Tyler Chandler is a Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks, a joint collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is currently involved in projects related to understanding the impacts teacher working conditions have on student outcomes, the impact of the pandemic on student achievement, and teacher retention trends. Before joining EdPolicyWorks, Tyler spent a year working for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy developing an educational workshop series designed to inform Eastern Shore residents about the impact’s climate change will have on their communities. During his master’s program, Tyler partnered with Richmond Public Schools on an applied policy project to canvas existing low-cost STEM programs and curricula that could be used to transform a city middle school into a STEM academy in an equitable manner. He earned his MPP from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and his BA in Government from the University of Virginia.

Catalina Perez has been an active member of the Batten community for the past 3 years. Originally part of the Class of 2020 Bachelor's of Public Policy, she decided to make the switch to the Master's of Public Policy Class of 2021 program party because of her great interest in public policy but also because of her love of the Batten School. Former Women in Policy President and Batten Pillar Project founder, she pursues her future career in Law as a W&L law student, she still hopes to give back to the Batten school through BAAB in serving current Batten students and alumni.

Lauren Russell is currently a member of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Master of Public Health (MPH) class of 2022. In addition to her current role as a full-time student, Lauren serves on the Hopkins Student Outreach Resource Center (SOURCE) Student Governing Board, and she works part-time as a research assistant and teaching assistant at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to returning to school, Lauren worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New England Healthcare System. She began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow, then co-developed and co-led a multi-site health-related social needs screening and referral program known as the Assessing Circumstances & Offering Resources for Needs (ACORN) initiative. Outside of work, Lauren enjoyed serving as the Sports Chair for the UVA Club of Boston and as a mentor for four years with Minds Matter – Boston, an organization which “connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world.” Her experiences at the VA and with Minds Matter – Boston fueled her interest in and commitment to developing programs and policies that promote health equity and led her to pursue an MPH. Lauren earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Linguistics and Philology and Interdisciplinary Global Studies – Public Health at the University of Virginia.

Sarah Alexander is the Energy and Coastal Policy Advisor to Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. of Louisiana. Previously, Sarah served as a Professional Staff Member for the House Energy and Commerce Committee supporting the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee and the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee. Prior to the Hill, Sarah worked as a Director at Mindset, a bipartisan advocacy and advisory firm in Washington, DC. Sarah joined the BAAB in 2021 to reengage with the Batten School and strengthen the connection between Batten alumni and current Batten students. She strongly believes in the importance of career support, alumni networking, and philanthropic endeavors and is thrilled to serve as Vice Chair this year. Sarah graduated from UVA in 2019 with a BA in Public Policy and Leadership from Batten and a minor in French. While at UVA, Sarah danced as a professional trainee with the Charlottesville Ballet, and she still takes ballet classes several days per week with the Washington Ballet. 

Daniel Sater (MPP ‘12) is a higher education policy analyst for the University of North Carolina System Office. He previously served as a senior fiscal analyst in the non-partisan Fiscal Research Division of the North Carolina General Assembly. As a board member he plans to focus on developing networks to provide job opportunities to current students and alumni. He was the first Batten alum hired by his current and previous employers and has helped multiple Batten alums launch their careers in North Carolina.