ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµ

MARCA

Assisi Systemic Change Fellowship

Through a partnership between the Assisi Foundation of ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµ and the University of ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµ, 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 ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµ 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 ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆµ.

  now being accepted for the 2027 Fellowship cycle. Deadline Oct 28, 2026.

Sylvia Akotia
Maame Agyeiwaa Agyei
Virginia Lewis

Sylvia Akotia

City & Regional Planning

Maame Agyeiwaa Agyei

Communication Studies

Virginia Lewis

Sociology