Marvin W. Peterson’s 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 for 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. 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.

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.

He has been a visiting scholar at NCHEM's, 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 several U.S. universities and a consultant to institutions and governments in Austria, Brazil, Hungary, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, the Peoples Republic of China, Russia and Uruguay.

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 for 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.

Education: Marvin received his B. Sc. degree in engineering and mathematics from Trinity College (Conn.); his M.B.A. from Harvard University; and his Ph.D. in higher education and organizational psychology from the University of Michigan.