Kevin Robert White

Kevin Robert White is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at East Carolina University, within the College of Health and Human Performance. His academic career builds upon over thirteen years of direct practice experience as a child welfare caseworker and school social worker, which directly informs his research focus on improving outcomes for at-risk youth and families.

Dr. White earned his educational credentials from prestigious institutions:

• B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
• M.S.W. in Social Work from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
• Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
• M.S. in Data Science from Eastern University

Dr. White's research program centers on understanding and improving safety, permanency, and well-being for at-risk youth and families within the child welfare system. His work particularly addresses evidence-based solutions for youth adopted from foster care, examining post-adoption outcomes, family stability, and interventions to support adoptive and guardianship families. With his background in data science, he applies advanced analytical methods including machine learning and sophisticated statistical approaches to child welfare research questions. His interdisciplinary approach bridges social work practice with quantitative methodology to generate actionable insights for improving child welfare systems.

Analysis of Dr. White's publication record reveals a consistent focus on adoption and guardianship outcomes, family stability, and interventions for at-risk youth. His work demonstrates increasing integration of data science methodologies with traditional social work research, particularly in using machine learning with linked administrative and survey data. The research spans multiple dimensions of child welfare including prevention, intervention, and long-term outcomes, with particular attention to understanding factors that contribute to family stability after adoption or guardianship.

Dr. White's scholarly achievements include:

• Sam and Betsy Reeves Doctoral Fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill (2014)
• Service on the editorial board of Adoption Quarterly (2023-2024)
• Active peer reviewer for multiple journals including Journal of Public Child Welfare and Children and Youth Services Review

As a funded researcher, Dr. White has secured significant external funding for child welfare research. He currently serves as Principal Investigator on multiple projects including "Risk factors and outcomes associated with out-of-county placements for high-needs youth" and "Understanding and Improving Foster Parent and Kinship Care Recruitment and Retention in North Carolina" (both 2025-2026). His research portfolio includes participation in three major federally-funded projects: the Permanency Innovations Initiative, the National Quality Improvement Center for Adoption and Guardianship Support and Preservation, and Understanding Post Adoption and Guardianship Instability. Dr. White has demonstrated success in securing funding from diverse sources including state agencies, federal programs, and research institutes.

Dr. White is actively engaged in the social work research community through leadership roles including School Social Work Cluster Co-Chair for the Society for Social Work Research and participation in the Data Science and AI Special Interest Group. His interdisciplinary approach combining social work practice with data science methodology positions him at the forefront of innovative child welfare research.