Dr. Marlee Bunch is an interdisciplinary educator, author, and researcher. Her research examines the oral histories of Black female educators in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who taught between 1954 and 1971, and the implications that desegregation had on their lives and careers.

She received her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois in 2022 in Education/Policy/Organizational Leadership. Additionally, she has a Masters in Education (MEd), a Masters in Gifted Education (MS), a Bachelors in English, a certification in Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, and a certification in ESL (English as a Second Language).

Dr. Bunch’s experiences teaching at the secondary and post-secondary level have allowed her to write curriculum, mentor teachers, create workshops, advocate for equity & justice, and most importantly support students. Her research, teaching, and educational advocacy work seeks to disrupt inequities, advocate for educational reform and illuminate the power of storytelling and history. Her research focuses on the oral histories of Black female educators. She is the founder of the un/HUSH teaching framework. She has two forthcoming books: The Magnitude of Us, Teachers College Press 2024, and un/Hushed: Oral Histories of Black Female Educators, University of Illinois Press 2025. She currently serves as the Director of K-12 initiatives in the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign. You can learn more about her work at https://www.marleebunch.com/.