Arianna White-Levatich
Arianna White-Levatich is a Research Consultant at Hanover Research, where she works on the K–12 education survey team. She leads the Climate & Culture national benchmarking survey and supports school districts in conducting custom research studies on topics such as staff retention, school climate, and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), as well as program evaluation and curriculum implementation. In addition to client-facing work, Arianna contributes to internal research methodology development and process improvement initiatives.
Her academic research centers on the intersection of achievement emotions and motivation in shaping student outcomes. Her doctoral dissertation explored how science achievement emotion profiles (and the transition between or stability in specific profiles over time) relate to students’ motivation, sense of belonging, and persistence in STEM fields.
Kendra Hall
Dr. Kendra Hall is a Lecturer in the EPPE program and a proud alumnus. She graduated from the EPPE program in 2024 and currently teaches courses such as Introduction to Statistics and Research Methods at Old Dominion University.
Her research focuses on motivation, with a particular emphasis on traditionally marginalized groups. She aims to reimage motivation theories to better reflect the lived experiences shaped by race, gender, and culture. She also brings a background in instructional design and adult education.
“When I’m not teaching or researching, I’m likely chasing after my toddler, hunting for the perfect iced latte, working out, or reading my newest Barnes & Noble find.”
Dr. Delaram Asadzadeh Totonchi
Delaram (Dela) Totonchi is a currently a Research Assistant Professor at the School of Education and Human Development, at the University of Virginia.
Her scholarship lies at the intersection of three main areas: (a) understanding how students’ motivation – their internal responses to the questions “Can I do this?” and “Do I want to do this?” – shapes their achievement behaviors, decisions, and outcomes; (b) examining the sociocultural and contextual factors that impact the academic success and well-being of students, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented groups; and (c) improving measurement practices in educational and social psychology.
In this work, she designs, implements, and evaluates interventions aimed at strengthening students’ motivation, especially in STEM disciplines where difficult gateway courses and pervasive stereotypes can undermine the motivation and achievement of marginalized students.”
