Urban Education Celebrates 10 Years Since First Graduates

December 12, 2024 – Marquetta Nebo and Marshetta Brazley-Rodgers made history in 2010 as the first students to enroll in the Doctor of Education (EdD) program in Urban Education at the University of Memphis College of Education. Four years later, they became the program's inaugural graduates, paving the way for a decade of impactful scholarship and community-focused leadership.

This week, program alumni, current students and faculty gathered to celebrate the 10 Year anniversary of the first graduates, honoring the program’s legacy of innovation and research in the field of Urban Education. Dr. Beverly Cross, who has overseen the program since its creation, reflected on the event.

"It was amazing and rewarding,” she said. “(The students’) accomplishments solidify the countless ways they are creating a community of scholars and local leaders impacting education and social sectors throughout Memphis. They represent the powerful impact that the program and the College of Education have made and continue to make through its graduates."

For Nebo, now a director of administration at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she said the program transformative for her. Her classmate, Brazley-Rodgers, who serves as School Advocacy Coordinator for St. Jude’s Imagine Academy, echoed these sentiments.

"Urban Education is bringing communities together. The curriculum formulated the work we already did and blended it with education, which is the root of everything. Many of us have used our dissertations to develop projects and programs that are now making an impact in Memphis," Nebo said.

"It’s an honor to be part of a nationally recognized program,” Brazley-Rodgers said. “What sets it apart is the way Dr. Cross coached us in our element, pushing us to produce groundbreaking work that would benefit the urban community. Being able to apply our research in a way that serves Memphis has been incredibly rewarding."

The celebration highlighted not just the program's unique curriculum but also its dedication to creating real-world impact. As attendees looked ahead to the future, Dr. Cross underscored the importance of events like these in fostering community and envisioning what lies ahead.

"This moment provides a reflective opportunity to imagine the future of the program and the countless possibilities for its sustainability as success-driven and impact-driven. The strong connections among alumni, students and faculty signal the enduring value of Urban Education and its role in shaping leaders who will continue to transform communities,” said Cross.

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