21 | 2025 IUI Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient Rep. Cherrish Pryor

The O’Neill School has a well-earned reputation of producing graduates who make a difference by leading for the greater good. That’s not just a tagline. Our grads are the reason we’re the top-ranked public school for public affairs in the nation.

Our reputation is built on the work of those who go out into the real world and make an impact by making that world a better place.

One such graduate is today’s guest, Indiana State Representative Cherrish Pryor. Pryor earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Indiana University Bloomington and a master’s degree in public affairs from IUPUI. She has served as a legislator in the Indiana House of Representatives since November 4, 2008. She is currently the Indiana House Democratic Caucus Floor Leader and is a member of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus. Pryor is also a member of the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee as well as the Elections and Apportionment Committee and the Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee.

Pryor also is the 2025 recipient of the IU Indianapolis Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed by the O’Neill School on the IUI campus.