Meet the Team

Public Service Pathways Planning Team

  • Louis Nelson, Vice Provost for Academic Outreach; Professor, Architectural History
  • Dreama Johnson, Inaugural Director, Public Service Pathways Program
  • Rose Cole, Director of Community Engagement, Madison House
  • Ellen Blackmon, Senior Academic Program Officer, Office for Academic Outreach
  • Stefanie Georgakis Abbott, Director of Programs, Karsh Institute of Democracy
  • Michelle Ball, Director of Career Communities, Career Center, Division of Student Affairs
  • Liz Sprouse, Director of Alumni Career Services, UVA Alumni Association
  • Eric Hunter, Associate Director of Alumni Career Services, UVA Alumni Association
  • DeVon Wade, Community Partnerships Program Manager, The Equity Center
  • VACANT, Program Coordinator, Student Engagement, Division of Student Affairs
  • Janie Nowicki, Administrative and Operations Generalist, Public Service Pathways Program
  • Beejal Ved, Graduate Assistant for Public Service Pathways; Graduate Student, Batten School
  • Jo DiGennaro, Pre-Doctoral Fellow, Madison House
Public Service Pathways Student Advisory Council

Makana Brooks (SEHD '24) is a fourth year student double majoring in history and Youth and Social Innovation. Her time at UVA has demonstrated a commitment to student self-governance, through such roles as Representative for the Student Council and University Judiciary Committee and Recruitment Co-Chair for the University Guide Service. Other involvements include environmental advocacy through DivestUVA, international and cultural exchange through VISAS and the Shea Language Community, and undergraduate research in the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. For fun, Makana loves to read novels, write, play instruments and learn languages. 

Emily Hall (EHD ‘26) is a second-year student majoring in Kinesiology in the School of Education and Human Development. Emily spent her time in high school in various drama programs, volunteering with a free school-lunch program, and working to start and build up a club focused on donating knit and crochet items. At UVA, she has been part of the Warming-Up America club, crocheting squares for blankets the club donates, and the Washington Literary Society and Debating Union, serving on the society's Archive Committee in the spring of '23. Emily loves animals and enjoys reading, writing, and baking in her free time. She is super excited to continue in the Public Service Pathways program and looks forward to her work with the Student Advisory Council and this year's students. 

Zachary Harris (BATTEN ‘24) is an incoming fourth-year student majoring in Public Policy & Leadership at the Batten school with a minor in Economics. Zachary has been involved in public service for much of his life and particularly his college career. Most notably, he became the Head Program Director for Animals and Environmental Services at Madison House and a Research Assistant for the Public Engagement in Governance, Looking, Listening & Learning Lab (PEGLLLLab), a public policy lab that organizes community summits to gauge policy equity on a variety of issues. He’s super excited for the year ahead and the opportunity to create pathways for more students to get involved! 

Sarah Kirk (SEAS ‘25) is a third year Systems Engineering student with a minor in the Batten School of Public Policy. Throughout her time at UVA, she has engaged with volunteer activity at the Charlottesville Animal Shelter, Camp Holiday Trails, the Charlottesville Children's Museum, and through her work on the Student Council Sustainability Agency. This past fall, Sarah worked as an intern for a House of Representatives candidate in Colorado, conducting research and reaching out to constituents. Currently, Sarah is serving as the Vice President in charge of public service for Trigon Engineering Society and is looking forwards to serving on the Public Service Pathways’ Student Advisory Council. In her free time, Sarah can be found reading, exploring Grounds, and meeting up with friends. 

Anthony (AJ) Laurienti (CLAS ‘25) is a third-year majoring in Foreign Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies. In the Charlottesville community, AJ enjoys volunteering with VISAS, a language and cultural exchange program for international students. He also works on the Global Inquirer, UVA's politics and foreign affairs podcast. Beyond UVA, AJ has worked in multiple public service-oriented positions, including with the US State Department. In his free time, AJ loves to travel, go for long runs, and catch up with friends over coffee.  

Anthony Madorma (BATTEN ‘25) is a third-year student majoring in Economics and pursuing his Master’s in Public Policy. Since arriving at UVA, Anthony has had the pleasure of engaging in a variety of public service contexts, including the Charlottesville Burley Restoration Project, the VISAS program, and Gallastar Farms through Madison House. Last summer, Anthony was a research intern at the International Association of Fire Fighters, where he worked to establish Fire and EMS apprenticeships within different communities. Currently, Anthony is excited to intern with Public Service Pathways this summer, designing “Connect” events and welcoming new students to the program. In his free time, Anthony enjoys expanding his plant and vinyl collection, along with spending time with his friends and German shepherd, Bella. 

Dante Massimo (COMM ‘24) is a fourth year majoring in Commerce with concentrations in Finance and Information Technology with a track in Business Analytics. Currently, he serves as Social Chair for Class Council and as Head Program Director of Athletics at Madison House. In his free time, Dante enjoys playing soccer, reading, and spending time with friends and family. 

