<< Back to Faculty Kirsten Gelsdorf Professor of Practice of Public Policy, and Director of Global Humanitarian Policy Education & Training Master of Law and Diplomacy in Humanitarian Affairs and Food Security, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy B.A. in History/Asian Studies and International Environmental Affairs, Dartmouth College kg8v@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L031 Curriculum Vitae Courses taught Introduction to International Humanitarian Affairs Operational Disaster Response Policy Development in International Humanitarian Assistance Professional Engagement Areas of focus Humanitarian Policy International Development UVA partners Global Policy Center Kirsten Gelsdorf is a professor of practice of public policy and leadership and the Director of Global Humanitarian Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Gelsdorf brings almost 20 years of experience working in the humanitarian sector. At Batten, she co-Directs the UVA Humanitarian Collaborative, a research initiative bringing together scholars, global practitioners, and students to develop research and policy supporting the needs of vulnerable populations caught in humanitarian crisis. Through this she has served as the Principal Investigator as well as co-led numerous applied research projects for organizations such as the American Red Cross, ELRA, United Nations, Sesame Workshop, and German Government. She has also been elected to serve on the World Economic Forum Advisory Network, Humanitarian Innovation Fund Funding Committee, and a Senior Fellow at the United Nations Centre for Humanitarian Data. Gelsdorf is the co-author of the 2019 book “Understanding the Humanitarian World.” She has also authored numerous high-profile policy reports that have been implemented by member states and adopted in key UN resolutions. She has served as the Guest Editor of the peer-reviewed Disasters Journal and Global Food Security Journal. Her work has been profiled by National Public Radio (NPR), and she has contributed to Christian Science Monitor and DevEx. Her past career includes serving as Chief of Policy Analysis and Innovation at the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and numerous field postings and operational deployments to emergencies such as the famine in Ethiopia, the 2002 South African regional food crisis; the Liberian civil war and the Timor-Leste security crisis; Hurricane Mitch in Honduras, Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Gelsdorf also served as the Humanitarian Advisor in 2010 to President Clinton in his role as the UN Special Envoy for Haiti and as a Policy Advisor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the global food crisis in 2008. She is the winner of the State of Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award, the University of Virginia Excellence in Public Interest Research Award, the University of Virginia All-University Teaching Award, and the Batten School Excellence in Service, Engagement, and Teaching awards in Public Policy and Leadership Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Related Content Batten’s Gelsdorf Speaks with The Washington Post, NPR’s Marketplace About the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine News As Russia’s war in Ukraine closes in on a month, news outlets across the country continue to turn to Batten Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf for insight into the humanitarian side of the crisis. Humanitarian corridors could help civilians safely leave Ukraine – but Russia has a history of not respecting these pathways News As experts on international humanitarian policy and relief efforts, Batten's Kirsten Gelsdorf and co-author Jacob Kurtzer write that while humanitarian corridors could create safe exit routes out of besieged cities – and allow aid to reach people within Ukraine – they are only part of the solution to protecting civilians during war. Ukraine Crisis: Implications for International Policy and Diplomacy Event The Batten School and National Security Policy Center bring together a panel of experts to discuss the global ripple effects of Russia's attack on Ukraine with a focus on policy, diplomacy and humanitarian implications. Center for Global Health Equity Journal Club With Kirsten Gelsdorf Event Join Kirsten Gelsdorf and the Center for Global Health Equity Journal Club for a moderated discussion on positive trends in global health in humanitarian contexts. Check out the article, Gelsdorf Talks Humanitarian Aid Misconceptions on NPR’s ‘With Good Reason,’ as material for the topic of discussion for the event! "Human Flow" Film Screening with Kirsten Gelsdorf and David Leblang Event Batten professors Kirsten Gelsdorf and David Leblang lead a screening and discussion of the film "Human Flow" as part of a documentary series addressing the immigrant and refugee experience. The Lessons of War: The United States, Afghanistan & Iraq since 9/11 Event UVA’s Governing America in a Global Era and the Jefferson Scholars