Past Events

What constitutes an effective lawmaker? The discourse around members of Congress once focused solely on party affiliations, but the legislative effectiveness scores developed by the Center for Effective Lawmaking. For the latest edition of Batten Expert Chats, CEL co-directors Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman will speak and take questions on the origins of the scores they developed, what they mean for our political system, and how they’re currently being used.  

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At a moment when our country’s inequalities have come into sharp focus, many colleges and universities are looking to make their institutions more inclusive. But what does a meaningful commitment to diversity actually look like? In this week’s installment of Batten Expert Chats, Dana Laurens (COL ’09, MPP ’10), senior associate for policy and advocacy at Education Reform Now, and her colleague, Michael Dannenberg, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Policy, will speak and take questions on the types of policies needed to hold institutions, including the University of Virginia, accountable for following through on pledges and statements about racial equity and inclusivity.

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With the current health crisis pushing so many of our interactions online, you don’t have to move to the West Coast to start your career in emerging technologies. This week’s edition of Batten Expert Chats will feature two UVA alumni who created their own technological business ventures: Dan Laufer (BS ’06) and Ed Festa (BA ’02, MBA ’10).

Batten Expert Chats

Black Americans are systematically under-treated for pain relative to White Americans. For the next edition of Batten’s Expert Chats Series, Batten professor Sophie Trawalter will discuss research indicating that people--including individuals with medical training--believe that Blacks (vs. Whites) feel less pain. Join the conversation on Zoom.

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