Rate My Professor Marvin Alkin

Alkin's primary research interests lie in program evaluation, particularly evaluation utilization, comparative evaluation theory, and the development of Context Sensitive Evaluation. He has authored or edited more than 150 books, articles, chapters, monographs, and technical reports. Notable publications include Evaluation Roots: Tracing Theorists’ Views and Influences (editor, 2004, second edition 2013, third edition 2023 with Christina Christie), Evaluation Essentials: From A to Z (co-authored, first edition 2011 with Anne T. Vo, second edition 2017, third edition 2024 with Vo and Christie), and 'The Historical Development of Evaluation Use' (co-authored with James King, 2016). Alkin has received numerous honors, such as the 2024–2025 Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship Award from UCLA, the American Evaluation Association’s Research on Evaluation Award (2016) and Paul F. Lazarsfeld Award for Lifelong Contributions to Evaluation Theory (1996)—making him one of only four recipients of both major AEA scholarly awards—the UCLA Department of Education Distinguished Teaching Award (1998), and multiple awards from the American Educational Research Association for outstanding evaluation reports and policy studies (1982, 1987, 1989). He has served as editor or associate editor of eight academic journals, including Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Evaluation Review, and Studies in Educational Evaluation (1975–2010), executive editor of the Encyclopedia of Educational Research (sixth edition, 1992), and is currently co-editor of SAGE Publications’ Evaluation in Practice Series.