Stephen Marrin receives Distinguished Scholar Award

Like music and movies, the field of intelligence studies has its own set of awards. Some of the most prestigious come from the International Studies Association (ISA) and highlight an individual's impact on the field. 

Stephen Marrin, director and professor in JMU’s Intelligence Analysis program, recently received the ISA Intelligence Studies Section Distinguished Scholar Award. This award has only been given to nine others over the past 40 years, highlighting Marrin’s significant impact on the field.

The ISA, founded in 1959 to promote scholarly cooperation and increase knowledge of global affairs, created its Intelligence Studies Section in the mid-1980s to advance research on all aspects of intelligence as it relates to international studies. This Section serves as the backdrop for his outstanding achievement.

Marrin’s career, however, began with humble origins. Entering college with an undeclared major, it only took a few Tom Clancy novels to spark his interest in intelligence. After college, he joined the CIA as an analyst, discovering a passion for studying intelligence rather than analyzing it.

“It turns out I didn’t want to be Jack Ryan,” says Marrin. “I wanted to study people like Jack Ryan.” He returned to school, earned a Ph.D., and embarked on a new chapter as a scholar of intelligence studies.

In 2002, Marrin joined the Intelligence Studies Section (ISS) at ISA, a global community dedicated to studying intelligence and its applications. By 2008, he assumed the role of program chair, working tirelessly for the next ten years to truly internationalize the group. Under his leadership, the Section’s contributions to ISA’s annual conference grew threefold, from 10 panels and 50 speakers to an impressive 30 panels and 150 speakers. “I wanted the Intelligence Studies Section to be a platform for diverse cultural and national perspectives, fostering enriching conversations between members with unique insights and ideas,” explains Marrin.

While chairing the ISS, Marrin managed the annual conference, distributed awards, and encouraged others to further intelligence studies. His leadership brought the community closer together. Although commendable, the Distinguished Scholar Award isn't for service to the ISS – it's a testament to his substantial contributions to the field of intelligence studies.

Marrin has authored over 30 publications throughout his career, including journal articles, books, and even an encyclopedia entry. His dedication to advancing knowledge extends beyond academia. In 2018, Marrin’s talk on analytical standards to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence contributed to ongoing discussions about their relative effectiveness in improving intelligence analysis.

Marrin also serves as an editor for the world-renowned journal Intelligence and National Security. “To be a journal editor,” he explains, “is to help others get published. . . to help others find their voices and engage in the conversation about intelligence.” He and his co-editor assess each article for each of the seven issues published annually before coordinating peer reviews. While time-consuming, his role as an editor keeps him at the forefront of intelligence discussions and allows him to continue engaging with new ideas.

As a professor, Marrin strives to bring multidisciplinary elements to the Intelligence Analysis major. To him, different majors are like lights through a prism – different and unique, but all parts of a greater whole. By emphasizing concepts outside of Intelligence Analysis, the major prepares students for the diverse world that lies ahead. “It's not like we know what kind of analyst each student will become. We don't. Instead, we're trying to prepare them to be any kind of analyst.”

“Stephen is one of those exemplary teacher-scholars who brings the rigorous studies he has done of the intelligence field to truly galvanize class experiences for our students,” says Henry Way, Co-Director for the School of Integrated Sciences. “We—and especially our students—are very fortunate to have this intellectual leader in our school; he is truly elevating the IA program.”

Undeniably, Stephen Marrin has impacted intelligence studies through his roles as an editor, analyst, and ISS leader. At JMU, he encourages students to look beyond the classroom to practice and become better analysts.

His Distinguished Scholar Award will be presented at the 2024 ISA Convention in San Francisco.

Learn more about JMU's Intelligence Analysis Program

Image Credit: Quinn Worley ('27)