Dr. Marcus J. Coleman serves as an advisor for YACD.  He is a Senior Operations Analyst for the city government of Washington D.C. and is a 2nd Lieutenant officer for the Mississippi National Guard.  He is a well respected independent scholar whose research interests include patriotism and civic engagement.  Dr. Coleman has served as an Assistant Professor of Communications at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).  In addition, he has served in Adjunct Professor roles both at Albany State University & Trinity Washington University.  He has served as a Senior Research Analyst for the Washington D.C. Department of Behavioral Health and a Research Fellow in the Civic Engagement and Governance Institute at the Joint Center of Political and Economic Studies.   His time spent working on Capitol Hill, along with previous experience in non-profit, political campaigns and in city government gives Dr. Coleman a unique perspective on research and practice.  In the Winter of 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Rex Crawley Service Award by the Black Caucus as a result of his exceptional research within the field of activism.

Dr. Coleman earned his B.A. from the University of the Southern of Mississippi, an M.A. from the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.  Marcus is a proud native of Jackson, Mississippi.