Our Team
Akilah Williams
Executive Assistant
Akilah Williams is an executive operations professional with over 15 years of experience supporting C-suite leaders through strategic administrative excellence, organizational stewardship, and trusted partnership. She has built her career at the intersection of operational rigor and human-centered leadership; serving as both Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff, helping to manage priorities, shape culture, protect executive time, and move vision into action.
For the past 11 years, Akilah has deepened this work at a company grounded in Self Determination Theory (SDT) a psychology framework centered on intrinsic motivation, autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Her time there has not only refined her skills in executive support but also shaped her commitment to equity driven leadership and the belief that workplaces thrive when people feel seen, supported, and connected.
Akilah earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Biology from Spelman College, a formative experience that fueled her interest in human behavior and systems-level impact.
Outside of work, Akilah is a proud wife and mom who loves exploring the world with her family. She and her husband co own an athletic training facility for kids & adults in the college community where they met—an intentional investment in the next generation of athletes and leaders. A self-proclaimed travel junkie and spa enthusiast, she makes it a mission to try traditional spa treatments in every country she visits. When she’s not planning trips, she’s often designing homes or hosting events—unofficially serving as the go-to interior designer and party planner for her friends and family.
Antoinette N. Magee
Relationship Manager
Antoinette N. Magee is a Relationship Manager at Motivate Lab. Her career spans over 15 years in education, nonprofit leadership, and equity-centered program development and design, with a focus on improving outcomes for historically underresourced communities.
Antoinette’s work is grounded in the belief that education is the great equalizer and that quality education should be accessible for all. Her leadership has resulted in the launch of statewide and regional initiatives, including growing partnerships with the California College Guidance Initiative, and the expansion of K-12 and higher education partnerships across the western U.S. with the Buck Institute for Education. She brings a deep commitment to ensuring all students, especially students furthest from opportunity, have access to quality education ultimately leading to successful college and/or career pathways.
Antoinette holds a Master’s in Counseling from the University of Texas, a Master’s in Multi-Cultural Education from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a B.A. in Political Science from San Francisco State University, where she was a Presidential Scholar and the keynote student speaker at her graduation.
BĂ©la Kuhns
Design Analyst
BĂ©la Kuhns is a Design Analyst at Motivate Lab. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2018 with a BFA in Graphic Design. While at UF, she began designing materials for Frank, a public interest communications conference, which introduced her to activists and advocates for equity as well as the impact good design can have on the outcome of a mission. She then entered the non-profit world as a video producer for the Institute for Humane Studies, translating faculty research into easy to understand micro-documentaries. Her proximity to faculty in that role inspired her to begin teaching design and video production courses at a technical college, Los Angeles Film School, with the hope of empowering budding creatives from all backgrounds and fostering a more inclusive creative community.
Chris Hulleman, Ph.D.
Director, Professor
Chris S. Hulleman is a professor of education and public policy at the University of Virginia. He is also the founder and director of the Motivate Lab, which collaborates with educational practitioners to help ameliorate systemic racism and inequality. His team develops and tests changes in educational practice that support the motivation of students from historically marginalized backgrounds in education. He received his BA from Central College (Iowa) in 1993 and his PhD in social and personality psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2007. Prior to his career in psychology, he spent six years as a teacher, coach, and social worker. Chris is a second generation educator whose grandparents were tenant farmers in Iowa and Nebraska. He tries to emulate their hard work and persistence in the pursuit of social justice. One of his favorite childhood memories is eating his paternal grandmother’s homemade fruit pies with plenty of ice cream.
Claudia Sutter, Ph.D.
Research Fellow
Claudia C. Sutter is the Director of Research at CourseKata and a Research Fellow at Motivate Lab. Her research interests include understanding (a) what drives students to learn and engage within the educational setting, (b) how students’ motivation affects their learning behaviors and outcomes, and (c) how educational environments shape students’ opportunities to reach their full potential.
Coming from a family of teachers, Claudia fully understands the critical role educators play in shaping students’ motivation. She also knows that teachers are invaluable sources for maximizing the potential of educational practice, and seeks to build the bridge between research and practice. Claudia’s experience both as a student and an educator in two different countries – Switzerland and the US – helps her appreciate different contexts and understand how systems can cultivate and promote a more equitable learning environment that supports student motivation.
Claudia earned her Bachelor and Master of Science in Education as well as her Ph.D. in Educational Science from the University of Bern in Switzerland.
Delaram Totonchi, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Research Assistant Professor
Delaram (Dela) Totonchi is a Research Scientist at Motivate Lab and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia, with a background in educational and social psychology. Her scholarship reflects an intersection of three main interests: (a) understanding how students’ motivational beliefs affect their achievement and persistence, particularly in STEM disciplines; (b) examining the socio-cultural and contextual factors that impact students’ motivation, academic success, and their well-being; and, (c) improving measurement practices in educational and social psychology. In her current role, Dela supports Motivate Lab’s efforts to design, implement, and evaluate motivational interventions aimed to promote student success. Dela earned her B.S. in Psychology from Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran, Iran. Upon moving to the U.S., she attained her M.S. in Experimental Psychology and her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Program Evaluation from Old Dominion University.
