Thelin received his bachelor's in history from
Brown University and his master's and PhD from the
University of California, Berkeley. While at Brown University, he was on the varsity wrestling team. In 2011, he was given the Outstanding Research Achievement Award from the
Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). He served as the president of ASHE from 1999 to 2000. In 2023, Thelin was honored with the University of Kentucky Libraries Medallion for Intellectual Achievement. He is a member of
Phi Beta Kappa, a prestigious honor society. ==Works==