Mid-year report on the HCD Fellowship Program managed by the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Memphis.
www.memphis.edu/suapp
2. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
January 24, 2012
The progress made by our HCD fellows in the fall of 2011 has
been impressive. The twelve graduate students from the
Departments of Anthropology, City and Regional Planning, and
Public Administration are making major strides in achieving
the goals of the program to integrate theoretical, classroom-
based learning and applied, practice-based learning. Each
student began their experience with a learning contract that
defined activities and responsibilities as well as competencies
that they are seeking to develop. Their work for agencies
such as United Housing Inc., the Vance Avenue Collaborative,
and the City of Memphis Chief Administration Office, has resulted
in stronger partnerships between the university and the community.
Each year we seek to improve the HCD Fellows Program at the University of Memphis.
During the fall, we began significant changes in how the program is carried out at the
classroom level by developing a more dynamic website to promote fellows’ activities,
an internal class blog and secure social media connections to encourage dialogue, and
we have added a specific focus on teaching about the integration methods of Web 2.0
communications tools for community development. Please visit the SUAPP web site at
www.memphis.edu/suapp.
In the coming term, Spring 2012, the fellows will be expected to further hone their
skills in 21st century documentation and collaboration online. Each fellow will be
required to keep and share an online Field Journal, as well as participate in several
assignments to assess and map their and their placement organizations’ technology
capabilities. Toward the end of the term, they will produce a poster presentation on
“New Use of Technology to Improve Community Outreach through your Internship
Experience.” This information will be shared on the HCD Fellowship Website and the
Urban Affairs Spotlight website.
Building upon the successful program in place, we expect that the additional focus on
technology will help to better prepare these future leaders for productive internship
experiences and future careers.
Sincerely,
Stan Hyland, PhD
Head, School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy
University of Memphis
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3. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
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PROGRAM INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
The Housing and Community Development (HCD) Research Fellowship was initiated several
years ago by the senior administrators in the City of Memphis’ Department of Housing and
Community Development and faculty in the newly formed School of Urban Affairs and Public
Policy (SUAPP). The purpose of the program is to encourage professional students to engage in
community based research, public policy, program development, project management, and
program evaluation efforts in the field of economic and community development. Funded by
the Department of Housing and Community Development, the program was initially
established to enhance the outcomes of professional education in, public administration, city
planning, social work, criminal justice studies and applied anthropology and to increase the
number of graduates choosing to join community development organizations within the
Memphis region upon graduation.
What is Community Development?
Our working definition of community development is any systematic effort to enhance the
organizing, planning, development, and
management capacity of community-based
organization and public agencies seeking to
List of Current & Former
improve the overall quality of life in poor and
working-class neighborhoods within the City of Partner Agencies
Memphis. Advance Memphis
Binghampton Community Development
Program Goals Corporation
City of Memphis Department of Housing and
Introduce students to the critical Community Development
environmental, economic, and social City of Memphis Chief Administrative Office
problems confronting the region’s most Community Development Corporation
Council of Greater Memphis
economically challenged neighborhoods.
Cooper-Young CDC
Expose students to innovative policies, Frayser CDC
programs, and practices that address the Goodwill Homes Community Services
structural causes of uneven patterns of Habitat for Humanity
development, and persistent and Keep Tennessee Beautiful
concentrated poverty. Lead Hazard Control Program
Memphis Center for Independent Living
Facilitate service-learning, volunteerism, Memphis City Schools
and applied research projects to promote Memphis Landmarks Commission
innovative policy solutions to critical issues. Office of Planning and Development
Saint Patrick’s Learning Center
Use reflective strategies to improve Saint Peter’s Manor
professional practice and connect to School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy
emerging organizational challenges and The Works, Inc.
policy issues. United Housing, Inc.
United Way of the Mid-South
Integrate theoretical, classroom-based University District
learning and engaged, experiential learning University Neighborhood Development
through a weekly seminar. Corporation
Vance Avenue Collaborative
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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4. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Student Placement
Students are placed at nonprofit organizations,
community development corporations, and public
agencies (city, county, state, and federal) that are
working on initiatives that fit into our working
description of community development and, where
possible, link to the priorities areas/neighborhoods of
the Memphis Division of Housing and Community
Development.
