Marjorie Peace Lenn Research Award

The MPL award was established by AIRC through the generosity of AIRC Sponsors and Members in remembrance of Dr. Marjorie Peace Lenn, a well-known and influential international educator who passed away in October, 2010. A leader in the global quality assurance movement in higher education, Marjorie Peace Lenn was founding president of the Center for Quality Assurance in International Education (CQAIE).  She established the AIRC Certification process for educational agencies and brought together AIRC members and thought leaders to develop the AIRC Standards for educational agencies.


Throughout her career, Lenn was in high demand internationally as a consultant on quality assurance and accreditation systems. Working with dozens of governments, ministries of education, universities, and intergovernmental agencies such as the World Bank, UNESCO, OECD, Organization of American States, United Nations Development Program, and the Asia Development Bank, she also became an official advisor to the U.S. government on trade in education services as a member of the International Trade Advisory Commission, influencing the development of accreditation infrastructure in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. An archive of her papers can be accessed here.


The Marjorie Peace Lenn Research Award encourages scholarly research on international education, student mobility, and recruitment, a topic about which Dr. Lenn was passionate.


The Marjorie Peace Lenn Research Award is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who have completed the research within the last year of applying. Research that is close to completion will also be considered. This means, for example, the researcher is working on data analysis, implications, and/or the conclusion.


The selected awardee will receive a $500 cash award and complimentary all-inclusive attendance to the AIRC annual conference where they will have the opportunity to present their research to the conference attendees. In addition, the awardee’s final research product will be posted on AIRC’s website.


The Awards Committee is comprised of experienced AIRC members, the AIRC Executive Director, and a Lenn family representative.

Previous Award Recipients

  • 2024: Dr. Dane Rowley, University of Minnesota

    Research Topic: Border Benders: Queer International Student Experiences in U.S. Universities

  • 2023: Dr. Eric Leise, South Dakota State University

    Research Topic: The Role of University Structures and Cultures in Internationalizing Higher Education

  • 2022: Mr. Kebler Tozini, The George Washington University

    Research Topic: The Role of International Student Associations on the Reduction of Inequality in International Higher Education

  • 2021: Mr. Max Crumley-Effinger, Loyola University of Chicago

    Research Topic: Experiencing International Student Mobility and Migration Policy: A Qualitative Multicase Study


    Honorable Mentions:

    • Dr. Tracey Hidalgo, University of Toledo; Factors Impacting International Students’ Sense of Belonging
    • Ms. Lina Heaster-Ekholm, UMass Amherst; Insuring Culturally Inclusive Online Courses for International Students A Delphi Study to Identify Requisite Instructor Competencies
    • Ms. Martina Schiavo, Ball State University; Impact of International Office’s Role in Teaching English in an ESL/EFL Context

  • 2020: Dr. Jody Pritt, University of Missouri, Columbia

    Research Topic: Beyond the Horizon and Back. Making Meaning of the International Student’s Experience: A Case Study in Sultan Qaboos Study Abroad Scholarship Recipients in Oman. Some of Ms. Pritt’s research results can be found in Chapter 13 of this forthcoming edited book.

  • 2019: Dr. Emily Kirsch, University of Minnesota

    Research Topic: Ethical Possibilities In International Student Recruitment

  • 2018: Mr. William Geibel, University of California, Los Angeles

    Research Topic: Diplomacy in Higher Education: Middle Eastern International Students' Perceptions of Internationalization

  • 2017: Mr. Kishmar Best, University of Albany, State University of New York

    Research Topic: Internationalization and International Recruitment at Historically Black Colleges & Universities: Administrative Structures, Institutional Support & Challenges​

  • 2016: Mr. Harrison Fuerst, SIT Graduate Institute

    Research Topic: How Experiential Off-Campus Study Opportunities Impact International Student Enrollment Decisions

  • 2015: Dr. George Kacenga, University of Pittsburgh

    Research Topic: Globalization of Foreign Academic Credential Placement Recommendations for Graduate Study in the United States, 1932-2015

  • 2014: Ms. Jingzhu Zhang, College of William and Mary

    Research Topic: Effects of Virtual Conversations with American Students on International Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence

  • 2013: Ms. Lindsay Coco, University of Georgia

    Research Topic: Capturing a Global Student Market for College and Universities: The Use of Private Third Party Agents in International Student Recruitment

  • 2012: Dr. Gloria Shenoy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    Research Topic: Information Mismatch: What International Students Thought Their Community College Experience Would Be Like

  • 2011: Ms. Yuanyuan Dai, M.A. University of Tulsa

    Research Topic: The Relationship Between The Usage Of Recruitment Agents And Student Satisfaction Among Chinese International Students

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