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. 

George Hadijski is the Senior Program Associate at the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), a joint partnership between the Batten School and Vanderbilt University. He is responsible for increasing the use of CEL’s research by lawmakers, their staffs, and their influencers. 

Alec Davis is the Lab Manager for the Culture, History, Identity, and Policy Lab and the Social Motivation Lab in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

Originally from Southern California, Admissions Coordinator Estrella Burks-Parra is a 2023 graduate of Washington and Lee University. 

Maura Austin is a postdoctoral researcher at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She studies person perception, motivation, social judgment and decision making, and moral character judgment. 

Mark Nelson is an advancement associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Jeffrey Whelchel holds the position of IT Coordinator at Batten, where he oversees information technology operations.

Dakota Workman is a dedicated professional serving as the Events and Operations Coordinator at the Batten School, leveraging his expertise in daily operations and event management.