Fellowship Length
Students accepted into the program will participate in
the program throughout the length of their professional
degree program (typically two years) provided they
receive positive evaluations for their internship and related coursework performance. While a
student may stay at a participating placement agency for more than one semester, the
program encourages them to be engaged in a different mix of professional activities each
semester to maximize the professional development outcomes of the program.
Student Compensation
All students will receive a tuition and fee waiver from the UofM Graduate School. In addition,
they will receive an $800 a month stipend for the 20 hours of work each week. Students will
also receive academic credit for the weekly seminar course.
Funding
The Housing and Community Development Research Fellowship is jointly funded by the City of
Memphis Department of Housing and Community Development and the Graduate School at the
University of Memphis.
Program Management
In collaboration with Stan Hyland, Head of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, the
Chairs/Directors (or their representatives) of the graduate programs in public administration,
city and regional planning, social work, criminal justice studies, and anthropology serve as
the point of overall decision making on student recruitment and acceptance into the program,
making placement with agencies, serving as liaisons with the Graduate School, and raising
funds to expand the program. Individual faculty members are assigned direct mentoring and
supervision of each student.
Advisory Board
Advisory Board Members meet twice a year to review and comment on the program’s overall
structure, course syllabi, and to assist with unique placement requests, and include:
Emily Trenholm, Greater Memphis Community Development Council
Eric Robertson, Leveraging Investment For
Mari Albertson, City of Memphis Department of Housing and Community Development
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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5. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
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2011-12 PROGRAM SPECIFICS
Fall 2011 Semester Overview
Description and Objectives
The weekly seminars are intended to focus on student
integration of theoretical, classroom-based learning and
applied, practice-based learning. Focused topic areas and
speakers are supplemented by weekly round table discussions,
social media instruction, and information sharing. A program
website, blog, and two closed online group discussion areas 2011-12
were created in Fall 2011 to further information exchange and Neighborhood
technical skills building. Priority Areas
Coursework Objectives
SOUTH MEMPHIS
Introduce students to the critical environmental,
economic, and social problems confronting the region’s FRAYSER
most economically challenged neighborhoods.
Expose students to innovative policies, programs, and BINGHAMPTON
practices that address the structural causes of uneven
patterns of development, and persistent and
concentrated poverty.
2011-12
Facilitate service learning, volunteerism, and applied
research projects to promote innovative policy Fellows
solutions to critical issues confronting the region’s
most distressed communities. Marissa (Genevie) Aaker
Use reflective strategies to improve professional Andrea Barbour
practice and connect to emerging organizational
challenges and policy issues. Allison Eddins
Required Assignments Cecell Hite
Program Orientation: Students are introduced to the Zachary Hunter
fundamental theories, methods, practices, and issues related Aury Kangelos
to experiential education; the use of learning plans as a
lifelong learning tool; and the structure of the UofM’s HCD Laura Meyer
Fellowship Program. Gabrielle Mondie
Professional Fellowship: Each student will devote twenty Gayle Ozanne
hours each week (16 weeks per semester) to professional Alexandria Satterfield
activities at participating agencies working under the
supervision of accomplished urban affairs professionals. Josh Shumaker
Lacy Ward
Weekly Reflective Seminar: Participating students are
required to enroll in a one credit Planning Internship Seminar
(PLAN 7890) to learn what other students are doing in their
work, compare and contrast creative problem solving ideas,
and assist in integrating the learning outcomes.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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6. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
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2011-12 Partner Learning Contract: Students, agency supervisors, and
faculty mentors will identify learning objectives, core
Agencies knowledge and competencies, as well as placement activities
and evaluation criteria for the agency placement
Landmarks experience. The contract will be negotiated each semester.
The student, agency supervisor, and faculty mentor must
Commission approve the Learning Contract. The Contract will be used to
monitor and evaluate student progress throughout the
City of Memphis fellowship.
Vance Avenue Field Journal/Blog: Students will submit the field journal to
faculty mentors and agency supervisors prior to each site
Collaborative visit and as appropriate. Notations should be made several
times a week with your observations, reflective thoughts,
Adopt-A-Street questions, and feelings about the placement learning
experience. The Field Journal should capture:
The Works CDC
What the fellow is doing
What the fellow is learning
Habitat for Humanity How it connects to coursework
Questions and concerns
Frayser CDC
Critical Incident Reports: As part of the field journal,
students must complete two critical incidents that frame
Choice Neighborhood transformative learning experiences throughout the agency
placement experience. Each report should include:
Binghampton CDC
Identification of the event
Advance Memphis Relevant details
The people involved. Use job titles, not names.
