Global Development & Humanitarian Policy
Partnering with governments, UN agencies, and NGOs worldwide to build evidence-based strategies that improve welfare, strengthen resilience, and address crises affecting the most vulnerable populations.
Overview
Faculty conduct applied, interdisciplinary research on international development and humanitarian crises, evaluating policies aimed at supporting children and families, strengthening infrastructure access, and building community resilience in fragile contexts. Their work spans early childhood development, safety nets, psychosocial support, and humanitarian operations, with a commitment to participatory and mixed-methods approaches that center the experiences of affected communities. Collaborating with UN agencies, NGOs, and governments, this area provides real-time analysis, policy recommendations, and strategic guidance on some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
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Lucy BassettProfessor of Practice in Public PolicyLucy Bassett is a professor of practice in public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Bassett is an expert in children, caregivers, and communities in humanitarian and development contexts. Over her 15 year career, Bassett has worked with governments in low- and middle-income countries to expand access to quality education, nutrition and social protection services, particularly for poor and marginalized children and families.
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Kirsten GelsdorfProfessor of Practice in Public PolicyKirsten Gelsdorf is a professor of practice in public policy and Co-Director of the Humanitarian Collaborative in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Gelsdorf has 19 years of experience working in the humanitarian sector, most recently serving as the Chief of the Policy Analysis and Innovation section at the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
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Molly LipscombAssociate Professor of Public Policy and EconomicsMolly Lipscomb is an associate professor of public policy and economics at the Batten School. Lipscomb’s research focuses primarily on environmental issues in developing countries and adaptation to lack of centralized health and sanitation services.
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Christine MahoneyProfessor of Public Policy and PoliticsChristine Mahoney is a professor of public policy and politics and chief innovation officer at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She studies social justice advocacy, activism and direct action through social entrepreneurship.
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Peter JohannessenAssociate Professor of Public PolicyPeter Johannessen is an associate professor of public policy at the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and a faculty fellow at UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). Johannessen’s research explores how popular participation shapes the local policy-making process, including projects that focus on local electoral responsiveness and the design of participatory governance institutions in Brazil.