Resources Faculty & Staff Directory Faculty & Staff Directory A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T V W Z Facet Last Name - Directory Faculty Staff Batten Advisory Board Board Facet Person Type - Directory Political Science Economics Leadership Domestic Policy & Politics Education Social Psychology Health Policy International Development Racial Justice and Equity Environmental Policy National Security Social Equity Advocacy Ethics Global Politics & International Relations Social Entrepreneurship Humanitarian Policy Executive Education International and Global Affairs Public Administration Virginia Politics & Policy Facet Area of Focus - Directory School of Education and Human Development Department of Economics Department of Politics National Security Policy Center Global Policy Center Center for Effective Lawmaking EdPolicyWorks: Center for Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness School of Law Darden School of Business McIntire School of Commerce School of Nursing Social Innovation @ UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Karsh Institute of Democracy Miller Center The Equity Center Facet UVA Partner - Directory Global Policy Center National Security Policy Center Academic Affairs Budget & Finance Dean’s Office EdPolicyWorks: Center for Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness Information Technology Development Center for Effective Lawmaking Social Entrepreneurship @ UVA Social Innovation @ UVA Student & Alumni Services Center for Health Policy Facet Batten Department - Directory Colin Achilles Associate Director, Center for Effective Lawmaking cachilles@virginia.edu 434-243-7180 Colin Achilles is the Associate Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), a joint partnership between the Batten School and Vanderbilt University. He is the manager of day-to-day operations at CEL. Read full bio Gabrielle Adams Associate Professor of Public Policy, Business Administration, and Psychology gadams@virginia.edu 434-243-2405 Garrett Hall L004C Gabrielle Adams is an associate professor of public policy and business administration at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and in the Darden School of Business’s Leadership and Organizational Behavior area. Adams studies the processes and dynamics that give rise to ‘good’ decisions, policies and conditions in organizations. Read full bio Shawn Anderson Assistant Director of Student Services lla2av@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Shawn Anderson is the Batten School's Assistant Director of Student Services and is responsible for advising undergraduate and graduate students in their co-curricular and service-related endeavors, as well as organizing school-wide student programming. Anderson is currently working towards a doctorate in Higher Education Administration at the University of Virginia, where his key focus is student development. Read full bio Allison Atteberry Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy; DIRECTOR, CENTER ON EDUCATION POLICY AND WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS acma@virginia.edu 434-297-9463 Ridley Hall 274 Allison Atteberry is an associate professor of education and public policy and director of EdPolicyWorks, a collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Atteberry conducts research on teacher- and school-level interventions designed to improve the quality of instruction experienced by historically underserved students. Read full bio Lucy Bassett Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy lb2zr@virginia.edu 434-243-1251 Lucy Bassett is an associate professor of practice of public policy at the Batten School and 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. Read full bio Daphna Bassok Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy dbassok@virginia.edu 434-982-5415 Olsson Hall 238B Daphna Bassok is the Batten Bicentennial Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Virginia and associate director of EdPolicyWorks, a collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Her research focuses on early childhood education policy and efforts to improve early childhood education at scale, particularly policies aimed at supporting the early childhood education workforce. Read full bio Brendan J. Boler Assistant Professor of Public Policy bjb9c@virginia.edu Brendan Boler is an assistant professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Boler specializes in management consulting, high-performance coaching, and talent assessment and selection. He has extensive experience within the fields of management consulting and banking, having worked at Accenture, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley. Read full bio Richard Bonnie Professor of Law, Medicine, and Public Policy; Director of Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy rbonnie@virginia.edu 434-924-3209 580 Massie Road, Room WB 179D Richard J. Bonnie is a professor of public policy at the Batten School and Director of the Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. He teaches and writes about health law and policy, bioethics, criminal law, and public policies relating to mental health, substance abuse and public health. Read full bio Jeanine Braithwaite Lecturer Professor of Public Policy (Retired) jeaninebraithwaite@virginia.edu 434-243-1127 Jeanine Braithwaite is a professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Prior to joining the Batten School, she was a senior economist at the World Bank, specializing in social protection policy and poverty analysis. She has also worked at the International Monetary Fund and U.S. Census Bureau, providing technical assistance to the U.S.S.R. and newly-independent former Soviet republics. Read full bio Eliza Broaddus Assistant Director of Development ebroaddus@virginia.edu 434-924-7978 2420 Old Ivy Road, Advancement Office 258 Eliza Broaddus is the Assistant Director of Development at the Batten School. In this role, Eliza oversees Batten’s annual fund which provides philanthropic support for the School’s priority areas including student scholarships, student internships, and faculty research. Eliza serves as a liaison to the Batten Alumni Advisory Board and enjoys working closely with board members on alumni engagement initiatives and alumni philanthropy. She also oversees event strategy and strategic stewardship for the development office. Read full bio Jazmin Brown-Iannuzzi Associate Professor of Psychology and Public Policy jazmin.bi@virginia.edu Jazmin Brown-Iannuzzi is an associate professor of psychology and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Brown-Iannuzzi's research seeks to understand why social group disparities may persist and, in some cases, grow. Read full bio Anne Butz LCSW STAFF PSYCHOTHERAPIST AT THE BATTEN SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY gtd6cu@virginia.edu (434) 243-5150 L002C Anne Butz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who graduated with her Masters in Social Work in 1999. She has worked predominantly in the public sector, providing individual and group therapy in community mental health settings throughout Central Virginia. She's also worked for the commonwealth providing regulatory oversight of a variety of behavioral health programs for a little over a decade. Anne's areas of interest and experience include: adjustment issues, depression, anxiety, advocacy, trauma, and coping with chronic illness. Read full bio Rick Campanelli Lecturer Rick Campanelli is a lecturer at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Campanelli has an extensive career in public service and the private sector as well as experience in senior leadership and management. Campanelli has been legal counsel in the areas of healthcare, information privacy and security, and civil and First Amendment rights. He is the Center for Christian Study Director of Graduate Ministries for the Law and Darden Christian Fellowships. Read full bio Anne Carter Mulligan Director of Undergraduate Admissions acm8k@virginia.edu 434-982-2583 Garrett Hall 106 Anne Carter Mulligan joined Batten in January 2019 as Director of Undergraduate Admissions. She’s held multiple roles in higher education, most recently as Director of Strategic Initiatives in Enrollment Management at Longwood University, where she led projects designed to enrich the student experience and provide a seamless path from recruitment to graduation. Read full bio Benjamin Castleman Newton and Rita Meyers Associate Professor in the Economics of Education and Associate Professor of Public Policy castleman@virginia.edu 617-299-0279 Garrett Hall L036 Ben Castleman is an associate professor of public policy and education at the Batten School and the founder and director of the Nudge4 Solutions Lab at UVA. His research focuses on policies to improve college access and success for low-income students. Several of his papers examine innovative strategies to deliver high-quality information about the college-going process to low-income students and their families, and to ease the process of students and families getting professional support when they need assistance Read full bio James R Cathro Director of Finance and Administration jrc2jc@virginia.edu 434-982-6761 James is the Director of Finance and Administration at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. A 2005 US Naval Academy graduate and 2016 Batten School alumnus, James initially worked in UVA’s Office of Financial Planning and Analysis after earning his Master of Public Policy. He happily returned to Batten as the Assistant Director of Budget and Finance in 2018. In his current role, James works through a diverse array of interesting challenges, helping facilitate everything from financial reporting to research administration to human resources actions. He also serves as a Commander in the Naval Reserve and was formerly an active-duty Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer in the US Navy. Read full bio Jeff Chidester Executive Director of External Affairs jchidester@virginia.edu 434-924-7330 Garrett Hall 107 Jeff Chidester is the Executive Director of External Affairs, where he oversees admissions, strategic partnerships, communications and marketing, and the broader external affairs portfolio. Read full bio Eileen Chou Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy eileen.chou@virginia.edu 434-982-4821 Garrett Hall 105 Eileen Chou, Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, researches the organizational, social, and psychological forces that shape individual and group behavior in organizational settings. Read full bio Pam Cipriano Professor of Nursing and Public Policy pfc4n@virginia.edu CMNEB 2022 Pamela Cipriano is a professor of nursing and public policy at the Batten School. Cipriano served as dean of the UVA School of Nursing and the Sadie Heath Cabaniss Professor of Nursing through July 2022. Cipriano’s more than 40-year career in nursing is marked by a focus on improving the safety and efficiency of care by ensuring a healthy, safe, and supportive work environment and encouraging healthy behaviors to promote well-being. Read full bio Michele Claibourn Assistant Professor of Public Policy mclaibourn@virginia.edu 434-924-3282 Michele Claibourn is an assistant professor of public policy at the Batten School and Director of Equitable Analysis for The Equity Center at UVA. Claibourn leads the Center’s community-engaged data science work in support of a more equitable and just region. She has directed or supervised multiple community-based research projects in the Charlottesville community, including racial equity studies for the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless. Read full bio Benjamin Converse Associate Professor of Public Policy and Psychology converse@virginia.edu 434-243-2885 Garrett Hall L001 Benjamin Converse is an associate professor of public policy and psychology at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on motivation, social judgment, problem solving and decision making. He teaches courses related to leadership and negotiations. Read full bio Kevin Cope Associate Professor of Law and Public Policy cope@law.virginia.edu (434) 924-4492 WB345 Kevin Cope is an associate professor of law and public policy at the Batten School and an associate professor of law at UVA's School of Law. Cope’s research focuses on the measurement of legal and political phenomena. Substantively, he is most interested in the law and politics of international institutions, migration, and relationships between domestic institutional structure and international behavior. He is a faculty affiliate at the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics. Read full bio Amanda Crombie Assistant Dean for Academic Programs am3de@virginia.edu 434-243-9976 Garrett Hall L054 Amanda Crombie is the Batten School’s Assistant Dean for Academic Programs and is responsible for academic advising, course scheduling and enrollment as well as curriculum management for the School. Read full bio Leah Daniel Salesforce Manager lud8a@virginia.edu Leah Daniel is Batten’s Salesforce Manager. Prior to joining Batten, Leah was Senior Financial Analyst and Salesforce Administrator at UVA School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. She brings years of database management experience to Batten from her role as database manager at both the Darden School Foundation (1997-2003) and the UVA Law School Foundation (2004-2017). Leah holds a B.S. from the University of South Carolina. Read full bio Timothy L. Davis Director of BattenX Leadership Coaching and Executive