Two faculty members from the UW–Madison School of Education have been selected for the 2026-27 cohort of Morgridge Fellows. The program, run through the Morgridge Center for Public Service, brings together faculty, staff, and graduate students who are selected through a juried process for a year-long learning community focused on advancing community-engaged scholarship.

Led by Morgridge Center for Public Service Assistant Director of Community-Engaged Scholarship Dave Lassen and Community-Engaged Scholarship Manager Cory Sprinkel, the program offers fellows a unique opportunity  to learn and explore ways to further weave community engagement into the core functions of the university. Fellows also spend time in the community, building relationships with local residents, leaders, and organizations. 

This year’s Morgridge Fellows from the School of Education include (bios by Xai Xiong):

Julie Ober Allen

Julie Ober Allen is an assistant professor of health promotion and health equity in the Department of Kinesiology and director of the Stress and Health Disparities Lab. Her research investigates mechanisms generating chronic disease burden and disparities within the older U.S. adult population. This work focuses on how exposure to chronic stressors rooted in social inequities (e.g., ageism, racism, race and gender expectations, adverse life events) affects behavior, biology, psychosocial factors, and subsequent health in later life.

Her work to date emphasizes the health implications of ageism, Black-White health disparities, and health outcomes such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and multimorbidity. The underlying motivation for this research is to inform innovative community, societal, and policy level change to promote health and reduce health disparities among older U.S. adults.

Jing Yu

Jing Yu (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor of international higher education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and a faculty affiliate in Asian American studies at UW–Madison. Her research examines how the macro-level dynamics of neoliberal ideology, global inequality, and geopolitical tensions shape higher education systems and influence student mobility, experiences, and academic outcomes.

Specifically, she explores the unique challenges faced by international students from marginalized backgrounds as they navigate the complex educational landscapes of Western countries. Using a community-based participatory action research approach, her current project centers Chinese international students lived experiences and engages campus stakeholders in developing holistic, campus-based programming to better support their mental health and psychological well-being.

Learn more about the 2026-27 Morgridge Fellows cohort.