lowery, BSPA’84, later this month in recognition of their exemplary service to society and their dedication to the school. This is the highest honor the O’Neill School can bestow on its alumni.
Normally part of the school’s spring commencement ceremonies on campus, the award will be presented virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our alumni are known worldwide for their passion, their dedication, and their ability to lead across a variety of settings, and Amy and Chris exemplify those attributes and more,” said Dean Siân Mooney. “Amy has led a storied—some might say out-of-this-world career— as a federal civil servant and Chris has made lasting impacts in the fields of education, business, and public policy. They have also spent significant portions of their own careers investing in the careers of others, helping students and employees meet their personal and professional potential.”
Kennedy-Reynolds is currently the NASA Chief Information Officer’s (CIO) Executive Officer for the Mission Support Future Architecture Program (MAP) and the CIO MAP Transition Manager for the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. A native Hoosier, she came to JSC as a Presidential Management Intern after completing her MPA at the O’Neill School. She has held a variety of leadership roles over the course of her distinguished 35-year career, including a term as a loaned executive to the Texas Governor’s Office to develop the Texas Aerospace Commission. Yet more than half of her career has been spent in human resources, where she has developed significant expertise in organizational and employee development, executive coaching, strategic planning, and change management.
Lowery, like many O’Neill alumni, has transitioned between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He is currently Senior Vice President, Workforce and Careers, of Ivy Tech Community College, where he helps create workforce and economic development and training solutions for Indiana. Before joining Ivy Tech, he led public policy and engagement efforts for Hillenbrand, Inc. He has also worked as the executive director of the Association of Indiana Counties, an aide to former Indiana Governor Robert D. Orr, and an aide to then-Senator Dan Quayle. While on staff for Governor Orr, he received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award for his work on education reform.
Both Kennedy-Reynolds and Lowery have given back to the O’Neill School by serving on the Distinguished Alumni Council and by mentoring students. Kennedy-Reynolds regularly guest speaks in human resources classes at the school, collaborates with faculty members, engages with the school’s Career Hub, and supports the O'Neill annual fund. Lowery has supported the school’s Manufacturing Policy Initiative and demonstrated his dedication to O’Neill students through the generous Chris R. and Jerilyn W. Lowery Scholarship. He is also a member of the Executive Council of the IU Alumni Association.
About the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington
The O’Neill School is a world leader in public and environmental affairs and is the largest school of public administration and public policy in the United States. In the 2021 "Best Graduate Public Affairs Programs" by U.S. News & World Report, O’Neill ranks first in the country. Additionally, six of its specialty programs are ranked in the top-five listings, including the number one nonprofit management program.