Development Associate Professor of Public Policy tld8n@virginia.edu Garrett L002D Tim Davis is an associate professor of public policy and the Director of Leadership Coaching and Executive Development for BattenX. A clinical psychologist, Davis helps students, executives and teams increase their effectiveness by building resiliency, strengthening community and expanding self-awareness. At Batten, he teaches courses on team leadership, group dynamics and emotional resilience. Read full bio James R. Detert Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy DetertJ@darden.virginia.edu Darden FOB 188 Jim Detert is a professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration in the Leadership and Organizational Behavior area at the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. Detert's research focuses on workplace courage, ethical decision-making and behavior, improvement-oriented voice (why people speak up or stay silent at work) and other leadership-related topics. Read full bio Nikitha Edunuri Salesforce Application Manager ne2y@virginia.edu Read full bio Bevin Etienne Assistant Professor, General Faculty bevin@virginia.edu Bevin Etienne is an assistant professor and general faculty at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Etienne has extensive teaching and course development experience in the areas of sustainability, entrepreneurship, energy, and engineering design. He emphasizes the importance of capacity building in promoting sustainability and social entrepreneurship in developing countries as well as the role of open source in innovation and entrepreneurship. Read full bio Adam Felder Director of Data Analytics amf5ka@virginia.edu (434) 243-1130 Garrett Hall L015 Adam Felder is Batten’s director of data analytics—a role designed to use data to help students, faculty, staff, and alumni. He also teaches a one-credit course in data analysis. Prior to joining Batten, he was the director of analytics at Atlantic Media in Washington, DC, writing the occasional article and helping several journalism-based sites gain prominence. Read full bio Brian Ford Senior HR Business Partner ayh2zf@virginia.edu As an HR leader with 20 years experience, Brian Ford currently is the Sr. HR Partner for the Batten School and McIntire School of Commerce. Prior to UVA, he led the Employee Experience function for the eastern US region at VMLY&R. In this capacity, he and his team drive culture, talent management and the overall employee experience for offices such as New York, Atlanta & Miami. Prior to VMLY&R, Brian was Chief People Officer at Fusion Media Group and had sr. leadership roles at Ogilvy, LG Electronics and Mercedes-Benz USA. Read full bio George Foresman NSPC Executive Director & Senior Advisor gwf3n@virginia.edu George Foresman has over three decades of leadership experience in government and business. While serving as Virginia’s homeland security secretary, Foresman was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security. Read full bio Galen Fountain Lecturer Galen Fountain is a lecturer at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Previously, he served for nearly two decades as Clerk of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies and prior to that as Counsel to the Senate Committee on Small Business. Read full bio Leora Friedberg Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy; Chair, Department of Economics lfriedberg@virginia.edu 434-924-3225 Monroe 257 (appointment only) Leora Friedberg is an associate professor of economics and public policy at the Batten School and an associate professor and Vice Chair at UVA's Department of Economics. Her focus is on labor economics, including research on social security, aging and retirement economic impacts. Read full bio Kirsten Gelsdorf Professor of Practice of Public Policy, and Director of Global Humanitarian Policy kg8v@virginia.edu Garrett Hall 103 Kirsten Gelsdorf is a professor of practice of public policy at the Batten School and the Director of Global Humanitarian 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. Read full bio Lyangela Gutierrez Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Postdoctoral Research Associate lyangela.gutierrez@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Lyangela Gutierrez is a postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Gutierrez researches diversity and inclusion in organizations by identifying and addressing factors that impact racial and gender equity in organizations. Read full bio Harry Harding University Professor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Public Policy hh7b@virginia.edu 434-924-0812 Garrett Hall L027 Harry Harding is university professor emeritus and professor emeritus of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, a senior fellow in the Miller Center of Public Affairs at UVA, and Adjunct Chair Professor in the College of Social Science at National Chengchi University in Taipei, where he holds a Yushan Scholarship. Harding is a specialist on Asia and U.S. - Asian relations. Read full bio Ben Hartless IT Manager bh4hb@virginia.edu (540) 460-7676 Garrett Hall L029 Ben is the IT Manager at the Frank Batten School. Ben was born and raised an hour away in Lexington, Virginia where he worked at Washington and Lee University for thirteen years as a Technology Support Specialist. He also worked seven years at the Washington and Lee School of Law as the Director of Information Technology before beginning his new career at the Frank Batten School in Spring of 2020. Read full bio Andrea Henry Events Manager amh4tb@virginia.edu Read full bio Gerald Higginbotham Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Postdoctoral Research Associate ghigginbotham@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Gerald Higginbotham is a postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Higginbotham researches the role of culture and identity in education and politics, seeking to provide insight into how history functions as important context that shapes how individuals see themselves and others as well as how perceptions of history and its consequences are shaped by an individual’s attitudes and group memberships. Read full bio Steve Hiss Director of Career Services and Alumni Engagement steven.hiss@virginia.edu 434-924-2456 Garrett Hall 203 A lifelong public servant, Steve’s interest in the Batten School not only stems from his own career in the public service, but also the former and current Batten students with whom he has worked in his position as the Commander of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Virginia. Read full bio John Holbein Associate Professor of Public Policy, Politics, and Education jh5ak@virginia.edu 434-243-2899 Garrett Hall 111 John Holbein is an associate professor of public policy, politics, and education at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Holbein studies political participation, political inequality, democratic accountability, political representation, and education policy. Read full bio Charles Holt Professor of Economics and Public Policy holt@virginia.edu 434-924-7894 Monroe 234 Charles Holt is a professor of economics and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the A. Willis Robertson Professor of Political Economy at the University of Virginia. Holt is also the current Director of the Experimental Economics Laboratory at Virginia, where he develops and programs the web-based VeconLab experiments that are widely used for teaching and research with over 90,000 participant logins per year. Read full bio Sally Hudson Assistant Professor of Public Policy sally.hudson@virginia.edu 434-924-7817 Garrett Hall L002C Sally Hudson is an assistant professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Hudson is a labor economist who studies recruiting and retention in the public sector. Her recent work analyzes teacher retention in hard-to-staff school districts and the effects of salary schedules on mid-career recruiting. Read full bio Chris Hulleman Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy Chris Hulleman is an associate professor of education and public policy at the Batten School. Hulleman conducts research on educational interventions grounded in theories of social and personality psychology, motivation, and human development. Most recently, his work has focused on examining the extent to which helping students find relevance to their lives in their coursework increases learning and interest. Read full bio Peter Johannessen Assistant Professor of Public Policy pgj4d@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L038 Peter Johannessen is an assistant professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. 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. Read full bio Justin H. Kirkland Associate Professor of Politics and Public Policy jhk9y@virginia.edu S162 Gibson Hall Justin H. Kirkland is an associate professor of politics and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His research focuses on understanding the relationship between public opinion and legislative behavior, institutional rules and legislative outcomes, and methods for analyzing legislative choices. Read full bio Dana Laurens Assistant Director of Career Services & Alumni Engagement ddg2f@virginia.edu (434) 924-4061 Dana Laurens serves as National Deputy Director for Advocacy, Policy Engagement & Partnerships for Education Reform Now, a K-12 and higher education think tank in Washington, DC. In this role, Dana works with federal and elected officials to advance education policies to improve opportunities for all students. Read full bio Jennifer Lawless Leone Reaves and George W. Spicer Professor of Politics and Professor of Public Policy jll9jx@virginia.edu 264 Gibson Hall Jennifer L. Lawless is the Leone Reaves and George W. Spicer Professor of Politics and professor of public policy at the University of Virginia and at the Batten School. Lawless is also a Senior Fellow at UVA's Miller Center. Her research focuses on political ambition, campaigns and elections, and media and politics. Read full bio David Leblang Ambassador Henry Taylor Professor of Politics and Professor of Public Policy, Director of the Global Policy Center leblang@virginia.edu 434-243-1574 Garrett Hall L028, Gibson S281 David Leblang is a professor of public policy at the Batten School, the Ambassador Henry J. Taylor and Mrs Marion R. Taylor Endowed Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, and the Dorothy Danforth Compton Professor of Public Affairs at UVA's Miller Center. His research focuses on global migration including refugee and migrant choice as well as the link between migration and observed international investment, remittance flows, and the spread of democracy. Read full bio Brooke Lehmann Lecturer brooke@capitolworksllc.com Brooke Lehmann is a lecturer at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. A national expert on the design, development, and reform of pediatric health/mental health services, special education and child welfare systems, her work addresses policies ranging from school-based health care to international crisis support for children and families. Read full bio Courtney Leistensnider Assistant Director of Admissions crl4sn@virginia.edu 434-243-2428 Garrett Hall 106 Courtney Leistensnider is the Assistant Director of Admissions, handling many admission operations at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including planning recruitment events and prospective student visits. Read full bio Craig Lindqvist Associate Dean for Administration csl3g@virginia.edu (434) 243-7528 Craig Lindqvist serves as the Associate Dean for Administration at the Batten School where he oversees the school's business affairs, planning, finances, personnel, technology, facilities, and other non-academic functions. Read full bio Molly Lipscomb Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Director of Social Innovation @ UVA molly.lipscomb@virginia.edu 434-982-1561 Garrett Hall L020D Molly Lipscomb is an associate professor of public policy and economics at the Batten School and the Director of the Center for Social Innovation at the University of Virginia. Lipscomb’s research focuses primarily on environmental issues in developing countries and adaptation to lack of centralized health and sanitation services. Read full bio Jennifer Ludovici NSPC Director of Operations and Research Initiatives jll4m@virginia.edu (804) 564-5021 Jennifer Ludovici is the NSPC Director of Operations & Research Initiatives. She has over 18 years of experience in higher education administration in both the public and private sector. In her role at the NSPC, she focuses on faculty research collaboration, project coordination and program development as well as general operations and communications. Jennifer holds a post-graduate certificate in project management from UVA, and a BA/MEd in history and education from James Madison University. Read full bio Christine Mahoney Professor of Public Policy and Politics cm2cg@virginia.edu 434-243-3727 Garrett Hall L020C Christine Mahoney is a professor of public policy and politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She studies social justice advocacy, activism and direct action through social entrepreneurship. Read full bio Brandy Marsh Senior Business Services Specialist bam5x@virginia.edu (434) 996-2643 Brandy Marsh is a Senior Business Services Specialist with the Frank Batten School. She joined Batten in 2020, bringing her administrative experience in various UVA and commercial roles to the team. Brandy specializes in all aspects of