Erin O'Connor Marsano, Ed.D.

Dr. Erin O’Connor Marsano is a lecturer in the Ed.D. in Learning and Organizational Change (LOC) program in Baylor School of Education. She joined Baylor’s faculty in the fall of 2022 and serves as a faculty advisor for multiple cohorts of students completing their dissertations. She teaches Problem of Practice I, II, and III, Capstone, Philosophy and Ethics in Leadership, and Mentoring and Supervision. Further, she serves as the Co-Director of the IMPACT Mentoring Program with Dr. Amy Sloan.

Prior to becoming a member of the Baylor team, she served as a faculty member at the University of Southern California (USC). During her time at USC, she taught in the Reading and Literacy Added Authorization program and worked as a dissertation associate in USC's Ed.D. in Leadership and Organizational Change program. Before making the switch to higher education, Dr. O’Connor Marsano worked at the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE), where she held various responsibilities in the Teacher Effectiveness and Preparation Department. She was a lead for the Beginning Teacher Induction Program, where she coordinated mentorship opportunities for beginning teachers, served as a mentor to beginning teachers, and guided beginning teachers through qualitative action research cycles. Additionally, Dr. O’Connor Marsano developed asynchronous curricula for and taught in the Designated Subjects Program. This program was created specifically for teachers pursuing a Career Technical Education, Adult Education, or Special Subjects credential in California. She also worked closely with a colleague to lead a series of professional development workshops focused on equitable access to content through the use of effective language and literacy strategies. Prior to serving the SDCOE, she was a high school educator, coach, and mentor teacher in rural San Diego County, where she won teacher of the year in 2013.

Dr. O’Connor Marsano earned her Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, her Master of Education with an emphasis in Cross-Cultural Teaching and teaching licensures from National University, and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Chico. Dr. O’Connor Marsano holds a single-subject teaching credential in several subject areas and an administrative credential in the state of California.

Dr. O’Connor Marsano’s research interests include effective support systems for new teachers, the significance of mentorship in improving teacher effectiveness and retention, pedagogical and assessment practices that aid in enhancing literacy in all subject areas, and instructional strategies, mentorship, systematic support structures, and communities to improve online doctoral student success rates.

When she is not working with her Ed.D.-LOC students, she raises her daughter, uses her business background while working for her husband’s two small businesses, and maintains a small farm with cattle, horses, goats, chickens, dogs, and cats.