Aaron Horn is the associate vice president of policy research at the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC). He leads multiple research initiatives intended to inform policymaking in the Midwest and beyond in the areas of college readiness; affordability and finance; educational quality; and performance, value, and accountability. His published research over the past decade has spanned such topics as internationalization; scientific integrity; faculty stress; study abroad; moral and ethical development; civic engagement; and performance indicators for accountability systems. Prior to joining MHEC, Aaron conducted educational research at the University of Minnesota, where he coordinated various large-scale projects, including the DOE-funded Study Abroad for Global Engagement, a pioneering nationwide study on the long-term outcomes of participation in study abroad programs.
Among his more adventurous undertakings in life, Aaron worked for a couple of years in Bogota, Colombia, as a psychotherapist at Retornar Psychiatric Clinic and a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Antonio Nariño University.
Aaron joined MHEC in 2012.
Education
B.A. magna cum laude, Psychology, St. John’s University
M.A., Educational Policy and Administration, University of Minnesota
Ph.D., Higher Education, University of Minnesota
Selected Publications
Anderson, M., Horn, A. S., Risbey, K., Ronning, E., & DeVries, R. (2007). Research misconduct among those who should know better. Academic Medicine, 82(9), 853-860.
Francis, P. C., & Horn, A. S. (2017). Mental Health Issues and Counseling Services in US Higher Education: An Overview of Recent Research and Recommended Practices. Higher Education Policy, 30(2), 263-277.
Hendel, D. D., & Horn, A. S. (2008). The relationship between academic life conditions and perceived sources of faculty stress over time. Journal of Human Behavior in Social Context, 17(1, 2), 61-88.
Horn, A. S. (2012). The cultivation of a prosocial value orientation through community service: An examination of organizational context, social facilitation, and duration. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(7), 948-968.
Horn, A. S., & Fry, G. W. (2013). Promoting global citizenship through study abroad: The impact of destination, program focus, and duration on the propensity for international volunteerism. Voluntas, 24, 1159-1179.
Horn, A. S., Hendel, D. D., & Fry, G. W. (2007). Ranking the international dimension of top research universities in the United States. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(3-4), 330-358.
Horn, A. S., Hendel, D. D., & Fry, G. W. (2012). The empirical basis for adopting a civic rationale for internationalization. Higher Education, 64(2), 161-175.
Horn, A. S., Horner, O. G., & Lee, G. (2017). Measuring the effectiveness of two-year colleges: a comparison of raw and value-added performance indicators. Studies in Higher Education. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1349741
Horn, A. S., Horner, O. G., Tandberg, D. A., Toutkoushian, R. K., & Williams-Wyche, S. N. (2023). The Effect of State Appropriations on College Graduation Rates of Diverse Students.
Journal of Education Finance, 49(1), 26-64.
Horn, A. S., & Lee, G. (2017). Evaluating the accuracy of productivity indicators in performance funding models. Educational Policy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904817719521
Horn, A. S., & Lee, G. (2016). The reliability and validity of using regression residuals to measure institutional effectiveness in promoting degree completion. Research in Higher Education, 57(4), 469-496.
Horn, A. S., & Tandberg, D. A. (2018). Indicators of educational quality for postsecondary accountability systems. In H. P. Weingarten, M. Hicks, & A. Kaufman (Eds.), Assessing quality in postsecondary education: International perspectives (pp. 3-26). McGill-Queen's University Press.
Rasmussen, C. J., Horn, A. S., & Reinert, L. J. (2015). The Midwestern Higher Education Compact: Advancing education through collaboration and resource sharing. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 39(10), 896-900.
Stolz, I., Hendel, D. D., Horn, A. S. (2010). Ranking of rankings: Benchmarking twenty-five higher education ranking systems in Europe. Higher Education, 60(5), 507-529.