United Housing Personal role
Incident analysis
Site Visits: The faculty advisor will visit each student twice during the semester, at the 3rd
and 12th weeks of placement. During the visits, the faculty advisor will meet with the student
and the agency supervisor to discuss any issues that are affecting the quality of the fellowship
experience.
Public Issues Forums, Public Board meetings, and/or Professional Workshops: Each
student must attend at least two of the above and write a reflective journal entry that
includes details about the event, issue, participants, and potential for future engagement.
Reflective Essay: Students will write a 5-7 page reflective essay describing and evaluating
the progress they have made towards achieving goals and objectives. During this essay,
students also have the chance to evaluate the overall program and placement experience.
Student Evaluation: Each student will be evaluated by the agency supervisor and faculty
mentor based on the fieldwork, journals, assignments, and reflective essays to determine the
progress made during the fellowship based upon the learning contract.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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7. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Student Responsibilities
Contact placement agency supervisor to arrange
the work schedule
Research placement agency before first day of
work
Participate in weekly seminar
Set weekly meeting time with agency supervisor
Submit weekly timesheets
Keep field journal
Facilitate site visits during 3rd and 12th weeks
Meet with faculty mentor as needed
Present project during spring semester
Aug 29 Orientation Lunch
Sept 5 No session: Labor Day
Sept 12 National Policy Issues and Research, Guest: Professor Ed Goetz –
Director of the Hubert Humphrey’s School of Public Policy, University of
Minnesota
Sept 19 The Engaged Metropolitan University.
Sept 26 Community Engagement Online: Utilizing Web 2.0 tools for community
development and organizing. Speaker: Gayla Schaefer, HCD Assistant
Oct 3 Theories of Neighborhood Revitalization and Memphis Nbrhd Activism
Oct10 Methods for Community Building, Participatory Action Research &
Engaged Scholarship
Oct 17-18 Fall Break
Oct 31 Professionalism and Ethics, Guest: Professor Joy Clay
Nov 7 Volunteer and Service Learning Opportunities
Nov 14 Division of Housing and Community Development Planning Initiatives
Nov 21 Internship Site Presentations
Nov 28 Internship Site Presentations
Dec 5 Evaluation of Learning Objectives
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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8. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
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www.memphis.edu/suapp
Research Fellow Reports
Fall 2011
In the following section, reports from each of the current 2011-12 HCD
Research Fellows are presented for review.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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9. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Marissa (Genevie) Aaker
Graduate Program: Public Administration
Expected Graduation: May, 2013
Education: B.S., Neuroscience, Baylor Univ.
HCD Placement: United Housing, Inc. (UHI)
Supervisors: Tim Bolding, Amy Schaftlein Rednour
Faculty Mentor: Laura Harris
Goals:
As an HCD fellow, Aaker hopes to engage in scholarship,
service learning, and community outreach. Her goal is
to provide a holistic approach to literacy, health,
lifelong learning, and to promote change by enhancing
diversity initiatives. She is interested in improving
www.uhinc.org
organizations through strategic planning, public
relations, and volunteer management. Her
accomplishments for Fall 2011 include becoming a
NextGen Leader of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance,
receiving the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Diversity Scholarship, and becoming the VP
of Fundraising Nonprofit Leaders Student Association (NLSA).
Semester Overview:
During the Fall 2011 term, Aaker learned through a diverse range of experiences at UHI. Aaker
completed a NeighborWorks training textbook and supplemental course materials. This course
included case study reviews and information on neighborhood stabilization and REO property
development.
Her work also included assistance with a Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF) grant to
obtain funding for Mobile Homebuyer Education Workshops. Furthering her interest in
nonprofit management, Aaker helped with the UHI
newsletter and event marketing. She was able to hone
her social media skills learned in the HCD course
“My experience at UHI helped me
meetings to post information to blogs and utilize
get to know and love the Memphis social media networks professionally.
community.”
