The New York Times featured UALR Ph.D. candidate Hilal Cansizoglu in a recent feature story on how food is helping people from different cultures meet and understand each other.

Cansizoglu – a native of Turkey who is seeking a doctorate in UALR’s applied physics program – moved to Little Rock two years ago from Dallas with her husband. She met new friends by attending weekly gatherings of women who together cook a meal, eat, and share stories and recipes for cultural dishes.

“Cooking class is a very good opportunity to share our food with our friends,” Cansizoglu told the Times. “I say friends, because after a while, we become friends. After we show them how to cook Turkish food, then we eat what we cook all together on a round table, regardless of thinking who we are or what background we have.”

The classes are run by Raindrop Turkish House, a social, cultural, charitable, and educational organization with 17 locations in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

“This also makes me feel attached to people here,” she said.