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 and chief innovation officer 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 associate professor of public policy, politics, 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 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. UVA Batten Appoints Professor Christine Mahoney as Chief Innovation Officer News UVA Batten is thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Christine Mahoney as our first Chief Innovation Officer. A seasoned entrepreneur, Mahoney launched Social Entrepreneurship at UVA (SE@UVA) which introduced new courses on social entrepreneurship, a minor, concept competition, and scholarships to work with social enterprises. Mahoney also hosts a variety of student activities that provide hands-on experience in social innovation. Advancing Innovative Policy in Rural Virginia and Beyond News The Batten School is making significant strides in advancing rural policy and economic development through its inaugural Tadler Fellowship in Impact Investing. This innovative program is not only supporting the White House's Rural Partner Network (RPN) Initiative to strengthen rural economies, but is also working directly with communities in Southwest Virginia to develop solutions for their unique economic and social challenges. John Holbein Civilian national service programs can powerfully increase youth voter turnout Research Enrolling young people to participate as Teach For America (TFA) teachers has a large positive effect on rates of voter turnout among those young people who participate. This effect is considerably larger than many previous efforts to increase youth voter turnout. After their 2 years of service, these young adults vote at a rate 5.7 to 8.6 percentage points higher than that of similar nonparticipant counterparts. These results suggest that civilian national service programs targeted at young people show great promise in narrowing the enduring participation gap between younger and older citizens in the United States. 400 million voting records show profound racial and geographic disparities in voter turnout in the United States Research This paper documents the extent and nature of inequities in voter participation in the United States with a level of granularity and precision that previous research has not afforded. John Holbein Among UVA's Inaugural Shannon Fellows News Batten professor Holbein is one of 15 faculty members chosen for a new UVA fellowship program recognizing groundbreaking research and commitment to service at UVA. How gender, race, age and voter ID laws affect whether a voter actually casts a ballot News Young Americans say they are interested in politics, but few of them vote. Writing for The Conversation, Batten School professor John Holbein offers some ideas on how to encourage them. 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 Showcase 2022: Environmental Inequality and Public Policy ft. Jay Shimshack News In this lecture, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, Jay Shimshack, probes the concept of environmental inequality - how it both shapes and is shaped by public policy. Batten Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Teaching, Service, Research and Engagement News This academic year, Batten School professors won a slew of internal and external recognitions for excellence in teaching, service, research and engagement. Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events Subscribe
Christine Mahoney Christine Mahoney is a professor of public policy and politics and chief innovation officer 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 associate professor of public policy, politics, 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 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.
UVA Batten Appoints Professor Christine Mahoney as Chief Innovation Officer News UVA Batten is thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Christine Mahoney as our first Chief Innovation Officer. A seasoned entrepreneur, Mahoney launched Social Entrepreneurship at UVA (SE@UVA) which introduced new courses on social entrepreneurship, a minor, concept competition, and scholarships to work with social enterprises. Mahoney also hosts a variety of student activities that provide hands-on experience in social innovation.
Advancing Innovative Policy in Rural Virginia and Beyond News The Batten School is making significant strides in advancing rural policy and economic development through its inaugural Tadler Fellowship in Impact Investing. This innovative program is not only supporting the White House's Rural Partner Network (RPN) Initiative to strengthen rural economies, but is also working directly with communities in Southwest Virginia to develop solutions for their unique economic and social challenges.
Civilian national service programs can powerfully increase youth voter turnout Research Enrolling young people to participate as Teach For America (TFA) teachers has a large positive effect on rates of voter turnout among those young people who participate. This effect is considerably larger than many previous efforts to increase youth voter turnout. After their 2 years of service, these young adults vote at a rate 5.7 to 8.6 percentage points higher than that of similar nonparticipant counterparts. These results suggest that civilian national service programs targeted at young people show great promise in narrowing the enduring participation gap between younger and older citizens in the United States.
400 million voting records show profound racial and geographic disparities in voter turnout in the United States Research This paper documents the extent and nature of inequities in voter participation in the United States with a level of granularity and precision that previous research has not afforded.
John Holbein Among UVA's Inaugural Shannon Fellows News Batten professor Holbein is one of 15 faculty members chosen for a new UVA fellowship program recognizing groundbreaking research and commitment to service at UVA.
How gender, race, age and voter ID laws affect whether a voter actually casts a ballot News Young Americans say they are interested in politics, but few of them vote. Writing for The Conversation, Batten School professor John Holbein offers some ideas on how to encourage them.
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 Showcase 2022: Environmental Inequality and Public Policy ft. Jay Shimshack News In this lecture, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, Jay Shimshack, probes the concept of environmental inequality - how it both shapes and is shaped by public policy.
Batten Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Teaching, Service, Research and Engagement News This academic year, Batten School professors won a slew of internal and external recognitions for excellence in teaching, service, research and engagement.