Donald Kamentz
Consultant
Donald Kamentz is a skilled facilitator and education consultant utilizing his diverse experiences in both non-profit management and K-12 education to help organizations best serve all student populations. As the Founder and CEO of the Contigo Ed, he brings his over 25+ years of diverse experiences and passion of working in the postsecondary access and success arenas to help ensure all students, regardless of their backgrounds and the schools they attend, are advised by highly-trained, skilled, and effective educators committed to helping them thrive and reach their fullest potential. Prior to this role, he served as Executive Director of Character Lab, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of character development. Before Character Lab, Donald spent 16 years, lastly as Managing Director of College and Career Initiatives, at YES Prep Public Schools, a public charter school system in Houston, Texas. Under his leadership, he created a college access program recognized nationally as a model for supporting first-generation, low-income students to and through college. Prior to joining YES Prep, Donald spent five years with Teach For America in a variety of roles, most recently as the Executive Director for Institute Operations.
Donald earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science, with a minor in international affairs-Latin American Studies, from The George Washington University. He is a Cambiar Education Fellow, a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Dustin Thoman, Ph.D.
California Research Director
Dustin Thoman is the California Research Director at the Motivate Lab and a Professor of Psychology and member of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at San Diego State University. His research focuses on how and why people develop interest and sustain motivation for specific academic domains, careers, and other lifelong pursuits. He studies how motivation can be supported or disrupted by the social and cultural contexts in which interests are sparked, developed, and ultimately integrated (or not) with one’s identity. He utilizes insights from motivation science to broaden participation in STEM by identifying and removing institutional and social-contextual barriers that impede the development of educational and career interests for students from stigmatized and historically underrepresented backgrounds. Â
Dustin earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Utah in 2008 and B.S. in Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University in 2002.
Emma Huelskoetter
Consultant
Emma Huelskoetter (pronounced “HULL-sketter”) works in the Office of Student Access & Success at the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and previously managed 2 collaborative projects between TBR and Motivate Lab. Emma earned her B.A. in English from Davidson College in 2014 and her Master of Public Policy from Vanderbilt University in 2020, where she specialized in Higher Education Policy.Â
Jamie DeCoster
Assistant Professor
Dr. Jamie DeCoster has 20 years of experience working as a statistician and methodologist. He has consulted and collaborated with researchers from many different fields, providing him with a broad range of statistical and methodological experiences. He has been a co-investigator on 19 grants from the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and several private foundations. Dr. DeCoster has taught courses and workshops on a wide range of statistical topics. He has worked as a statistical consultant since 1996, both in person and online through his own free Internet statistical consulting service.
Josh Davis
Research Coordinator
Josh Davis is a Research Coordinator at Motivate Lab. Growing up in a small town, he developed a passion for the importance of community and belonging when he found a home as a band nerd in High School. However, it was not until college that he realized that these feelings of community and belonging were not as easily accessible for everyone. So, he has since focused his efforts towards improving the social and educational outcomes of those marginalized voices. In lab, he works towards these goals through his involvement in improving the learning mindsets of community college students and assisting academic counselors with the student transition to post-secondary spaces.
Josh earned B.A. degrees in Psychology and Cognitive Science (Neuro) from the University of Virginia (’20). When he isn’t researching mindsets and motivation, Josh enjoys snowboarding, watching the Green Bay Packers, and ordering chipotle bowls.
Kenn Barron
Director of Professional Learning
Director of Professional LearningKenn Barron is the Director of Professional Learning at Motivate Lab and an Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Former Director of the Motivation Research Institute at James Madison University. His research focuses on motivation and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and has appeared in the Journal of Educational Psychology, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Educational Psychologist, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Teaching of Psychology, Journal of Excellence in College Teaching, and New Directions for Teaching and Learning. Kenn has been teaching in higher education for over 30 years and is passionate about creating and participating in spaces where we can learn with and from each other to improve our teaching. Throughout his career, he has received numerous teaching, research, service, and advising awards. For example, in 2012, he was named both a fellow of the American Psychological Association and one of Princeton Review’s Top 300 professors in America. Finally, Kenn’s father was the first member of either side of his family to go to college. So, knowing how education changed the trajectory of his family, Kenn feels compelled to pay it forward by providing similar support and encouragement to the students he works with, especially first-generation students.
Mandy Roy
Design & Communications Associate
Mandy Roy is an educator at heart, bringing a practitioner’s perspective to Motivate Lab. Her experience in the classroom opened her eyes to the inequities embedded in the education system and ignited her passion for creating inclusive and equitable learning environments. Mandy served as a DEI representative for her school district, working alongside colleagues to develop cultural competence, identify and challenge systemic biases, and create an overall sense of belonging for all learners. As a Curriculum Fellow for her district, she designed inclusive educational experiences supported by research-based instructional strategies. Mandy combines her experience in curriculum design and artistic background to design engaging educational content and learning experiences at Motivate Lab.
Mandy earned her B.A. in Elementary Education with a co-major in English Literature & Creative Writing from Hofstra University, and her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of St. Joseph.
