Marton T. Markovits is a doctoral candidate in political science at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. His research concerns politics, power, and change in West Africa. His dissertation examines the role of local civil society in new initiatives of donor-supported reform processes in Ghana and Senegal.

His first contact with Africa occurred when he served as a Rural and Water Sanitation Coordinator for the U.S. Peace Corps in Mobutu Sese Seku’s Zaïre. After Peace Corps, Marton spent several years working in senior management and as a consultant in the non-profit Research, organizational development, and Health and Human Services fields. The experience in Zaire left an enduring impression and he was never far from thinking about the problems that he encountered during his time in Vanga, Zaire. Poverty, struggle, and lack of opportunity were lived experiences for him and learning about the legacies that contributed to this life was deeply inspiring. He veered from the path as an organizational and management consultant to pursue serious study on issues of political and economic governance and to train as a scholar of democratization, political economy, development, aid, and policy reform in Africa. He has lived, worked, studied, and traveled throughout Central, East, and West Africa.

When he is not traveling, Marton is happy to share his Philadelphia home with his wife, Annie, their son, Luke, and two fat, happy cats. He enjoys all types of food (both cooking and eating it), reading (mostly non-fiction), working out (yoga, basketball, and weight-training), and very much enjoys watching movies and sports (especially the NBA playoffs).

Curriculum Vitae (PDF) | Dissertation Abstract (PDF)