Workday financials and grant management. She's the proud parent of five awesome children and a lifelong resident of the Charlottesville area. Read full bio Paul S. Martin Associate Professor of Public Policy psm4d@virginia.edu 434-924-2933 Garrett Hall L037 Paul Martin is an associate professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Martin studies how and when political elites respond to the preferences of ordinary people; political participation and advocacy, how and when citizens become involved in the policy process; on the role of mass media; and on the origins and consequences of social capital . Read full bio Isaac Mbiti Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics imbiti@virginia.edu 434-243-7317 Garrett Hall 110 Isaac M. Mbiti is an associate professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His research has focused broadly on African economic development with particular interests in examining the role of education policies such as free primary education and teacher performance pay programs. Mbiti's ongoing research projects in East and West Africa evaluate various policies that aim to improve the livelihoods of African youth through training programs. Read full bio Naseemah Mohamed Postdoctoral Research Associate, Global Policy Center egu8ng@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Naseemah Mohamed is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Global Policy Center at the University of Virginia. Her research is focused on the relationships amongst education, media, race, global politics, and violence in decolonial movements in Southern Africa in the 20th century. Read full bio Cindy H. Moore Business Services Manager chm3b@virginia.edu 434-982-2033 Read full bio Alexandra Moore Director of Development jxn3ty@virginia.edu Alex most recently served at the Vice President of Philanthropy at the YMCA of Greater Richmond where she built a trusted high-performing team and delivered sustained philanthropic support of YMCA programming over the past 8 years. Prior to the Y, Alex spent almost 5 years in university fundraising (and earned an MS in Sports Leadership) from VCU. She is an active board volunteer with the Children’s Museum of Richmond and is exceptionally motivated by the Batten School mission of supporting positive social change through knowledge generation and developing informed leaders capable of tackling our toughest challenges. Read full bio Bala Mulloth Assistant Professor of Public Policy mulloth@virginia.edu 434-982-2101 Garrett Hall L020A Bala Mulloth is an assistant professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Mulloth is a globally oriented educator and entrepreneur and his work focuses on innovation and social entrepreneurship. Read full bio Jennett V. Murphy Faculty Affairs Manager jennett.murphy@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L042 Jennett Murphy is Faculty Affairs Manager at the Batten School and is responsible for supporting and managing processes to advance the success of the faculty. Read full bio Noah Myung Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics noah.myung@virginia.edu 434-243-3731 Garrett Hall L005 Noah Myung is an associate professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is an experimental and behavioral economist with research interests in game theory, organizational economics, and financial economics. Myung's current research deals with equilibrium selection in coordination games as well as information sharing between competitors Read full bio Kristine Nelson Assistant Director of Undergraduate Academic Programs knelson@virginia.edu 434-924-9282 Garrett Hall L050 Kristine Nelson is the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Academic Programs at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Prior to joining the Batten School in 2017, Kristine worked for four years at the School of Architecture as the Director of Graduate Admissions. Kristine has a B.B.A. from the College of William and Mary and an M.Ed. from the University of Georgia. Her work in higher education began in Residence Life at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Kristine is the academic advisor for all undergraduate Batten majors and minors as well as the first point of contact for International MPP students at the Batten School. Inspired by the mission of the Batten school as well as by the outreach and activism of the Batten students, Kristine has supported local campaigns, worked at the polls on election day, mentored adults seeking living wage employment, and supports holistic community development programs like Abundant Life Ministries. Kristine and her husband, Louis, have three children (two ‘hoos and one VCU Ram), as well as several chickens and ducks. Read full bio Brendan Novak Associate Director of Social Innovation @ UVA bnovak@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L020B Brendan Novak is the Associate Director of the Center for Social Innovation, a research center housed at the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He helps manage the operations, research portfolio, and external activities of the Center. He received his B.A. in Economics and M.P.P. from the University of Virginia, and has experience in data analysis and policy evaluation at the state and federal level. Read full bio Edgar O. Olsen Professor Emeritus of Economics eoo@virginia.edu 434-924-3443 Monroe Hall 250 Ed Olsen is a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Virginia, where he has served as chairman of the economics department and was heavily involved in the creation and development of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Olsen's teaching and research has focused on public policy issues, especially concerning the welfare system. Within this broad area, his research specialty is low-income housing policy. Read full bio Claire Oto NSPC Senior Policy Analyst wcv9qx@virginia.edu Claire Oto is a policy researcher and writer at the NSPC. She also coordinates the Center’s internship program. Prior to joining Batten, she was a communications specialist at the U.S. Department of Energy. Claire earned an M.P.P in Space and National Security from George Washington University and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California San Diego. Read full bio Mark Outten Director of Information Technology and School Systems wmo4b@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L015 Mark was most recently the Director of Technology for the Orange County Public Schools in Orange, VA, has over 20 years of education-related technology leadership and management experience, worked in private industry for a Hewitt Associates, and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He brings a wealth of strategic and practical education technology experience to Batten. Read full bio Jieun Pai Postdoctoral Research Associate jpai@virginia.edu Jieun Pai is a postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Pai researches social hierarchy and conflict resolution to provide insight into how people can satisfy their need for status in teams and organizations harmoniously. Her work challenges the assumption that status conflict is a battle over rank with winners and losers. Read full bio Jay T. Pence Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations jpence@virginia.edu 434-982-1920 Garrett Hall L031 Jay Pence is the Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations at the Batten School, where he manages the execution and planning of the school's event portfolio, facility and space planning, and day-to-day operations. Prior to his current role Jay has worked in various roles related to student services, campus recreation and law enforcement. Read full bio Andrew S. Pennock Associate Professor of Public Policy andrew.pennock@virginia.edu 434-243-1128 Garrett Hall L004A Andy Pennock is an associate professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He serves UVA as the faculty director of Batten’s MPP orientation program, on Batten’s curriculum committee, and as an elected member of the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate. Pennock’s academic research examines public policy in the global economy as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning Read full bio John Pepper Professor of Economics and Public Policy jvp3m@virginia.edu 434-924-3402 252 Monroe Hall John V. Pepper is a professor of economics and public policy at the Batten School and a professor of economics in the Department of Economics at the University of Virginia. His work examines identification problems that arise when evaluating a wide range of public policy questions including such subjects as health and disability programs, welfare policies (e.g., SNAP), and drug and crime policies. Read full bio Daniel W. Player Associate Professor of Public Policy dwp2g@virginia.edu 434-243-0904 Garrett Hall L046 Dan Player is an associate professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His research focuses on issues in education policy. His work has examined questions such as how teacher ability is recognized and rewarded in schools, whether teacher performance predicts turnover, and how teachers respond to working conditions. Read full bio Philip Potter Associate Professor of Politics and Public Policy and Director of the National Security Policy Center pbp2s@virginia.edu S183 Gibson Hall, Garrett Hall L056 Philip Potter is an associate professor of politics and Founding Director of the National Security Policy Center at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is also a University Expert with the National Ground Intelligence Center, US Army INSCOM. He has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Politics and the Journal of Global Security Studies and is an Associate Principal Investigator for Time-Sharing Experiments in the Social Sciences (TESS). Read full bio Margaret Foster Riley Professor of Law and Public Policy mf9c@virginia.edu (434) 924-4671 580 Massie Road, Room WB347 Margaret Foster Riley is a professor of law and public policy at the Batten School, a professor of law at UVA's School of Law and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Riley has written and presented extensively about biomedical research, genetics, reproductive technologies, stem cell research, animal biotechnology, health disparities and chronic disease. She serves as chair of UVA’s Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee and as legal advisor to the Health Sciences Institutional Review Board, which is responsible for reviewing all human subject research at UVA involving medically invasive procedures. Read full bio John Robinson NSPC Director of Academic Programs djr6nf@virginia.edu John Robinson is the NSPC’s Director of Academic Programs. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focused on national security, including Innovating for Defense, an experiential course that pairs student teams with sponsors from the Department of Defense (DoD) to solve real-world national security problems. His research interests include international security and naval affairs. John holds a Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Virginia, and a M.A. from the U.S. Naval War College. Read full bio Kimberly Jenkins Robinson Professor of Law, Education and Public Policy Kimberly Jenkins Robinson is a professor of law, education and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Robinson is a national expert who speaks domestically and internationally about educational equity, equal educational opportunity, civil rights and the federal role in education. Her work proposes innovative legal and policy solutions to ensure that all children receive equal access to an excellent education. Read full bio Jill Rockwell Senior Assistant Dean for Student and Career Services jill.rockwell@virginia.edu 434-924-7950 Garrett Hall 204 Jill oversees the administrative units of student affairs, and career services, working with the other members of the student services team to strengthen students’ co-curricular and career-related experiences at the Batten School. Read full bio Christopher J. Ruhm Professor of Public Policy and Economics ruhm@virginia.edu 434-243-3729 Garrett Hall 108 Christopher J. Ruhm is a professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Ruhm’s recent research has focused on the role of government policies in helping parents with young children balance the competing needs of work and family life, and on examining how various aspects of health are produced – including the growth and sources of drug poisoning deaths in the United States, the rise in obesity and the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and health. Read full bio Charles J. Rush Senior Director, Finance and Administration cjr4f@virginia.edu (434) 982-6561 Garrett Hall 202 Read full bio James Savage Professor of Politics and Public Policy jds2y@virginia.edu (434) 924-3750 Gibson S483 James D. Savage is a professor of politics and public policy at the Batten School and a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. His research and teaching focus on comparative budgetary, fiscal, and macroeconomic policy, with an emphasis on the United States, the European Union, Iraq and Japan. He is particularly interested in the development of macrobudgetary rules, procedures, and institutions in these countries, and how they influence fiscal outcomes. Read full bio Beth Schueler Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy beth_schueler@virginia.edu Ruffner Hall 268 Beth Schueler is an assistant professor of education