The Pilot and Legacy Awards, named in honor of the Batten School’s late founder, Frank Batten, Sr., are the most prestigious student-nominated awards for graduating Master of Public Policy students and students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Leadership.

General Nakasone will deliver the commencement address during the school’s first in-person Academic Regalia Ceremony since 2019, set to take place at James Monroe’s Highland on Saturday, May 21, at 5:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, the Batten School honored Sesame Workshop President Sherrie Rollins Westin with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership. Each year on Jefferson’s birthday, UVA and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello award the medals for exemplary achievement in fields the former president admired.

Sherrie Rollins Westin, president of Sesame Workshop and a 1980 graduate of UVA, has been named this year’s recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership, an award selected by the Batten School.

The Batten alum and former captain of the UVA women’s volleyball team is not afraid to discuss moments of deep uncertainty in her flourishing law career — and she encourages current students to go easy on themselves.

Steve Schleicher, a private attorney who accepted a pro bono appointment as a Special Prosecutor in the George Floyd homicide cases, will share his perspectives on effective leadership, followership and the rewards of public service.

After receiving his undergraduate degree from George Washington University, Batten student Cam Morales (MPP ’22) landed a job with renowned international law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he worked as a public policy specialist. While the work was immensely satisfying, he felt like something was missing. That led him on the path to the Batten School’s unique graduate program.

In partnership with the Law School and Darden School of Business, Batten will host a workshop for graduate women who are interested in running for student government or public office.

In this edition of Batten Reports, get to know Batten's new dean, Ian H. Solomon, explore the intricacies of curating a leadership curriculum, and learn about how Batten faculty represent the ideals of truth, citizenship, and the power of knowledge.

Leaders within nonprofit organizations experience unique challenges when it comes to developing people and building community. Technical expertise and content knowledge matter, but excellence in developing people allows nonprofit leaders to build inclusive, healthy and sustainable organizations and programs. “Coaching for Success,” an intensive two-day workshop hosted in partnership with the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, will set nonprofit leaders on the path to establishing the core coaching competencies that are most effective in developing people and achieving organizational objectives.