Faculty & Staff Directory

Lucy Bassett

Lucy
Bassett

Professor of Practice in Public Policy; Co-Director, UVA Humanitarian Collaborative

Lucy Bassett is a professor of practice in public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.  Bassett is an expert in children, caregivers, and communities in humanitarian and development contexts. Over her 15 year career, Bassett has worked with governments in low- and middle-income countries to expand access to quality education, nutrition and social protection services, particularly for poor and marginalized children and families.

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Brian Ford

Brian
Ford

Senior HR Business Partner

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.

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Kirsten Gelsdorf

Kirsten
Gelsdorf

Professor of Practice in Public Policy; Co-Director, UVA Humanitarian Collaborative
Garrett Hall

Kirsten Gelsdorf is a professor of practice in public policy and Co-Director of the UVA Humanitarian Collaborative in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Gelsdorf has 19 years of experience working in the humanitarian sector, most recently serving as the Chief of the Policy Analysis and Innovation section at the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

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David Leblang

David
Leblang

Ambassador Henry J. Taylor and Mrs. Marion R. Taylor Endowed Professor of Politics and Professor of Public Policy

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.

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Craig Lindqvist

Craig
Lindqvist

Associate Dean for Administration
(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.

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Naseemah Mohamed

Naseemah
Mohamed

Assistant Professor of African American and African Studies

Naseemah Mohamed is an assistant professor of African American and African studies at the University of Virginia. Her interdisciplinary research examines the relationships among education, media, technology, global politics, and violence in 20th-century.

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Jill Rockwell

Jill
Rockwell

Senior Assistant Dean of Career Advancement and Alumni Engagement

Jill Rockwell, Senior Assistant Dean of Career Advancement and Alumni Engagement at UVA Batten, and her team are focused on the professional success of our graduates and alumni as well as activating our alumni network in support of the school.

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Lauren Shepherd

Lauren
Shepherd

Chief of Staff and Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives

Lauren Shepherd joined Batten in 2022, coming from Teach For America where she 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. 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. 

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