Scott M. Lacy is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where he teaches anthropology, environmental studies, and black studies courses. He earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his research interests include cross-cultural knowledge production, food systems, intellectual property rights associated with seed, and the anthropology of happiness.

In addition to being an award-winning teacher and two-time Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Lacy is a coauthor of two popular textbooks, Applying Anthropology and Applying Cultural Anthropology, and he has published a number of book chapters and articles that document cross-cultural knowledge production in agriculture, community development, engineering, and even nanotechnology. Dr. Lacy has presented his work as a consultant or keynote speaker for numerous organizations, including Engineers Without Borders and the Peace Corps. His nonprofit and academic work has been featured in two major documentaries: Sustaining Life and Nyogonfe: Together.

Dr. Lacy has worked in Mali since 1994, when he first served in the Peace Corps. Since then, he has partnered with family farmers, teachers, community leaders, plant scientists, engineers, and a host of other knowledge specialists in Mali and throughout the world. He is also the founder and executive director of African Sky, a nonprofit organization that serves hardworking farm families in rural Mali, West Africa.