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Hitz Galen Fountain Gerald Higginbotham Isaac Mbiti Michele Claibourn Sally Hudson Tim Layton Xiao Wang Adam Roux Amanda Crombie Andy Ortiz Ashley Jardina Brendan J. Boler Brooke Ray Charles J. Rush Charles J. Rush Diane Biesecker George Foresman Jieun Pai Justin H. Kirkland Kimberly Jenkins Robinson Melissa Thomas-Hunt Pam Cipriano Paul Becker Tim Layton (-) Christopher J. Ruhm (-) Steve Hiss Facet People - News Facet UVA Partner - News Research and Commentary Alum in Action Faculty In Action Student Stories Facet News Type - News Apr 28, 2025 UVA Batten a Hub for Health Economics Research The health economy is one of the most extensive and complex systems in modern life, impacting people on a deeply personal level. UVA Batten is honored to have three outstanding faculty members whose research expertise is focused on various policy aspects of the field, including Medicaid and Medicare, COVID-related mortality rates, and other topics. Learn more Jul 30, 2024 How State Policies Impacted Death Rates During COVID In a paper published in JAMA Health Forum, Professor of Public Policy and Economics Chris Ruhm finds that stringent COVID-19 restrictions saved lives during the pandemic based on a state-by-state analysis of health policies and COVID deaths. Learn more Dec 13, 2023 Ruhm Named SEA Distinguished Fellow Chris Ruhm, Batten professor of public policy and economics, has received a Distinguished Fellow Award from the Southern Economic Association in recognition for his “substantial record of exceptional scholarly achievement and long-term involvement and service to the association.” Learn more Jun 23, 2022 We May Not Have Been as Anxious, Depressed in Pandemic's First Year as Once Thought Health Policy Findings from the Batten School's Christopher Ruhm and colleagues at Harvard question the accuracy of the CDC’s Household Pulse survey on mental health. Learn more May 17, 2021 How to target opioid funding to states that need it most Health Policy Economics According to new research from Batten’s Christopher J. Ruhm, the federal government’s opioid grant funding structure favors the least populous states, which are not always the states with greatest need. In an op-ed for The Hill, Ruhm suggests several ways to improve the targeting of federal grants that aim to assist states with opioid problems. Read in The Hill May 03, 2021 Federal Opioid Grant Funding Favors Least Populous States, Not Those With the Greatest Need Economics Health Policy In a new paper published in the journal Health Affairs, Batten’s Christopher J. Ruhm and co-author Bradley A. Katcher find that the federal government’s opioid grant funding structure favors the least populous states, which are not always the states with greatest need. Learn more Apr 08, 2021 Amidst the Pandemic, Employment Outcomes for Batten Graduates Remain High Leadership Despite major disruptions in the hiring market posed by the coronavirus pandemic, Batten’s most recent graduates demonstrate that a Batten education continues to be in high demand among employers across sectors. Learn more Dec 18, 2020 Meet the 2021 Batten Finalists for the Presidential Management Fellows Program Leadership One of the most prestigious programs for graduate students and alumni interested in public service, the fellowship affords recipients two years of experience and training at a federal agency. Learn more Sep 16, 2020 Bocock Fellowship Recipients Explore Careers in Public Service Political Science Education Six Batten students completed public service-focused internships supported by the Frederic S. Bocock Fellowship this summer. Through the generosity of Fred and Mary Buford Hitz, the Bocock Fellowship was created to advance the careers of Batten students in public service, specifically through governmental internship opportunities. Learn more Aug 21, 2020 Salesforce Spotlights Batten School with Article in Harvard Business Review Education Leadership “Making sure students know there is a team of people who can and want to help is fundamental to success. Connecting student services, academic advising, and career services creates an equitable support structure,” says Steve Hiss, director of career services and alumni engagement at UVA Batten. Read in Harvard Business Review May 01, 2020 The Batten School Announces Employment Outcomes for 2019 Graduates Leadership Recent Batten alums are making their mark across the sectors and around the globe. Of those seeking positions, 99% of graduates from Batten’s Bachelor of Arts degree program and 96% of those who graduated from the Master of Public Policy degree program secured a career destination within six months of graduating. Learn more Apr 09, 2020 How Might the COVID-19 Recession Affect Your Health? An Economist Explains. Economics Health Policy Recessions may be good for overall physical health, but this one could be different. Batten professor Chris Ruhm presented an online talk Wednesday offering an economist’s view of the overall health effects of the COVID-19 recession. His talk was the school’s third installment of its expert chat series about COVID-19. Learn more Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Next page Next › Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events Subscribe
