Alumni Legends

Dawn Ipsen

PharmD Pharmacy, 2001

Dr. Dawn Ipsen is owner of Kusler’s and Clark’s Compounding Pharmacies in Washington State where she precepts PharmD students on their APPE rotations. In addition to providing custom compounded medications, pharmaceutical supplements and consultations for people, their pets and health care providers, Dr. Ipsen and her teams seamlessly and rapidly transitioned to provide COVID-19 vaccines across Snohomish County in January 2021. In all, over 50 volunteers have provided 500 hours of service, administering over 4,000 doses to community members, health care providers and educators across the county.

In 2020 Dr. Ipsen established the WSPA’s Compounding Special Interest Group, dedicated to legislative action and expanding opportunities for new, compounding professionals both within Washington State and across the nation. Dr. Ipsen’s dedication to compounding pharmacy practice extends, too, through her service on the national Advisory Council for the Professional Compounding Centers of America, where she works to increase patient health and access, and to amplify pharmacy business health and vitality.

A long-time member of the Student Preceptor Experiential Advisory Committee, Dr. Ipsen continues to support the UWSOP by working with faculty and students to develop student engagement activities through precepting. Dr. Ipsen’s commitment to the next generation of Husky Pharmacists is evident in her 15 years of service as a preceptor at Kusler’s Compounding Pharmacy.

Dawn was awarded the Pharmacy Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in Pharmacy Practice in 2020.

Han Kiat Ho

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 2005

Dr. Han Kiat Ho is currently the Deputy Dean of Students and Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy at the National University of Singapore. Also the Vice President of the Toxicology Society of Singapore, Dr. Ho has published over 90 papers, which have been sited more the 3,000 times. He has been recognized with numerous honors as the 2020 Outstanding Educator Award by the National University of Singapore; the six-time recipient of the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award at the National University of Singapore; and the Liew Weng Chee (“Loo – Weng – Chi”) Scholarship recipient through the Institute of Drug Safety Sciences at the University of North Carolina.

Inspired by the passion and dedication of former UW School of Pharmacy Dean and Professor Dr. Sid Nelson, Dr. Ho has dedicated his career to educating students. In his current role, Dr. Ho oversees academic and residential activities for all 40,000 students at the National University of Singapore while maintaining rigorous academic research exploring various aspects of liver diseases, including the management of drug-induced liver toxicity, liver fibrosis and liver cancer. Before his appointment as Deputy Dean of Students, Dr. Ho served as the Deputy Head of the Department of Pharmacy, where he oversaw the creation of the Pharmaceutical Science bachelor’s degree program. Dr. Ho is instrumental in ensuring the efficacy of pharmaceutical research by serving on the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore’s Advisory Panel, which facilitates the decision for approving the use of specific medications.

Dr. Ho was presented with the PAA’s Distinguished Alumni Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research in 2020.

Virginia Peterson

B.S. Pharmacy, 1943

Virginia graduated from the School of Pharmacy in 1943 and while in school, she was a member of the Totem Club and Chi Omega Sorority. Virginia was one of the first women pharmacists to work in a hospital setting, which was remarkable in the 1940s. During her career, she conducted research on motion sickness medication for soldiers in World War II, studied breast cancer at the University of Rochester Medical School and was the first pharmacist at the Monadnock Hospital. She spent 17 years as a relief pharmacist and traveled the world after opening her travel company.

Herbert Tsuchiya

B.S. Pharmacy, 1958

Herb’s time at the School of Pharmacy lead him to a life rich in love, charity and service. During his 50-year career as a pharmacy owner and clinical pharmacist, he always found a way to support his communities. From founding the Walk for Rice, a fundraising walk to support the Asian Counseling and Referral Service food bank, to donating his expertise to the Rainier Vista Clinic Pharmacy where he sourced low-cost drugs for in-need communities, Herbert was always dedicated to his community. Herbert received the Pharmacy Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008, in addition to the A.H. Robins/Wyeth Bowl of Hygeia Award and a Seattle Mayor’s Small Business Award for excellence in management, entrepreneurial spirit and customer service. He is a member of the National Community Pharmacists Association and Washington State Pharmacy Association, and a former longstanding member of the American Pharmaceutical Association and Seattle-King County Pharmaceutical Society.

His legacy of giving back is carried on with the Herbert and Bertha Tsuchiya Endowed Student Support Fund for Global Research, honoring both Herbert and Bertha’s, a fellow Pharmacist and UW alumna, devotion to the pharmacy community. Give to support their scholarship fund here.

