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Alinor Smith originally planned to attend another Virginia university and major in engineering. After several changes in direction, Smith found her home at UVA Batten and graduates this month with a double major in public policy and leadership and in English literature. A poet at heart, she has received UVA’s Rachel St. Paul Poetry Prize for Best Group of Poems.

On this episode of our "Grounds to Listen" podcast, Tim Tassopoulos joins UVA Batten dean Ian H. Solomon to talk about his journey from part-time hourly Chick-fil-A employee to president and chief operating officer of the iconic chicken sandwich chain. Tassopoulos shares his thoughts about what makes a great leader, the power of mentorship, and the importance of creating a strong culture.

Colin R. Gray, Head of the Scottish Government Office in the United States, reflected on his wide-ranging diplomatic career, the value of persistence, and the enduring power of connection in international relations in an event held in the Great Hall last week for students, faculty, staff, and community members.

As the academic year closes, the UVA Batten honors 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.

The health economy is one of the most extensive and complex systems in modern life, impacting people on a deeply personal level. UVA Batten is honored to have three outstanding faculty members whose research expertise is focused on various policy aspects of the field, including Medicaid and Medicare, COVID-related mortality rates, and other topics.

Begun in the spring of 2024 by UVA Batten students, the Dialogue Dinners program has grown this year to almost 50 Batten graduate and undergraduate participants who gather every other week to share a meal and get to know each other on a personal level, and then discuss pertinent policy topics on which they may or may not agree. The practice, said one, "gives me a lot of hope."

At Batten Hour this week, three groups of students gave presentations about their work over the past academic year with nonprofit organizations in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. The initiative is the focus of the Formative Change Group, a pro-bono, student-led consulting club that enables Batten students to apply their leadership, policy, and analytical skills to real-world challenges while making a difference in the local community.

UVA Batten associate professor Alex Bick — an expert on national security policy and international affairs — served as a moderator for a panel discussion at the Miller Center’s 2025 William and Carol Stevenson Conference titled “The Future of American Financial and Economic Statecraft.” The conference examined how the Trump administration, as well as future presidencies, might use the levers of economic power.

New research from UVA Batten assistant professor Kyle S. H. Dobson has identified a simple and cost-effective method for improving police interactions with community members that requires only ten small words. In a paper published last month in Nature Communications, Dobson and his co-researchers found that an officer stating a benevolent intention up front — something as simple as, “I’m walking around trying to get to know the community,” — made a substantial difference in how community members responded.

Garrett Hall hosted veteran climate reporter Chris Mooney for this week's Batten Hour to discuss the intersection of data and narrative to tell stories that capture and change the direction of policy. Mooney is currently a professor of practice and a practitioner fellow at the UVA Environmental Institute which co-sponsored the event.

Andrew Bishop (MPP ’20) is advancing innovation in Richmond Public Schools, where he is director for Data Systems and Research in the district’s Talent Office. Bishop leads efforts to improve technological infrastructure across the district, working to strengthen internal systems that support educators and staff.

Aisha Amjad transferred to UVA from Northern Virginia Community College in 2023, entering the Batten bachelor degree program. She has a deep interest in global affairs and a passion for advocating for human rights, and hopes to pursue a career in foreign service or the nonprofit sector after she graduates this spring.