In addition, Aaker worked to coordinate and organize
-Genevie Aaker
the Wolf River Bluffs project. Phase one of this
project includes the development of 34 Eco-Friendly,
single-family homes, including two homes for Shelby
Residential and Vocational Services (SRVS) clients. Her future goals at UHI include completing
an educational brochure for the Strengthening Communities Grant Project for the Scenic Hills
Dam, evaluating the Homebuyer Education program, and completing a curriculum for a course
offered by the Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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10. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Andrea Barbour
Graduate Program: City and Regional Planning
Expected Graduation: May, 2012
Education: B.A., Sociology, Xavier University
HCD Placement: Greater Memphis CDC
Supervisors: Emily Trenholm
Faculty Mentor: Charlie Santo
Goals:
As a returning HCD Fellow, Andrea Barbour would like to continue participating in service
learning while gaining practical planning skills
and experience. Barbour’s goal for her
placement experience is to have a better
understanding of the role of the Greater Memphis
Community Development Council in addition to
the individual CDCs. She looks forward to
learning more about the strategy that Livable
Memphis uses to enact change with various
Memphis and Shelby County policies.
Semester Overview:
www.livablememphis.org
Barbour handles creating maps for the
Community Development Council and its
members. This semester she assisted with the
planning of a community wide workshop to
develop and advocate for issues regarding Livable Memphis and the Greater Memphis
Community Development Council. She also provided outreach to other grassroots
organizations to arrange presentations, discussions, study circles, etc., on issues related to
urban development patterns, and their connection to neighborhood issues. Barbour was also
tasked with researching policy issues related to urban planning and assisting with social media
such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Her placement also provided the opportunity for
her to aid in training and special events.
In evaluation of her learning objectives, Barbour notes that she provided:
assistance with administrative duties such as mass emails, flyers, pamphlets,
brochures, PowerPoint projects, etc.
assistance with the data gathering of policy information for the “Complete Streets
Initiative.”
creation of compare and contrast of comparable non-profit organizations to Livable
Memphis.
assistance with the creation of the Twitter account for Greater Memphis Community
Development Council.
attendance at “Pizza with the Planner” events at the library, movie night with TAPA,
and a community development policy meeting.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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11. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Allison Eddins
Graduate Program: City and Regional Planning
Expected Graduation: May, 2012
Education: B.B.A. Fin. & Real Est., U. of Memphis
HCD Placement: Frayser CDC
Supervisor: Steve Lockwood
Faculty Mentor: Kenneth Reardon
Goals:
Eddins goals for her experience reflect her desire to gain
practical real world experience. She hopes to learn how to
best utilize programs and policies that the city already has
in place to further the efforts of community development
and enrichment, to use a holistic approach when dealing
with poverty and housing issues, and, to improve Frayser
CDC’s community outreach by working with other
community development corporations to further the goals
of community enhancement.
www.fraysercdc.org
Semester Overview:
Eddins first semester as an intern for the Frayser
Community Development Corporation offered her many
opportunities for personal and professional growth. She came to realize that although each
project was different, they were all the same. “They were all a part of the big picture. They
were small steps that had to be taken in order to fulfill the overall mission.”
During the term, she completed the following three large projects: 1) the Neighborhood
Stabilization Program to assist in locating and purchasing homes for rental development
within the target area; 2) New Homestead to catalogue all homes in Frayser that are subject
to tax foreclosure and assist in designing program to identify and monitor families to be
placed in tax foreclosed homes; and, 3) assistance with redevelopment of four commercial
spaces. She was also involved with two smaller projects involving a mobile home park in
Frayser that flooded last May and researching user occupancy permits for predatory lenders.
Plans for the spring semester include two big projects. She will be working with the NSP
neighborhood and assisting in the redevelopment and marketing of the store fronts.
Eddins reflections on the experience include a very profound personal realization about the
heartbreaks behind the current housing crisis and the need for sensitivity and strategic
planning.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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12. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Cecell Hite
Graduate Program: Public Administration
Expected graduation: May, 2013
Education: B.A., Psychology, Univ. of TN
HCD Placement: Binghampton Devel. Corp.
Supervisors: Robert Montague
Faculty Mentor: Leigh Hersey
Goals:
Hite’s goal as an HCD fellow is to synthesize his
educational and practical experiences to enhance his
chosen career working as an analyst or manager for a
government agency. His learning contract objectives
were to learn how to tailor programs to fit the needs
of stake holders while maintaining objectives; www.bdcmemphis.org
analyze quantitative and qualitative data and
compare it to previously collected data through
different forms of media; how to implement
programs and the procedures taken to ensure success; and, the creation and daily operations
of a nonprofit. He was very interested in learning how non-profits are run, the grant writing
process and tools for his future career goals.