George Benson

B.S. Pharmacy, 1947

George Benson, also known as the Father of the Waterfront Street Trolley, was a WWII Navy Veteran, five-term City Council member, owner of Mission Street Pharmacy and one of the founders of the Friends of the Medicinal Herb Garden. George was nothing short of a passionate person, known throughout his life for his caring nature. He was devoted to his wife Evelyn, who was a fellow Pharmacy alumna, their business and spearheading the development of the Waterfront Streetcar.

His caring nature lives on with the George and Evelyn Benson “Golden Pharmacists” Endowed Scholarship Fund. Give to support future Husky Pharmacists in honor of George here.

Lynn R. Brady

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1960

Dr. Brady was recruited to join the University of Washington by Tip Tyler, a School of Pharmacy Faculty member studying mushrooms and ergot. After completing his Ph.D. at the School of Pharmacy, Lynn joined the faculty and eventually became the first chair of the then-named Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. As a graduate student, Lynn authored or co-authored over 100 research and review articles and later in his career authored the major textbook in the field of Pharmacognosy. Lynn was very passionate about the Medicinal Herb Garden and was on the steering committee for the Friends of the Medicinal Herb Garden.

His legacy lives on with the Lynn R. and Geraldine Brady Endowed Scholarship Fund, which supports Pharmacy Students. Dr. Brady also created a professorship to support an academic chair or faculty. This Professorship is currently held by Dr. Peggy Odegard. Give to support future Husky Pharmacists in honor of Lynn and Geraldine here.

George H. Bartell Jr.

B.S. Pharmacy, 1953

George H. Bartell Jr. started his career in the family business stocking shelves and went on to grow Bartell Drugs into the oldest family-owned drugstore chain in the nation. After becoming the President of Bartell Drugs in 1939, George served in World War II and came back to a world changed. Among these changes were new Pharmacist licensing laws in Washington State that required George to become licensed. After joining the School of Pharmacy, he earned his Pharmacy Degree (and became licensed) in just three years. George was an avid Husky Football fan and a supporter of local organizations such as the Rainier Club, Seattle Golf and Country Club, the Scottish Rite Temple and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

His legacy lives on with each Bartell Drug store, the Bartell Drugs Scholarship Fund and the hundreds of Husky Pharmacists in their employ.

Brian Beach

PharmD Pharmacy, 2000

After earning his PharmD, Brian worked for independent community pharmacies before joining the Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group, where he helped move Kelley-Ross from a mixed-model to a closed-door, long-term care pharmacy. Brian is currently the Chief Financial Officer and manages the Union Center Pharmacy for the Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group. Brian was presented with the 2015 National Community Pharmacists Association Prescription Drug Safety Award for his work to expand access to the overdose antidote naloxone and continues to fight the opioid overdose crisis by working to reduce the stigma surrounding opioid overdoses.

Shirley Bridge

B.S. Pharmacy, 1945

Shirley is a Seattleite, born and raised. From a young age, she dedicated her life to advocating for women, children, human rights and healthcare. Encouragement from her mother, and her knack for science, led Shirley to Pharmacy school where she thrived. Her career helped so many people, but as the HIV/AIDS epidemic grew, it became a central part of her career. Her outreach efforts, where she went door to door to help people understand the disease, was only part of her contribution to battle the epidemic. She was a founding board member of AIDS Housing of Washington (recently renamed Building Changes) and co-chaired the $8.5 million campaign that built the group’s Bailey-Boushay House in 1992. Her legacy of advocating for women pharmacists lives on with the Herb and Shirley Bridge Endowed Professorship, designed to support women in pharmacy.

Her legacy of advocating for women pharmacists lives on with the Herb and Shirley Bridge Endowed Professorship, designed to support women in pharmacy. Give to support women in Pharmacy here.

Nathan Hall

B.S. Pharmacy, 1939
Ph.D. Pharmacy, 1948

Dr. Hall joined the faculty of the School of Pharmacy in 1952, after spending a few years at the Eli Lilly and Co. as a Pharmaceutical Chemist. After returning to the UW, he soon set himself apart from his peers by developing innovative approaches to teaching, particularly in dispensing pharmacy. While at UW Hall developed one of the first models for an externship program, allowing senior pharmacy students to gain theoretical and practical experience in a pharmacy setting for academic credit. Being too ahead of his time, this for credit externship program did not became a formal requirement in the School of Pharmacy’s curriculum until the 1990’s, thanks in large part to Dr. Hall’s vision. Dr. Hall was also awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980 to celebrate the impact of his career on the profession of Pharmacy.

