Marcus T. Wright is a higher education professional who has taught, mentored and advised hundreds of college students at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), Holy Family University, the Community College of Philadelphia, and Rutgers University. His philosophy is to empower college students with the critical thinking, confidence, self-direction, and resource-seeking skills necessary for them to successfully navigate their opportunities and curate meaningful collegiate experiences. He believes that it is not enough to facilitate degree attainment; rather, educators must also relentlessly pursue the development of a campus environment where all students feel like they belong. As a doctoral student in the Higher Education program at the Penn GSE, his research examines issues that first-generation students face in elite institutions. A first-generation student himself, Marcus strives to contribute to an equitable future in higher education for students of all backgrounds.

Marcus is the author of Paradox of the Learning Game: The Promise and Plight of Video Games and Learning (2017) which examines how video games can be used as powerful learning resources. This book is a culmination of his Master's studies which focused on the intersection between learning, technology and society. Marcus has contributed numerous written works to the Huffington Post, Entertainment Weekly's EW Community, and several other online publications, and most of this writing spans the depths of pop culture. He has conducted written interviews with notable figures including former Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach Tony Dungy, award-winning violinist Lindsey Stirling, former Entertainment Weekly and TODAY Show correspondent Nina Terrero, and musical ensemble The Piano Guys.

Born in Philadelphia, PA, Marcus graduated grade school from the historic Girard College (a 1st-12th grade private boarding school in Philadelphia for children from financially limited single-parent or guardian-led homes). He earned his undergraduate degree in Sociology from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), before returning to Philadelphia to start a high school sports multimedia coverage company, Varsity 365. After covering many of the biggest games and best rivalries in Philadelphia area high school sports, Marcus shut down Varsity 365 to return to the books. He then earned his M.S.Ed. in Learning Sciences & Technologies at Penn GSE, followed by a certificate in Penn GSE's Virtual Online Teaching program. He returned to Penn GSE to pursue the doctorate in Higher Education in 2017.

Marcus resides with his beloved wife and two children.

Current:
~ The relationship between the parents/caretakers of first-generation students and elite institutions.

Recent:
~ How the COVID-19 websites of highly selective universities addressed first-generation student concerns
~ The regard (or lack thereof) for low-income students in the strategic plans of public flagship universities
~ First-generation student transfer from community college to selective universities

Wright, Marcus (2021). Generation-Blindness and the COVID-19 Websites of Highly Selective Universities. Penn Education and Inequality Working Papers, #7. https://repository.upenn.edu/education_inequality_workshop/7

Wright, Marcus. (2020, Feb 25). "Leveraging Digital Games in the Diversified Classroom. Penn Almanac. https://almanac.upenn.edu/articles/leveraging-digital-games-in-the-diversified-classroom

Wright, Marcus T. (2017). Paradox of the Learning Game: The Promise and Plight of Video Games and Learning. Philadelphia, PA: Design Meets Mind, LLC.

Wright, Marcus T., Perch A., Eddy, E., Hall, J., Mangal, S., Smith, E. (2013). Cogs and Considerations for Learning Environment Design in the 21st Century. Leaders in Education Advocacy and Reform Network, University of Pennsylvania.