Batten’s Lipscomb Receives UVA’s Prestigious Public Impact-Focused Research Award

Batten professor Molly Lipscomb was honored with the university's Public Impact-Focused Research Award for her work examining the impact of bringing public services to low-income households in countries where services are needed.

Molly Lipscomb wins UVA Research AwardSocial Innovation @ UVA, was honored by UVA for her outstanding research and scholarly activities. The University of Virginia on Friday honored faculty members across Grounds at the third annual Research Achievement Awards. Batten professors Jay Shimshack, Justin Kirkland, Gabrielle Adams, Benjamin Converse and Daphna Bassok were also honored for their work during the virtual award ceremony.

“We are delighted to honor a strong and diverse cohort of faculty this year whose achievements in basic and public-impact-focused research, mentorship, collaboration and more reflect our core values as a research institution,” Melur “Ram” Ramasubramanian, vice president for research, said.

“Our award-winning faculty pursue groundbreaking, creative and inspiring research in areas that range from nanocrystals to international law to muscle signaling,” Provost Liz Magill said. “The strength and impact of their ideas are a hallmark of the University’s research enterprise, and we are proud to honor their achievements.”

“This year’s research award winners have made discoveries and generated knowledge that will have lasting impact on multiple fields, disciplines, and sectors, from the arts and sciences to health care and business. I’m grateful for their efforts and excited about the future of research at UVA,” President Jim Ryan said.

Watch this video on the winners to learn more about their research.

Public Impact-Focused Research Award

Molly Lipscomb, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Molly Lipscomb’s work looks at the impact of, and strategies for, bringing public services, such as electricity and sanitation, to low-income households in countries where these services are needed, including Brazil, Senegal and Burkina Faso. Much of her work is about finding creative ways that access can be improved around the margins when the government can’t afford network-level expansions to infrastructure.

“Lipscomb’s focus on building strong partnerships with organizations outside of higher education is both unique and useful, and it collapses the boundaries between academia and the real world in a productive way,” Ian Solomon, dean of the Batten School and a professor of practice of public policy, said.

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