News
The School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy has several connections to community agencies in the Memphis area. Doctoral students will have the opportunity to work alongside these partners as they engage in their research programs. We celebrate collaboration and strive to connect research and practice both in the classroom and beyond. More about our current projects can be found below (Taken from the community connections SUAPP webpage).
Projects and Partnerships
LIFE Project
LIFELONG INITIATIVE FOR FAMILY EMPOWERMENT (LIFE) engages parents/ caregivers and youth in families with children aged 0-3 in health promoting activities. This community-based project focuses on the needs of families who love in zip codes 38106 and 38126.
The University of Memphis and Knowledge Quest, Inc. are partners on this initiative, which is funded by the Urban Child Institute. LIFE's mission is to connect families to a system of care that promotes the healthy development of their youngest family members.
To learn more about the project, contact:
Dr. Gregory Washington
gwshungt1@memphis.edu
ALSAC Partnership
The University of Memphis and St. Jude/ALSAC to offer new academic courses focused on philanthropy and nonprofit administration. The collaboration will also provide internship opportunities for students and help them learn more about the organization and how it operates.
To learn more about the collaboration, contact:
Dr. Sharon Wrobel
swrobel@memphis.edu
Women's Empowerment Project
Dr. Robin Lennon-Dearing collaborated with Friends for Life, Inc. in a seven-week group intervention for 23 women living with HIV. Funded through Strengthening Communities Grant, the project gave women the opportunity to create a photo journal to capture personal stories and challenges that reflected their everyday experiences as HIV + women.
To learn more about the project, Contact:
Dr. Robin Lennon-Dearing
rlnnndrn@memphis.edu
Memphis 3.0
The Department of City and Regional Planning is playing a central role in one of the most important planning endeavors to be undertaken in Memphis in decades: Memphis 3.0, the city's first comprehensive planning effort since 1981. The UofM Design Collaborative, the departments research and outreach center, was selected to develop Memphis 3.0's district plans. These neighborhood-scale community character plans will build upon citywide vision and goal statements. The department's participation offers students an incredible opportunity to learn from practice while contributing to the development of policies that will guide Memphis into its third century. Students in Land Use Planning, Analysis for Community Planning, Comprehensive Planning Studio, and Design Collaborative Studio have lead stakeholder outreach and analysis, analyzed land use patterns, compiled neighborhood histories, prepared demographic profiles, and lead community workshops to contribute to the planning efforts.
To learn more about the CPR, contact:
Dr. Charlie Santo
casanto@memphis.edu.
Criminology and Criminal Justice
The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is working on an interdisciplinary grant with faculty from Clinical Mental Health, Public Health, and UT Health Science Center to evaluate the use of neurofeedback therapy for the treatment of adolescents exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Dr. Zettler is evaluating the effectiveness of neurofeedback on outcomes including impulsivity, aggression, self-control, program compliance, and recidivism.
To learn more about CJ, contact:
Dr. Haley Zettler
hzettler@memphis.edu