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 Facet Last Name - Directory Faculty Staff Facet Person Type - Directory Education Health Policy Leadership Economics Racial Justice and Equity Social Equity Crime and Justice Ethics Social Psychology Facet Area of Focus - Directory School of Law Darden School of Business Department of Economics National Security Policy Center School of Education and Human Development Facet UVA Partner - Directory Budget & Finance Dean’s Office Development National Security Policy Center Facet Batten Department - Directory Navin Ramoutar Associate Director of Development xnv8cm@virginia.edu Navin is a results-driven professional with a robust background in marketing and fundraising. Read full bio Carey Reinicke Assistant Director of Grants and Contracts Carey Reinicke is the Assistant Director of Grants and Contracts within the Batten Finance unit, focusing on the management of the school’s sponsored awards and related processes. Read full bio Margaret Foster Riley Professor of Law and Public Policy mf9c@virginia.edu (434) 924-4671 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 Gerard Robinson Professor of Practice in Public Policy and Law gtr4v@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Gerard Robinson is a professor of practice in public policy and law at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the School of Law at the University of Virginia. As a Fellow of Practice at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, Robinson has written about K-12 and higher education, public policy, economic mobility, after-school programs, and race. Robinson will teach on education, prisons, and public policy. 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 John M. Robinson Photo and Video Manager John Robinson manages photo and video content for the Batten School. He brings 15 years of professional photo and video experience from projects all over the world, including eight years working with Batten as a contractor. John has a passion for visual storytelling and collaborating with wonderful people. 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 of Career Advancement and Alumni Engagement jill.rockwell@virginia.edu 434-924-7950 Garrett Hall 204 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. Read full bio Kristen Roorbach Lecturer kar3c@virginia.edu Kristen Roorbach is an adjunct faculty member at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Roorbach teaches on topics including Poverty in U.S. Education Policy and Special Education Policy. Read full bio Kara Ross Research Lab Coordinator mfj8tf@virginia.edu West Complex Kara Ross is the Research Lab Coordinator at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, where she manages day-to-day operations in the School's behavioral and experimental research lab and supports multiple faculty members with their research needs. Read full bio Christopher J. Ruhm Professor of Public Policy and Economics ruhm@virginia.edu 434-243-3729 Garrett Hall 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 Elinor (Ellie) Tappé Executive Director of Strategic Advancement bcm2fj@virginia.edu Elinor 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, Elinor 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 Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics sebastian.tello@virginia.edu 434-924-0903 Garrett Hall Sebastian Tello Trillo is an associate 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 Melissa Thomas-Hunt John D. Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Public Policy mcth@virginia.edu 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 at the University of Virginia. 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 Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology strawalter@virginia.edu 434-243-3726 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 Sarah Turner University Professor of Economics, Education and Public Policy sturner@virginia.edu 434-982-2383 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 Kim Turner Assistant Director of Financial Planning and Analysis Kim joined the Batten School in 2025 after a decade serving as the Finance and Administration Manager for UVA Music in the College of Arts & Sciences. In her current role, Kim focuses on the annual budget, financial reporting, and various other financial functions. An alumna of the University of Virginia, Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Committed to continuous growth, she went on to earn both an MBA and an MS in Public Relations from the University of Maryland University College. Read full bio
Navin Ramoutar Associate Director of Development xnv8cm@virginia.edu Navin is a results-driven professional with a robust background in marketing and fundraising. Read full bio
Carey Reinicke Assistant Director of Grants and Contracts Carey Reinicke is the Assistant Director of Grants and Contracts within the Batten Finance unit, focusing on the management of the school’s sponsored awards and related processes. Read full bio
Margaret Foster Riley Professor of Law and Public Policy mf9c@virginia.edu (434) 924-4671 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
Gerard Robinson Professor of Practice in Public Policy and Law gtr4v@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Gerard Robinson is a professor of practice in public policy and law at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the School of Law at the University of Virginia. As a Fellow of Practice at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, Robinson has written about K-12 and higher education, public policy, economic mobility, after-school programs, and race. Robinson will teach on education, prisons, and public policy. 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
John M. Robinson Photo and Video Manager John Robinson manages photo and video content for the Batten School. He brings 15 years of professional photo and video experience from projects all over the world, including eight years working with Batten as a contractor. John has a passion for visual storytelling and collaborating with wonderful people. 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 of Career Advancement and Alumni Engagement jill.rockwell@virginia.edu 434-924-7950 Garrett Hall 204 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. Read full bio
Kristen Roorbach Lecturer kar3c@virginia.edu Kristen Roorbach is an adjunct faculty member at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Roorbach teaches on topics including Poverty in U.S. Education Policy and Special Education Policy. Read full bio
Kara Ross Research Lab Coordinator mfj8tf@virginia.edu West Complex Kara Ross is the Research Lab Coordinator at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, where she manages day-to-day operations in the School's behavioral and experimental research lab and supports multiple faculty members with their research needs. Read full bio
Christopher J. Ruhm Professor of Public Policy and Economics ruhm@virginia.edu 434-243-3729 Garrett Hall 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
Elinor (Ellie) Tappé Executive Director of Strategic Advancement bcm2fj@virginia.edu Elinor 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, Elinor 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 Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics sebastian.tello@virginia.edu 434-924-0903 Garrett Hall Sebastian Tello Trillo is an associate 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
Melissa Thomas-Hunt John D. Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Professor of Public Policy mcth@virginia.edu 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 at the University of Virginia. 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 Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology strawalter@virginia.edu 434-243-3726 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
Sarah Turner University Professor of Economics, Education and Public Policy sturner@virginia.edu 434-982-2383 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
Kim Turner Assistant Director of Financial Planning and Analysis Kim joined the Batten School in 2025 after a decade serving as the Finance and Administration Manager for UVA Music in the College of Arts & Sciences. In her current role, Kim focuses on the annual budget, financial reporting, and various other financial functions. An alumna of the University of Virginia, Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Committed to continuous growth, she went on to earn both an MBA and an MS in Public Relations from the University of Maryland University College. Read full bio