Kaylah Muhammad (EHD '24) is a fourth-year majoring in Youth & Social Innovation. This past summer, she interned at H&R Block as a People & Culture Rotational Intern, where she got to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiatives. While in Charlottesville, she loves to volunteer weekly at the City of Promise and Jackson-Via Elementary. Through the School of Education and Human Development, she works as a Research Assistant for the SLIP Project and as Hoo2Hoo Peer Mentor. Her professional interests lie in instructional design and curriculum development, and in her free time, she loves to scrapbook! 

Sally Park (BATTEN ‘25) is a third-year student double majoring in Public Policy and Leadership and Psychology. At UVA, Sally has been involved with public service through NAMI on Grounds, a CIO dedicated to mental health advocacy. She is passionate about mental health, and hopes to promote wellbeing through public service at UVA. Currently, she is the Co-Advocacy Chair for NAMI on Grounds, a research assistant for the Emotion and Behavior Lab, and was an Ed Policy Associate for the RULER Evaluation project. In her free time, Sally enjoys taking care of her plants, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and cat.  

Benjamin Raffier (CLAS ‘24) is a fourth-year double majoring in Politics and Global Development Studies. Ben has been involved in numerous activities in the UVA and Charlottesville communities, including as an intern for the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, a member of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, and a volunteer on a local political campaign. He also is a senior editor and staff writer for the Virginia Review of Politics, a student-run political publication. Ben is excited to be working with the Public Service Pathways’ Student Advisory Council and supporting public service experiences at UVA. 

Derek Sprincis (SEAS '24) is a fourth-year student studying civil engineering and systems engineering, with a policy minor. Derek serves as Resident Advisor for 1st years and as a cadet in UVA's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) unit. Off grounds, he has completed internships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Ocean Service. Derek looks forward to helping his fellow wahoos connect to public service opportunities (especially opportunities related to STEM), while further honing his own advising skills. 

Gracie Spurney (EHD ’24) is a fourth year student studying Youth and Social Innovation and minoring in Biology. Gracie has engaged in many volunteer experiences throughout her life including tutoring students throughout high school, working with students with special needs in high school and with Autism Allies at UVA and volunteering at the Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy outpatient Pediatric Center here at UVA Health. This past year Gracie has done clinical research in the Pediatric Nephrology Department at UVA and continued research in Pediatric Neurology this past summer at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. Gracie also loves photography and participated in a fellowship program called Drawing in Medicine where she and undergraduates from throughout the country learned to draw different medical procedures to help improve patient health literacy. Outside of school Gracie can be seen taking photos of anything and everything, hiking or walking with friends, listening to new music and running around Grounds.  

