Assisi Systemic Change Fellowship

Through a partnership between the Assisi Foundation of Memphis and the University of Memphis, the Assisi Fellopwship  offers 3 students an interdisciplinary opportunity to bridge research, philanthropy, and community action. In 2026, the inaugural year, Sylvia Akotia, MA student in City and Regional Planning, Virginia Lewis, MA in Sociology, and Maame Agyeiwaa Agyei, doctoral student in Communication Studies, collaborated with Habitat for Humanity to conduct community-guided research on the influence of housing conditions, policies, and neighborhood environment on the well-being, stability, and lived experiences of older adults aging in place in Memphis and Shelby County. Dr. JoAnna Boudreaux in the Sociology Department supervised the fellows' research, and Emily Thomson, MARCA-CUR fellow, supported it.  

Read the final report: Aging in Place in Memphis.

 Applications for Community Partner Hosts now being accepted for the 2027 Fellowship cycle. Deadline Oct 28, 2026.