Marcus is an assistant professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. His work examines racial disparities in political behavior in democracies that are stratified by race. He is particularly interested in how historical and contemporary patterns of racial inequality affect the political behavior of people of African descent in Latin America.

His various teaching experiences have allowed him to hone his approach to student learning, emphasizing the importance of choice and empathy. Moreover, Marcus' scholarship, teaching and personal experiences have helped him to identify diversity as a critical tool for pedagogy, mentorship and service. His goal is to prepare students to succeed at UMD and beyond. He is a proud UMD alumnus (class of 2011) and attributes a large part of his success to the mentorship from GVPT and BSOS faculty. 

Marcus earned his PhD from Princeton University in 2017. He served as a President's Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Maryland during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Areas of Interest

  • Race and Ethnic Politics
  • Latin American Politics
  • Political Behavior

Degrees

Course Name Course Title Semester Syllabus
GVPT280 The Study of Comparative Politics Fall 2022 Syllabus
GVPT459C Seminar in Comparative Politics: Race and Ethnic Politics in Comparative Perspective Fall 2022 Syllabus
GVPT459C Seminar in Comparative Politics: Race and Ethnic Politics in Comparative Perspective Fall 2023 Syllabus
Photo
Chincoteague 3117F
Department of Government and Politics
Email
mjohnso6 [at] umd.edu
Office Hours
Thursdays 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm or by appointment, sign-up via Calendly: https://calendly.com/mjohnsonjr11