School of Social and Political Science

Background

Rebecca J. Macy, PhD, MSW, is an Honorary Professor of Social Work in the School of Social and Political Science and is a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin. She was on the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) School of Social Work for over 20 years, where she served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development. She is the former Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Family Violence. She has also held a Guest Professor appointment at Jinan University in Guangdong, China. 

Macy’s program of research comprises over 20 years’ experience conducting community-engaged studies that focus on preventing and responding to intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking. Macy regularly conducts investigations in community settings, working in collaboration with survivors and their families, service providers, and policy makers. Her research has been supported with funding from federal agencies, foundations, private donors, and state government. Macy has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, editorials, and invited commentaries, and has given over 200 peer-reviewed and invited presentations. Given her commitment to engaged research, Macy regularly disseminates her studies’ findings through community venues, organizational trainings, as well as manuals, research briefs, and toolkits.

Macy is a Fellow in the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. She has received awards for her mentoring and teaching. In addition, the rigor of Macy’s research and its benefit to practice has been recognized with awards from the North Carolina Division of Public Health, the Office of the UNC-CH Provost, and the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. She has also received the Daily Village Pride Award from WCHL Radio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina twice.