The Harvard Crimson

Courtesy of M. Stewart

In this mini-series, Flyby profiles one of the seven fall 2012 IOP Fellows each week. This week: Brett M. O'Donnell.

"I'm a frustrated drummer," IOP fellow Brett M. O’Donnell said. Caught between his desires to become a musician or work in communications, O'Donnell ultimately chose communications. To this day, he remains a jack of many trades.

From starting his own company, O'Donnell and Associates, to co-founding the charity Healing Hands of Joy in Ethiopia, O'Donnell works in a variety of different areas. However, he is best known for his work as a political debate coach, working with candidates from George W. Bush to John McCain to Michele Bachmann to Mitt Romney.

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Courtesy of M. Stewart

In this mini-series, Flyby profiles one of the seven fall 2012 IOP Fellows each week. This week: John Carr.

"I don't feel at home in the political status quo," John Carr said. "My priorities are questions of human life and dignity, and those don't seem to be priorities of either party. I'm politically homeless."

Carr, who worked as a Catholic policy advisor for over three decades, may have been "homeless" in Washington D.C., but this fall as a fellow at the Institute of Politics, he said he feels at home. "The IOP is such a welcoming place from the moment you arrive," he said.

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Courtesy of M. Stewart

In this mini-series, Flyby profiles one of the seven fall 2012 IOP Fellows each week. This week: James E. Doyle.

After four decades away, Harvard Law School graduate and former Governor of Wisconsin James E. Doyle has returned to Cambridge as an IOP fellow, noting that many aspects of the Harvard Square atmosphere have changed.

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Courtesy of Nina Easton

In this mini-series, Flyby profiles one of the seven fall 2012 IOP Fellows each week. This week: Nina J. Easton.

"Presidential coverage used to be a very serious endeavor," said self-described pundit Nina J. Easton from behind her desk at the Kennedy School's Institute of Politics. "There still are pockets of that attitude, especially among old school vets, but the culture is to get [the news] out there fast."

As an IOP fellow this semester, Easton is trying for the opposite approach. By slowing down to examine the economics at play in the 2012 election, she's aiming to provide a substantive supplement to the media's superficial look at politics.

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Courtesy of Sonal R. Shah

In this mini-series, Flyby profiles one of the seven fall 2012 IOP Fellows each week. This week: Sonal R. Shah.

You may have seen IOP fellow Sonal R. Shah around campus at Harvard sporting events as she indulges her passion for all things athletic. But you can also join Shah in another setting this semester; every Thursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. her study group meets in room L166 at the IOP.

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Courtesy of Mark D. McKinnon

In this mini-series, Flyby will profile one of the seven fall 2012 IOP Fellows each week. This week: Mark D. McKinnon.

The first thing you might notice about IOP Fellow Mark D. McKinnon is his sense of style. From his trademark cowboy hat and panuelo scarf, the man who was President George W. Bush's communications strategist stands out in a world of plain black suits.

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