and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Schueler studies education policy, politics, and inequality with a focus on efforts to improve low-performing K-12 schools and districts. Read full bio Todd S. Sechser Professor of Politics and Public Policy tsechser@virginia.edu S182 Gibson Hall Todd S. Sechser is a professor of politics and public policy at the Batten School and the Pamela Feinour Edmonds and Franklin S. Edmonds Jr. Discovery Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia. Sechser is also a Senior Fellow at UVA's Miller Center. His research interests include coercive diplomacy, emerging technologies, nuclear security and political violence Read full bio Tamera Shaw Social Psychology Lab Manager eww7hx@virginia.edu (815) 546-1148 Tamera works with the APPLE and SCABL Labs in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and African & African American Studies from the University of Rochester. Her research interests surround the influence of racism, discrimination, prejudice on intergroup contact, racial identity, and belonging. Read full bio Lauren Shepherd Chief of Staff to the Dean lds8n@virginia.edu Lauren Shepherd is coming to Batten from Teach For America where she most recently served as Managing Director, Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Executive Director Learning. Prior to that, she served as the Chief of Staff to the TFA Bay Area Executive Director and as Managing Director of Teacher Onboarding Strategy based out of San Francisco. Originally trained as a journalist, she has professional experience as a writer and reporter as well as many years involved in strategic and operational planning, project management, partnerships, and talent development. Lauren graduated with an MPP degree from University of Chicago, an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia, and BA in English from UVA. Passionate about education, policy, and the Batten School mission, Lauren is truly excited to work alongside Dean Solomon, faculty, staff, students, and others to support strategic and operational initiatives of the school. Read full bio Linda Sherck Associate Director of Development linda.sherck@virginia.edu (919) 618-5374. Linda has been working in higher education advancement since she moved to the Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina area in 1992 to earn her master’s degree in public relations from UNC-Chapel Hill. She spent many years in alumni engagement at UNC and then as a fundraiser at Duke. A number of circumstances coincided to bring her to Charlottesville in 2021 where she is thrilled to be working to secure resources to advance Batten’s mission and support the School’s amazing students and faculty. Originally from Michigan, she is now an empty-nester and is enjoying exploring all the beauty and fun activities that comes with living in wonderful Charlottesville. Read full bio Jay Shimshack Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Public Policy and Economics jay.shimshack@virginia.edu 434-243-7318 Jay Shimshack is a professor of public policy and economics as well as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Shimshack's research focuses on environmental regulation, environmental economics, corporate social behavior, and applied microeconomics for public policy. Read full bio William Shobe Professor of Public Policy; Adjunct Professor of Economics; Director, Center for Economic and Policy Studies, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service shobe@virginia.edu 434-982-5376 William Shobe is a professor of public policy at the Batten School and the Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies at UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Shobe's current research includes emission market and auction design, environmental federalism, improved economic modeling of Virginia’s economy, state economic development incentives and state economic forecasting. Read full bio Alexis (Lexi) Smith Academic Programs Coordinator fsd5pg@virginia.edu (757) 903-1719 Alexis Smith is the Academic Programs Coordinator and is responsible for providing effective academic support to the students at the Batten School by ensuring accuracy, integrity, and security of the student academic records. She manages the logistics of course registration, exams, course scheduling, and Batten X programs. Alexis is a first-generation college student who graduated from Radford University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. Read full bio Shelly Smith Associate Professor of Nursing and Public Policy srp5k@virginia.edu (434) 924-1268 McLeod 4055 Shelly Porter Smith is an associate professor of nursing and public policy at Batten. Prior to her appointment at UVA, Smith mentored faculty scholars in legislative advocacy, proposal and grant writing, and authoring policy briefs and white paper as a Translational Research Fellow in Residence at VCU in addition to serving as director of nursing graduate programs. Smith is a long-time preceptor to UVA nurse practitioner master's students, and part of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority’s nursing preceptor incentive program work group. Read full bio Ian H. Solomon Dean and Professor of Practice of Public Policy Garrett Hall 200 Ian H. Solomon is dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, where he leads a multidisciplinary faculty in creating new knowledge and developing leaders who can solve humanity’s greatest policy challenges. Trained as a lawyer, Solomon is a devoted student and teacher of both negotiation and conflict resolution. Read full bio Allan Stam University Professor of Public Policy and Politics stam@virginia.edu 434-924-0828 Garrett Hall L048 Allan C. Stam is a University Professor of public policy and politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His research focuses on the dynamics of armed conflict between and within states. Stam has also worked on several survey-based projects including surveys conducted in Russia, Rwanda, India and the United States. Read full bio Katie Straight Assistant Director of Graduate Academic Programs kaw6f@virginia.edu 434.243.1357 Garrett Hall LO52 Katie Straight joined Batten following 15 years of diverse, cross-sector non-profit, international NGO, and consulting experience. Her previous work in global development and poverty reduction was largely focused on stakeholder management and communications, capacity development, strategic program design, and impact evaluation. Straight is passionate about supporting adult learning, strategic and sustainable organizational growth, and organization-wide leadership development. In concert with her role as Assistant Director of Graduate Academic Programs, Straight serves as an adjunct lecturer of global development policy at Batten. Read full bio Logan Stundal Postdoctoral Research Associate, Global Policy Center kbn9zk@virginia.edu Logan Stundal is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Global Policy Center/Humanitarian Collaborative at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on political violence, armed conflict, and the intersection of public health and conflict including the spread of disease in war zones. Read full bio Elinor (Ellie) Tappé Executive Director of Strategic Advancement bcm2fj@virginia.edu Elinor (Ellie) Tappé serves as Executive Director of Strategic Advancement where she helps shape and realize the strategic objectives of the Batten School. With a 25-year history in strategic planning and development, Ellie has held a variety of leadership roles in the corporate sector, as well as higher education and nonprofit. Her experience in philanthropy spans more than a decade and includes UC Berkeley, Larkin Street Youth Services and Urban Teachers. Read full bio Sebastian Tello-Trillo Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics sebastian.tello@virginia.edu 434-924-0903 Garrett Hall 101 Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an assistant professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He studies health policy in the U.S and Latin America, with a particular focus on understanding how policies affect individuals’ health behaviors and economic outcomes. Read full bio Larry Terry Director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at UVa and Lecturer of Public Policy larry.terry@virginia.edu Larry Terry is a lecturer at the Batten School and Executive Director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia. His passion is research-based, outcome-driven programs and services that advance the priorities of the University of Virginia in serving the Commonwealth, forming lasting partnerships with citizens, and building vibrant, connected communities. Read full bio Melissa Thomas-Hunt John D. Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy mcth@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L015 Melissa Thomas-Hunt is a professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the John Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business. Thomas-Hunt focuses on leadership, team dynamics, and negotiations and her research studies the factors that unleash, leverage, and amplify the contributions made by individuals, particularly women, underrepresented individuals, and numerical minorities. Read full bio Kerra K. Thurston Executive Assistant to the Dean kaykay@virginia.edu 434-924-0828 Garrett Hall 200 Read full bio Sophie Trawalter Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy and Associate Professor of Psychology strawalter@virginia.edu 434-243-3726 Garrett Hall L004B Sophie Trawalter, Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and associate professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, studies phenomena related to social diversity, specifically how people navigate intergroup contact and intergroup contexts, with a particular focus on how people develop competencies and learn to thrive in diverse spaces. Read full bio Sarah Turner University Professor of Economics, Education and Public Policy sturner@virginia.edu 434-982-2383 Olsson Hall, Room 217 Sarah Turner is a University Professor of economics, education and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Souder Family Endowed Professor. Much of her research focuses on post-secondary education, where she explores the intersection of education and economics policies. Read full bio Craig Volden Professor of Public Policy and Politics and Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking volden@virginia.edu 434-243-3725 Garrett Hall 109 Craig Volden is a professor of public policy and politics at the University of Virginia, with appointments in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Department of Politics. He studies the politics of public policy, with a focus on what policy choices arise within legislative institutions and within American federalism. He is founder and co-director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking. Read full bio Gerald Warburg Professor of Practice of Public Policy gfw2f@virginia.edu 434-243-1173 Garrett Hall 102 Gerry Warburg is a professor of practice of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Prior to Batten, he worked with Congress for several decades, serving as a legislative assistant to members of leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Read full bio Michael D. Williams Associate Professor of Surgery and Public Policy mdw9g@virginia.edu 434-982-6077 Michael D. Williams is an associate professor of surgery and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Williams is interested in, among other things, comprehensive, apolitical analysis of current and proposed health policy for citizens and policymakers. Read full bio Brian N. Williams Associate Professor of Public Policy bnw9q@virginia.edu 434-243-2116 Garrett Hall L044 Brian Williams is an associate professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Director of the Public Engagement in Governance: Looking, Listening and Learning Laboratory (the PEGLLLLab) at UVA. His research centers on issues related to demographic diversity, local law enforcement, and public governance, with special attention devoted to the co-production of public safety and public order. Read full bio Starrie Williamson Assistant Director of Web Design and Development starrie@virginia.edu 434.243.1759 Starrie Williamson is a native of the Mid-atlantic region of the United States and has worked at design agencies, educational software companies, and universities in Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Charlottesville, VA. Read full bio Timothy Wilson Professor of Psychology and Public Policy tdw@virginia.edu 434-924-0674 Gilmer 319 Timothy Wilson is a professor of psychology and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Sherrell J Aston Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. Wilson has conducted research showing the limits of introspection as a source of self-knowledge, the dangers of engaging in too much introspection about why we do what we do, the difficulty in predicting our future emotional reactions, as well as the pleasures we can derive from “just thinking.” He has also conducted research on applications of social psychology to address social problems. Read full bio Derek Wu Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics derek.wu@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L007 Derek Wu is an assistant professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Wu’s research interests lie in labor and public economics, with focusing on poverty and inequality, the effects of government programs, and the economics of education. Read full bio James H. Wyckoff Professor of Education and Public Policy wyckoff@virginia.edu 434-924-0842 Ruffner 258 Jim Wyckoff is a professor of education and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Memorial Professor of Education and Policy. Wyckoff focuses on issues of teacher labor markets, teacher preparation, recruitment, assessment and retention. His current research examines how teacher assessment and evaluation systems influence the quality of teaching, especially in traditionally low performing classrooms. Read full bio Weishan Zhang Lab Manager and Research Assistant wszhang@virginia.edu Weishan works with SoBaD and JADE Labs in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She earned her Post-Baccalaureate in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests lie in social psychology and behavioral science. Read full bio
