Nancy Marcus

Nancy Marcus
Dean of the Florida State University Graduate School
In office August 9, 2005 – 2017
Preceded by	Dianne F. Harrison
Succeeded by	Mark Riley
Chair of the Florida State University Department of Oceanography
In office 2003–2004
Director of the Florida State University Marine Laboratory
In office 1989–2001
Personal details
Born	Nancy Helen Marcus (1950-05-17)May 17, 1950 New York City, U.S.
Died	February 12, 2018(2018-02-12) (aged 67)
Spouse	Cecile Reynaud ​ (m. 1992)​
Residence(s)	Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
Education	Goucher College (B.A.) Yale University (M.A., Ph.D.)

Nancy Helen Marcus (May 17, 1950 – February 12, 2018) was an American biologist and oceanographer. During her graduate studies, Marcus became known as an expert on copepod ecology and evolutionary biology. She began her career as a postdoctoral fellow at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where she studied copepod dormancy and its implications for marine aquaculture. She continued her field research as a professor of oceanography and later as the director of the Florida State University Marine Laboratory (FSU). During this time, Marcus was elected as a Fellow of the Association for Women in Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and served as the president of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. As the president, she led efforts to increase education activities and increase the endowment fund.

In 2005, Marcus transitioned from the sciences to college administration when she was appointed Dean of the FSU Graduate School. During her tenure, FSU nearly doubled the number of doctoral degrees awarded annually. She created several graduate academic programs and the FSU Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. Marcus served a term as chair of the Board of Directors for the Council of Graduate Schools to address the future of graduate education. Outside of academia, Marcus was a magician and ventriloquist. She served on the Goucher College Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2016 and was previously the chair of the academic affairs committee. Marcus died on February 12, 2018, after two years of treatment for uveal melanoma.