News

Bill Gates at Batten Hour
Oct 30, 2024

Local Official Becomes Champion of Democracy: “I Did My Job”

As an elected official in Maricopa County, Arizona, in 2020, Bill Gates saw first-hand the troubling impacts of election conspiracies, experiencing intense pressure to alter the county's elections process, even facing threats of violence. Since then, he's been an outspoken advocate for election workers and democracy; he spoke at Garrett Hall for this week's Batten Hour.  

Kenneth Wainstein at Batten Hour
Oct 04, 2024

Balancing Act: Domestic Intelligence at a Time of Growing Threats

Finding balance was an overarching theme of Monday's Batten Hour speaker, Under Secretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security Kenneth Wainstein, who discussed election security and the role of his organization in bridging information gaps among all levels of U.S. government.

elizabeth andrews
Apr 25, 2024

Climate Change: Doing Nothing is Not an Option

As one of the foremost environmental attorneys in Virginia, Elizabeth Andrews has a front-row seat for the conundrums of climate change policy. On Earth Day, Andrews was our guest speaker for this year’s final Batten Hour, co-hosted by UVA’s Environmental Institute and the Institute for Engagement and Negotiation.

xiao wang
Dec 22, 2023

Wang Wins AALS Award for Paper on Religious Freedom

Xiao Wang (MPP '09), professor at UVA's School of Law and an affiliated Batten faculty member, has won the 2024 Harold Berman Award for Excellence in Scholarship from the Association of American Law Schools for his paper on a recent trend in religious freedom litigation. 

democracy illustration
Nov 30, 2023

Course Encourages Students To Incorporate Service Into Life After Grounds

Dean Solomon told students in a Democracy and Public Service course to be open to all methods of influencing their communities. “There is never just one bucket to draw from. For me, it’s important that action is aligned with my values.” He joined Melody Barnes of the UVA Karsh Institute of Democracy in teaching the course, a core requirement for UVA’s Public Service Pathways program.

karsh building
Sep 05, 2023

Batten’s Impact Grows with Plans for New Building

In a significant expansion in 2026, the Batten school will occupy more than 17,000 square feet of the new Karsh Institute for Democracy building with faculty offices, research centers and other operations, while retaining its home base at Garrett Hall on Central Grounds. 

Garrett Hall at Sunset

Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events