MU | Features
From her offices in Fort Wayne and North Manchester , Whitney Caudill , vice president for strategic initiatives and external relations , coordinates MU ’ s efforts to support education and training in the region .
Caudill moved to northeast Indiana to help launch the Pharmacy Program , an economic behemoth in its own right , thanks to the $ 35 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc . to start the program and create the Fort Wayne campus . Programs on the campus next to Parkview Regional Medical Center have attracted new talent to the region , created jobs , and are preparing graduates to fill current and emerging market needs . Manchester graduated its first pharmacy class in May and , days later , started a master ’ s program in pharmacogenomics that is preparing its graduates to work in the frontier of personalized medicine . Through their clinical placements , pharmacy students are expanding the capacity of the pharmacies , hospitals and clinics in which they learn .
Through the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership ( NEIRP ), Caudill also served on the steering committee for the Regional Cities Initiative . Their efforts resulted in a $ 42 million Regional Cities grant to the Fort Wayne , South Bend and Evansville areas to support infrastructure projects and amenities that can help attract businesses and people .
Additionally , Caudill worked with Steel Dynamics Inc . to craft Dynamic Development , a leadership development program specifically designed for SDI employees . MU faculty have joined SDI leaders and other business professionals to provide training in areas such as strategic thinking , leadership and communication . MU also has provided executive education to STAR Financial Bank . And Caudill helped implement MU ’ s Women ’ s Impact Project , a quarterly series of lectures on the Fort Wayne campus focused on encouraging women to use their passions and leadership skills to make a difference in northeast Indiana .
One young woman who ’ s already made a difference is Tiana Maclin ’ 17 , one of three MU representatives in this year ’ s Greater Fort Wayne Fellows class . “ GFW Fellows is a bold , innovative program helping us to grow and retain talent in northeast Indiana ,” says Eric Doden , CEO of GFW Inc . The program provides a high-quality internship , combined with personal development , community service and networking that benefits the students , employers and the community .
Maclin ’ s internship was with GFW while MU ’ s other Fellows , Jessica Small ’ 16 , a management graduate , and Sambo Amaza ’ 19 , an economics major , worked for Lincoln Financial Group in Fort Wayne this summer . Their project-based experiences were designed to help fill the entry-level talent pipelines that can lead to permanent jobs .
Maclin ’ s internship heightened her interest in Fort Wayne . At GFW , she supported its 10-year vision called “ Opportunity on the Edge of Greatness .” The plan calls for five major development projects designed to help increase middle-class wages , attract and retain top talent , and grow the local economy .
“ I was diving right in when I first got here ,” says Maclin , a marketing and management major . This summer she handled most of GFW ’ s social media , wrote stories and press releases , tested the website for usability , developed media kits and more . In the process , she learned a lot about development , how members of the community can determine their own future , and how the community and businesses can work together more effectively .
After living in Fort Wayne for the summer and seeing all that it has to offer young professionals , Maclin would like to return after graduation . “ This has made me more excited about Fort Wayne ,” she says . “ I like it here .”
Back in North Manchester , MU students are supporting economic development too . Tate Wooding ’ 17 , a political science major , spent the summer working at the Chamber of Commerce with Executive Director Laura Rager . One of his projects was to connect the business community with new students on Move-In Day using coupons , promotions , trial memberships and more . The Move-In Day event “ is creating that bridge between the University and the town .”
For her part , Rager supports the buy local movement every chance she gets . If MU students explore downtown North Manchester , she says , they might be surprised by what they find .
At the University , the Office of Career and Professional Development monitors industry trends and identifies emerging needs that MU graduates can fill . It also brings employers to campus for the annual Career and Internship Fair . A grant from Lilly Endowment Inc . several years ago helped MU establish a sales major – the fastest-growing program in the College of Business – and an Employer Advisory Board which enables MU to more effectively provide graduates with the skills they need . For example , MU recently retooled its computer science major into a new software engineering major that aligns more closely to the skills regional employers are seeking . In addition , during the 2015-16 academic year , 169 students participated in internships for academic credit , placing them in regional businesses and nonprofits . “ It ’ s about creating pipelines ,” says Tish Kalita ’ 08 , director .
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