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After receiving their diplomas in Final Exercises on the Lawn on Saturday morning, nearly 200 Batten BA and MPP graduates gathered with their guests, and faculty and staff later in the day to celebrate. Keynote speaker Dr. Adriana Kugler, along with Ellie Stombres (BA ’24) and Collin Quigley (MPP ’24), delivered thoughtful remarks, at times somber and funny, about choosing a career in public service.

Two graduating BA’s, Emma Nardone and Sadie Rogerson, have been selected as Batten Humanitarian Collaborative Fellows for 2024. Nardone and Rogerson will work with the World Food Program USA public policy team doing analysis and advocacy with members of Congress in support of the United Nations World Food Program’s humanitarian work around the world.

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy offers a capstone course, which includes field study in Ireland over the spring break. The course examines the development of conflict in Northern Ireland, the institutional reforms embedded in the peace process culminating in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the stability of the peace in the ensuing years, and the strains placed on the peace by the Brexit vote in 2016.

Batten graduating MPP student Khalila Karefa-Kargbo recently returned from the St. Gallen Symposium Switzerland where she was one of only 100 students from around the world qualifying through its global essay competition to participate as a "Leader of Tomorrow." Congratulations Khalila!

The Batten School’s PEGLLLLab held a community event to recognize local first-responders and peacekeepers for their service in the line of duty. About 60 people attended, and 24 men and women received awards for their service and sacrifice.

As the academic year closes, the Batten community has come together to honor several exemplary students who have been nominated by peers, faculty and staff for their consistent and superior work and dedication inside and outside the classroom. These awards are based on principles and traits exemplary of and important to our founder, the late Frank Batten, Sr.

Izzy Motta (BA, 2024) reflects on her 2023 summer internship at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, housed within the esteemed German Marshall Fund, yielding insights into the dynamic fusion of research, communication and tangible impact within the sphere of global democracy and security challenges.

Within the walls of Pavilion X, one of the ten original neoclassical faculty residences that line the Lawn, a powerful exhibition confronts visitors with the complexities of the past. Launched in 2022, this thought-provoking display challenges viewers to delve deeper into the often-overlooked truths that shaped the very bricks of the university's iconic Academical Village.

Holding diverse roles as Batten Undergraduate Council President, Lead Admissions Ambassador and Congressional Intern with Senator Tim Kaine, Ellie Stombres (BA '24) offers a diverse array of insights and lessons for Batten students. She is bound for a career in public service after taking a break this summer to attend culinary school in London.

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.

The Batten School is making significant strides in advancing rural policy and economic development through its inaugural Tadler Fellowship in Impact Investing. This innovative program is not only supporting the White House's Rural Partner Network (RPN) Initiative to strengthen rural economies, but is also working directly with communities in Southwest Virginia to develop solutions for their unique economic and social challenges.

The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) recently announced the appointment of Brian N. Williams, Ph.D., to the board of directors for its H. George Frederickson Center for Social Equity at the annual conference in Minneapolis held earlier this month.