Ask MARCA
Mobilizing Local Knowledge for Local Problem-Solving
Ask MARCA is the community's entry point for reaching MARCA and proposing projects. MARCA is an interdisciplinary team of faculty and student researchers from diverse fields, including Anthropology, City & Regional Planning, Sociology, and Public Health.
The MARCA student-research team can collaborate with local community residents and nonprofit organizations to provide short-term research support that translates into community action. MARCA student researchers gain exposure to practitioner experiences and participate in generating community-driven research and solutions.
Contact Ask MARCA
Have a place-based challenge or research question? Reach out to get started.
Or email marcainfo@memphis.edu. A MARCA team member will call to understand your research needs and assess feasibility.
How Ask MARCA Works
Submit Request
Email the MARCA research team or submit the request form.
Scoping Call
Work with the research team to develop a research plan and define deliverables.
Research & Analysis
Research team gathers data and shares findings in a user-friendly format.
Mobilize Action
Use actionable findings to mobilize community solutions and advocacy.
Student Research Team
Emily Thomson
Doctoral Candidate, Urban Affairs
Assists with community outreach, engagement, and research for MARCA. Passionate about translating data and research into accessible, actionable information, bridging academia and community groups. Research focuses on youth violence prevention, out-of-school time, and sports programming alternatives.
Quinn Houlihan
Third-Year Doctoral Student, Urban Affairs
Mixed-method, applied, community-engaged researcher and political anthropologist with a master's in applied anthropology and a graduate certificate in Women's & Gender Studies. Examines intersections of policy, space, identity, GIS policy mapping, and narrative policy frameworks.
Olatomiwa Olusesi
Master's Student, Anthropology
Graduate Research Assistant at MARCA, working with CDCs and nonprofits to translate research into strategic tools for programming and grant applications. Research interests center on workforce development, social capital, economic mobility, and workforce policy.
Kansas Gibler Hoy
MA Student, City & Regional Planning
Joined MARCA through the City of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Housing and Community Development Fellowship program. Background in GIS and ethnographic research, with nonprofit experience in statewide housing organizations in California and housing advocacy in ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.
Explore Community Research in Action
Discover past, current, and upcoming community projects conducted by Ask MARCA across Housing, Health, Youth, and Neighborhoods.
View Ask MARCA Projects →