Sidney Nelson

B.S. Pharmacy, 1968

After completing his graduate work in California, Sid Nelson returned to the School of Pharmacy to join the faculty in 1977. Progressing through the ranks, he landed his “dream job” as the Dean of the School of Pharmacy in 1995. Under his leadership, the School converted our degree offerings from a B.S. degree to an entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy degree program and added a nontraditional approach that enabled existing pharmacists to obtain the Pharm.D. degree. He also evolved the graduate programs and worked tirelessly to expand the School’s faculty. In 2008, he returned full-time to his research and teaching activities in the School’s Department of Medicinal Chemistry. Sid truly embodies the idea of a legend with his warmth, care and passion for our students and alumni.

In honor of the lift and legacy of Sid Nelson, alumni and friends of the beloved Dean Emeritus created the Sid Nelson Endowed Professorship in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. Not only does this professorship create a permanent legacy for Sid’s unparalleled teaching and mentorship, but it also ensures that the caliber of research Sid established will continue and be advanced into the future. Give in honor of Sid legacy here.

Tim Fuller

B.S. Pharmacy, 1969

Timothy Fuller, ‘69, is an independent pharmacist consultant and founder of Timothy S. Fuller & Associates, Inc. Consulting. He is recognized as the Father of Pharmacist Collaborative Drug Therapy for his extensive and continued research, advocacy, and publication on the subject. In partnership with the WSPA and PATH, Tim recruited 50 pharmacies in Washington to pilot the U.S. movement for pharmacists to prescribe emergency contraceptive pills. Tim is the fourth member of the UW School of Pharmacy B.S. Class of 1969 to receive a PAA Distinguished Alumni Award.

The Class of 1969 was the first class in the history of the University of Washington to endow a scholarship fund in honor of their class. Support the Class of 1969 fund here.

Jonathan Watanabe

M.S. CHOICE, 2008
Ph.D. CHOICE, 2012

Jonathan Watanabe, ‘08, ‘12, PharmD, MS, PhD, BCGP, is a board-certified geriatrics pharmacist, outcomes researcher, and associate professor at the University of California San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Watanabe was the first the UW/Allergan Global Health Economics and Outcomes Research Fellow. His research on the cost of non-optimized therapy, comprehensive medication management and drug prices has been cited in successful state legislative efforts for pharmacist provider status. Dr. Watanabe is an inaugural scholar in the National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine program.

Joy Plein

M.S. Pharm., 1951
Ph.D. Pharmacy, 1956

Dr. Plein and her late husband Elmer, are widely credited for creating the momentum for senior-care pharmacy in the state of Washington at a time when few pharmacists were geriatricians and had few resources to advocate for older patients. In 1973, they developed a nursing home pharmacy course at the School of Pharmacy and Foss Home, a nursing home, with the help of a graduate student. Throughout her career, she was honored with several awards and is a beloved member of the School of Pharmacy.

Her and Elmer’s legacy of supporting geriatric Pharmacy lives on with the Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Research, Education and Outreach, as well as several scholarship funds named in their honor. Give to support Joy and Elmer’s Scholarship Fund here.

Phillip Nudelman

B.S. Pharmacy, 1964

Phil received a pharmacy degree from the University of Washington in 1964 and by 1975, was the Head of Pharmacy for Group Health. That same year he unveiled the Co-OPRx computerized prescription system that provided doctors and pharmacists instant access to patient drug histories, potential allergies and adverse reactions. The Co-CORx project sparked his interest in innovation, which became the cornerstone of his career. He went on to help Group Health expand into Bellevue and rose to a top leadership position with Group Health and Kaiser Operations in the Northwest.

His legacy of innovation in Pharmacy lives on with his annual Phil and Sandra Nudelman Lecture and the Phil and Sandra Nudelman Endowed Diversity Scholarship. Give to support Phil and Sandra’s Diversity Scholarship here.

