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. 

Amy Meli is a postdoctoral research associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, working with the Center for Effective Lawmaking. Her research centers around interest groups and the way they influence the political system.

Kayla serves as the Batten School’s Senior Student Services Coordinator.

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. 

Navin is a results-driven professional with a robust background in marketing and fundraising. 

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.