The Batten School is excited to welcome seven new leaders to the Batten Alumni Advisory Board (BAAB) this year. Elected by their peers annually, these alumni represent the core values of our school, each with a dedication to public service, evidence-based policymaking, and supporting Batten’s mission for current and future students.
BAAB is a volunteer alumni organization that promotes, leads, and facilitates conversations between the Batten School and its alumni to strengthen the Batten network. Its goals include creating deeper ties with alumni, acting as a resource for career development of Batten students and alumni, and providing feedback to the school. BAAB organizes initiatives and events to strengthen engagement among alumni, students, staff, and faculty.
(Haven’t registered on Batten Connect yet? It’s a great way to stay in touch with Batten alumni!)
Lauren Cochran (BA ’22)
Lauren is a committed relationship builder. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area and works as a government relations senior specialist at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. She previously held legislative-related roles in the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the office of former Congressman David Trone. While at UVA, she served as an admissions liaison, director of Undergraduate Relations for Black Leaders in Policy, and vice president of the Theta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She also participated on the University Judiciary Committee and was a fellow of the Meriwether Lewis Institute for Citizen Leaders. Lauren holds a Public Policy Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and is a proud recipient of the 2022 Frank Batten Pioneer Legacy Award. She graduated from UVA with bachelor’s degrees in public policy and in African American and African studies.
Hannah Gavin (MPP ’20)
Hannah is a senior strategist at West End Strategy Team, a communications firm partnering with organizations at the intersection of policy, advocacy, and research. In her role, she supports groups advocating for immigrants and refugees, promoting human rights globally, and defending democracy. While at Batten, Hannah interned at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. She later worked at the World Food Programme managing a multi-country portfolio of USDA-funded international school meal programs. Hannah graduated from UVA with a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs in 2019 and a master’s degree in public policy and leadership in 2020.
Rachel Hightman (MPP ’23)
Rachel graduated from the UVA College of Arts & Sciences in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in government, a minor in statistics, and a minor in public policy and leadership. In 2023, she graduated from Batten with a master’s degree in public policy. She currently works as a project development manager for the City of Richmond in the Department of Housing and Community Development. Throughout her career, Rachel has navigated challenging programmatic, policy, and political environments to ensure fair and honest outcomes that serve the needs of Richmond residents. She is passionate about equity, politics, and data-informed policy. In her free time, she enjoys cycling competitively on a race team in Richmond and spending time outdoors.
Michael Karlik (MPP ’12)
Michael graduated in 2012 from Batten’s Accelerated MPP program. He lives in Denver, Colorado, where he is a journalist covering the state and federal judiciary for a daily newspaper. Previously, he was a municipal affairs podcaster and worked as a city council aide. He has a 26-year-old pet cockatoo named Phoebe.
Michael Mathias (MPP ’13)
Michael is a 2013 Accelerated MPP alumnus and current senior business development manager at Leidos, an innovation company in the defense/IT/biomedical sector. His focus is on the military health system and broader Department of Defense personnel and readiness areas, with a particular interest in Medical Force Readiness and Operational Medicine. When not working, he spends time with his wife, young son, and beagle mix, and is an avid home bartender and Dropout (streaming service) watcher.
Michael Mozelle (MPP ’16)
Michael was a member of the Class of 2008 at the Virginia Military Institute with a major in history. In 2016, he graduated from Batten with a master’s in public policy. He served just over six years in the U.S. Army, first as an infantry and later as an intelligence officer. Since 2016, he has worked at the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, and is currently with the agency’s Policy and Analysis Division.
Collin Quigley (MPP ’24)
Collin is a management consultant at Gartner, a technology strategy and advisory firm. His clients are predominately state and local elections administrators and metropolitan transit authorities, whom he supports in executive project management and enterprise risk management. Collin graduated in 2020 from Boston College where he studied political science. He returned to his hometown of Philadelphia as an AmeriCorps volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. That work inspired his Applied Policy Project at Batten, which simulated the economic impacts of rental property improvement programs in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania.
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