About News Mahoney Receives UVA's Public Impact-Focused Research Award Feb 02, 2021 Meredith Cole Mahoney Receives UVA's Public Impact-Focused Research Award Batten professor Christine Mahoney received the Public Impact-Focused Research Award for her work supporting the rights of the displaced locally, nationally and globally. (Photo by Dan Addison, University Communications)On Friday during a virtual ceremony over Zoom, the University of Virginia honored and recognized faculty members for their outstanding contributions to their fields and the impact of their research and scholarly activities at the annual Research Achievement Awards. “Although it was a challenging year for researchers, we are proud of our faculty’s achievements and accomplishments,” Melur “Ram” Ramasubramanian, UVA’s vice president for research, said. “We believe it’s important to celebrate our faculty who are making a significant impact on the world with their research and scholarship.” “Our dedicated and talented researchers are deeply committed to the mission of this university—advancing knowledge and passing it on to the world and the next generation,” Provost Liz Magill said. “The Research Achievement Awards are a great way to recognize our researchers for making meaningful contributions in their disciplines, supporting their peers and mentees, and having a positive impact on our communities.” “If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that academic research is a fundamental part of a successful society, fueling discoveries in medicine, breakthroughs in engineering, and changing the way we think about and respond to the natural and social world,” President Jim Ryan said. “The research award winners truly exemplify the high-quality scholarship that makes UVA a leading research institution.” Ken Ono, Thomas Jefferson Professor of Mathematics, delivered the keynote address, and received a Distinguished Spotlight Award to recognize his contribution to the field of mathematics. He has won Sloan, Packard and Guggenheim fellowships, and in 2020 Academic Influence named him one of the top 20 most influential mathematicians of the past decade. Public Impact-Focused Research Award Christine Mahoney, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy Mahoney’s research focuses on how nongovernmental organizations and governments at the local, national and global levels attempt to fight for the rights of refugees fleeing their homelands because of ethnic and political violence. Her scholarship in global advocacy uses social entrepreneurship to support the rights of the displaced. Her work has led to the creation of the Refugee Investment Network, a non-profit impact investing collaborative which creates solutions to forced migration around the globe. Mahoney also does community public interest research in the local community. She collaborates with the New Hill Development Corporation to help end racial disparities by expanding and strengthening the African American middle class. The project uses a community engagement process, and has fostered partnerships in Charlottesville and around Virginia. “Christine has brought the research excellence of the University of Virginia to support an under-resourced segment of the Charlottesville population,” said Yolunda Harrell, the CEO of New Hill Development Corporation. Watch all of the award winners accept their awards. Batten's John Holbein, assistant professor of public policy and education, and Jay Shimshack, associate professor of public policy and economics and associate dean for academic affairs, were also honored for their contributions in 2020 and invited to attend the event. Read Full Story in UVA Today Christine Mahoney Christine Mahoney is a professor of public policy and politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She studies social justice advocacy, activism and direct action through social entrepreneurship. Read full bio John Holbein John Holbein is an assistant professor of public policy and education at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Holbein studies political participation, political inequality, democratic accountability, political representation, and education policy. Read full bio Jay Shimshack Jay Shimshack is a professor of public policy and economics as well as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Shimshack's research focuses on environmental regulation, environmental economics, corporate social behavior, and applied microeconomics for public policy. Read full bio Related Content Christine Mahoney On the Advantages of a Well-Constructed Lobbying System: Towards a More Democratic, Modern Lobbying Process Research On the Advantages of a Well-Constructed Lobbying System: Towards a More Democratic, Modern Lobbying Process by Christine Mahoney Lee Drutman The American lobbying information processing system is woefully outdated. The mechanisms by which citizen, interest group, and business concerns are incorporated into the policymaking process have largely not been updated in over 200 years. Failure and Hope: Fighting for the Rights of the Forcibly Displaced Research In 2015, 60 million people were displaced by violent conflict globally - the highest since World War II. National and international policy prevents the displaced from working or moving freely outside the camps set up to ‘temporarily’ house them. Looking Back and Looking Forward: 10 Years of Social Entrepreneurship at SE@UVA News Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia (SE@UVA), a Batten School initiative, is marking its 10-year anniversary with a renewed commitment to educate the next generation of social innovation leaders. The Virginia Impact Investing Ecosystem Mapping News A new report from the Virginia Impact Investing Forum, housed within Batten’s SE@UVA, found $19 billion in Virginia impact capital but tens of billions more on the sidelines that could be unlocked with more convening, training, and sharing of success stories. Christine Mahoney, director of SE@UVA explains how universities can connect the dots between impact investors and social entrepreneurs and do it in a cost-efficient way. John Holbein Are Americans less likely to reply to emails from Black people relative to White people? Research Although previous attempts have been made to measure everyday discrimination against African Americans, these approaches have been constrained by distinct methodological challenges. We present the results from an audit or correspondence study of a large-scale, nationally representative pool of the American public. We provide evidence that in simple day-to-day interactions, such as sending and responding to emails, the public discriminates against Black people. Mobilize for Our Lives? School Shootings and Democratic Accountability in U.S. Elections