Instructor, Researcher, Author, Historian
Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison is a professor and academic researcher exploring language, communication, education, culture, and identity. His autoethnographic and scholarly writing has appeared in such prestigious peer-reviewed publications as Writing on the Edge, The Qualitative Report, and Qualitative Research in Psychology. As a journalist, Marlen was the managing editor of the international beauty website, Fragrantica, and contributor to numerous popular publications. As an academic and cultural researcher, Marlen was the founder/editor of The AutoEthnographer Literary & Arts Magazine (2021-2025), and has worked with Smithsonian, the Japan Association for Language Teaching, and universities around the globe. Marlen is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing and MA in Public History from SNHU in support of his debut work of historical fiction and immersive historical exhibit, The Perfumer of Ashur, while teaching online graduate English and education courses at SNHU and Tiffin University. A passionate group fitness instructor and 200 HR certified Yoga instructor, Marlen also loves teaching dance fitness and Pilates. After calling Japan, UK, Malta, and Finland home, he now lives in Florida with his husband and dog.
Recent Projects
The AutoEthnographer
The AutoEthnographer is Marlen’s award-winning, non-profit, open-access, peer-reviewed literary & arts magazine dedicated to autoethnography, a qualitative research method uniting ethnography & autobiography that utilizes lived experience as evidence for exploring cultural phenomena.
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The Perfumer of Ashur
The Perfumer of Ashur is Marlen’s debut work of historical fiction. In the ancient Mesopotamian kingdom of Ashur, a headstrong perfumer’s vision for a new kind of perfume is challenged when the actions of a ruthless colleague and mad king threaten to deter her progress and destroy those she loves.
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The Tapputi Project
“The Tappūtī Project” is a proposal for an immersive, multimodal exhibit about Tappūtī-bēlat-ekalle and her perfumery, as introduced in the novel The Perfumer of Ashur. Fans of the novel will enjoy being able to spend a day in the life of Tappūtī, exploring her laboratory and experiencing her fragrances.
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Recognition
Tiffin University
2024 Excellence in Online Teaching Award
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
2010 President’s Award for Service to the University
Southern New Hampshire University
2024 Outstanding Online Instructor
Japan Association of Language Teaching
2006 Best of JALT Award
Quick Stats
30+
Academic publications
7
Countries taught in
25+
Years as an educator
15+
Universities taught at globally
100+
Presentations delivered
40+
Courses designed and taught
Testimonials
What My Students Say
” I gained so much self-confidence by developing my own academic research project in English. I appreciated all of our conferences and your constant encouragement.
Ulla Hakinen
University of Jyväskylä
” I never thought I would create my own digital magazine in a college English class, but thanks to that magazine I am now starting our undergraduate law review.”
James Mitchell
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
” Professor Harrison truly bridged my personal passions with my professional interests to help me identify a meaningful thesis topic that I would be proud to present and publish.
Amanda Foster
Southern New Hampshire University
Photography: Embracing a World Without Limitation
The world comes alive with possibility when viewed through the lens of a camera. Once the image is captured, the joy of editing begins. Just like writing, the initial image is merely a first draft ready for revision. Check out some of the places I’ve been by visiting my photo gallery. COMING SOON!
Fragrance Journalism -Writing About What I Love
I’ve been writing about fragrance for websites and magazines since 2005, combining two of my biggest passions – storytelling and aroma. Check out an some of my favorite articles from Fragrantica, Basenotes, and Now Smell This as well as some of my contributions to major publications like Men’s Fitness and Playboy.
PUBLIC HISTORY PROJECTS
Indians at the Post Office, Smithsonian and the National Postal Service
Project Coordinator and Researcher
“The long-range goal of Indians at the Post Office: Native Themes in New Deal-Era Murals, is to address both the virtues and the inaccuracies in these historic depictions, and to launch and continue to populate a web-based virtual exhibition on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum website. Our focus is to eventually have all of the mural research essays written by American Indians through collaborations with tribal and state college faculties and students, particularly from the areas and cultures depicted within the murals. In an on-going effort to challenge stereotyping, and correct the current nature of education concerning American Indians, the NMAI will devote the required scholarship to inform and assess these permanent visual statements.”
Fitness Certifications
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR
GROUP FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
Latest Blog Posts
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Keynote Speaker: Professional Development Opportunities for Online Students, Tiffin University
Presentations from the 1st Annual Graduate Research Conference, Tiffin University, Ohio: Keynote, “Creating Opportunities for Student Professional Development in Online Programs”; March, 2019
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“He Was the One Teacher That Pushed Me the Most During My Stay Here at SNHU”
“Then came my final capstone class again. Learning from past experiences, I requested Dr. Marlen Harrison as a capstone mentor, whom I felt was the best professor I ever had at SNHU. He was the one teacher that pushed me the most during my stay here at SNHU. I knew…
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Student Testimonials
A vital part of my teaching pedagogy involves metacognition and reflective writing. The following are excerpts from mid-course and final reflective letters, as well as emails and Facebook posts, written by students around the world who have taken my courses. Click the course title to view its syllabus; click the…
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Philosophy of Teaching
PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING “To love what you do and feel that it matters, what could be more fun?” In the classroom, I employ a humanizing, student-centered pedagogy where all learners’ voices are valid, and where practice, exploration and reflection are more important than perfection. My goal is to nurture a…
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Bridging Passion and Profession: Supporting Agency and Investment in Multilingual University Writers
“The authors sought to look back at the trajectory of their experiences in a second language communication and composition course in order to more deeply understand the roles of agency and investment in their own and fellow classmates’ learning.”
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Book Chapter: Humanizing Pedagogy and the Personal Essay
“classroom observations showed us that there was a strong connection between not only the theory and practice of using personal essays, but also of the outcomes such practice will have on student writing, creating a more humanized classroom environment.”
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Running, Being, and Beijing: An Existential Exploration of a Runner Identity Qualitative Research in Psychology
“Two main themes, the loss of control and isolation, are examined, and an existential interpretation is paired with insight from Buddhist psychology. Finally, we conclude with implications for future research in sport and migration studies as well as practical considerations for the use of autoethnography in psychological research and practice.”
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Writing on the Edge: The Power of No – Buddhist Mindfulness and the Teaching of Composition
“Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology. (Hanh 23)”
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The Caribbean Immigrant Student: Immigration, Education, and Representation
Poster presented at South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SMLA) conference in Jacksonville, FL, 2016 See the full-sized poster here: poster-for-conference-2-1