Marlon I. Cummings, Ph.D.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Marlon I. Cummings has spent over 25 years, using his passion for teaching and advocating for equity in education to support the development of leaders and the reform of organizations. Dr. Cummings career in education began as a middle school science and math teacher in Washington, DC. After working as a teacher for several years, he shifted his career to nonprofit leadership and served as the Director of Programs for an organization that focused on addressing issues of diversity, culture, and belonging for adolescents, teachers, counselors and other education professionals. With a passion for public service and education, he moved back to Chicago and worked for nearly a decade as a Principal Consultant with the Illinois State Board of Education.

Currently Dr. Cummings is a full Professor and Dean of the College of Education and Human Development where he leads the Division of Education and Leadership and the Division of Psychology and Counseling. In his role, he supports faculty dedicated to the development of aspiring educators, educational leaders, mental healthcare professionals. He is a past Chair of the Division of Education and Leadership, president of Faculty Senate and a was member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education Strategic Planning committee for Illinois’ 10-year master plan for higher education. In 2020, he was a Chicago Defender Men of Excellence Awardee. 

Understanding the need to stay current in his field, Dr. Cummings continues to stay actively engaged in research. He has several peer-reviewed publications, has presented at an array of local, regional, and national educational and leadership conferences. His research interests include: culturally relevant pedagogy and leadership, school, district, and organizational leadership, educational policy reform, and the intersection of school and community. Additionally, Dr. Cummings has been a culturally responsive professional development trainer for a number of schools and non-profit organizations and an invited speaker for several organizations, including as an alumni speaker for the University of Illinois College of Education Commencement ceremony and the keynote speaker for Governors State University’s Commencement ceremony. 

In addition to his education career, Dr. Cummings also is very engaged civically. He served 2-terms as the Community Representative on a Local School Council in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Additionally, he served for over a decade on Youth Guidance's Junior Board, a non-profit that provides programming for underserved populations and schools. For nearly 10 years he served as the administrator for a free Saturday tutoring program designed to build the foundational skills of struggle students in the Washington Park community. Currently, he is serving on a Local School Council as a Parent Representative for a CPS in Bronzeville, working as a Higher Learning Commission Peer Reviewer, and recent began serving as a member of the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB).

Dr. Cummings earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biological and Agricultural Systems Engineering from Florida A&M University, his Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in Education Policy from American University in Washington D.C. and earned his Ph.D. in Policy Studies in Urban Education with an emphasis in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Cummings, M.I. (2026). Async not absent: Strategies for successful implementation of asynchronous courses. eLearn Magazine, Special Issue on ABCs of Online Teaching and Learning, 4, Article 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3807459.3712617

Jemison-Ewing, I. & Cummings, M.I. (2022). Conversations about academic success: Supportive context for the development of high achieving black students. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, Special Issue on Anti-Racist Education, 34(2), pp. 116-139.

Mallory, D. & Cummings, M.I. (2022). Work motivation and job satisfaction’s influence on the multigenerational workforce in public agencies. In Quincy Martin, III (Ed.), Career Development and Job Satisfaction. Novia Science Publishing.

Cummings, M.I., & Kidan, K. (2021). Increasing pedagogical training for online faculty: The importance of developing culturally responsive practices. Journal of Educators Online, 18(3).

Campos-Moreira, L.D., Cummings, M.I., Grumbach, G., Williams, H.E., & Hooks, K. (2020). Making a case for culturally humble leadership practices through a culturally responsive leadership framework [Editorial]. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership, and Governance. 44(5), pp. 407-414. DOI: 10.1080/23303131.2020.1822974

Cummings, M.I. & Olson, J. (2019). The importance and potential of community partnerships in urban schools in an era of high stakes accountability. Improving Schools, 23(2), pp. 1-16. DOI: doi.org/10.1177/1365480219880129

Cummings, M.I. & Williams, H.E. (2018). Developing leaders decision-making skills: Considerations for making the decision to privatize services. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 19(3), pp. 21-34.

Superfine, B. M., Smylie, M. A., Cummings, M.I., and Tozer, S. (2012). The challenge of coherence in education policy in Illinois. The Illinois Report 2012, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois, Chapter 7, pp. 72-82.