Semester Overview:
Hite handles property acquisitions and assists with development of a new CDC. This semester
he accomplished many of his goals and now knows how to extract information from large data
sets such as the census and how the work climate and the relationships between staff work at
nonprofit organizations.
His work with the census material was especially beneficial to building his professional
toolkit. Hite notes that in a community like a Binghamton that is in desperate need of
revitalization, information about environmental shifts in the community is necessary to help
in any revitalization efforts. The project provided practical research experience.
Hite was also able to help with the development of new CDC for the Mitchell Heights,
Highland Heights, and Nutbush area by creating a database for problem and asset properties
in the community. The project has sharpened his organization and communication skills.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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13. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Zachary Hunter
Graduate Program: City and Regional Planning
Expected Graduation: May, 2013
Education: B.A., Arch. Studies, Univ. of Ark.
HCD Placement: Landmarks Commission
Supervisors: Mary Jane Baker
Faculty Mentor: David Westendorf
Goals:
Hunter’s goals for his placement at the Landmarks
Commission include understanding what kind of impact historic preservation can have on a
city and how to incorporate that knowledge into an effective plan; gaining familiarity with
the interaction between the planner and the various organizations/community members that
are involved in the process of city development; and synthesizing his design oriented
background with the political side of planning to become a well-rounded and capable city
planner.
Semester Overview:
At the Landmarks Commission, Hunter has
assisted with:
making amendments to the UDC (Unified
Development Code).
on-going mapping projects.
presenting Memphis Register applications
to the Committee for approval. www.memphislandmarks.com
completing Gayoso Peabody/Cotton Row
revised Design Guidelines.
submitting a National Register nomination
for City of Memphis properties
Hunter feels that the first leg of his Internship at the Memphis Landmarks Commission has
been a great beginning to his learning experience at the University of Memphi by learning that
historic preservation does not only save the history and character of a place, but also provides
the city with economic opportunity.
Hunter has used his background in architecture to articulate the value of buildings to area
culture and history. In his responsibilities to inform owners that their property was being
placed on the Memphis Register. he learned that most see the designation as an economic
burden and infringement on property rights. He has developed the viewpoint that it is
important to change perceptions to embrace the idea that preservation can be a tool to
stabilize and improve property values while preserving the integrity of historic resources and
culture. Working with OPD has also provided him with a better understanding of the planning
and policy process, increasing his understanding of planners role in government and
interaction with the public.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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14. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Aury Kangelos
Graduate Program: City and Regional Planning
Expected Graduation: May, 2012
Education: B.S., Poli. Sci., Univ. of TN at Martin
HCD Placement: Vance Avenue Collaborative
Supervisors: Father Tim Sullivan
Faculty Mentor: Kenneth Reardon
Goals:
In the second year working with the same project, Kangelos
goal for his placement experience were to continue to have
a productive and valuable learning experience relevant to
his future career aspirations. He chose to remain in his
previous placement agency because he felt that being
involved in a federal planning program aimed at being as
grassroots and participatory as possible would be a useful
and enlightening experience.
www.vancecn.org
Semester Review:
Kangelos reports that the fall 2011 term was another
rewarding experience, although one of the most strenuous and nerve-wracking experiences he
has had in graduate school. At the end of his spring 2011 semester, the City of Memphis
applied for and was awarded a Housing and Community Development’s federal Choice
Neighborhood Grant for the Vance Avenue study area and would be receiving money to start a
strategic participatory plan.
Two asdditional graduate assistants were brought on to the Vance Avenue team, because of
the much larger responsibility that comes with a federal grant program, and Kangelos’
responsibilities were down-sized to organization of community meetings and facilitation
between the Collaborative and other institutions. He also played a role in collecting data for
interpretation by the Collaborative so that it could be put into reports and delivered to the
Memphis Housing Authority, Housing and Community Development, and eventually Housing
and Urban Development. He reports that the group was able to successfully host four
community meetings at different institutions, facilitate 60 to 90 residents and community
leaders at each meeting and gather their opinions.
