Faculty & Staff Directory

Lucy Bassett

Lucy
Bassett

Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy; Co-Director, UVA Humanitarian Collaborative
Garrett Hall L032

Lucy Bassett is an associate professor of practice of public policy at the Batten School and an expert in children, caregivers, and communities in humanitarian and development contexts. Over her 15 year career, Bassett has worked with governments in low- and middle-income countries to expand access to quality education, nutrition and social protection services, particularly for poor and marginalized children and families.

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Brian Ford

Brian
Ford

Senior HR Business Partner

As an HR leader with 20 years experience, Brian Ford currently is the Sr. HR Partner for the Batten School and McIntire School of Commerce. Prior to UVA, he led the Employee Experience function for the eastern US region at VMLY&R. In this capacity, he and his team drive culture, talent management and the overall employee experience for offices such as New York, Atlanta & Miami. Prior to VMLY&R, Brian was Chief People Officer at Fusion Media Group and had sr. leadership roles at Ogilvy, LG Electronics and Mercedes-Benz USA.

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Kirsten Gelsdorf

Kirsten
Gelsdorf

Professor of Practice of Public Policy; Director of Global Humanitarian Policy
Garrett Hall 103

Kirsten Gelsdorf is a professor of practice of public policy at the Batten School and the Director of Global Humanitarian Policy. Gelsdorf has 19 years of experience working in the humanitarian sector, most recently serving as the Chief of the Policy Analysis and Innovation section at the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

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David Leblang

David
Leblang

Ambassador Henry J. Taylor and Mrs. Marion R. Taylor Endowed Professor of Politics and Public Policy

David Leblang is a professor of public policy at the Batten School, the Ambassador Henry J. Taylor and Mrs Marion R. Taylor Endowed Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, and the Randolph Compton Professor of Public Affairs at UVA's Miller Center. Leblang is a scholar of political economy with research interests in global migration and in the politics of financial markets.

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Craig Lindqvist

Craig
Lindqvist

Associate Dean for Administration
(434) 243-7528

Craig Lindqvist serves as the Associate Dean for Administration at the Batten School where he oversees the school's business affairs, planning, finances, personnel, technology, facilities, and other non-academic functions.

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Naseemah Mohamed

Naseemah
Mohamed

Postdoctoral Research Associate, UVA Humanitarian Collaborative
Minor Hall 227D

Naseemah Mohamed is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the UVA Humanitarian Collaborative at the University of Virginia. Her research is focused on the relationships amongst education, media, race, global politics, and violence in decolonial movements in Southern Africa in the 20th century. 

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Jill Rockwell

Jill
Rockwell

Senior Assistant Dean for Student and Career Services

Jill oversees the administrative units of student affairs, and career services, working with the other members of the student services team to strengthen students’ co-curricular and career-related experiences at the Batten School.

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Lauren Shepherd

Lauren
Shepherd

Chief of Staff to the Dean

Lauren Shepherd joined Batten in 2022, coming from Teach For America where she served as Managing Director, Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Executive Director Learning. Prior to that, she served as the Chief of Staff to the TFA Bay Area Executive Director and as Managing Director of Teacher Onboarding Strategy. Originally trained as a journalist, she has professional experience as a writer and reporter as well as many years involved in strategic and operational planning, project management, partnerships, and talent development. 

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Logan
Stundal

Postdoctoral Research Associate, UVA Humanitarian Collaborative

Logan Stundal is a postdoctoral research fellow at the UVA Humanitarian Collaborative at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on political violence, armed conflict, and the intersection of public health and conflict including the spread of disease in war zones.

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