Dr. Shaylyn Marks is an Assistant Professor in the Teacher Education Department and serves as the President's Faculty Associate for Campus Belonging at California State University, Bakersfield. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on English Education from Purdue University, following her earlier academic degrees, a MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana University, and a B.A. in English Education from Western Illinois University. 

Dr. Marks received an “Excellence in Research, Grants, Projects, Institutional and Academic Support Programs” Silver Award for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years, and was recently awarded the 2024-2025 Unity Award and the 2025 California Council on Teacher Education Outstanding Mid-Career Teacher Educator Award. Dr. Marks has also been names as Black Leaders Worldwide: Women You Need to Know 2026 by Black Impact Magazine.

The main focus of her work centers on advancing innovative ways to disrupt the status quo to create equitable learning opportunities for underserved populations. With culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogy at the core of her work, her research interests include: diversity, equity and inclusion; evolving educator preparation practices; using literature as a means to support and enact social justice; and exploring equitable structures in educational spaces.