Colin Achilles Associate Director, Center for Effective Lawmaking cachilles@virginia.edu 434-243-7180 Colin Achilles is the Associate Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), a joint partnership between the Batten School and Vanderbilt University. He is the manager of day-to-day operations at CEL. Read full bio
Gabrielle Adams Associate Professor of Public Policy, Business Administration, and Psychology gadams@virginia.edu 434-243-2405 Garrett Hall L004C Gabrielle Adams is an associate professor of public policy and business administration at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and in the Darden School of Business’s Leadership and Organizational Behavior area. Adams studies the processes and dynamics that give rise to ‘good’ decisions, policies and conditions in organizations. Read full bio
Shawn Anderson Assistant Director of Student Services lla2av@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Shawn Anderson is the Batten School's Assistant Director of Student Services and is responsible for advising undergraduate and graduate students in their co-curricular and service-related endeavors, as well as organizing school-wide student programming. Anderson is currently working towards a doctorate in Higher Education Administration at the University of Virginia, where his key focus is student development. Read full bio
Allison Atteberry Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy; DIRECTOR, CENTER ON EDUCATION POLICY AND WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS acma@virginia.edu 434-297-9463 Ridley Hall 274 Allison Atteberry is an associate professor of education and public policy and director of EdPolicyWorks, a collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Atteberry conducts research on teacher- and school-level interventions designed to improve the quality of instruction experienced by historically underserved students. Read full bio
Lucy Bassett Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy lb2zr@virginia.edu 434-243-1251 Lucy Bassett is an associate professor of practice of public policy at the Batten School and 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. Read full bio
Daphna Bassok Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy dbassok@virginia.edu 434-982-5415 Olsson Hall 238B Daphna Bassok is the Batten Bicentennial Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Virginia and associate director of EdPolicyWorks, a collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Her research focuses on early childhood education policy and efforts to improve early childhood education at scale, particularly policies aimed at supporting the early childhood education workforce. Read full bio
Brendan J. Boler Assistant Professor of Public Policy bjb9c@virginia.edu Brendan Boler is an assistant professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Boler specializes in management consulting, high-performance coaching, and talent assessment and selection. He has extensive experience within the fields of management consulting and banking, having worked at Accenture, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley. Read full bio
Richard Bonnie Professor of Law, Medicine, and Public Policy; Director of Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy rbonnie@virginia.edu 434-924-3209 580 Massie Road, Room WB 179D Richard J. Bonnie is a professor of public policy at the Batten School and Director of the Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. He teaches and writes about health law and policy, bioethics, criminal law, and public policies relating to mental health, substance abuse and public health. Read full bio
Jeanine Braithwaite Lecturer Professor of Public Policy (Retired) jeaninebraithwaite@virginia.edu 434-243-1127 Jeanine Braithwaite is a professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Prior to joining the Batten School, she was a senior economist at the World Bank, specializing in social protection policy and poverty analysis. She has also worked at the International Monetary Fund and U.S. Census Bureau, providing technical assistance to the U.S.S.R. and newly-independent former Soviet republics. Read full bio
Eliza Broaddus Assistant Director of Development ebroaddus@virginia.edu 434-924-7978 2420 Old Ivy Road, Advancement Office 258 Eliza Broaddus is the Assistant Director of Development at the Batten School. In this role, Eliza oversees Batten’s annual fund which provides philanthropic support for the School’s priority areas including student scholarships, student internships, and faculty research. Eliza serves as a liaison to the Batten Alumni Advisory Board and enjoys working closely with board members on alumni engagement initiatives and alumni philanthropy. She also oversees event strategy and strategic stewardship for the development office. Read full bio
Jazmin Brown-Iannuzzi Associate Professor of Psychology and Public Policy jazmin.bi@virginia.edu Jazmin Brown-Iannuzzi is an associate professor of psychology and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Brown-Iannuzzi's research seeks to understand why social group disparities may persist and, in some cases, grow. Read full bio
Anne Butz LCSW STAFF PSYCHOTHERAPIST AT THE BATTEN SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY gtd6cu@virginia.edu (434) 243-5150 L002C Anne Butz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who graduated with her Masters in Social Work in 1999. She has worked predominantly in the public sector, providing individual and group therapy in community mental health settings throughout Central Virginia. She's also worked for the commonwealth providing regulatory oversight of a variety of behavioral health programs for a little over a decade. Anne's areas of interest and experience include: adjustment issues, depression, anxiety, advocacy, trauma, and coping with chronic illness. Read full bio
Rick Campanelli Lecturer Rick Campanelli is a lecturer at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Campanelli has an extensive career in public service and the private sector as well as experience in senior leadership and management. Campanelli has been legal counsel in the areas of healthcare, information privacy and security, and civil and First Amendment rights. He is the Center for Christian Study Director of Graduate Ministries for the Law and Darden Christian Fellowships. Read full bio
Anne Carter Mulligan Director of Undergraduate Admissions acm8k@virginia.edu 434-982-2583 Garrett Hall 106 Anne Carter Mulligan joined Batten in January 2019 as Director of Undergraduate Admissions. She’s held multiple roles in higher education, most recently as Director of Strategic Initiatives in Enrollment Management at Longwood University, where she led projects designed to enrich the student experience and provide a seamless path from recruitment to graduation. Read full bio
Benjamin Castleman Newton and Rita Meyers Associate Professor in the Economics of Education and Associate Professor of Public Policy castleman@virginia.edu 617-299-0279 Garrett Hall L036 Ben Castleman is an associate professor of public policy and education at the Batten School and the founder and director of the Nudge4 Solutions Lab at UVA. His research focuses on policies to improve college access and success for low-income students. Several of his papers examine innovative strategies to deliver high-quality information about the college-going process to low-income students and their families, and to ease the process of students and families getting professional support when they need assistance Read full bio
James R Cathro Director of Finance and Administration jrc2jc@virginia.edu 434-982-6761 James is the Director of Finance and Administration at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. A 2005 US Naval Academy graduate and 2016 Batten School alumnus, James initially worked in UVA’s Office of Financial Planning and Analysis after earning his Master of Public Policy. He happily returned to Batten as the Assistant Director of Budget and Finance in 2018. In his current role, James works through a diverse array of interesting challenges, helping facilitate everything from financial reporting to research administration to human resources actions. He also serves as a Commander in the Naval Reserve and was formerly an active-duty Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer in the US Navy. Read full bio
Jeff Chidester Executive Director of External Affairs jchidester@virginia.edu 434-924-7330 Garrett Hall 107 Jeff Chidester is the Executive Director of External Affairs, where he oversees admissions, strategic partnerships, communications and marketing, and the broader external affairs portfolio. Read full bio
Eileen Chou Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy eileen.chou@virginia.edu 434-982-4821 Garrett Hall 105 Eileen Chou, Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, researches the organizational, social, and psychological forces that shape individual and group behavior in organizational settings. Read full bio
Pam Cipriano Professor of Nursing and Public Policy pfc4n@virginia.edu CMNEB 2022 Pamela Cipriano is a professor of nursing and public policy at the Batten School. Cipriano served as dean of the UVA School of Nursing and the Sadie Heath Cabaniss Professor of Nursing through July 2022. Cipriano’s more than 40-year career in nursing is marked by a focus on improving the safety and efficiency of care by ensuring a healthy, safe, and supportive work environment and encouraging healthy behaviors to promote well-being. Read full bio
Michele Claibourn Assistant Professor of Public Policy mclaibourn@virginia.edu 434-924-3282 Michele Claibourn is an assistant professor of public policy at the Batten School and Director of Equitable Analysis for The Equity Center at UVA. Claibourn leads the Center’s community-engaged data science work in support of a more equitable and just region. She has directed or supervised multiple community-based research projects in the Charlottesville community, including racial equity studies for the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless. Read full bio
Benjamin Converse Associate Professor of Public Policy and Psychology converse@virginia.edu 434-243-2885 Garrett Hall L001 Benjamin Converse is an associate professor of public policy and psychology at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on motivation, social judgment, problem solving and decision making. He teaches courses related to leadership and negotiations. Read full bio
Kevin Cope Associate Professor of Law and Public Policy cope@law.virginia.edu (434) 924-4492 WB345 Kevin Cope is an associate professor of law and public policy at the Batten School and an associate professor of law at UVA's School of Law. Cope’s research focuses on the measurement of legal and political phenomena. Substantively, he is most interested in the law and politics of international institutions, migration, and relationships between domestic institutional structure and international behavior. He is a faculty affiliate at the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics. Read full bio
Amanda Crombie Assistant Dean for Academic Programs am3de@virginia.edu 434-243-9976 Garrett Hall L054 Amanda Crombie is the Batten School’s Assistant Dean for Academic Programs and is responsible for academic advising, course scheduling and enrollment as well as curriculum management for the School. Read full bio
Leah Daniel Salesforce Manager lud8a@virginia.edu Leah Daniel is Batten’s Salesforce Manager. Prior to joining Batten, Leah was Senior Financial Analyst and Salesforce Administrator at UVA School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. She brings years of database management experience to Batten from her role as database manager at both the Darden School Foundation (1997-2003) and the UVA Law School Foundation (2004-2017). Leah holds a B.S. from the University of South Carolina. Read full bio
Timothy L. Davis Director of BattenX Leadership Coaching and Executive Development Associate Professor of Public Policy tld8n@virginia.edu Garrett L002D Tim Davis is an associate professor of public policy and the Director of Leadership Coaching and Executive Development for BattenX. A clinical psychologist, Davis helps students, executives and teams increase their effectiveness by building resiliency, strengthening community and expanding self-awareness. At Batten, he teaches courses on team leadership, group dynamics and emotional resilience. Read full bio
