Compassion in Action: Contemplative Science and Practice in the Classroom and the World News In March 2024, Batten School Dean Ian Solomon and professors Kirsten Gelsdorf and Abigail Scholer joined dozens of scholars and others from around the world in Dharamsala, India, to meet with the Dalai Lama and explore ways to bring contemplative science and practice into teaching, research, policymaking and leadership in all sectors.
Dean Solomon, Professors Gelsdorf and Scholer to Meet with the Dalai Lama News Dean Ian Solomon and professors Kirsten Gelsdorf and Abigail Scholer will travel to Dharamsala next week with leaders from UVA’s Contemplative Sciences Center to spend a week with practitioners and researchers in the contemplative sciences from around the world. They will also have an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Want To Help Save the World? This New Book Club Offers a Novel Approach News News and facts about humanitarian crises don't drive people to action, but a good fiction book might. Batten School professor Kirsten Gelsdorf and Humanitarian Collaborative practitioner fellow Adrienne Ghaly created a book club that might save the world.
Humanitarian Aid and International Development Career Panel Event This event is for students interested in careers in international development and humanitarianism. Learn from alumni in the field of global development about career paths, important skills needed in this field, and how to "break in" to a job or internship in this sector. There will be opportunities to learn and network virtually with alumni and fellow students. Alumni in attendance have worked in organizations such as USAID, DAI, Chemonics, Peace Corps, and more!
Batten Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Teaching, Service, Research and Engagement News This academic year, Batten School professors won a slew of internal and external recognitions for excellence in teaching, service, research and engagement.
Kirsten Gelsdorf: Examining Today’s Humanitarian Crises and Organizations News Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy professor Kirsten Gelsdorf spoke to UVA Lifetime Learning's podcast about the current state of worldwide humanitarian crises and organizations poised to address them.
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.
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.
Fountain and Gelsdorf: COVID, hunger are intertwined News Earlier this month, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nation’s World Food Programme. Batten's Kirsten Gelsdorf and Galen Fountain discuss what that means in the era of COVID-19.
Opinion: Now is the time to prioritize mental health News It is estimated that only 2% of people around the world have access to mental health and psychosocial support, or MHPSS. The question is, will COVID-19 offer us a chance to change this? Batten’s Kirsten Gelsdorf and Lucy Bassett provide critical insights into the barriers to progress in MHPSS interventions, and identify opportunities to prioritize and invest in new programs going forward.