First Leazar Speaker’s Series Focuses on Financial Literacy

The first Nell Leazar Speaker’s Series from the Department of Human Environmental Sciences featured Dr. Barbara O’Neill, Rutgers University Distinguished Professor. On November 8, 2017, O’Neill gave a campus address on “A Man is Not a Financial Plan: What Every Women Should Know about Money.”  The event was well attended by students, faculty, staff, and alumnae.

While on campus, O’Neill supported the financial literacy component of StrongPoints®. On November 7, 2017, Dr. O’Neill met with StrongPoints Director Candice Webb and members of the StrongPoints® Advisory Committee to discuss strategies that could be used at Meredith to address its financial literacy goals.  On Wednesday, she spoke to student groups sponsored by Kappa Omicron Nu and a class of Family and Consumer Sciences majors.  On Thursday, November 8, O’Neill presented a workshop at a luncheon for various faculty and staff on “Resources for Integrating Financial Literacy in Your Curriculum”

O’Neill holds the rank of Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, and is Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Specialist in Financial Resource Management.  A certified financial planner®, O’Neill received her Ph.D. in family financial management from Virginia Tech. She has written more than 1,700 consumer newspaper articles, more than160 articles for professional publications, and six books on financial planning.  She has also received more than three dozen awards for program excellence and in excess of $1 million in external funding to support her financial education programs and research.