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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 Apr 05, 2022 Rural poverty, climate change, and family migration from Guatemala International and Global Affairs Global Politics & International Relations International Development David Leblang, Director of the Batten School’s Global Policy Center, along with co-authors, assesses the root causes of migration from Guatemala. Learn more Aug 27, 2021 Leblang: How resettling Afghan refugees might help Afghanistan’s future Humanitarian Policy International and Global Affairs In an article for The Washington Post, Batten's David Leblang and co-author Margaret Peters explain how migrants help their home countries by building trade ties and by sending back both cash and political knowledge. Read in The Washington Post 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 02, 2021 Climate, Violence, and Honduran Migration to the United States Migration International and Global Affairs Migration from Honduras to the U.S. has been growing for years. New research by Batten's David Leblang, director of the Global Policy Center, and Duke University's Sarah Bermeo suggests the movement is a result of persistent violence coupled with food insecurity linked to climate change. Leblang and Bermeo wrote about their findings in a blog for Brookings. Read in Brookings Feb 23, 2021 Here's Who Biden Might Pick for OMB Director as Neera Tanden's Confirmation Looks Unlikely Political Science The Biden administration is heading back to square one as the chances for a Neera Tanden confirmation, the president's initial pick for director of the Office of Management and Budget, seems increasingly unlikely to gain enough Senate votes. Batten’s David Leblang spoke to Newsweek about potential candidates under consideration to take Tanden's place. READ IN NEWSWEEK Jan 29, 2021 Batten Faculty and Students Elevate UVA's Virtual January Term Offerings Education Leadership Batten Professor David Leblang's "Pandemics Beyond the Headlines: COVID-19" and Professor Gabrielle Adams' "Leadership in Athletics" were among the standout virtual course offerings from UVA this January. Contributions from Batten's Center for Leadership Simulation and Gaming and Batten student Terrell Jana (BA '21) brought an experiential lens to some of today’s critical issues, preparing students to meet future challenges. READ IN UVA TODAY Nov 09, 2020 The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Refugee Policy Education Immigration In honor of Global Week at UVA, Batten professor and policy expert David Leblang and Anne Richard, who served as assistant secretary of state for population, migration, and refugees under President Obama, discussed the dramatic shift in our country's stance on people seeking asylum in the U.S. 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
Apr 05, 2022 Rural poverty, climate change, and family migration from Guatemala International and Global Affairs Global Politics & International Relations International Development David Leblang, Director of the Batten School’s Global Policy Center, along with co-authors, assesses the root causes of migration from Guatemala. Learn more
Aug 27, 2021 Leblang: How resettling Afghan refugees might help Afghanistan’s future Humanitarian Policy International and Global Affairs In an article for The Washington Post, Batten's David Leblang and co-author Margaret Peters explain how migrants help their home countries by building trade ties and by sending back both cash and political knowledge. Read in The Washington Post
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 02, 2021 Climate, Violence, and Honduran Migration to the United States Migration International and Global Affairs Migration from Honduras to the U.S. has been growing for years. New research by Batten's David Leblang, director of the Global Policy Center, and Duke University's Sarah Bermeo suggests the movement is a result of persistent violence coupled with food insecurity linked to climate change. Leblang and Bermeo wrote about their findings in a blog for Brookings. Read in Brookings
Feb 23, 2021 Here's Who Biden Might Pick for OMB Director as Neera Tanden's Confirmation Looks Unlikely Political Science The Biden administration is heading back to square one as the chances for a Neera Tanden confirmation, the president's initial pick for director of the Office of Management and Budget, seems increasingly unlikely to gain enough Senate votes. Batten’s David Leblang spoke to Newsweek about potential candidates under consideration to take Tanden's place. READ IN NEWSWEEK
Jan 29, 2021 Batten Faculty and Students Elevate UVA's Virtual January Term Offerings Education Leadership Batten Professor David Leblang's "Pandemics Beyond the Headlines: COVID-19" and Professor Gabrielle Adams' "Leadership in Athletics" were among the standout virtual course offerings from UVA this January. Contributions from Batten's Center for Leadership Simulation and Gaming and Batten student Terrell Jana (BA '21) brought an experiential lens to some of today’s critical issues, preparing students to meet future challenges. READ IN UVA TODAY
Nov 09, 2020 The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Refugee Policy Education Immigration In honor of Global Week at UVA, Batten professor and policy expert David Leblang and Anne Richard, who served as assistant secretary of state for population, migration, and refugees under President Obama, discussed the dramatic shift in our country's stance on people seeking asylum in the U.S. Learn more