James R. Detert Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy DetertJ@darden.virginia.edu Darden FOB 188 Jim Detert is a professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration in the Leadership and Organizational Behavior area at the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. Detert's research focuses on workplace courage, ethical decision-making and behavior, improvement-oriented voice (why people speak up or stay silent at work) and other leadership-related topics. Read full bio
Bevin Etienne Assistant Professor, General Faculty bevin@virginia.edu Bevin Etienne is an assistant professor and general faculty at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Etienne has extensive teaching and course development experience in the areas of sustainability, entrepreneurship, energy, and engineering design. He emphasizes the importance of capacity building in promoting sustainability and social entrepreneurship in developing countries as well as the role of open source in innovation and entrepreneurship. Read full bio
Adam Felder Director of Data Analytics amf5ka@virginia.edu (434) 243-1130 Garrett Hall L015 Adam Felder is Batten’s director of data analytics—a role designed to use data to help students, faculty, staff, and alumni. He also teaches a one-credit course in data analysis. Prior to joining Batten, he was the director of analytics at Atlantic Media in Washington, DC, writing the occasional article and helping several journalism-based sites gain prominence. Read full bio
Brian Ford Senior HR Business Partner ayh2zf@virginia.edu As an HR leader with 20 years experience, Brian Ford currently is the Sr. HR Partner for the Batten School and McIntire School of Commerce. Prior to UVA, he led the Employee Experience function for the eastern US region at VMLY&R. In this capacity, he and his team drive culture, talent management and the overall employee experience for offices such as New York, Atlanta & Miami. Prior to VMLY&R, Brian was Chief People Officer at Fusion Media Group and had sr. leadership roles at Ogilvy, LG Electronics and Mercedes-Benz USA. Read full bio
George Foresman NSPC Executive Director & Senior Advisor gwf3n@virginia.edu George Foresman has over three decades of leadership experience in government and business. While serving as Virginia’s homeland security secretary, Foresman was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security. Read full bio
Galen Fountain Lecturer Galen Fountain is a lecturer at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Previously, he served for nearly two decades as Clerk of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies and prior to that as Counsel to the Senate Committee on Small Business. Read full bio
Leora Friedberg Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy; Chair, Department of Economics lfriedberg@virginia.edu 434-924-3225 Monroe 257 (appointment only) Leora Friedberg is an associate professor of economics and public policy at the Batten School and an associate professor and Vice Chair at UVA's Department of Economics. Her focus is on labor economics, including research on social security, aging and retirement economic impacts. Read full bio
Kirsten Gelsdorf Professor of Practice of Public Policy, and Director of Global Humanitarian Policy kg8v@virginia.edu Garrett Hall 103 Kirsten Gelsdorf is a professor of practice of public policy at the Batten School and the Director of Global Humanitarian 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. Read full bio
Lyangela Gutierrez Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Postdoctoral Research Associate lyangela.gutierrez@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Lyangela Gutierrez is a postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Gutierrez researches diversity and inclusion in organizations by identifying and addressing factors that impact racial and gender equity in organizations. Read full bio
Harry Harding University Professor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Public Policy hh7b@virginia.edu 434-924-0812 Garrett Hall L027 Harry Harding is university professor emeritus and professor emeritus of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, a senior fellow in the Miller Center of Public Affairs at UVA, and Adjunct Chair Professor in the College of Social Science at National Chengchi University in Taipei, where he holds a Yushan Scholarship. Harding is a specialist on Asia and U.S. - Asian relations. Read full bio
Ben Hartless IT Manager bh4hb@virginia.edu (540) 460-7676 Garrett Hall L029 Ben is the IT Manager at the Frank Batten School. Ben was born and raised an hour away in Lexington, Virginia where he worked at Washington and Lee University for thirteen years as a Technology Support Specialist. He also worked seven years at the Washington and Lee School of Law as the Director of Information Technology before beginning his new career at the Frank Batten School in Spring of 2020. Read full bio
Gerald Higginbotham Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Postdoctoral Research Associate ghigginbotham@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Gerald Higginbotham is a postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Higginbotham researches the role of culture and identity in education and politics, seeking to provide insight into how history functions as important context that shapes how individuals see themselves and others as well as how perceptions of history and its consequences are shaped by an individual’s attitudes and group memberships. Read full bio
Steve Hiss Director of Career Services and Alumni Engagement steven.hiss@virginia.edu 434-924-2456 Garrett Hall 203 A lifelong public servant, Steve’s interest in the Batten School not only stems from his own career in the public service, but also the former and current Batten students with whom he has worked in his position as the Commander of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Virginia. Read full bio
John Holbein Associate Professor of Public Policy, Politics, and Education jh5ak@virginia.edu 434-243-2899 Garrett Hall 111 John Holbein is an associate professor of public policy, politics, and education at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Holbein studies political participation, political inequality, democratic accountability, political representation, and education policy. Read full bio
Charles Holt Professor of Economics and Public Policy holt@virginia.edu 434-924-7894 Monroe 234 Charles Holt is a professor of economics and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the A. Willis Robertson Professor of Political Economy at the University of Virginia. Holt is also the current Director of the Experimental Economics Laboratory at Virginia, where he develops and programs the web-based VeconLab experiments that are widely used for teaching and research with over 90,000 participant logins per year. Read full bio
Sally Hudson Assistant Professor of Public Policy sally.hudson@virginia.edu 434-924-7817 Garrett Hall L002C Sally Hudson is an assistant professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Hudson is a labor economist who studies recruiting and retention in the public sector. Her recent work analyzes teacher retention in hard-to-staff school districts and the effects of salary schedules on mid-career recruiting. Read full bio
Chris Hulleman Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy Chris Hulleman is an associate professor of education and public policy at the Batten School. Hulleman conducts research on educational interventions grounded in theories of social and personality psychology, motivation, and human development. Most recently, his work has focused on examining the extent to which helping students find relevance to their lives in their coursework increases learning and interest. Read full bio
Peter Johannessen Assistant Professor of Public Policy pgj4d@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L038 Peter Johannessen is an assistant professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. 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. Read full bio
Justin H. Kirkland Associate Professor of Politics and Public Policy jhk9y@virginia.edu S162 Gibson Hall Justin H. Kirkland is an associate professor of politics and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His research focuses on understanding the relationship between public opinion and legislative behavior, institutional rules and legislative outcomes, and methods for analyzing legislative choices. Read full bio
Dana Laurens Assistant Director of Career Services & Alumni Engagement ddg2f@virginia.edu (434) 924-4061 Dana Laurens serves as National Deputy Director for Advocacy, Policy Engagement & Partnerships for Education Reform Now, a K-12 and higher education think tank in Washington, DC. In this role, Dana works with federal and elected officials to advance education policies to improve opportunities for all students. Read full bio
Jennifer Lawless Leone Reaves and George W. Spicer Professor of Politics and Professor of Public Policy jll9jx@virginia.edu 264 Gibson Hall Jennifer L. Lawless is the Leone Reaves and George W. Spicer Professor of Politics and professor of public policy at the University of Virginia and at the Batten School. Lawless is also a Senior Fellow at UVA's Miller Center. Her research focuses on political ambition, campaigns and elections, and media and politics. Read full bio
David Leblang Ambassador Henry Taylor Professor of Politics and Professor of Public Policy, Director of the Global Policy Center leblang@virginia.edu 434-243-1574 Garrett Hall L028, Gibson S281 David Leblang is a professor of public policy at the Batten School, the Ambassador Henry J. Taylor and Mrs Marion R. Taylor Endowed Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, and the Dorothy Danforth Compton Professor of Public Affairs at UVA's Miller Center. His research focuses on global migration including refugee and migrant choice as well as the link between migration and observed international investment, remittance flows, and the spread of democracy. Read full bio
Brooke Lehmann Lecturer brooke@capitolworksllc.com Brooke Lehmann is a lecturer at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. A national expert on the design, development, and reform of pediatric health/mental health services, special education and child welfare systems, her work addresses policies ranging from school-based health care to international crisis support for children and families. Read full bio
Courtney Leistensnider Assistant Director of Admissions crl4sn@virginia.edu 434-243-2428 Garrett Hall 106 Courtney Leistensnider is the Assistant Director of Admissions, handling many admission operations at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including planning recruitment events and prospective student visits. Read full bio
Craig Lindqvist Associate Dean for Administration csl3g@virginia.edu (434) 243-7528 Craig Lindqvist serves as the Associate Dean for Administration at the Batten School where he oversees the school's business affairs, planning, finances, personnel, technology, facilities, and other non-academic functions. Read full bio
Molly Lipscomb Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Director of Social Innovation @ UVA molly.lipscomb@virginia.edu 434-982-1561 Garrett Hall L020D Molly Lipscomb is an associate professor of public policy and economics at the Batten School and the Director of the Center for Social Innovation at the University of Virginia. Lipscomb’s research focuses primarily on environmental issues in developing countries and adaptation to lack of centralized health and sanitation services. Read full bio
Jennifer Ludovici NSPC Director of Operations and Research Initiatives jll4m@virginia.edu (804) 564-5021 Jennifer Ludovici is the NSPC Director of Operations & Research Initiatives. She has over 18 years of experience in higher education administration in both the public and private sector. In her role at the NSPC, she focuses on faculty research collaboration, project coordination and program development as well as general operations and communications. Jennifer holds a post-graduate certificate in project management from UVA, and a BA/MEd in history and education from James Madison University. Read full bio
Christine Mahoney Professor of Public Policy and Politics cm2cg@virginia.edu 434-243-3727 Garrett Hall L020C Christine Mahoney is a professor of public policy and politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She studies social justice advocacy, activism and direct action through social entrepreneurship. Read full bio
Brandy Marsh Senior Business Services Specialist bam5x@virginia.edu (434) 996-2643 Brandy Marsh is a Senior Business Services Specialist with the Frank Batten School. She joined Batten in 2020, bringing her administrative experience in various UVA and commercial roles to the team. Brandy specializes in all aspects of Workday financials and grant management. She's the proud parent of five awesome children and a lifelong resident of the Charlottesville area. Read full bio
Paul S. Martin Associate Professor of Public Policy psm4d@virginia.edu 434-924-2933 Garrett Hall L037 Paul Martin is an associate professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Martin studies how and when political elites respond to the preferences of ordinary people; political participation and advocacy, how and when citizens become involved in the policy process; on the role of mass media; and on the origins and consequences of social capital . Read full bio
