Resources Faculty & Staff Directory Faculty & Staff Directory A B C G H J L M S T W Facet Last Name - Directory Faculty Staff Facet Person Type - Directory Political Science Leadership Economics Domestic Policy & Politics Education Health Policy Racial Justice and Equity Environmental Policy National Security Social Equity Advocacy Ethics Global Politics & International Relations Social Entrepreneurship Humanitarian Policy Crime and Justice Executive Education International and Global Affairs Public Administration Virginia Politics & Policy (-) Social Psychology (-) International Development Facet Area of Focus - Directory UVA Humanitarian Collaborative Department of Politics Darden School of Business Social Innovation @ UVA Facet UVA Partner - Directory UVA Humanitarian Collaborative Social Innovation @ UVA Facet Batten Department - Directory 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 Maura Austin Postdoctoral Research Associate ma2bg@virginia.edu Maura Austin is a postdoctoral researcher at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She studies person perception, motivation, social judgment and decision making, and moral character judgment. Read full bio Lucy Bassett Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy; Co-Director, UVA Humanitarian Collaborative lb2zr@virginia.edu 434-243-1251 Garrett Hall L032 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 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 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 Eileen Chou Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy eileen.chou@virginia.edu 434-982-4821 Garrett Hall L040 Eileen Chou, associate dean for academic affairs and 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 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 Kirsten Gelsdorf Professor of Practice of Public Policy; 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 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, equity, 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 Gerald Higginbotham Assistant Professor of Public Policy ghigginbotham@virginia.edu Garrett Hall 105 As of Fall 2023, Gerald Higginbotham is an assistant professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Utilizing social and cultural psychological insights, Higginbotham researches the imprint of history on people’s modern social perceptions and policy attitudes, and the psychological underpinnings of how people perceive history and its consequences. 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 David Leblang Ambassador Henry J. Taylor and Mrs. Marion R. Taylor Endowed Professor of Politics and Public Policy leblang@virginia.edu 434-243-1574 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 Randolph Compton Professor of Public Affairs at UVA's Miller Center. Leblang is a scholar of political economy with research interests in global migration and in the politics of financial markets. 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 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 Abigail Scholer Batten Family Bicentennial Distinguished Leadership Professor of Public Policy hyf6dz@virginia.edu Garrett Hall 107 As of Fall 2023, Abigail Scholer is Batten Family Bicentennial Distinguished Leadership Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Broadly, she researches the dynamic, complex, and often confounding world of human motivation and self-regulation: What makes us reach for the stars, huddle in a corner, get out of bed, help others, break our diets, save for retirement, follow rules, and color outside the lines? Scholer studies fundamental and basic processes related to goal pursuit, decision-making, social regulation, motivated social cognition, and behavior change, with an aim for understanding how these basic processes can be leveraged to address societal challenges and improve people’s lives. Read full bio Sophie Trawalter Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology strawalter@virginia.edu 434-243-3726 Garrett Hall L004B Sophie Trawalter, Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and 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 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
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
Maura Austin Postdoctoral Research Associate ma2bg@virginia.edu Maura Austin is a postdoctoral researcher at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She studies person perception, motivation, social judgment and decision making, and moral character judgment. Read full bio
Lucy Bassett Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy; Co-Director, UVA Humanitarian Collaborative lb2zr@virginia.edu 434-243-1251 Garrett Hall L032 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
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
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
Eileen Chou Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Associate Professor of Public Policy eileen.chou@virginia.edu 434-982-4821 Garrett Hall L040 Eileen Chou, associate dean for academic affairs and 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
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
Kirsten Gelsdorf Professor of Practice of Public Policy; 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 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, equity, 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
Gerald Higginbotham Assistant Professor of Public Policy ghigginbotham@virginia.edu Garrett Hall 105 As of Fall 2023, Gerald Higginbotham is an assistant professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Utilizing social and cultural psychological insights, Higginbotham researches the imprint of history on people’s modern social perceptions and policy attitudes, and the psychological underpinnings of how people perceive history and its consequences. 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
David Leblang Ambassador Henry J. Taylor and Mrs. Marion R. Taylor Endowed Professor of Politics and Public Policy leblang@virginia.edu 434-243-1574 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 Randolph Compton Professor of Public Affairs at UVA's Miller Center. Leblang is a scholar of political economy with research interests in global migration and in the politics of financial markets. 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
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
Abigail Scholer Batten Family Bicentennial Distinguished Leadership Professor of Public Policy hyf6dz@virginia.edu Garrett Hall 107 As of Fall 2023, Abigail Scholer is Batten Family Bicentennial Distinguished Leadership Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Broadly, she researches the dynamic, complex, and often confounding world of human motivation and self-regulation: What makes us reach for the stars, huddle in a corner, get out of bed, help others, break our diets, save for retirement, follow rules, and color outside the lines? Scholer studies fundamental and basic processes related to goal pursuit, decision-making, social regulation, motivated social cognition, and behavior change, with an aim for understanding how these basic processes can be leveraged to address societal challenges and improve people’s lives. Read full bio
Sophie Trawalter Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology strawalter@virginia.edu 434-243-3726 Garrett Hall L004B Sophie Trawalter, Batten Family Bicentennial Teacher-Scholar Leadership Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and 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
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