The Motivational Systems Lab was founded by Dr. Gwen Marchand, an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Higher Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Motivational Systems Lab was initially a research group known as the Motivation and Engagement Interest Group (MEIG) and has subsequently evolved into a separate entity with its own goals and objectives. The mission of the The Motivational Systems Lab is to examine personal and contextual factors that influence student motivation and engagement in a variety educational settings.