James O’Neill, PhD, serves as Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences, leading with a strong commitment to student success and academic excellence in health sciences education.

With more than 30 years of experience in higher education, Dr. O’Neill brings a distinguished background as a professor, researcher, and academic administrator. His work includes securing more than $25 million in competitive grant funding to support health science research and program evaluation focused on health promotion and chronic disease prevention across schools and communities at the local, regional, state, and national levels.

Dr. O’Neill devoted more than 25 years of his career to Madonna University, where he served as a professor and senior administrator, including roles as Provost and Vice President for Academic Administration.

He later held a research appointment at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. His contributions have been recognized through multiple honors for teaching excellence at Madonna University, as well as national awards for research and service, including appointment to a U.S. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy task force. Dr. O’Neill also serves on several state-level, non-profit boards committed to optimizing health and education.

He earned his undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, completing a double major in Psychology and Sociology. Dr. O’Neill earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Developmental and Clinical Psychology from Wayne State University, including a doctoral fellowship at the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

In addition to his role as Interim Dean, Dr. O’Neill currently serves as Interim Associate Provost, where he leads institution-wide efforts related to accreditation, assessment, and curriculum development.