Research Gun violence is a large and growing problem in the United States. Many reformers look towards elections to spur policy change in this area. In this paper, we explore the effects of school shootings on electoral mobilization and election outcomes. African Americans Are Less Likely to Receive Responses to Emails, Study Finds News New evidence from a team of researchers, including Batten professor John Holbein, suggests that everyday racial discrimination is far more widespread than previous studies have indicated. Holbein: U.S. school principals discriminate against Muslims and atheists, our study finds News According to a large‐scale correspondence study conducted by Batten's John Holbein and colleagues, anti-Muslim bias still operates widely nineteen years after the 9/11 attacks. Jay Shimshack Disparities in PM2.5 air pollution in the United States Research Particulate air pollution in the contiguous United States has decreased considerably over recent decades, but where exactly has that progress been made? Batten's Jay Shimshack and his co-authors dive in. Costly Sanctions and the Treatment of Frequent Violators in Regulatory Settings Research Regulators typically treat frequent violators more harshly. When does such harsh treatment maximize overall compliance? Batten's Lipscomb Receives UVA's Prestigious Public Impact-Focused Research Award News Batten professor Molly Lipscomb was honored with the university's Public Impact-Focused Research Award for her work examining the impact of bringing public services to low-income households in countries where services are needed. Former Head of Belonging and Inclusion at Airbnb Joins Batten Faculty News Melissa Thomas-Hunt is bringing a unique blend of scholarly and real-world expertise to her dual appointment at UVA’s Batten School and Darden School of Business. Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events Subscribe
Christine Mahoney Christine Mahoney is a professor of public policy and politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She studies social justice advocacy, activism and direct action through social entrepreneurship. Read full bio
John Holbein John Holbein is an assistant professor of public policy and education at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Holbein studies political participation, political inequality, democratic accountability, political representation, and education policy. Read full bio
Jay Shimshack Jay Shimshack is a professor of public policy and economics as well as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Shimshack's research focuses on environmental regulation, environmental economics, corporate social behavior, and applied microeconomics for public policy. Read full bio
On the Advantages of a Well-Constructed Lobbying System: Towards a More Democratic, Modern Lobbying Process Research On the Advantages of a Well-Constructed Lobbying System: Towards a More Democratic, Modern Lobbying Process by Christine Mahoney Lee Drutman The American lobbying information processing system is woefully outdated. The mechanisms by which citizen, interest group, and business concerns are incorporated into the policymaking process have largely not been updated in over 200 years.
Failure and Hope: Fighting for the Rights of the Forcibly Displaced Research In 2015, 60 million people were displaced by violent conflict globally - the highest since World War II. National and international policy prevents the displaced from working or moving freely outside the camps set up to ‘temporarily’ house them.
Looking Back and Looking Forward: 10 Years of Social Entrepreneurship at SE@UVA News Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia (SE@UVA), a Batten School initiative, is marking its 10-year anniversary with a renewed commitment to educate the next generation of social innovation leaders.
The Virginia Impact Investing Ecosystem Mapping News A new report from the Virginia Impact Investing Forum, housed within Batten’s SE@UVA, found $19 billion in Virginia impact capital but tens of billions more on the sidelines that could be unlocked with more convening, training, and sharing of success stories. Christine Mahoney, director of SE@UVA explains how universities can connect the dots between impact investors and social entrepreneurs and do it in a cost-efficient way.
Are Americans less likely to reply to emails from Black people relative to White people? Research Although previous attempts have been made to measure everyday discrimination against African Americans, these approaches have been constrained by distinct methodological challenges. We present the results from an audit or correspondence study of a large-scale, nationally representative pool of the American public. We provide evidence that in simple day-to-day interactions, such as sending and responding to emails, the public discriminates against Black people.
Mobilize for Our Lives? School Shootings and Democratic Accountability in U.S. Elections Research Gun violence is a large and growing problem in the United States. Many reformers look towards elections to spur policy change in this area. In this paper, we explore the effects of school shootings on electoral mobilization and election outcomes.
African Americans Are Less Likely to Receive Responses to Emails, Study Finds News New evidence from a team of researchers, including Batten professor John Holbein, suggests that everyday racial discrimination is far more widespread than previous studies have indicated.
Holbein: U.S. school principals discriminate against Muslims and atheists, our study finds News According to a large‐scale correspondence study conducted by Batten's John Holbein and colleagues, anti-Muslim bias still operates widely nineteen years after the 9/11 attacks.
Disparities in PM2.5 air pollution in the United States Research Particulate air pollution in the contiguous United States has decreased considerably over recent decades, but where exactly has that progress been made? Batten's Jay Shimshack and his co-authors dive in.
Costly Sanctions and the Treatment of Frequent Violators in Regulatory Settings Research Regulators typically treat frequent violators more harshly. When does such harsh treatment maximize overall compliance?
Batten's Lipscomb Receives UVA's Prestigious Public Impact-Focused Research Award News Batten professor Molly Lipscomb was honored with the university's Public Impact-Focused Research Award for her work examining the impact of bringing public services to low-income households in countries where services are needed.
Former Head of Belonging and Inclusion at Airbnb Joins Batten Faculty News Melissa Thomas-Hunt is bringing a unique blend of scholarly and real-world expertise to her dual appointment at UVA’s Batten School and Darden School of Business.