Kangelos was also closely involved in a special project with the aim of combating the issues of
food access that the Vance Avenue community where he directly helped begin the process of
establishing a mobile produce market in Memphis -- a much bigger task than organizers
initially estimated. The group has been in contact with Fresh Moves in Chicago, pioneers of
the idea, and bench-marked with them on expenses and initial operating costs. Successes
included acquisition of a public transportation bus from MATA on a long-term lease for $1 a
year, securing of Archer Malmo for pro-bono naming and branding and LRK Architecture for
retrofit and design assistance, establishment of a steering committee, creation of a budget
and funding proposal, and significant media coverage. His evaluation of the experience
includes a call for capacity building by the organization to carry out the numerous and diverse
projects with which they have become involved.
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15. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Laura Meyer
Graduate Program: Applied Medical Anthropology
Expected Graduation: May, 2012
Education: B.A., Anthropology, Univ. of Memphis
HCD Placement: Adopt-A-Street Program
Supervisors: Andrew Trippel
Faculty Mentor: Stan Hyland
Goals:
Meyer’s goals for her placement as Coordinator for the
Adopt-A-Street program for the second year included
organization of events and beautification efforts. She
hopes to acquire more experience with engaged http://adopt-a-
scholarship and participatory action research, and street.posterous.com
increased knowledge of community and volunteer
organization.
Semester Overview:
During the course of this semester, Meyer managed the program for the School of Urban
Affairs and Public Policy and successfully organized a Kick Off event which resulted in five of
six student organizations completing their two required clean-ups. Noting that the
beautification efforts again proved difficult to organize, she feels she successfully met her
learning contract obligations to manage documentation and record-keeping. The data she has
collected provides needed evaluation to improve efforts. As a trained anthropologist, she has
kept a detailed journal on the ambitious project, reported on selected meetings and clean-
ups, documented with photography, and completed design of a website.
Her recommendations for the program include: 1) Reorganization of the program calendar
layout so that the first month is reserved for beautification projects and the second two
months are dedicated to clean-ups; 2) Making the Kick Off and Wrap-Up events mandatory set
dates with Wrap Up prizes; and 3) Having all participating student organizations design, or
accept a stock designed, yard sign which they can then disseminate to residents in their
adopted zones to guarantee resident contact. Meyer also plans to recommend that the
University of Memphis Student Affairs office be offered the opportunity to collaborate with
the Adopt-a-Street team on events such as organizing either a historical talk with Jimmy Ogle
or a Fraternity day. She feels that the involvement of the Student Affairs office will
strengthen the program’s capacity to reach more student groups, especially the Greek
organizations. Meyer believes that the Adopt-a-Street program will eventually develop into a
sustainable, institutionalized program within the university and Student Affairs.
The experience has improved Meyer’s ability to network and act as a program advocate. She
has built connections with local organizations, in particular Memphis City Beautiful which
loaned all clean-up tools/supplies. She advanced her knowledge of communications and
record-keeping technologies and believes that the website development and content curation
skills she has developed will increase her professional toolkit and future career marketability
as well as the experience with organization, facilitation, record keeping, and evaluation.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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16. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Gabrielle Mondie
Graduate Program: Public Administration
Expected Graduation: May, 2013
Education: B.A., Political Sci, Univ. of TN
HCD Placement: Advance Memphis
Supervisor: Steve Nash
Faculty Mentor: Charles Menifield
Goals:
Mondie wants her placement to provide experience
relatable to her coursework and her desired future
career as an analyst. . She hopes the experience her
placement has provided in program analysis will
prove useful in her career plans. She believes that
active involvement is vital to community
improvement and hopes that the placement will
open the door for a more collaborative approach to
community engagement. www.advancememphis.org
Semester Overview:
In order to evaluate the programs at her field
placement, Mondie began by developing a definition of success for each of the Advance
Memphis programs: Jobs for Life, Phase II, Individual Development Account, Financial
Freedom, GED, Mercy Loans, Employment Support, Staffing, and Volunteer and Donor
Education. She then determined the outputs and outcomes for each of the programs and
developed a system of measurements for each. In 2012, Mondie plans on contacting
participants to further evaluate the success of the programs. She believes that successful
programs are essential to advancing economic development in the area.
Mondie has succesfully drawn connections between her practical fellowship experience and
her coursework in Research Methods and Contemporary Perspectives in Public Administration.
Critically, she has identified the importance of performance measurements and nonprofit
manpower and funding challenges to implement effective evaluation programs. She feels
confident that her work documenting program effectiveness for the organization will be
useful for grant applications and capacity building moving forward.
