Nancy Marcus

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.

Early life and education Nancy Helen Marcus was born in New York City on May 17, 1950, to Betty Levy and Harold T. Marcus of New Rochelle, New York. She was raised in New Rochelle with her brother Theodore. At the age of 10, Marcus began performing magic and ventriloquism, She became interested in science from a young age. In her senior year, Marcus and a colleague conducted field research on phytoplankton at the Duke University Marine Lab in January 1972. During her undergraduate studies, Marcus also studied at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research. She became known as an accomplished oceanographer and an expert on the study of copepods through her graduate research and studies. She researched dormancy in copepods and how it applies to marine aquaculture. In 1984, Marcus and associate scientist George Grice completed a two and a half week trip in China at the invitation of professor Zheng Zhong, the founder of the marine biology program at Xiamen University. Marcus and Grice presented papers on the reproductive biology of copepods. Marcus stated that "there's great interest in the type of work we're doing and a need for U.S. scientific equipment and expertise." Starting in September 1984, a visiting scientist from Xiamen researched in Marcus' lab for a year. She became a full professor in 1991. In September 1993, Marcus was selected to serve for one year as vice president followed by two years as the president of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). Marcus was later commended by ASLO in 1998 for her efforts to increase education activities. In 1993, Marcus received $56,000 from a three-year NSF grant.

From 1989 to 2001, Marcus served as the director of the FSU Marine Laboratory. She was a coordinator of the University's National Sea Grant. Marcus was the Chair of the Department of Oceanography in 2003. Her later research investigated the impacts of decreased oxygen levels on the population dynamics of marine copepods. Marcus conducted field research in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Northern California, in Narragansett Bay, and in the Gulf of Maine. She co-created the Master of Science in aquatic environmental sciences at FSU with Jeff Chanton. From 2011 to 2012, Marcus was the president of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools. After serving for five years on the Council of Graduate Schools Board of Directors, Marcus was appointed Chair for the 2016 term. In August 2017, Mark Riley was appointed Dean of the Graduate School.

Personal life Marcus married volleyball educator and coach Cecile Reynaud, circa 1992. Her hobbies included tennis, golf, and volleyball. She also walked trails, traveled, and cooked. She was a certified boat captain and would frequently go fishing and boating in the Gulf of Mexico. On February 12, 2018, Marcus died in Tallahassee, Florida, after two years of aggressive treatment for uveal melanoma. Following her death, a service was held at the FSU Alumni Center Grand Ballroom and the Nancy Marcus Endowment for Graduate Student Excellence was established. In 2001, she won the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Award, the highest faculty award at FSU and was awarded the Mary Sears Professor of Oceanography.

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