Serving the Greater Good: Discussion w/ Dean Solomon (in person or virtual)

Now in its 15th year, UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy remains the only school in the world with a founding mandate that prioritizes the study of leadership within public policy and public policy within leadership. During this period of profound social turbulence and burgeoning threats to our democracy, there is a path to cultivate leadership to serve the greater good. Join Batten School Dean Ian Solomon for a discussion about the unique approaches utilized at the Batten School when preparing students for a future of public policy and leadership.

Speaker Biography

Ian H. Solomon, Dean and Professor of Practice, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Ian H. Solomon is Dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He leads a multidisciplinary faculty of scholars and practitioners committed to creating new knowledge, developing ethical and effective leaders, and advancing solutions to humanity’s most significant policy challenges.

Trained as a lawyer, Solomon is a devoted student and teacher of negotiation and conflict resolution. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to improving people’s lives across the globe by integrating insights from his experiences in higher education, government, the private sector, and international organizations.

Solomon served in the U.S. Senate for four years as legislative counsel to then-Senator Barack Obama. Later, under the Obama administration, he was confirmed unanimously by Congress as the U.S. executive director for the World Bank Group. He championed private-sector development in Africa and negotiated a range of multi-stakeholder agreements. Solomon has also been a consultant with Mckinsey & Company, an associate dean and visiting lecturer at Yale Law School, and a vice president and lecturer in law at the University of Chicago. Before joining the Batten School, he led his international consulting practice focused on conflict and collaboration. Now, as the Dean of Batten, he aims to cultivate the kind of effective leadership the world needs: curious, evidence-based, empathetic, and equipped to serve our diverse and rapidly changing world.

Originally from New York City, Solomon earned his BA from Harvard University and his JD from Yale Law School. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has traveled and worked extensively in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Today, he lives with his family on the Grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.