Al Linggi

B.S. Pharmacy, 1971

Al holds degrees from Central Washington State BS in Zoology, University of Washington BS Pharmacy, Class of 1971, and an MBA Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

From 1995 to 2013 Al was employed by McKesson Corporation. During that time he served as Corporate VP Business Development, participating in 17 acquisitions including Automated Health, FoxMeyer Drug, Relay Health, OTN, US Oncology, assisted in the building and design of McKesson’s Specialty Benefit Service, Central Fill Pharmacy offering and McKesson’s Biologic and Plasma business. In addition, Al served as President and General Manager of McKesson Medication Management, a pharmacy outsourcing business managing 340 hospital pharmacies in 40 states, Puerto Rico and Canada located in Minneapolis, MN as well as General Manager of MedPath, McKesson’s original Specialty Pharmacy Operation located in Carrolton, TX. AS Corporate VP of Product Development Al contributed to the design and building of two Automated Dispensing devices as well as a number of analytical engines designed to manage process and the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Prior to 1995, Al was employed at the Franciscan Health System where he was responsible for overseeing 5 hospital pharmacies in Washington and Oregon. Al initiated, and managed the ASHP PGY1 and PGY2 Residency Programs, initiated centralized IV Additive Services with Nursing Teams, Home Infusion Services, Retail Pharmacy, LTC Pharmacy, Hospice and Ambulatory Oncology Services.

Al has served on numerous Advisory Boards including: Amerisource Bergen, McKesson, Eli Lilly, Johnson and Johnson, Amgen, Genentech, Creighton University School of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee School of Pharmacy and the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, Frost-Pinscriptive, HighFive Healthcare LLC, Pevco and RenWa C8. He currently serves on the Dean’s Executive Advisory Committee.

Duane Miller

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1969

Duane D. Miller, born 1943, grew up on a farm in Larned Kansas. He obtained his B.S. degree in Pharmacy at Kansas University in 1966, and his interest in research was stimulated by two professors at the University of Kansas, Dr. Ed Smissman and Dr. Matt Mertes. As a National Science Foundation Undergraduate Research Fellow, he worked on anticancer drugs. He next moved to Seattle, Washington and was an NIH Fellow while at the University of Washington and obtained his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry in 1969, under the mentorship of Dr. Wendel L. Nelson and did research on conformationally restricted analogs of ephedrine. He next joined The Ohio State University Faculty in 1969, where he became Professor and Chairman of the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy in 1982. He studied dopamine and norepinephrine analogs with Drs. Popat Patil, Norman Uretsky and Dennis Feller. He moved to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN in 1992, as the Van Vleet Endowed Professor of The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy. He was made chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2001.

Dr. Miller has published over 430 publications and has 16 book chapters. He has given 343 presentations at national and international meetings and has over 100 patents and patent applications. Dr. Miller’s research interests include the design and synthesis of new drug molecules. He has a strong interest in developing drugs for new areas in which there is currently a lack of therapeutic agents or in areas in which there is the need to develop new drugs with fewer side effects. Dr. Miller and Dr. Jim Dalton, currently Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan, discovered the first new nonsteroidal selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) and reported on them in 1998. GTx, is the company that initially licensed SARMs, and they have carried out clinical studies with SARMs. These agents can be used for muscle wasting and osteoporosis in cancer patients. The SARMS have the advantage that they are orally active with fewer side effects, including less liver toxicity than current muscle building agents. Such agents may be of value in aging males to treat low testosterone in older males, [called ADAM (androgen decline in aging males) or also called andropause]. The SARMs have completed Phase I, Phase II and Phase III human clinical testing for the treatment of cachexia in cancer patients but were not approved by the FDA. Other studies have been made to try and obtain approval. He has also worked on radiation mitigators, anti-inflammatory drugs and drugs for the treatment of brain cancer and molecules in these areas have been licensed by RXbio.

During his academic career Dr. Miller has been presented the University of Tennessee National Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award (1994). For teaching at the The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in the College of Pharmacy, he was presented the Student Government Association Executive Council (SGAEC) Excellence in Teaching Award In 1995, 2001 and 2005. He was the UT Pharmacy Class Teacher of the Year (2006).

He was honored as an American Association Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Fellow in (1990). He was selected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow and honored for fundamental studies on the structural and stereo-chemical requirements of adrenergic drugs interacting in the CNS and peripheral nervous systems (2001). In 2008, he was recognized by the University of Washington, College of Pharmacy as the “Alumni of the Year”. He was awarded the Division of Medicinal Chemistry Award from the American Chemical Society at the National Medicinal Chemistry Symposium in June 2008. The Division of Medicinal Chemistry Award is conferred biannually in the United States to a scientist or team of scientists with a substantial record of contributions to the field of medicinal chemistry in research, mentorship and service to the discipline. In August 2008, he was inducted into the Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame of the American Chemical Society at the National American Chemical Society Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2009, he was awarded the Volwiler Research Achievement Award for research in the pharmaceutical sciences at the National American Association Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). In 2015, he was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors at the California Institute Technology in Pasadena, California.

