Nick Elacqua is the Lab Manager for the Applied Public Policy and Leadership Experiments (APPLE) Lab and the Social Cognition and Behavior Lab (SCABL) in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Sarah Hanks is the Director of Career Services for the Frank Batten School. She has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit capacity building, change management, and crisis recovery.

Xanni Brown is a postdoctoral fellow at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. She is a social and political psychologist studying hierarchy, inequality, and democracy in the U.S., with a focus on how people react to shifting demographics in various contexts. 

Kayla Foliaco serves as the Assistant Director of Student Engagement. In this role, she leads student leadership development, advises student organizations, and coordinates programs that promote service, wellness, and a sense of belonging across Batten’s undergraduate and graduate communities.

Essence Ellis joined the Batten School in 2024 as the Academic Operations Manager. Essence supports students and faculty by maintaining academic records and providing general programmatic assistance. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Randolph-Macon College and completed her Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School. A native of Charlottesville, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones and traveling when possible.

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.

Gianpaolo Licata is the Associate Director of Academic Operations at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. 

Heather Downs joined Batten in December 2023 as the Director of Academic Operations. She has served UVA Athletics since 2013, most recently as the Executive Director of Student Development.

Nicolo Porto is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He graduated from Marquette University in 2014 with a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology.

Natalie Baumeister is the Lab Manager for the Judgments and Decisions Experimental (JADE) Lab and the Social Behavior and Decisions (SoBaD) Lab in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.