Morgan Mercer is a senior director focused on gender, youth, and social inclusion with 12 years of experience in research methods, gender integration, women’s empowerment, and positive youth development. At ACDI/VOCA, she provides technical guidance to our market systems projects, leads stakeholder learning sessions, guides the development of technical strategies and tools, builds the capacity of partners and individuals in gender and youth integration, and leads analysis and research. Morgan co-authored two Leveraging Economic Opportunities analyses — one on youth engagement, leading research in Liberia and Nepal, and one on women’s empowerment. She currently leads research on gender integration among 20 USAID Bureau for Food Security-supported research investments through our Advancing Women’s Empowerment program. Prior to joining ACDI/VOCA in 2014, Morgan conducted mid-term evaluations for CARE in Mali and Tanzania, packaged and disseminated HIV prevention interventions for AED, FHI 360, and Danya International, and conducted health research in Madagascar for Emory University and Partners in Health. She holds a BA in political science from the University of South Carolina and an MA in development practice from Emory University. Morgan received an ACDI/VOCA Presidential Award for support of our USAID Transforming Market Systems Activity in Honduras in 2019. In 2021, she received a second ACDI/VOCA Presidential Award for outstanding leadership in developing youth as a strategic technical and new business growth area.