In 2015, he retired and was given the title of Professor Emeritus, and he continues to do funded research on the design, preparation and study of new drugs for the treatment of cancer. He is currently patenting and publishing on new drugs for prostate cancer, breast cancer, melanoma and brain cancer (glioma) with Dr. Ramesh Narayanan, Dr. Wei Li and Dr. Lawrence Pfeffer at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. We have one drug, Veu-111 that has been licensed by Veru and is currently in Phase I clinical trials for prostate cancer.

Duane Miller and Nona Kay Miller were married for 47 years, and she passed on July 21, 2010 due to cancer. They have three children, Ron Miller, Don (married to Kristina) Miller and Randy (married to Joy) Miller. They have 4 grandchildren, Elizabeth Boywid, Laura Scott, Ellen Miller and Henry Miller along with 4 great grandchildren, Miller Scott, Clover Scott, Bambi Rose Boywid and Dauphine (Dolly) Boywid. In 2014, Duane married Shirl Taylor-Miller and gained a new stepson Charles Taylor Hodum (married to Nikki). Shirl was a teacher at a private middle school and manages rental property. Duane and Shirl have enjoyed traveling to Alaska (2017), Cape Cod (2018) and are going to Washington D. C. in 2019. The fact that all the children and grandchildren live within a thirty-mile radius in Memphis, Tennessee is a blessing.

Nanci Murphy

PharmD Pharmacy, 1997

Dr. Nanci Murphy’s past roles at the University of Washington include, Collaborative Practice Specialist, Co-Director of the Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education, Research and Practice, and Associate Dean and Director of Student Leadership Programs for the School of Pharmacy. She received her PharmD degree from UW SOP in 1997. She looks forward to the next chapter of her post-retirement career contributing to an international work force group focused on interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

Nanci has been actively involved in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)) serving as Chair of the Leadership Development Special Interest Group, the Curriculum Special Interest Group, and the Student Services Special Interest Group; Co-chair of the Innovative Practice Models and Leadership Development Task Force and the Council of Deans/ Council of Faculties Healthy Student Task Force. She was also a member of the Council of Deans Administrative Board, and served on various work groups and standing committees, including a joint task force with APhA on Student Professionalism, the Council of Deans Innovation in Health Education Task Force, the Pharmacy Practice Research/Scholarship Task Force, the Academic Affairs, Advocacy, and the Institutional Research Standing Committees, the Council of Deans Professional Identity Formation Task Force, and the Diversifying Our Investment in Human Capital Task Force.

She also served on the Washington State Pharmacy Association’s Board of Directors, the Board of Pharmacy’s Task Force on Practitioner Competency, the National Rho Chi Executive Council, the Phi Lambda Sigma National Executive Team as Regional Councilor, and the Deans’ Advisory Council for the National Community Pharmacists Association and the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists. Nanci also served as an AAAS Emerging Leaders in Science and Society mentor, an APTR Paul Ambrose Scholar mentor and advisor to many student organizations.

Nanci has presented at over 35 national meetings and forums, (e.g., APhA, ACCP, AACP, Collaborating Across Borders) on topics such as, leadership development, practice transformation, and curricular innovations in both pharmacy and interprofessional education/collaborative practice.

Her awards include: the National Association of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA)-American Pharmacists (APhA) Bowl of Hygeia Award (Washington), the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Nexus Award ( a team award that “recognizes an educational institution, health system, clinic, and/or community organization for extraordinary contributions to transform care delivery, improve health outcomes and decrease costs”), the UW School of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumni Award for Pharmacy Practice, the Washington State Pharmacy Association Bill Mueller Mentor Award, the Milo Gibaldi Excellence in Teaching Award, the University of Washington HUB Adviser of the Year Award, and the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists Outstanding Advisor of the Year Award.

One of the most rewarding aspects of Nanci’s career has been working with students and their inspiring, ground-breaking projects (many national recognized), advancing the care of our patients and the community-at-large.

Richard Nelson

B.S. Pharmacy, 1962

Growing up the son of a pharmacist in Tacoma, Richard spent his high school years working at the family store, Nelson Drug Company, before pursuing his own Pharmacy degree at the University of Washington in 1962.

After a short tenure at Thompson Drug in Bellevue, Richard discovered his entrepreneurial passion and started the first of many business ventures, Geriatric Health Corporation (Gerihco). As a provider of prescriptions and medical equipment to nursing homes and small hospitals, Gerihco grew to 8 locations in three states by being an early technology innovator utilizing a fully computerized management system.

