In honor of Biomedical and Health Sciences week, faculty, staff, and students volunteered their time at the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. Throughout the week in between classes, exams, and study sessions, students challenged one another to bring canned goods and non-perishable food items to fill up their program’s box.

“Most students in health sciences have the desire to help people, and that is a great thing.” MSBHS program director Mamie Coats, Ph.D., stated, “This food drive and group volunteer session shows that we can have an impact in our community and that it does not have to take hours upon hours to achieve."

In addition to putting in time at the food bank, students challenged fellow Clinical and Diagnostic programs, Medical Laboratory Science and Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences to help their program combat food insecurity in the state. Together, the three programs collected enough non-perishable products to make 795 meals for families across Central Alabama.

Anne Liu, a current student, hopes to attend dental school upon completing the MSBHS program. For the past few years, she has volunteered with the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama and enjoys the process of helping families in the community. “This experience allowed our cohort to bond while providing resources to others in our community, and I would do it again! I believe uplifting others in our community is an important value."

Jacob Adams said that working at the food bank, “reinforced my belief that community service plays a vital role in promoting public health and wellbeing.” Upon completing the MSBHS program, Adams hopes to enroll in medical school. “We worked together to fill over 1,000 boxes. This opportunity allowed me to strengthen my teamwork and communication skills, and working alongside others towards a shared goal taught me the value of collaboration and efficiency in service.”

To learn more about the Biomedical and Health Sciences program, click here.