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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.

Almost 200 people came to Garrett Hall to hear from renowned civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson, recipient of the 2025 Thomas Jefferson Medal in Citizen Leadership. He spoke with UVA Batten Dean Ian H. Solomon, who introduced Stevenson as a "fierce moral advocate," with an abiding dedication to helping the poor, the incarcerated, the wrongly accused, and others whom society largely has forgotten or neglected.

The tools to bring podcasts to market have never been more accessible, but doing a project well and gaining traction is a more complex story. Award-winning podcaster Rob Sachs, who is vice president of audio at Foreign Policy magazine, joined us for Batten Hour this week to workshop ideas on how to produce and sustain a compelling podcast.

From his vantage point as an economist and analyst for the past four decades, Paul Decker sees the world on the cusp of a new era of policymaking driven by the unprecedented availability of data and by artificial intelligence. Decker was the featured speaker at this week’s Batten Hour. He is president and CEO of Mathematica, an employee-owned data analysis, research, and evaluation firm with global reach.

Before he’s even graduated from UVA Batten, Jacob Rizzio already has hands-on public policy experience, from interning on various planning projects with York County, Virginia, where he’s from, to the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C. His favorite memory from his time at Batten? Read his spotlight to find out.

Renowned international constitutional law expert and the longest-serving professor at UVA, A.E. Dick Howard has been selected as this year’s Outstanding Virginian. The award is given by a committee of Virginia General Assembly, on which UVA Batten Dean Ian H. Solomon serves, to honor those whose contributions, achievements, and leadership inspire citizens of the commonwealth.

UVA Batten assistant professor Derek Wu has received an early-career grant award to continue his work identifying ways to strengthen social safety net programs in Virginia.

Nonprofit founder and history-making elected official A’dorian Murray-Thomas shared her experience, strength, and hope from the perspective of a young leader with students during Monday’s Batten Hour. Her talk was equal parts inspiring and inquisitive, exploring the power of youth storytelling, service, and transforming trauma into fuel for social change.

Twenty UVA students and staff traveled to Norway over spring break for an immersive study abroad experience to learn about alternative systems for incarceration. It was part of the UVA Batten course, LPPS 5670: Education in the U.S. and International Prison Systems.