Based on his experience implementing systems, Richard was hired to direct the development of the first Medical Management Information System for the State of Washington. After successfully delivering the system on time and on budget he was hired to be Medicaid Director for the State of Washington, managing a $10 billion program in 2019 dollars.

After completing his State job, Richard started a healthcare information system consulting practice working with several organizations including SafeCo Insurance. His entrepreneurial spirit could not be denied and he started another business in 1981, Objective Medical Assessments Corporation (OMAC). OMAC grew to be a regional leader in Independent Medical Evaluation Services with 24 locations in 5 states before Richard and his son sold the business to Genex Services in 2016.

In addition to his business ventures Richard has served as a board member to many charitable organizations including the Agros Foundation, InterDev, and the King County Chapter of the American Cancer Foundation. He served on the Vestry of Epiphany Parish in Seattle, and as the Senior Warden in 2017-2018. He remains active in the Seattle business community as a part of The Roundtable, since1967.

Ed Wong

B.S. Pharmacy, 1971
PharmD Pharmacy, 1998

Ed Wong was formerly Vice President of Pharmacy and Clinical Programs at Premera Blue Cross. He was responsible for pharmacy programs, care management, disease management and vendor contracting. While at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, he was a member of the National Council of Physician and Pharmacist Executives, served as Chair of the Pharmacist Work Group and received the Best of Blues Award. He received the 2005 Premera CEO Award for outstanding leadership.

Dr. Wong received his B.S. Pharmacy in 1971 and Pharm.D. in 1998 from the University of Washington.

He has been board-certified in pharmacotherapy, with 17 years of experience as a hospital clinical pharmacist, one year as an interim pharmacy director, and 12 years on the faculty of a family practice medical residency program which he designed and implemented. He is recognized as a pioneer for spearheading pharmacist clinical practice under Washington State Collaborative Drug Therapy regulations.

He has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, received the Washington State Society of Hospital Pharmacists Pharmacist of the Year Award and was awarded the University of Washington School of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumni Award.

He holds the position of Clinical Professor at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy and was a course master for the endocrine pharmacotherapy course in the External Doctor of Pharmacy program.

He is an avid alpine skier, cyclist, fly fisherman and has completed 38 Ironman triathlons.

Gayle Hudgins

B.S. Pharmacy, 1969

Gayle Hudgins, Pharm. D., BCGP, is a Professor Emerita of the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. She is a 1969 graduate of the University of Washington School of Pharmacy with a B.S. degree in Pharmacy and a 1976 graduate of Duquesne University with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She also completed a pharmacy practice residency at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Board certified in geriatric pharmacy, Dr. Hudgins has specialized in that area of pharmacy practice for nearly forty years, with the majority of her teaching, service and scholarly activity having to do with older adults. She has made numerous poster and platform presentations on geriatric care and other topics, published on geriatric and teaching topics, and has served as a pharmacy consultant to long-term care facilities and a home health-hospice agency. She served as Director of the Montana Geriatric Education Center, housed at UM, for 10 years, and is still participating in that project.

In her retirement, she also teaches courses in gerontology at UM and volunteers her time for Missoula and Montana organizations. She is a member of the Leadership Board for the Montana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and serves as a community educator for that group. She also serves on the Governing Board of Missoula Aging Services and is a founding member of Dementia Friendly Missoula, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for dementia patients and their caregivers.

Larry Wienkers

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1993

Larry C. Wienkers received his BS in Chemistry and Biology in 1986 and his MS in Chemistry in 1988 from Western Washington University. He then earned his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from University of Washington in 1993 under the direction of Dr William F. Trager. He did postdoctoral work in the department of Drug Metabolism at the Upjohn Company and subsequently joined the company as a Research Scientist 1995.

In 1998, Larry became Director of Drug Metabolism Enabling Technologies at Pharmacia & Upjohn and in 2002 became Executive Director of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism at Pfizer. In 2004 Larry moved to Amgen and recently retired as Vice President and Global Head of the department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism. He is an American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Fellow with over 80 peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters.

One of Larry’s long-standing research interests is focused on exploring bioactivation pathways associated with small molecule drug metabolism with particular focus on the prospective application of this information to predict drug-drug interactions in the clinic. To this end, he and collaborators apply a multidisciplinary approach using organic chemistry, biochemistry and biophysical techniques to study cytochrome P450 mechanism-based inactivation and the characterization of biotransformation pathways of novel therapeutics.

