GADSDEN, AL-Gadsden State Community College’s Science Department hosted its first Donor Appreciation Event May 1 in the auditorium of the Science Building on the East Broad Campus. The event was held to honor individuals who have chosen to donate their bodies to science, and it recognized both the donors and their families for their contribution to education, research and future healthcare advancement.
The event paid special tribute to the four body donors who have been part of Gadsden State’s Human Gross Anatomy Lab since January. These donors have played a critical role in the education of students studying anatomy, many of whom are pursuing careers in medicine, nursing and other health sciences.
“This event is our way of showing deep respect for the donors and expressing our appreciation for the priceless gift they have given,” said Phillip Snider, science instructor and director of the Gross Anatomy Lab. “The students gain a deep respect and admiration for the body donors they have worked with. I think this gathering gave the students a chance to show their appreciation and meet firsthand the people that are donating their body to science.”
Attendees included current and former gross anatomy students, high school science teachers, college instructors, Gadsden State administrators and members of the Gadsden State Alumni Association. It served as both an appreciation event and an educational experience, offering insights into the role of body donation in higher learning.
Snider said there are great educational benefits of body donation, particularly within Gadsden State’s state-of-the-art Gross Anatomy Lab, the only one of its kind in the Alabama Community College System.
“There’s no substitute for the hands-on experience students gain in the lab,” Snider said.
“Cadavers allow our students to see and understand anatomical relationships and the effects of disease in a way that textbooks and models simply can’t provide. This kind of learning is academically powerful, and it builds empathy and professionalism among our students.”
The cadavers used at Gadsden State come from the University of South Alabama and remain in the Gross Anatomy Lab for one year. Once they are no longer used for educational purposes, they are respectfully cremated and returned to their families.
“This is a gift that goes far beyond the classroom,” Snider said. “These donors are teachers in the truest sense. Their legacy lives on in every student they educate.”
For more information about Gadsden State’s Science Department and other academic offerings, visit https://www.gadsdenstate.edu/programs-of-study/sciences-programs.cms.
Gadsden State science students engage in hands-on learning during a lab session in the newly enhanced facilities supported by donor contributions.
Digital Marketing Agency
