Dr. Marcy Hessling O’Neil

Dr. Marcy Hessling O’Neil is an assistant professor of anthropology and advisor for the Peace and Justice Studies program at Michigan State University. O’Neil teaches several of the core courses in Peace and Justice, including “Slacktivists, Activists, and Social Entrepreneurs” and “Human Rights.” She has conducted ethnographic research among students and their families in Benin and Ghana, West Africa for ten years. Her research focuses on the social impact of higher education on the extended family, and on the role of international development on the educational system. O’Neil is a Fulbright alumna, McNair Scholar, and former President of the National Association of Student Anthropologists. She has served on various committees with the American Anthropological Association, including the Mentorship Task Force, and has been a reader for the Mandela Washington Fellowship (Young African Leaders Initiative). O’Neil is co-founder of the social entrepreneurship Trois Soeurs: Three Sisters. The company uses profits raised through the sale of artisanal accessories to fund tutoring programs in Benin. O’Neil earned her Ph.D. in anthropology from Michigan State University.