Bank of America Supports UAMS Diversity Programs with $24,000 Gift
| June 26, 2018 | Bank of America continued its longstanding support of UAMS on June 19 with a gift of $24,000 to support the summer enrichment programs of the UAMS Center for Diversity Affairs and the Chancellor’s Circle.
This marks the seventh consecutive year Bank of America has supported the center’s programs, which benefit students throughout Arkansas. More than a dozen students of various ages and backgrounds, some in white coats, were on hand to celebrate.
Cassidy, a student in the UAMS Junior STEM Academy, greets Chancellor Patterson.
“I want to express my gratitude to Bank of America for their support,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA. “This work done by the Center for Diversity Affairs directly impacts our communities and supports our mission of better health for all Arkansans. Thanks to gifts like this, and seeing all these smiling faces, we are able to do just that.”
Of the $24,000 gift, $20,500 will support the center’s summer programs and the remaining $3,500 goes to the Chancellor’s Circle, UAMS’ premier annual giving society that presents grants each year to areas of greatest need. Thirteen grants were awarded this year.
Bank of America has given more than $150,000 to support UAMS’ diversity programs over the years. The corporation has given more than half a million dollars to UAMS as a whole.
“We are honored to be a part of this labor of love with UAMS,” said Donnie Cook, Bank of America Arkansas state president and Little Rock market president. “My hope is that, in my older years, one of these children out here will be the person who’s taking good care of me, extending my life and giving us all great and wonderful health. For us, this is a great investment in our city, our state and even the world.”
“We are so proud to be a part of this,” said Magen Price, Bank of America Arkansas vice president and Little Rock market manager. “We are thrilled that we have this partnership and look forward to continuing it through the years.”
The center’s summer enrichment programs are designed to strengthen science, math, literacy and test-taking skills. In addition, the programs give students an introduction to the many health career options at UAMS and include mentored research, bridge programs for non-traditional students, ACT and MCAT preparation, a Pacific Islander health science conference, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs for young children. In 2018, the center will add a program for Marshallese high school students in northwest Arkansas.
Thanks to the generous support of corporations like Bank of America, the center has been able to greatly increase enrollment. Each summer, hundreds of students are exposed to health careers in the UAMS colleges of Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Public Health and the Graduate School. The center’s summer outreach programs primarily reach Arkansas students, but roughly 30 to 40 percent of students in certain programs come from other states.
The center continues to reach more students from underserved populations each year.
“When you see the students here and realize the work that we do as a center, we could not do this without the support of Bank of America,” said Billy Thomas, M.D., vice chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion. “We thank them for all of their support over the years.”