Biography: Steven Hanson is vice provost and dean of International Studies and Programs (ISP) at Michigan State University. He has been involved with ISP administration since 2009, previously serving as assistant dean and then interim dean before his appointment to ISP’s top leadership position in 2014.

Hanson leads MSU's international programming efforts, including multidisciplinary and multicollege research, education and capacity building, and global strategic partnerships. He oversees more than 20 international offices and programs at MSU, guiding research and activities that positively impact critical global issues.

Hanson has refocused MSU’s global engagement to be increasingly data-driven and impact-oriented, shaping an international strategy that leverages the university’s strengths in thematic and regional expertise with a highly collaborative partnership approach. This strategy has led to the creation of a number of innovative global strategic initiatives, including the Alliance for African Partnership, AsiaNexus, and the Global Youth Advancement Network.

Hanson first joined MSU in 1988 in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. From 2003-2014, he served as chair of AFRE, leading one of the most productive and highly ranked departments in the country. His research focuses on risk management with financial contracts and the valuation of financial contracts and assets, such as land. Hanson has taught graduate and undergraduate financial economics and management courses and his work has been published in leading journals such as the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and the Journal of Empirical Finance. Hanson received his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Iowa State University.

Biography: Dr. Marcy Hessling O’Neil is assistant professor of anthropology and Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Specialist with Global IDEAS at Michigan State University, and co-founder of the Three Sisters Education Fund in Benin Republic. Hessling O’Neil has nearly 20 years experience working on education projects in countries including Benin Republic, Mali, Kenya, and Malawi. These projects have been funded by the IDRC, USAID, the Alliance for African Partnership, the US Department of State, and the US Embassy in Cotonou. O’Neil currently serves as the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Officer on the USAID-funded Transforming Higher Education Systems project in Malawi. O’Neil is a Fulbright alumna and McNair Scholar. 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). Media appearances include BB24 Television in Benin, WDET Radio in Detroit, Michigan, and the I Heart Radio Network (syndicated globally) to discuss gender and social entrepreneurship. Leadership positions include the UN Major Group on Youth and Children (contributing member), African Studies Association Program Committee, Thematic Chair “Youth in Africa: Restive and Productive Energies,” SolutionsU Innovation Advisory Council, and the Concordia Africa Partnership Accelerator. She has presented research at conferences and workshops in the US, Nigeria, Canada, Finland, Benin, and the UK. O’Neil earned her Ph.D. in anthropology from Michigan State University.