Hollins University received two transformational gifts from alumna Jane Parke Batten ’58 to expand global study opportunities and strengthen its public health program.
The gifts will establish the Global Leaders Exchange with Lakeland University-Japan and Virginia Wesleyan University and develop an environmental public health pathway as part of Hollins’ fastest-growing program.
Six-figure annual commitments, along with planned future endowments, support Hollins’ strategic priorities by advancing high-demand academic pathways, sustainability-focused programs, and strengthening student recruitment efforts.
“Hollins inculcates a deep love of women’s education and leadership that stays with our graduates for a lifetime,” says Hollins University President Mary Dana Hinton. “Our alumnae/i live the transformational lives we seek to build on campus. Jane’s passion for women’s leadership, sustainability, and global problem-solving aligns with the needs of this generation and Hollins’ goals. She is a beautiful example of lifelong learning and engagement.”
Hollins requires all students to complete an experiential learning opportunity, such as study abroad, internships, or other learning experience outside the classroom. Batten’s gifts help fund these experiences and expand access for students with financial need.
“We’re committed to expanding high-impact learning opportunities for students,” explains Laura McLary, the Nora Kizer Bell Provost at Hollins. “Experiential learning is proven to improve outcomes for all students and particularly for students from historically marginalized backgrounds.”
Global Leaders Exchange
Batten’s gift establishes structured global study and leadership opportunities at the Jane P. Batten and David R. Black School for International Studies at Lakeland University-Japan, including a January Term (J-Term) course and semester-long study in Tokyo.
“This gift equips our students, faculty, and staff with the tools to build global knowledge and lead in an increasingly connected world,” Hinton adds.
Later this spring, a group of seven Hollins student ambassadors will attend a two-week program at Lakeland University-Japan to launch the new partnership. Hollins is recruiting the first Hollins cohort group for longer study abroad experiences in Tokyo, which will be fully funded by the Batten gift.
“In alignment with our Transforming Learning, Transforming Lives: The Levavi Oculos Strategic Plan, this opportunity expands access in a meaningful way,” Hinton adds. “It opens the world to our students, especially those who might not otherwise be able to study abroad.”
Semester programs at Lakeland University-Japan will focus on sustainable development and English as a second language. Hollins also plans to connect its business program to the Exchange to provide international experience for business majors.
The Exchange will also introduce a faculty-led, Batten-funded global experience beginning in January 2027 through the J-Term course, Conflict and Collaboration, designed specifically for first-year students.
“Through the Exchange, we can offer a more international focus to our J-Term class on ways that we work, collaborate, and resolve conflicts together in a different cultural context,” explains McLary, who is overseeing Hollins’ participation in the tri-university program.
The Exchange also includes a summer women’s leadership summit hosted by Hollins’ Batten Leadership Institute (BLI), bringing together students from Hollins, Lakeland University-Japan, and Virginia Wesleyan University.
Environmental Public Health Pathway
Batten’s gift also includes annual funding to establish an endowment supporting an environmental public health pathway within the public health major.
The investment supports a new faculty position, paid internships and co-ops, global partnerships, and rural learning opportunities in Appalachia.
“This allows us to build on a growing program,” says McLary, of the public health major, launched six years ago and now Hollins’ fastest-growing major. “The funding will expand opportunities that help students land placements in graduate study and careers in public health after completing their public health degree at Hollins.”
Jane Parke Batten ‘58, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, has supported higher education through decades of philanthropy.