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The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs recently conducted a food drive at UAMS.
UAMS Postdoctoral Scholars Collect Food for Stocked & Ready
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) theme of “UAMS for UAMS” was front and center during an initiative led by the recently established Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
Postdoctoral scholars in the office, part of the Division of Research & Innovation, organized and led a food drive benefitting the Stocked & Ready Food Pantry.
“Establishing an Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at UAMS is essential to strengthening the career development, support and overall well-being of our postdoctoral scholars,” said Mohamed Elasri, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for Research & Innovation and the director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. “Postdoctoral scholars are a critical component of our research enterprise. Creating this office is an important step toward strengthening our research ecosystem and advancing UAMS’ overall mission.”
Vanessa Rogers-Wright, Office and Postdoctoral Affairs education coordinator, said the scholars wanted to do something to benefit the UAMS community.
“We have been working to elevate the visibility and engagement of the postdoctoral community at UAMS,” she said. “Postdoctoral scholars set up and monitored donation bins in the Central and Shorey buildings, Biomedical Research buildings I and II, the Rahn Educational Building, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.”
“We worked closely with Jennifer Mondragon at Stocked & Ready to ensure all collected items were delivered promptly. We started this food drive with a few cardboard boxes, a handful of flyers and a lot of hope. The response from the UAMS community has been overwhelming,” she added.
“I was honored to volunteer alongside our postdoctoral scholars during this food drive, and I am grateful to everyone who contributed. This is the UAMS community at its best,” Elasri said.
For the postdoctoral fellows, it was an opportunity to contribute to UAMS’ mission in ways other than research.
“Postdoctoral fellows are passionate about making an impact both through our research and beyond it,” said Anik Barman, Ph.D., president of the UAMS Postdoctoral Society and a postdoctoral fellow in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology & Immunology. “This food drive reflects our enthusiasm for engaging with the community, working together as a team and giving back to the place we call home at UAMS.”
“We were amazed at the number of donations. UAMS really stepped up in a short amount of time,” said Alexa Escapita, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
“For many, food is hope, and it is exactly what the postdoc group’s recent food drive donations were aimed at — inspiring hope during testing times. We are humbled by the UAMS community’s response and their shared compassion in inspiring hope through their generous food donations,” said Mustafa Mithaiwala, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science.
Mondragon, the manager of Stocked & Ready, expressed her appreciation for the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and others at UAMS in supporting the food pantry.
“The situation began to feel alarming, not only with us but with other food pantries across the state. From the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs along with several UAMS clinics and departments, we received calls and emails asking how they could help,” she said. “Week after week bags of donations began to pour in. It got to a point where it was a bit overwhelming but in a good way, because we were running out places to put everything. With the help from my wonderful staff and volunteers, we have been able to have a very successful holiday season for our pantry members, and that means a lot to us.
“We are thankful to everyone who donated. Your generosity has strengthened our ability to support those who rely on us, especially during challenging times. Your kindness has made a meaningful difference, and we are truly grateful,” she added.