Marburger served as the Dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern California from 1976 to 1980. He has been a member of numerous professional, civic and philanthropic organizations including the Universities Research Association, the Advisory Committee to the New York State Senate Committee on Higher Education and the Board of Directors of the Museums at Stony Brook.
He is a graduate of Princeton University and received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University.
Although a member of the Democratic Party, Marburger told the New York Times, " "If there's any subject that should be bipartisan, it's science." He said he does not expect Senate confirmation hearings until September.