Batten-affiliated Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt has been appointed Senior Associate Dean and Global Chief Diversity Officer for the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. At the Batten School, Thomas-Hunt teaches courses in teamwork, conflict management and negotiation. Her current research centers on the contribution of expertise within diverse groups, the effects of status and power on negotiation processes and factors that impact women’s advancement in workplaces.

In her new position, Thomas-Hunt will work with the leadership of the Darden School to encourage diversity, foster communication and increase engagement. Like the Batten School, the Darden School has a global focus that encourages dialogue and exchange. Thomas-Hunt’s passion for diversity and global education make her a perfect fit for the role.

Thomas-Hunt holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and she earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University in chemical engineering. Before enrolling in graduate school, she served as an account marketing representative for IBM. Over her distinguished career she has developed and fostered a passion for diversity and women’s rights in the workplace. She is widely published and is an active contributor to Leanin.com.