As a native New Englander, Mandy can be found hiking or camping in the spring and fall, snowboarding and skating in the winter, and kayaking or reading at the beach throughout the summer.
Matt Best
Research, Operations, and Business Development Manager
Matt Best is a research, operations, and business development manager for Motivate Lab, where his work focuses on project management, data, organizational and people processes, and building partnerships. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from James Madison University, where he completed an Honors thesis on the relationships between motivation and performance in a sample of 5,000 elite youth soccer players. He has worked in the fields of motivation and education science for a decade across three continents, including a partnership with the World Bank and the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso’s Department of Education.
Cultivating authentic, lasting connections with people throughout the world is central to Matt’s life. A quote that encapsulates one of his values is: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” He has traveled (and couchsurfed) in various countries in Europe and the Americas, where he has spoken about his work and built relationships with various sport and educational psychologists and behavioral scientists. He is a fluent speaker of Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
Michelle Francis
Data Science Consultant
Michelle Francis is a data science consultant at Motivate Lab. She is interested in harnessing motivation to advance equity in education, developing practical measures, and translating research and statistical findings for various audiences.Â
With nearly a decade of experience in education research, Michelle understands the importance of disaggregating data to identify where educational inequities occur and evaluating whether past and current interventions are effectively addressing them. Working across multiple research initiatives, she applies rigorous analytical methods to generate actionable insights for researchers, practitioners, and communities alike.
Michelle earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2015 and her M.A. in Experimental Psychology from Wake Forest University in 2017. Outside of work, Michelle enjoys reading, hiking, crafting, and exploring Charlottesville’s restaurants, although she would tell you that the activity itself matters far less than the people she’s sharing it with.
Monique Calderon Dotson
Postsecondary Pathways Director
Monique Calderon Dotson is a first-generation college graduate originally from the Coachella Valley in Southern California. This experience drives her passion for fostering equitable postsecondary outcomes for students from traditionally marginalized populations. Monique’s career as an educator and postsecondary access practitioner has spanned a variety of settings including traditional K-12 school districts, public charter systems, and education non-profits. Monique is particularly fascinated by crafting resources and tools for the postsecondary advising space that center student purpose, values, identity and agency. She comes to Motivate Lab with a strong background in instruction and curriculum development; college advising; relationship management; program strategy; and coaching and developing others. Monique earned her B.A. in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2003 and her Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2008.
Teresa Hulleman
Project & Data Manager
Teresa Hulleman is a Project Manager & Data Manager at Motivate Lab. She is a former middle school, high school social studies teacher, college basketball coach, and college access counselor. As a first-generation student from the farm fields of Iowa, she remembers thinking she wanted to be anything but a stay-at-home parent. Five children in seven years made her reevaluate and she was fortunate enough to spend several years raising children full time. Experiencing the public education system as a parent in four different states, she is acutely aware of the inequities of education based on zip code. She is passionate about figuring out how to transform the educational system to serve all students in ways that empower and honor the communities in which they reside.
She has spent over a decade involved in all aspects of educational research, including translating motivation interventions into teaching materials. In her free time she enjoys reading, traveling, eating delicious food, and spending time with family.
Terra Browne
Senior Project Manager
Terra Browne is passionate about equipping historically marginalized students with the knowledge and resources needed to access, navigate, and persist in higher education. She ultimately seeks to dismantle inequities in our education system and influence system change. Terra served in training and supporting teachers at OneGoal – Houston before joining the Motivate Lab team as an Associate Project Manager. Her career began through her affiliation with the College Advising Corps, where she worked to increase the number of first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students who apply to, enter, and complete college.
Terra is a first-generation college graduate who earned her B.A. in Psychology and M.S. in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University in 2011 and 2015.
Family and community are strong values of Terra. When she is not advocating for students, you can find her researching her lineage, doing yoga, crocheting, and making memories with her husband and two girls.
Yoi Tibbetts, Ph.D.
Research Director, Associate Professor
Yoi Tibbetts, Ph.D., is the Research Director at the Motivate Lab and an associate professor of education at the University of Virginia. He researches motivation and achievement with a focus on changing institutional structures to better support students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds excel in higher education. In addition to implementing student-centered interventions designed to address issues related to inequity in education, Dr. Tibbetts has a distinct focus on leveraging research to create more motivationally supportive learning contexts, particularly for students from historically disenfranchised backgrounds.
He earned his Ph.D. in experimental social psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017 and his B.A. from Swarthmore College in 2009.
Zachary Himmelberger, Ph.D.
Lead Data Science Manager
Zachary Himmelberger, Ph.D., is the Lead Data Science Manager at Motivate Lab. He has experience developing statistical models in a wide range of educational and psychological settings. His research interests include cognition in people with Down syndrome and how neurotypical individuals can create more equitable social environments for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He earned his MA and PhD in cognitive psychology and developmental science from The University of Alabama and his BA in psychology from Rivier College. When not steeped in data, Zach can be found hiking in the Great Smokey Mountains, playing chess, or looking for the perfect meal.
