Marvin W. Peterson - July 2001


Marvin W. Peterson is a Phi Beta graduate of Trinity College (1960) with a B.S. in engineering. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard University (1962) and a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan (1968). His professional career has included faculty, administrative, and research positions at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and at the University of Michigan. At the U of M, he has held appointments in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, the Institute for Social Research, the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement, the National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, and the Program in Higher and Continuing Education. Dr. Peterson is Professor of Higher Education, Project Director in the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement and former Director of the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education.

Dr. Peterson is past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, the Association for Institutional Research and the Society of College and University Planning. He is also active in the Higher Education Colloquium, the American Association for Higher Education, the American Education Research Association, the European Association for Institutional Research, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. His extensive research activity has included projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Information Agency, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Education, National Science Foundation, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Ford Foundation, Fulbright Commission, Exxon Foundation, Mellon Foundation and the Spencer Foundation.

Dr. Peterson's numerous articles, chapters and research reports relate to his primary research interests in organizational and administrative behavior and institutional research and planning in higher education. His primary books, monographs and edited volumes include: ASHE Reader on Planning and Institutional Research (1999), Planning and Management for a Changing Environment (1997), Assessing the Organizational and Administrative Context for Teaching and Learning (1991), ASHE Reader on Organization and Governance in Higher Education (Third Edition, 1986 and Fourth Edition, 1991),
Governance, Management and Leadership (1987), The Organizational Context for Teaching and Learning (1986), Institutional Research in Transition (1985), Improving Academic Management: Handbook for Planning and Institutional Research (1980), Black Students on white Campuses: The Impact of Increased Black Enrollment (1978), and Benefiting from Interinstitutional Research (1979). Dr. Peterson has served on editorial boards or as consulting editor for scholarly journals including the Journal of Higher Education, American Education Research Journal, Research in Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, Planning for Higher Education, ASHE-ERIC Research Report Series, Higher Education Handbook of Theory and Research, International Journal of Educational Advancement and Change magazine. He was also editor of the Jossey-Bass monograph series, New Directions in Institutional Research.

He has been a visiting scholar at NCHEM's and at several U.S. universities. He was awarded a Fulbright grant to study the "Structure and Function of German Higher Education" and served as a faculty member of the Universities Project of the Salzburg Seminar. He has been a visiting faculty member in universities or consultant to foreign governments including those in Austria, Brazil, Hungary, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, the Peoples Republic of China, Russia and Uruguay. In 1978, he was selected as one of Change magazine's "100 Young Leaders of the Academy". He received an "Outstanding Service" award from the Association for Institutional Research in 1982, the "Distinguished Member" award in 1988, the "Sidney Suslow" award for scholarly contribution in 1997 and the Annual Forum Best Paper Award in 1999. In 1991, he received both the "Distinguished Service" award and the "Founders Award" for outstanding achievement from the Society for College and University Planning. He also was awarded the Alumni Medal of Excellence in 1976 from his alma mater, Trinity College, where he was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1969-1975. He was also identified for exemplary "Perspective on Success" for the 25th Anniversary of his M.B.A. class by the Harvard Business School in 1987.

He has served on national boards and task forces for The American Council on Education, National Center for Postsecondary Governance and Finance, National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, National Center for Postsecondary Improvement, National Center of Educational Statistics, ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, Southern Regional Education Board, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, Education Commission of the States, and state Higher Education systems in Illinois, Idaho, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and others. He has consulted widely for higher educational institutions, participated in in-service workshops, and been a regular speaker at national and international conferences.

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