Alexander (Sandy) Astin (1932 – 2022)

Astin was the founder of the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) and Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP). These research institutes oversee “The American Freshman,” an annual survey created by Astin in 1966 of first-time college freshmen across the nation.

Professor Astin created the Freshman Survey in 1966 while serving as director of research at the American Council on Education and continued it at UCLA when he joined the faculty.  Since its inception, “The American Freshman” has chronicled the lives of incoming college freshmen at campuses across the nation. When the survey was first administered in 1966, some of the questions asked whether students had driven a car, were part of a set of twins, acted in plays, or had listened to New Orleans jazz. Over the last 50 years, “The American Freshman” has evolved to tackle issues such as attitudes toward readiness for college, career goals, and paying for higher education, as well as more personal matters such as religion, politics, sexual orientation, and mental health.

Prior to joining UCLA, Professor Astin served as director of research for both the American Council on Education (1965–1973) and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (1960–1965). He was elected to membership in the National Academy of Education (NAEd), was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and a recipient of 11 honorary degrees.

Read the full obituary here.