Dr. Marcy Hessling O’Neil is an Academic Specialist in the Office of International Studies in Education at Michigan State University, bringing over a decade of experience from her previous roles in the Department of Anthropology and Global IDEAS. An expert in international education, she has led projects in Benin Republic for nearly 20 years and more recently co-led initiatives in Kenya, Mali, and Malawi. Dr. Hessling O’Neil’s research delves into the social impact of education on extended families and examines the role of international development in educational systems.
Currently, Dr. Hessling O’Neil serves as Co-Principal Investigator, Technical Director, and Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Officer for the USAID-funded Transforming Higher Education Systems project in Malawi. She is also a co-founder of the Trois Soeurs Education Fund (TSEF) in Benin Republic, where she has been deeply involved in several impactful projects.
Under TSEF, she has co-led initiatives such as "Books that Bind," which produces bilingual books based on Beninese folktales; WASH summer camps, and the construction of latrines at a public school. The fund was also awarded the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation for the project "Cultural Preservation Through the Arts." Her work has been recognized through honors such as being a Fulbright alumna and McNair Scholar.
Dr. Hessling O’Neil has participated in various leadership roles, including as a member of the UN Major Group on Youth and Children and the African Studies Association Program Committee, where she served as Thematic Chair on “Youth in Africa: Restive and Productive Energies.” She has also served on committees with the American Anthropological Association and contributed to the Mandela Washington Fellowship as a reader.
Her insights have been featured by media outlets such as BB24 Television in Benin, WDET Radio in Detroit, and the I Heart Radio Network, where she has discussed gender and social entrepreneurship. At MSU, she previously held the role of Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, where she advised the Peace and Justice Studies Minor and taught courses including Globalization and Justice, Understanding Africa, World Cultures, and Peace and Justice.
Dr. Hessling O’Neil earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from Michigan State University. She has presented her research at conferences and workshops globally, including in the US, Nigeria, Canada, Finland, Benin, and the UK. Committed to community engagement, she was a Principal Investigator on a Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) grant, collaborating with universities in Benin and Mali under the Alliance for African Partnership.