Marcus Leyton is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Media History and Culture track in the Department of Communication Studies. His research interests include studying fictional narratives of real-world geopolitical conflict, and how audiences develop their worldviews based on their viewership of these narratives.

Before joining the Ph.D. program, Marcus earned his Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies at Iowa as well.

In addition to his M.A., Marcus earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin – Superior. While an undergraduate, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning UW-Superior Promethean student newspaper. Under his watch, the paper received several awards from the Associated Collegiate Press and recognition from the Wisconsin chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Prior to graduate school, Marcus worked as a journalist and newspaper editor in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Idaho. In North Dakota, Marcus won second place from the National Newspaper Association for his investigative series on internal affairs at the Tioga, North Dakota police department in the Bakken Oil Field.