Mondie notes that while she was not able to complete her goals of learning to navigate
computer programs that aid in compiling data or developing a budget for a growing nonprofit
organization, her progress has been marked. She now reports a greater understanding of the
importance of helping individuals to develop in order for her placement program to have long-
lasting effects and developed skills for planning outcomes of evaluation and metrics for
framework. Her goals for Spring 2012 are to complete the objective of working with various
computer programs to aid in compiling data by utilizing Excel and VistaShare. She is also
hoping to work with the financial coordinator to learn more about the budgeting process.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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17. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Gayle Ozanne
Graduate Program: Applied Medical Anthropology
Expected Graduation: May, 2013
Education: B.A., Anthropology, Univ. of CT
HCD Placement: The Works CDC
Supervisor: Curtis Thomas
Faculty Mentor: Kathryn Hicks
Goals:
Ozanne’s interests lie in food consumption and diseases,
food security, health disparities, and nutrition. She hopes
to engage in participatory action research to assist in the
implementation of policy that addresses the needs of the www.theworkscdc.org
community.
Semester Overview:
Ozanne’s activities included: 1) Participation in the South
Memphis Farmers’ Market (SMFM) by planning activities and assistance at the market; 2)
Participation in ongoing SMFM research, including instrument design, data collection, analysis,
and dissemination; 3) Developing a business plan for the new SMFM permanent structure; and
4) Revising, reformatting, and facilitating community review of the Neighborhood Service
Directory.
Ozanne assisted with weekly setup and disassembly at the market and regular data collection.
Collection methods included tracking number of customers and their means of transportation,
inventory of produce sold at the market, mapping exercises, taking field notes about market
activities, and other techniques as needed. She also had the opportunity to participate in the
design and data collection of the end of market survey for the 2011 season by developing
questions, assisting in the pretest, survey distribution (including assisting any customers
requesting help with completion), and proper documentation and distribution of survey
incentives. Since the end of the market season Ozanne has been performing Best Practice
research for the new South Memphis Farmers’ Market structure, which will include an
education kitchen and produce store. Research areas have included: farmers’ market
successes and failures, education kitchen activities and design, incubator kitchen practices,
workforce development plans, potential funding sources, grocery store development and
management techniques, and other appropriate information. Creation of the business plan
will continue into next semester, followed by implementation of the finished product.
Ozanne also finished the South Memphis neighborhood service directory by verifying data,
adding information and relevant businesses and institutions. It is scheduled for publication
shortly.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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18. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Alexandria Satterfield
Graduate Program: Urban Anthropology
Graduation: May 2012
Education: B.A. Anthropology, Spanish
HCD Placement: Habitat for Humanity
Supervisor: Christin Reeder
Faculty Mentors: Keri Brondo and Katherine
Lambert Pennington
Goals:
Satterfield hopes her HCD participation will help her to learn more about interdisciplinary
study and the benefits of collaboration. Her personal long-term goals are to work in
sustainable infrastructure development and the ecotourism industry. Her goals this semester
were to understand the role of anthropology/ anthropologists in community development
projects and within non-profit organizations, including but not limited to, non-profit ethics,
professionalism, use of social science research methods, and presentation (both written and
visual) in order to measure impact and inform change, employ the anthropological methods of
Asset Based Community Development to support the creation of Homeowners’ Associations,
and to understand the importance of evaluation, evidence-based practice, and research in
the programmatic practice of community development organizations.
Semester Review:
Satterfield’s activities included: 1) Developing a
Flow Chart to create a visual representation of her
goals over the course of the internship; 2)
Interviewing Habitat for Humanity homeowners
and then analyzing the data; 3) Researching
various neighborhood anchors in communities
where Habitat homeowners reside; 4) Compiling a
directory for an affirmative marketing campaign
and then sending letters to the 120 organizations http://memphishabitat.com
on the list; and 5) Notifying homeowners when
there was an event in their neighborhood.
