Marissa Bergh is the 2026 recipient of the Maxine E. Elkan Scholarship from Nurses Educational Funds. Marissa received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at Emory University and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy Degree at New York University (NYU), where she is also an Urban Doctoral Fellow.
 
Marissa was motivated to pursue a career in nursing and nursing research after working as a research assistant for a nurse-scientist during her undergraduate studies. Working alongside an interdisciplinary team of nurses, physicians, epidemiologists, and biologists, she saw the distinct perspective that nurses brought to research.

Marissa has eight years of clinical experience with older adult patients spanning inpatient and community settings. Throughout this work, she persistently witnessed barriers within the housing environment. An inaccessible bathroom, a steep staircase, or a home too cluttered to navigate safely are barriers that the healthcare system has few resources to address. Yet, they profoundly shape patients' quality of life and health outcomes. This motivated her to pursue a PhD in Nursing at NYU, where her dissertation focuses on the relationship between housing environments and long-term care trajectories. This doctoral research will serve as the foundation for a career as a nurse scientist focused on developing housing-based interventions that enable older adults to age in their communities. Marissa’s goal is to become a nursing professor, where she can mentor and teach the next generation of nurses while advancing research at the intersection of housing and community-based aging.

In addition to her research and nursing career, Marissa volunteers as a support group facilitator for caregivers of people living with dementia. She has also spent two years as a policy intern with the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition, where she worked to advance policies that strengthen and support the nursing home workforce.

Receiving the Maxine E. Elkan Scholarship provides deeply meaningful support as Marissa works toward completing her dissertation and building a career dedicated to helping older adults age safely and with dignity in the communities they call home.