Advisory Board
 
  • Lyndsay Alexander, Managing Director; Contemplative Sciences Center
  • Andrus Ashoo, Director; Office of Citizen Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research
  • Michelle Ball, Director of Career Communities; Education & Youth Development and Healthcare Communities, UVA Career Center
  • April Ballard, Associate Director of Program Development; Center for Global Health Equity
  • Megan Barnett, Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives; Office of the EVPP
  • Rose Cole, Director of Community Engagement; Madison House
  • Ellen Cook, Director of Student Development; Athletics Department
  • Katie Densberger, Director of Academic Student Support; Total Advising
  • Sarah Dodge, Assistant Director; Orientation & New Student Programs
  • Bevin Etienne, Assistant Professor of Commerce; McIntire Commerce School
  • Funlola Fagbohun, Assistant Director; Orientation & New Student Programs
  • Mary Gentile, Creator/Director, Giving Voice To Values; Professor; Darden Business School
  • Stefanie Georgakis Abbott, Director of Programming; Karsh Institute for Democracy
  • Vicki Gist, Associate Dean of Students and Director; Multicultural Student Services
  • Eric Hunter, Associate Director, Alumni Career Services; Alumni Association
  • David Leblang, Henry J Taylor & Mrs Marion R Taylor Prof of Politics; Politics Department and Batten School; Director, Global Policy Center
  • David (Dave) Marquis, Director; Student Engagement
  • Paul Martin, Associate Professor of Public Policy; Batten
  • Angel Parham, Associate Professor of Sociology; College
  • Margot Rogers, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives; Office of the President
  • Josipa Roksa, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Sociology and Education; Office of the EVPP
  • Noah Salomon, Research Chair and Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of Undergraduate Program; College
  • Jeffrey C. Smith, II, Assistant Dean; Office of African-American Affairs
  • Michael J. Smith, Thomas C. Sorenson Professor of Political and Social Thought and Associate Professor of Politics; College
  • Liz Sprouse, Director; Alumni Association
  • Andrea Trimble, Sustainability Director; Office for Sustainability
  • DeVon Wade, Community Partnerships Program Manager; Equity Center
  • Rachel Wahl, Associate Professor of Education; School of Education and Human Development 
Public Health Advisory Committee
  • Michelle Ball, Director of Career Communities; Education & Youth Development and Healthcare Communities, UVA Career Center
  • Ruth Bernheim, William Hobson Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences, Director of the Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life; School of Medicine
  • Chris Holstege, Professor; Emergency Medicine School of Medicine
  • Kelsie Kelly, Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences, Associate Dean of African American Affairs; School of Medicine, Office of African American Affairs
  • Mohan Nadkarni, Professor of Medicine, David A. Harrison Distinguished Educator; School of Medicine
  • Aaron Pannone, Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences; School of Medicine
  • Jamie Zoellner, Co-Program Lead for the Cancer Prevention and Population Health (CPH) program, Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences; School of Medicine
  • Michael D. Williams, Associate Professor of Surgery and Public Policy, Clinician Physician; School of Medicine, Batten
Global Sustainability Advisory Committee
  • Phoebe Crisman, Professor of Architecture, Director of Global Studies; Architecture, Global Studies
  • Howie Epstein, Professor of Environmental Sciences; College
  • Paul Freedman, Associate Professor of Politics; College
  • Cale Jaffe, Professor of Law; Director, Environmental Law and Community Engagement Clinic; Director, Program in Law, Communities and the Environment (PLACE); Law
  • Deborah Lawrence, Professor of Environmental Sciences; College
  • Karen McGlathery, Professor of Environmental Sciences, Director Environmental Resilience Institute; College
  • Mark A. White, Associate Professor of Commerce; Director, McIntire Business Institute; McIntire
  • Vacant, Assistant Director for Sustainability Career Community; Career Center - Student Affairs
  • Andrea Trimble, Sustainability Director; Office for Sustainability
  • Lela Garner, Sustainability Specialist - Outreach and Engagement; Office for Sustainability
Public Interest Technology Advisory Committee
  • Renée Cummings, Professor of Practice in Data Science, Data Activist in Residence, Criminologist; SDS
  • Jon Goodall, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Associate Director, Link Lab; SEAS
  • Jonathan Kropko, Assistant Professor of Data Science; Code for Charlottesville, Program Director, M.S. in Data Science Online; SDS
  • Reggie Leonard, Associate Director for Career Connections and Community Engagement; SDS
  • Garrick Louis, Associate Professor of Engineering Systems and Environment; Director of the Small Infrastructure and Development Center; SEAS
  • Hannah Pede, Assistant Director of Career and Professional Development; SDS
Justice Advisory Committee
  • Lawrie Balfour, Professor, Politics; College
  • Frank Dukes, Lecturer, Distinguished Institute Fellow; School of Architecture
  • Jennifer Givens, Professor of Law; Innocence Project; School of Law
  • Leah Gould, Director, Public Service Law Center; Assistant Dean for Public Service; School of Law
  • Sherica Jones-Lewis, Director of Community Research; Equity Center
  • Melvin Mallory, ADA Coordinator; Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights
  • Logan Reed, Assistant Director, Pre-Law Advisor/Career Counselor; Career Center - Student Affairs
  • Larry Rowley, Director of Strategic Initiatives; Equity Center
  • Sophie Trawalter, Associate Professor, Public Policy and Psychology; Batten
  • Brian Williams, Associate Professor, Public Policy; Batten
  • Tim Longo, Chief of Police; UPD 
Diplomacy and Security Advisory Committee
  • Colonel Jason Bell, Commander, Air Force; ROTC
  • Ashley Deeks, Professor of Scholarly Research in Law; Senior Fellow, Miller Center; School of Law
  • Jack Davidson, Professor of Computer Science; Director, Cyber Defense Program; SEAS 
  • Kristen Eichenesehr, Martha Lubin Karsh and Bruce A. Karsh Bicentennial Professor of Law; Director, National Security Law Center; School of Law
  • Kirsten Gelsdorf, Professor, Practice of Public Policy; Batten
  • Elizabeth Wall, Associate Director - Public Service and Government Career Community; UVA Career Center
  • Steve Mull, Vice Provost for Global Affairs; Provost
  • John Owen, Amb. Henry J. and Mrs. Marion R. Taylor Professor of Politics, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture and the Miller Center for Public Affairs; Politics
  • Phil Potter, Associate Professor; College, Batten
  • Don Brown, Founding Director of the Data Science Institute, the W.S. Calcott Professor in the Engineering Systems and Environment Department and Co-Director of the Translational Health Institute of Virginia; SEAS 
Public Arts Advisory Committee
  • Hannah Cattarin, Associate Curator; Fralin
  • Federico Cuatlacuatl, Assistant Professor, Studio Art; College
  • Jessica Harris, Arts Research Program Manager; Equity Center
  • Michelle Kisliuk, Associate Professor, Critical & Comparative Studies; College
  • Kate Melton, Associate Director for Creative Career Community; Career Center
  • Emma Terry, Programs and Comms Director; UVA Arts and Provost Office
Education Advisory Committee
  • Michelle Ball, Director of Career Communities; Education & Youth Development and Healthcare Communities, UVA Career Center
  • Bethany Bell, Chair, Department of Education Leadership, Foundations and Policy; Associate Professor; School of Education and Human Development
  • Jim Soland, Assistant Professor; School of Education and Human Development
  • Rachel Wahl, Associate Professor; School of Education and Human Development
  • Brad Wilcox, Professor of Sociology; College
  • Daniel Willingham, Professor of Psychology; College