The research on neighborhood anchors and the
homeowner interviews will be used in the spring to organize clusters of homeowners and
develop a homeowners association in one of the Habitat neighborhoods. Satterfield will be
using the literature from the Neighborhood Development and Social Entrepreneurship class to
guide the community organizing aspect of the project, and will use skills taught in the
Methods in Anthropology class to continue interviewing homeowners and organizing focus
groups to gather data and prepare results summaries which will be presented to the agency.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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19. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Josh Shumaker
Graduate Program: Public Administration
Expected Graduation: May, 2012
Education: B.A., History, Wofford College
HCD Placement: City of Memphis, Chief Admin Office
Supervisor: Maura Black Sullivan
Faculty Mentor: David Cox
Goals:
Shumaker’s goals of becoming a Congressional staffer
are well served by his HCD placement at the Chief
Administrative Office with the City of Memphis. He
looks to learn about local government management
and how to enhance the city's reputation by providing
support to expanding and improving agency relations. www.cityofmemphis.org
Shumaker hopes to reinforce HCD goals and
contribute to the program's relevancy and progress.
Semester Overview:
Shumaker has been especially focused on providing better efficiency in government services
and progressing the Mayor's initiatives regarding city image and quality of life. Shumaker
contributed to a variety of such projects and researched proposals for the Main Street Mall
upgrades and 311 program.
The majority of his efforts were spent developing a proposal for division consolidation and
revision primarily for the Division of Public Services and Neighborhoods and the Division of
Community Enhancement. Shumaker assisted in arranging a presentation to show Mayor
Wharton several options. In the process, he researched the position summary report for the
city and division organizational charts. Although budget and personnel numbers were not
added to the final presentation due to the complexity, the position numbers were helpful to
understanding the potential shift of personnel and budgets.
Shumaker’s role in the Main Street Mall project involved research into the proposals made by
the Main Street Mall committee. He primarily used online resources to research other cities
and their respective adjustments to downtown
pedestrian malls.
For the 311 program, a program to assist
“A network of partners in fighting citizens with non-emergency help, Shumaker
crucial problems of our city should reviewed information related to the cities that
start and end with passionate young have implemented 311 in an effort to reduce
persons who maintain the vision of crime and improve neighborhoods. Since one of
change,” the mayor’s two initiatives in the Bloomberg
– Josh Shumaker development grant is to reduce handgun
violence, Shumaker expects this project to continue in Spring 2012.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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20. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
Lacy Ward
Graduate Program: City and Regional Planning
Expected Graduation: May, 2012
Education: B.A., Urb. Studies, Rhodes College
HCD Placement: Vance Choice Neighborhood
Supervisor: Felicia Harris
Faculty Mentor: Kenneth Reardon
Goals:
Ward hopes her placement with the Choice
Neighborhood Planning Grant program will help
develop her professional skills and career
marketability by providing practical experience. Her
career goals include pursuing her Juris Doctorate and www.vancecn.org
working in land use law or oil and gas law.
Semester Overview:
Ward’s HCD fellowship with the Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant administered by the
federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) involved working one at the
University of Memphis and one day at the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community
Development (HCD). The purpose of the Choice Neighborhood Grant is to ensure that
redevelopment of public housing is done in a way that corresponds with what residents
desire. Currently the city is working with a Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant, which
provides funds for the planning portion of the project. The City of Memphis received $250,000
from HUD. They city also receive match dollars of $250,000 match funds from a Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG). The goal for this project is to receive a Choice
Neighborhood Implementation grant, which could be worth up to forty million dollars.
Ward sees her placement as interesting and critical to her development because the
involvement in a new grant program involves a learning curve for all involved thus providing
valuable lessons in teamwork since the grant requires several different teams to work
together in order to be successful. The three teams are the Housing Committee, the People
Committee, and the Housing group, to which the University of Memphis belongs.
Her duties at the university have included: administrative duties and assisting the HCD team,
outreach to residents in depth interviews with both small business owners and faith based
organization leaders, and participation in strategy sessions. Utilizing her communications
skills, she also created a Twitter account @Vance_CN used to create another medium of
connection to stakeholders.
At the HCD office she had different duties. She attended numerous meetings, taking notes or
minutes to report to the HCD staff or just to keep the general record. Ward also assisted with
research and summarizing documents. Her biggest project was training the MHA/HCD staff on
use of GoogleDocs for the Choice Neighborhood grant.
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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21. HCD Fellowship Interim Report 2011-
2012
www.memphis.edu/suapp
Report Prepared by Gayla Schaefer
M.P.A. Candidate, 2012
G.A., School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy
http://hcdfellows.posterous.com
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