Apr 28, 2025 UVA Batten a Hub for Health Economics Research The health economy is one of the most extensive and complex systems in modern life, impacting people on a deeply personal level. UVA Batten is honored to have three outstanding faculty members whose research expertise is focused on various policy aspects of the field, including Medicaid and Medicare, COVID-related mortality rates, and other topics. Learn more
Jul 30, 2024 How State Policies Impacted Death Rates During COVID In a paper published in JAMA Health Forum, Professor of Public Policy and Economics Chris Ruhm finds that stringent COVID-19 restrictions saved lives during the pandemic based on a state-by-state analysis of health policies and COVID deaths. Learn more
Dec 13, 2023 Ruhm Named SEA Distinguished Fellow Chris Ruhm, Batten professor of public policy and economics, has received a Distinguished Fellow Award from the Southern Economic Association in recognition for his “substantial record of exceptional scholarly achievement and long-term involvement and service to the association.” Learn more
Jun 23, 2022 We May Not Have Been as Anxious, Depressed in Pandemic's First Year as Once Thought Health Policy Findings from the Batten School's Christopher Ruhm and colleagues at Harvard question the accuracy of the CDC’s Household Pulse survey on mental health. Learn more
May 17, 2021 How to target opioid funding to states that need it most Health Policy Economics According to new research from Batten’s Christopher J. Ruhm, the federal government’s opioid grant funding structure favors the least populous states, which are not always the states with greatest need. In an op-ed for The Hill, Ruhm suggests several ways to improve the targeting of federal grants that aim to assist states with opioid problems. Read in The Hill
May 03, 2021 Federal Opioid Grant Funding Favors Least Populous States, Not Those With the Greatest Need Economics Health Policy In a new paper published in the journal Health Affairs, Batten’s Christopher J. Ruhm and co-author Bradley A. Katcher find that the federal government’s opioid grant funding structure favors the least populous states, which are not always the states with greatest need. Learn more
Apr 08, 2021 Amidst the Pandemic, Employment Outcomes for Batten Graduates Remain High Leadership Despite major disruptions in the hiring market posed by the coronavirus pandemic, Batten’s most recent graduates demonstrate that a Batten education continues to be in high demand among employers across sectors. Learn more
Dec 18, 2020 Meet the 2021 Batten Finalists for the Presidential Management Fellows Program Leadership One of the most prestigious programs for graduate students and alumni interested in public service, the fellowship affords recipients two years of experience and training at a federal agency. Learn more
Sep 16, 2020 Bocock Fellowship Recipients Explore Careers in Public Service Political Science Education Six Batten students completed public service-focused internships supported by the Frederic S. Bocock Fellowship this summer. Through the generosity of Fred and Mary Buford Hitz, the Bocock Fellowship was created to advance the careers of Batten students in public service, specifically through governmental internship opportunities. Learn more
Aug 21, 2020 Salesforce Spotlights Batten School with Article in Harvard Business Review Education Leadership “Making sure students know there is a team of people who can and want to help is fundamental to success. Connecting student services, academic advising, and career services creates an equitable support structure,” says Steve Hiss, director of career services and alumni engagement at UVA Batten. Read in Harvard Business Review
May 01, 2020 The Batten School Announces Employment Outcomes for 2019 Graduates Leadership Recent Batten alums are making their mark across the sectors and around the globe. Of those seeking positions, 99% of graduates from Batten’s Bachelor of Arts degree program and 96% of those who graduated from the Master of Public Policy degree program secured a career destination within six months of graduating. Learn more
Apr 09, 2020 How Might the COVID-19 Recession Affect Your Health? An Economist Explains. Economics Health Policy Recessions may be good for overall physical health, but this one could be different. Batten professor Chris Ruhm presented an online talk Wednesday offering an economist’s view of the overall health effects of the COVID-19 recession. His talk was the school’s third installment of its expert chat series about COVID-19. Learn more