Isaac Mbiti Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics imbiti@virginia.edu 434-243-7317 Garrett Hall 110 Isaac M. Mbiti is an associate professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His research has focused broadly on African economic development with particular interests in examining the role of education policies such as free primary education and teacher performance pay programs. Mbiti's ongoing research projects in East and West Africa evaluate various policies that aim to improve the livelihoods of African youth through training programs. Read full bio
Naseemah Mohamed Postdoctoral Research Associate, Global Policy Center egu8ng@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Naseemah Mohamed is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Global Policy Center at the University of Virginia. Her research is focused on the relationships amongst education, media, race, global politics, and violence in decolonial movements in Southern Africa in the 20th century. Read full bio
Alexandra Moore Director of Development jxn3ty@virginia.edu Alex most recently served at the Vice President of Philanthropy at the YMCA of Greater Richmond where she built a trusted high-performing team and delivered sustained philanthropic support of YMCA programming over the past 8 years. Prior to the Y, Alex spent almost 5 years in university fundraising (and earned an MS in Sports Leadership) from VCU. She is an active board volunteer with the Children’s Museum of Richmond and is exceptionally motivated by the Batten School mission of supporting positive social change through knowledge generation and developing informed leaders capable of tackling our toughest challenges. Read full bio
Bala Mulloth Assistant Professor of Public Policy mulloth@virginia.edu 434-982-2101 Garrett Hall L020A Bala Mulloth is an assistant professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Mulloth is a globally oriented educator and entrepreneur and his work focuses on innovation and social entrepreneurship. Read full bio
Jennett V. Murphy Faculty Affairs Manager jennett.murphy@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L042 Jennett Murphy is Faculty Affairs Manager at the Batten School and is responsible for supporting and managing processes to advance the success of the faculty. Read full bio
Noah Myung Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics noah.myung@virginia.edu 434-243-3731 Garrett Hall L005 Noah Myung is an associate professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is an experimental and behavioral economist with research interests in game theory, organizational economics, and financial economics. Myung's current research deals with equilibrium selection in coordination games as well as information sharing between competitors Read full bio
Kristine Nelson Assistant Director of Undergraduate Academic Programs knelson@virginia.edu 434-924-9282 Garrett Hall L050 Kristine Nelson is the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Academic Programs at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Prior to joining the Batten School in 2017, Kristine worked for four years at the School of Architecture as the Director of Graduate Admissions. Kristine has a B.B.A. from the College of William and Mary and an M.Ed. from the University of Georgia. Her work in higher education began in Residence Life at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Kristine is the academic advisor for all undergraduate Batten majors and minors as well as the first point of contact for International MPP students at the Batten School. Inspired by the mission of the Batten school as well as by the outreach and activism of the Batten students, Kristine has supported local campaigns, worked at the polls on election day, mentored adults seeking living wage employment, and supports holistic community development programs like Abundant Life Ministries. Kristine and her husband, Louis, have three children (two ‘hoos and one VCU Ram), as well as several chickens and ducks. Read full bio
Brendan Novak Associate Director of Social Innovation @ UVA bnovak@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L020B Brendan Novak is the Associate Director of the Center for Social Innovation, a research center housed at the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He helps manage the operations, research portfolio, and external activities of the Center. He received his B.A. in Economics and M.P.P. from the University of Virginia, and has experience in data analysis and policy evaluation at the state and federal level. Read full bio
Edgar O. Olsen Professor Emeritus of Economics eoo@virginia.edu 434-924-3443 Monroe Hall 250 Ed Olsen is a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Virginia, where he has served as chairman of the economics department and was heavily involved in the creation and development of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Olsen's teaching and research has focused on public policy issues, especially concerning the welfare system. Within this broad area, his research specialty is low-income housing policy. Read full bio
Claire Oto NSPC Senior Policy Analyst wcv9qx@virginia.edu Claire Oto is a policy researcher and writer at the NSPC. She also coordinates the Center’s internship program. Prior to joining Batten, she was a communications specialist at the U.S. Department of Energy. Claire earned an M.P.P in Space and National Security from George Washington University and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California San Diego. Read full bio
Mark Outten Director of Information Technology and School Systems wmo4b@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L015 Mark was most recently the Director of Technology for the Orange County Public Schools in Orange, VA, has over 20 years of education-related technology leadership and management experience, worked in private industry for a Hewitt Associates, and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He brings a wealth of strategic and practical education technology experience to Batten. Read full bio
Jieun Pai Postdoctoral Research Associate jpai@virginia.edu Jieun Pai is a postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Pai researches social hierarchy and conflict resolution to provide insight into how people can satisfy their need for status in teams and organizations harmoniously. Her work challenges the assumption that status conflict is a battle over rank with winners and losers. Read full bio
Jay T. Pence Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations jpence@virginia.edu 434-982-1920 Garrett Hall L031 Jay Pence is the Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations at the Batten School, where he manages the execution and planning of the school's event portfolio, facility and space planning, and day-to-day operations. Prior to his current role Jay has worked in various roles related to student services, campus recreation and law enforcement. Read full bio
Andrew S. Pennock Associate Professor of Public Policy andrew.pennock@virginia.edu 434-243-1128 Garrett Hall L004A Andy Pennock is an associate professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He serves UVA as the faculty director of Batten’s MPP orientation program, on Batten’s curriculum committee, and as an elected member of the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate. Pennock’s academic research examines public policy in the global economy as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning Read full bio
John Pepper Professor of Economics and Public Policy jvp3m@virginia.edu 434-924-3402 252 Monroe Hall John V. Pepper is a professor of economics and public policy at the Batten School and a professor of economics in the Department of Economics at the University of Virginia. His work examines identification problems that arise when evaluating a wide range of public policy questions including such subjects as health and disability programs, welfare policies (e.g., SNAP), and drug and crime policies. Read full bio
Daniel W. Player Associate Professor of Public Policy dwp2g@virginia.edu 434-243-0904 Garrett Hall L046 Dan Player is an associate professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His research focuses on issues in education policy. His work has examined questions such as how teacher ability is recognized and rewarded in schools, whether teacher performance predicts turnover, and how teachers respond to working conditions. Read full bio
Philip Potter Associate Professor of Politics and Public Policy and Director of the National Security Policy Center pbp2s@virginia.edu S183 Gibson Hall, Garrett Hall L056 Philip Potter is an associate professor of politics and Founding Director of the National Security Policy Center at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is also a University Expert with the National Ground Intelligence Center, US Army INSCOM. He has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Politics and the Journal of Global Security Studies and is an Associate Principal Investigator for Time-Sharing Experiments in the Social Sciences (TESS). Read full bio
Margaret Foster Riley Professor of Law and Public Policy mf9c@virginia.edu (434) 924-4671 580 Massie Road, Room WB347 Margaret Foster Riley is a professor of law and public policy at the Batten School, a professor of law at UVA's School of Law and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Riley has written and presented extensively about biomedical research, genetics, reproductive technologies, stem cell research, animal biotechnology, health disparities and chronic disease. She serves as chair of UVA’s Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee and as legal advisor to the Health Sciences Institutional Review Board, which is responsible for reviewing all human subject research at UVA involving medically invasive procedures. Read full bio
John Robinson NSPC Director of Academic Programs djr6nf@virginia.edu John Robinson is the NSPC’s Director of Academic Programs. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focused on national security, including Innovating for Defense, an experiential course that pairs student teams with sponsors from the Department of Defense (DoD) to solve real-world national security problems. His research interests include international security and naval affairs. John holds a Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Virginia, and a M.A. from the U.S. Naval War College. Read full bio
Kimberly Jenkins Robinson Professor of Law, Education and Public Policy Kimberly Jenkins Robinson is a professor of law, education and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Robinson is a national expert who speaks domestically and internationally about educational equity, equal educational opportunity, civil rights and the federal role in education. Her work proposes innovative legal and policy solutions to ensure that all children receive equal access to an excellent education. Read full bio
Jill Rockwell Senior Assistant Dean for Student and Career Services jill.rockwell@virginia.edu 434-924-7950 Garrett Hall 204 Jill oversees the administrative units of student affairs, and career services, working with the other members of the student services team to strengthen students’ co-curricular and career-related experiences at the Batten School. Read full bio
Christopher J. Ruhm Professor of Public Policy and Economics ruhm@virginia.edu 434-243-3729 Garrett Hall 108 Christopher J. Ruhm is a professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Ruhm’s recent research has focused on the role of government policies in helping parents with young children balance the competing needs of work and family life, and on examining how various aspects of health are produced – including the growth and sources of drug poisoning deaths in the United States, the rise in obesity and the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and health. Read full bio
Charles J. Rush Senior Director, Finance and Administration cjr4f@virginia.edu (434) 982-6561 Garrett Hall 202 Read full bio
James Savage Professor of Politics and Public Policy jds2y@virginia.edu (434) 924-3750 Gibson S483 James D. Savage is a professor of politics and public policy at the Batten School and a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. His research and teaching focus on comparative budgetary, fiscal, and macroeconomic policy, with an emphasis on the United States, the European Union, Iraq and Japan. He is particularly interested in the development of macrobudgetary rules, procedures, and institutions in these countries, and how they influence fiscal outcomes. Read full bio
Beth Schueler Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy beth_schueler@virginia.edu Ruffner Hall 268 Beth Schueler is an assistant professor of education and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Schueler studies education policy, politics, and inequality with a focus on efforts to improve low-performing K-12 schools and districts. Read full bio
Todd S. Sechser Professor of Politics and Public Policy tsechser@virginia.edu S182 Gibson Hall Todd S. Sechser is a professor of politics and public policy at the Batten School and the Pamela Feinour Edmonds and Franklin S. Edmonds Jr. Discovery Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia. Sechser is also a Senior Fellow at UVA's Miller Center. His research interests include coercive diplomacy, emerging technologies, nuclear security and political violence Read full bio
Tamera Shaw Social Psychology Lab Manager eww7hx@virginia.edu (815) 546-1148 Tamera works with the APPLE and SCABL Labs in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and African & African American Studies from the University of Rochester. Her research interests surround the influence of racism, discrimination, prejudice on intergroup contact, racial identity, and belonging. Read full bio