Susan Teil Boyer

B.S. Pharmacy, 1972

Susan is currently Senior Consultant with ASHP Consulting Services and serves as primary faculty member for the ASHP Pharmacy Leadership Academy.

From 2012 to 2017 Susan served as Lead Surveyor for the ASHP Residency Accreditation Services Office. Susan was Executive Director, Washington State Board of Pharmacy, from 2009 to 2012. Prior to joining the board of pharmacy, Susan served for 23 years as Vice President and Director, Pharmacy Services, MultiCare Health System, Tacoma, a five-hospital community-based health system in Washington state from 1987 to 2009. Susan also served as member and chair, Washington State Board of Pharmacy from 2000 to 2008.

Susan received her BS in Pharmacy from the University of Washington in 1972 and completed her MS/Residency program in Clinical Pharmacy and Administration from the Ohio State University in 1981.

Susan is a Fellow, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and served as President, Washington State Society of Health-System Pharmacists in 1999. Susan was also a board member, Board of directors, ASHP, American Society of Health System Pharmacists from 1989 through 1993.

Susan has served for the last several years as affiliate faculty member, University of Washington School of Pharmacy.

Roy Hammarlund

B.S. Pharmacy, 1944
M.S. Pharmacy, 1949
Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 1952

E. Roy Hammarlund
Roy Hammerlund joined the faculty in 1960 having served in a similar position at Washington State University. It was perhaps inevitable that he would return to UW since he has more family ties to pharmacy and UW SOP than anyone before or after. His grandfather was Dean Charles W. Johnson, the first Dean of the School of Pharmacy, along with six (6) additional members of his family having graduated from UW SOP. Roy began his studies in 1940, only to have them interrupted by service in Europe as a second lieutenant in World War II. He received a Purple Heart for his service and retired as a captain. Roy received his B.S. degree in absentia, however he went on to earn his Master’s and Ph.D degree in 1951.

Louis Bracken

1912-1913

Born in Nebraska in 1892, Louis D. (L.D.) Bracken attended the UW School of Pharmacy from 1912-1913. He went on to found the L.D. Bracken Pharmacy in 1921, ultimately with locations in downtown Seattle in the Cobb Building and on First Hill. In the great tradition of compounding pharmacists, L.D. was an inventor, in addition to being an entrepreneur and health care provider.

Not long after graduating from UWSOP, he created a formula for cold sores that he called Blistex. L.D. was a gifted pharmacist and businessman who needed a partner who could help him with marketing and business expansion.

It was in 1925 when L.D. met Charles Arch while the two were traveling the U.S. by train. Charles was a sales man working for a company that made collapsible metal tubes (like toothpaste tubes), The two struck up a conversation and later agreed for Charles to purchase the rights to make and distribute L.D.’s product.

L.D. kept the trademark and earned royalties on the sales—while continuing his vital pharmacy business in Seattle. His son, Jim L. Bracken, followed in his father’s footsteps, graduating from UWSOP in 1945 and then joining his father’s pharmacy business.

Learn more: https://sop.washington.edu/inventing-blistex/

Bill Trager

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1965

Bill received his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry — focusing on conformational analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance — from the University of Washington in 1965 under the supervision of the recently deceased Professor Alain Huitric. Bill went on to do his postdoctoral studies at the Chelsea School of Science and Technology in London, studying alkaloid structures with Sir Arnold Beckett.

In 1967, he joined the faculty of the University of California-San Francisco School of Pharmacy as an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry. While at UCSF, he acted as director of the high-resolution mass spectrometry center. That is where his interest in drug metabolism — which would be the focus of his life’s research — began.

In 1972, Bill was recruited back to the UW School of Pharmacy to be a professor of medicinal chemistry. He was the chair of the department from 1980 to 1983. He also served as an adjunct professor in the UW Department of Chemistry.

Bill was an outstanding, encouraging mentor to 22 graduate students and 12 postdoctoral fellows. Dean Sid Nelson was one of his first graduate students, and found him to have a quick wit and to be one of the most insightful and enthusiastic scientists he had ever met. During his career, Bill published more than 200 research papers and was a co-author of two books. He was internationally renowned for his work on warfarin metabolism and mechanisms of warfarin drug interactions. He also was the principal investigator for nearly 20 years of a National Institutes of Health Program Project Grant for investigating drug interactions. Bill received the Alumnus of the Year Award from the UW School of Pharmacy in 2001, and he remained with the University of Washington until his retirement in 2004.

