Donation to the ASHE Drs. Helen (Lena) S. and Alexander (Sandy) W. Astin Grant Fund

The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) is honored to establish the Drs. Helen (Lena) S. and Alexander (Sandy) W. Astin Doctoral Student Research Grant to recognize the Astins’ profound contributions to higher education research and mentorship. This annual grant will support doctoral students conducting research in areas central to the Astins’ legacy, including college impact, civic engagement, spirituality in higher education, and women’s leadership and career development.

Few scholars have shaped the field of higher education research as profoundly as the Astins. As founders of the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, Lena and Sandy Astin spent decades conducting pioneering research that helped to explain how college cultures and environments shape student and faculty development, values, leadership capacities, and sense of purpose. Their influence—both through their scholarship and through their legacy of mentorship—continues to guide generations of scholars dedicated to both empirical rigor and social justice.

Your gift helps to sustain their important legacy and invests in the next generation of higher education scholars.