Thank you for visiting my website. My professional life has almost entirely focused on higher education. I believe that college access can open doors of opportunity for everyone, and everyone can succeed in higher education if given the necessary support and understanding.
My work at the University of Pennsylvania includes primarily advising Sociology majors, minors, and premajors in the College of Arts & Sciences; as well as teaching courses such as “College, Media and Society” (for pre-freshman in the College) and “Access and Choice in Higher Education: First-Generation Students” (for Master’s students at the Graduate School of Education). I have also taught courses at Holy Family University and Widener University. As a higher education professional, I’ve engaged in countless committees and roles that have required leadership acumen, emotional intelligence, collaboration with various stakeholders, and keen attention to detail such as: faculty searches; course planning and rostering; curriculum management and review; academic program development; internal review coordination; addressing course and student issues with faculty; and chairing a professional staff assembly.
As a first-generation doctoral student in the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, I have devoted my research to looking at various aspects of educational inequality that impact first-generation students. Currently I am exploring the relationship between the parents/caretakers of first-generation students and elite institutions. I’ve previously studied how the COVID-19 websites of highly selective universities address first-generation student concerns, the regard (or lack thereof) for low-income students in the strategic plans of public flagship universities, and first-generation student transfer from community college to selective universities. My goal: to contribute to a future where we reimagine higher education with first-generation students at the center of our consideration as opposed to the margins.
Please feel free to browse the website for more information about my research projects, teaching, writing, and more.
Marcus T. Wright | Higher Education Professional 