Lauren Shepherd Chief of Staff to the Dean lds8n@virginia.edu Lauren Shepherd is coming to Batten from Teach For America where she most recently served as Managing Director, Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Executive Director Learning. Prior to that, she served as the Chief of Staff to the TFA Bay Area Executive Director and as Managing Director of Teacher Onboarding Strategy based out of San Francisco. Originally trained as a journalist, she has professional experience as a writer and reporter as well as many years involved in strategic and operational planning, project management, partnerships, and talent development. Lauren graduated with an MPP degree from University of Chicago, an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia, and BA in English from UVA. Passionate about education, policy, and the Batten School mission, Lauren is truly excited to work alongside Dean Solomon, faculty, staff, students, and others to support strategic and operational initiatives of the school. Read full bio
Linda Sherck Associate Director of Development linda.sherck@virginia.edu (919) 618-5374. Linda has been working in higher education advancement since she moved to the Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina area in 1992 to earn her master’s degree in public relations from UNC-Chapel Hill. She spent many years in alumni engagement at UNC and then as a fundraiser at Duke. A number of circumstances coincided to bring her to Charlottesville in 2021 where she is thrilled to be working to secure resources to advance Batten’s mission and support the School’s amazing students and faculty. Originally from Michigan, she is now an empty-nester and is enjoying exploring all the beauty and fun activities that comes with living in wonderful Charlottesville. Read full bio
Jay Shimshack Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Public Policy and Economics jay.shimshack@virginia.edu 434-243-7318 Jay Shimshack is a professor of public policy and economics as well as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Shimshack's research focuses on environmental regulation, environmental economics, corporate social behavior, and applied microeconomics for public policy. Read full bio
William Shobe Professor of Public Policy; Adjunct Professor of Economics; Director, Center for Economic and Policy Studies, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service shobe@virginia.edu 434-982-5376 William Shobe is a professor of public policy at the Batten School and the Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies at UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Shobe's current research includes emission market and auction design, environmental federalism, improved economic modeling of Virginia’s economy, state economic development incentives and state economic forecasting. Read full bio
Alexis (Lexi) Smith Academic Programs Coordinator fsd5pg@virginia.edu (757) 903-1719 Alexis Smith is the Academic Programs Coordinator and is responsible for providing effective academic support to the students at the Batten School by ensuring accuracy, integrity, and security of the student academic records. She manages the logistics of course registration, exams, course scheduling, and Batten X programs. Alexis is a first-generation college student who graduated from Radford University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. Read full bio
Shelly Smith Associate Professor of Nursing and Public Policy srp5k@virginia.edu (434) 924-1268 McLeod 4055 Shelly Porter Smith is an associate professor of nursing and public policy at Batten. Prior to her appointment at UVA, Smith mentored faculty scholars in legislative advocacy, proposal and grant writing, and authoring policy briefs and white paper as a Translational Research Fellow in Residence at VCU in addition to serving as director of nursing graduate programs. Smith is a long-time preceptor to UVA nurse practitioner master's students, and part of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority’s nursing preceptor incentive program work group. Read full bio
Ian H. Solomon Dean and Professor of Practice of Public Policy Garrett Hall 200 Ian H. Solomon is dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, where he leads a multidisciplinary faculty in creating new knowledge and developing leaders who can solve humanity’s greatest policy challenges. Trained as a lawyer, Solomon is a devoted student and teacher of both negotiation and conflict resolution. Read full bio
Allan Stam University Professor of Public Policy and Politics stam@virginia.edu 434-924-0828 Garrett Hall L048 Allan C. Stam is a University Professor of public policy and politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. His research focuses on the dynamics of armed conflict between and within states. Stam has also worked on several survey-based projects including surveys conducted in Russia, Rwanda, India and the United States. Read full bio
Katie Straight Assistant Director of Graduate Academic Programs kaw6f@virginia.edu 434.243.1357 Garrett Hall LO52 Katie Straight joined Batten following 15 years of diverse, cross-sector non-profit, international NGO, and consulting experience. Her previous work in global development and poverty reduction was largely focused on stakeholder management and communications, capacity development, strategic program design, and impact evaluation. Straight is passionate about supporting adult learning, strategic and sustainable organizational growth, and organization-wide leadership development. In concert with her role as Assistant Director of Graduate Academic Programs, Straight serves as an adjunct lecturer of global development policy at Batten. Read full bio
Logan Stundal Postdoctoral Research Associate, Global Policy Center kbn9zk@virginia.edu Logan Stundal is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Global Policy Center/Humanitarian Collaborative at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on political violence, armed conflict, and the intersection of public health and conflict including the spread of disease in war zones. Read full bio
Elinor (Ellie) Tappé Executive Director of Strategic Advancement bcm2fj@virginia.edu Elinor (Ellie) Tappé serves as Executive Director of Strategic Advancement where she helps shape and realize the strategic objectives of the Batten School. With a 25-year history in strategic planning and development, Ellie has held a variety of leadership roles in the corporate sector, as well as higher education and nonprofit. Her experience in philanthropy spans more than a decade and includes UC Berkeley, Larkin Street Youth Services and Urban Teachers. Read full bio
Sebastian Tello-Trillo Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics sebastian.tello@virginia.edu 434-924-0903 Garrett Hall 101 Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an assistant professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He studies health policy in the U.S and Latin America, with a particular focus on understanding how policies affect individuals’ health behaviors and economic outcomes. Read full bio
Larry Terry Director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at UVa and Lecturer of Public Policy larry.terry@virginia.edu Larry Terry is a lecturer at the Batten School and Executive Director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia. His passion is research-based, outcome-driven programs and services that advance the priorities of the University of Virginia in serving the Commonwealth, forming lasting partnerships with citizens, and building vibrant, connected communities. Read full bio
Melissa Thomas-Hunt John D. Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy mcth@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L015 Melissa Thomas-Hunt is a professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the John Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business. Thomas-Hunt focuses on leadership, team dynamics, and negotiations and her research studies the factors that unleash, leverage, and amplify the contributions made by individuals, particularly women, underrepresented individuals, and numerical minorities. Read full bio
Kerra K. Thurston Executive Assistant to the Dean kaykay@virginia.edu 434-924-0828 Garrett Hall 200 Read full bio
Sophie Trawalter Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy and Associate Professor of Psychology strawalter@virginia.edu 434-243-3726 Garrett Hall L004B Sophie Trawalter, Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and associate professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, studies phenomena related to social diversity, specifically how people navigate intergroup contact and intergroup contexts, with a particular focus on how people develop competencies and learn to thrive in diverse spaces. Read full bio
Sarah Turner University Professor of Economics, Education and Public Policy sturner@virginia.edu 434-982-2383 Olsson Hall, Room 217 Sarah Turner is a University Professor of economics, education and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Souder Family Endowed Professor. Much of her research focuses on post-secondary education, where she explores the intersection of education and economics policies. Read full bio
Craig Volden Professor of Public Policy and Politics and Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking volden@virginia.edu 434-243-3725 Garrett Hall 109 Craig Volden is a professor of public policy and politics at the University of Virginia, with appointments in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Department of Politics. He studies the politics of public policy, with a focus on what policy choices arise within legislative institutions and within American federalism. He is founder and co-director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking. Read full bio
Gerald Warburg Professor of Practice of Public Policy gfw2f@virginia.edu 434-243-1173 Garrett Hall 102 Gerry Warburg is a professor of practice of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Prior to Batten, he worked with Congress for several decades, serving as a legislative assistant to members of leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Read full bio
Michael D. Williams Associate Professor of Surgery and Public Policy mdw9g@virginia.edu 434-982-6077 Michael D. Williams is an associate professor of surgery and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Williams is interested in, among other things, comprehensive, apolitical analysis of current and proposed health policy for citizens and policymakers. Read full bio
Brian N. Williams Associate Professor of Public Policy bnw9q@virginia.edu 434-243-2116 Garrett Hall L044 Brian Williams is an associate professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Director of the Public Engagement in Governance: Looking, Listening and Learning Laboratory (the PEGLLLLab) at UVA. His research centers on issues related to demographic diversity, local law enforcement, and public governance, with special attention devoted to the co-production of public safety and public order. Read full bio
Starrie Williamson Assistant Director of Web Design and Development starrie@virginia.edu 434.243.1759 Starrie Williamson is a native of the Mid-atlantic region of the United States and has worked at design agencies, educational software companies, and universities in Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Charlottesville, VA. Read full bio
Timothy Wilson Professor of Psychology and Public Policy tdw@virginia.edu 434-924-0674 Gilmer 319 Timothy Wilson is a professor of psychology and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Sherrell J Aston Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. Wilson has conducted research showing the limits of introspection as a source of self-knowledge, the dangers of engaging in too much introspection about why we do what we do, the difficulty in predicting our future emotional reactions, as well as the pleasures we can derive from “just thinking.” He has also conducted research on applications of social psychology to address social problems. Read full bio
Derek Wu Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics derek.wu@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L007 Derek Wu is an assistant professor of public policy and economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Wu’s research interests lie in labor and public economics, with focusing on poverty and inequality, the effects of government programs, and the economics of education. Read full bio
James H. Wyckoff Professor of Education and Public Policy wyckoff@virginia.edu 434-924-0842 Ruffner 258 Jim Wyckoff is a professor of education and public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Memorial Professor of Education and Policy. Wyckoff focuses on issues of teacher labor markets, teacher preparation, recruitment, assessment and retention. His current research examines how teacher assessment and evaluation systems influence the quality of teaching, especially in traditionally low performing classrooms. Read full bio
Weishan Zhang Lab Manager and Research Assistant wszhang@virginia.edu Weishan works with SoBaD and JADE Labs in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She earned her Post-Baccalaureate in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests lie in social psychology and behavioral science. Read full bio