The Batten School’s approach to leadership is one of evidence-based behavioral science. We view leadership as “the capacity to integrate, motivate, and enable a group of individuals toward achieving a common goal.” As researchers and academics, we are singularly poised to help other academics understand leadership, management, and organizational behavior. Under this view of leadership, we believe that everyone has the potential to become a leader, that leaders are made rather than born, and that leadership should be taught based on scientific evidence.

In recognition that UVA School of Engineering’s core values call on engineering faculty to be leaders in their school, departments, labs and classrooms, Batten has partnered with UVA Engineering for a series of courses designed to develop engineering faculty as effective leaders.

The series includes eight courses taught by Batten faculty at a pace of one, 90-minute session per month from September 2019 through April 2020. Engineering faculty are welcome to participate in the entire series or individual courses; those who complete at least six courses will receive a record of course completion from Batten. There will be no out-of-pocket costs to faculty; registered faculty’s UVA education benefit to be applied directly to the series ($4,360 combined tuition and professional development benefit per year), which costs $250 per course or a discounted price of $1,500 for all eight courses.

All sessions will take place from noon-1:30 p.m. in the Engineering School’s Rodman Room. The courses are:

September 27, 2019 – Immunity to Change: Overcoming your Own Resistance to Change, taught by Andrew S. Pennock, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Policy whose expertise is in political leadership, political institutions and change management.

October 25, 2019 – Motivation 101: Getting your Lab or Department to Work Smarter by Understanding the Psychology of How to Motivate Others, taught by Benjamin Converse, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Psychology whose expertise is in judgment and decision-making, motivation and goal setting.

November 15, 2019 – Growth Mindsets, Fostering Employee and Student Resilience: Understanding When and Why People Persist on Difficult Tasks and in Difficult Situations, taught by Sophie Trawalter, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Public Policy and Psychology, whose expertise is in social diversity, race and intergroup relations.

December 13, 2019 – Interpersonal Influence without Authority: Influencing and Convincing Others Even When You Hold a Less-Popular Opinion, taught by Eileen Chou, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Public Policy and Psychology, whose expertise is in the organizational, social and psychological forces that shape individual and group behavior in organizational settings.

January 24, 2020 – Motivational Messages: Interpersonal Persuasion and Delivering Messages that Get Others on Board, taught by Benjamin Converse.

February 21, 2020 – Conflict Management and Overcoming Resistance: Dealing with People Who Disagree with You, taught by Eileen Chou.

March 6, 2020 – Motivating Groups: The Common Motivational Problems that Groups Face, including problematic group processes and how they can be rectified, taught by Timothy Davis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Public Policy and the Executive Director for Resilience & Leadership Development at UVA whose expertise is in executive coaching and resilience.

April 3, 2020– Structuring Groups: How to Compose a Team with an Eye Toward Helping It Achieve Its Potential, taught by Gabrielle Adams, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Psychology whose expertise is in interpersonal and group dynamics, conflict resolution, power and status.

This series is intended for engineering faculty, who will be given priority for registration. Faculty from other schools and units will be allowed to attend if space becomes available.