Foundation host a dinner and panel discussion featuring experts including Batten Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf. Batten Experts Discuss Humanitarian Response to Earthquake in Haiti with BBC, Christian Science Monitor News Batten School experts are weighing in on the international humanitarian response to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Haiti last weekend. Batten professor Kirsten Gelsdorf, who worked in 2010 as the Humanitarian Advisor to President Clinton in his role as the UN Special Envoy for the Haiti Earthquake, spoke to The Christian Science Monitor and alum Makayla Palazzo (MPP ’18) joined "BBC World News" live from Port-au-Prince. Gelsdorf Talks Humanitarian Aid Misconceptions on NPR's 'With Good Reason' News Batten's Kirsten Gelsdorf has spent over 20 years working for the United Nations and other organizations in the humanitarian sector. On a recent episode of "With Good Reason," Gelsdorf discussed her experience in disaster zones as well as commonly-held misconceptions about humanitarian aid. Impact of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Interventions in Humanitarian Displacement Event Which psychosocial interventions are effective and why? How can we create meaningful psychosocial support for displaced populations in humanitarian contexts? Join Batten Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf and Associate Professor Amanda Nguyen present their findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis to the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). View All
Batten’s Gelsdorf Speaks with The Washington Post, NPR’s Marketplace About the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine News As Russia’s war in Ukraine closes in on a month, news outlets across the country continue to turn to Batten Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf for insight into the humanitarian side of the crisis.
Humanitarian corridors could help civilians safely leave Ukraine – but Russia has a history of not respecting these pathways News As experts on international humanitarian policy and relief efforts, Batten's Kirsten Gelsdorf and co-author Jacob Kurtzer write that while humanitarian corridors could create safe exit routes out of besieged cities – and allow aid to reach people within Ukraine – they are only part of the solution to protecting civilians during war.
Ukraine Crisis: Implications for International Policy and Diplomacy Event The Batten School and National Security Policy Center bring together a panel of experts to discuss the global ripple effects of Russia's attack on Ukraine with a focus on policy, diplomacy and humanitarian implications.
Center for Global Health Equity Journal Club With Kirsten Gelsdorf Event Join Kirsten Gelsdorf and the Center for Global Health Equity Journal Club for a moderated discussion on positive trends in global health in humanitarian contexts. Check out the article, Gelsdorf Talks Humanitarian Aid Misconceptions on NPR’s ‘With Good Reason,’ as material for the topic of discussion for the event!
"Human Flow" Film Screening with Kirsten Gelsdorf and David Leblang Event Batten professors Kirsten Gelsdorf and David Leblang lead a screening and discussion of the film "Human Flow" as part of a documentary series addressing the immigrant and refugee experience.
The Lessons of War: The United States, Afghanistan & Iraq since 9/11 Event UVA’s Governing America in a Global Era and the Jefferson Scholars Foundation host a dinner and panel discussion featuring experts including Batten Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf.
Batten Experts Discuss Humanitarian Response to Earthquake in Haiti with BBC, Christian Science Monitor News Batten School experts are weighing in on the international humanitarian response to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Haiti last weekend. Batten professor Kirsten Gelsdorf, who worked in 2010 as the Humanitarian Advisor to President Clinton in his role as the UN Special Envoy for the Haiti Earthquake, spoke to The Christian Science Monitor and alum Makayla Palazzo (MPP ’18) joined "BBC World News" live from Port-au-Prince.
Gelsdorf Talks Humanitarian Aid Misconceptions on NPR's 'With Good Reason' News Batten's Kirsten Gelsdorf has spent over 20 years working for the United Nations and other organizations in the humanitarian sector. On a recent episode of "With Good Reason," Gelsdorf discussed her experience in disaster zones as well as commonly-held misconceptions about humanitarian aid.
Impact of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Interventions in Humanitarian Displacement Event Which psychosocial interventions are effective and why? How can we create meaningful psychosocial support for displaced populations in humanitarian contexts? Join Batten Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf and Associate Professor Amanda Nguyen present their findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis to the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).