The Center for the Study of Global Change staff, past and present, join the Indiana University community in celebrating the life of Patrick O’Meara, who passed away on March 30th.
The Global Center would not have been established without the support, guidance, and encouragement of Patrick O’Meara, and it would not be the award-winning center it consistently is without him. Patrick’s wise and thoughtful council has guided the center since day one, and we will continue to heed his words of advice for many years to come. Importantly, Patrick supported the people in the organizations and institutions of which he was a part, including us here at the Center.
Patrick held a permanent position on the Global Center Advisory Board (our spreadsheet with dates of past and present board members lists his tenure period as ‘ALWAYS’). Over the past few years, Patrick could also be counted on to review student scholarships, serve on hiring committees, offer a sweet when visiting his office, and be a sounding board for new ideas. Students who were unsuccessful but promising scholarship applicants were invited to speak to him personally to improve their ideas and applications for the next year’s competition.
Ultimately, there are not enough words to demonstrate what we at the Global Center owe to Patrick, which is really everything. He was a global champion and a kind, generous person, and we will deeply miss him.
Sincerely,
Eli Konwest
Hilary Kahn
Brian Winchester
Teresa Nichols
Deb Hutton
Global Center staff present and past
For more on Patrick’s impact at IU and across the world, please read.