Dylan Nicholls joined the UVA Batten School’s National Security Policy Center at the start of 2025, bringing years of experience from a wide variety of communications roles. He began his career as a member of the media, becoming news director of the Shenandoah Valley’s The River 95.3 radio station soon after his graduation from James Madison University in 2017. He later went on to work as a producer and reporter for the national politics podcast The Purple Principle, interviewing current and former politicians including Sen. Doug Jones, Sen. Bob Corker, and Rep. Will Hurd on policy issues feeding polarization and creating gridlock in our modern political system. Dylan transitioned to the world of nonprofit communications in 2023 and has worked within two refugee resettlement agencies since then, including the International Rescue Committee in Charlottesville. His experience in media relations and internationally focused communications make him a pivotal member of both the National Security Policy Center and the National Security Data and Policy Institute.