As an alumnus and emeritus faculty member, Bill stayed active with the School of Pharmacy, its faculty and staff. He and his wife, Caryl, recently created a fund that supports graduate students in medicinal chemistry, and his former graduate students and friends created the Drug Metabolism Endowed Graduate Fellowship in his honor.

As a man who was known for his sense of humor, collegial nature and keen intellect, it is hard to measure the impact he had on all those who worked with him and who had him as an adviser.

Give to the Bill Trager Drug Metabolism Endowed Fellowship Fund

Henry Yamamura

B.S. Pharmacy, 1964

M.S. Pharmacy, 1968

Henry Hank Ichiro Yamamura, ’64, died peacefully at home in September 2008 in Tucson, Ariz, at age 68. After earning his B.S. in pharmacy, he got his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the UW School of Medicine in 1969. He joined the University of Arizona in 1975 as associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology. He joined the College of Medicine in 1990 and took the position of Regent’s Professor of Pharmacology in 1997. Yamamura was internationally known for his scholarly research. He was the School of Pharmacy’s distinguished alumnus for excellence in pharmaceutical sciences in 2004.

Alice Ball

PhD Medicinal Chemistry 1912

B.S. Pharmacy 1914

Alice was born in Seattle in 1892. After graduating from Seattle High School, she became one of the first African-American women to study at the UW School of Pharmacy in 1910. She graduated in 1914 with a degree in pharmaceutical chemistry and a B.S. in pharmacy. After the UW, she moved to Hawaii to earn her master’s degree and teach at the University.

Alice quickly became known for her knowledge and talent in chemistry. In 1915, Dr. Harry T. Hollmann, a surgeon at a local hospital, asked her to work on a treatment for leprosy. In less than a year, Alice was able to isolate the active ingredients in chaulmoogra oil — a discovery that brought relief to many people until sulfa antibiotics came into use in the 1940s.

Sadly, not long after that discovery, she passed away at age 24 on December 31, 1916 likely from chlorine gas poisoning in her lab. Her role in the discovery of the leprosy treatment almost became lost in time when her colleague, Arthur L. Dean, President of the College of Hawaii published the process without giving credit to Alice for her work. Fortunately, Hollmann published an article detailing “Ball’s Method,” ensuring her place as a legend of pharmaceutical scientists and UWSOP alumni.

We continue to celebrate this science pioneer. The governor of Hawaii declared February 29, 2000, “Alice Ball Day,” and a Chaulmoogra tree was planted in her honor on the University of Hawaii campus. A leader in chemistry, Alice Ball embodies the boundless spirit of discovery and adventure characteristic of the University of Washington and the School of Pharmacy.

Jim Bracken

B.S. Pharmacy, 1945

Jim L. Bracken, followed in his father’s footsteps, graduating from UWSOP in 1945 and then joining his father’s pharmacy business. When L.D. died in 1954, Jim became president of the company. L.D. and Jim were beloved leaders in the profession, serving as presidents of the Washington State Pharmacists Association and as founding members of the American College of Apothecaries.

Jim was also named Pharmacist of the Year for King County. He passed away in 1984. Jim’s wife, Sharon M. Bracken, and their children, Laura Bracken Clough, Carol Bracken Clemency, and John L. Bracken, continue to value and honor the contributions that L.D. and Jim made to the profession of pharmacy.
Sharon established the Bracken Endowment in memory of Jim and L.D. In 2012, UWSOP opened the Bracken Pharmacy Learning Center, which continues as a hub of training excellence for the next generation of Husky Pharmacists.

Don Kusler

BS Pharmacy 1951

Don attended the University of Washington nearly 72 years ago and took classes on the 3rd floor of Bagley Hall. When asked why he chose pharmacy, he said that he had been working at JCPenney’s in Ritzville, WA and really enjoyed customer service, but also had a love for chemistry. He thought that pharmacy would be a great way to do both.

He was a visionary in his practice and keen to find opportunities to help his community while also being a successful pharmacy owner. When Medicare decided to pay for medical equipment he received the extra training that was needed and took a risk to help his community. Providing durable medical equipment and oxygen services was a way to improve the quality of life for the Snohomish County residents.

Don was always seen as a fair and honest pharmacist and business owner. He believed that money wasn’t everything and that relationships and helping people were the most important. He has passed on many words of wisdom to younger pharmacists. His most impactful advice was the ‘newspaper test’. He would say, “If what you are doing or considering was published on the front page of your newspaper would you be proud?” Do the right thing and make your community and family proud. People were number one to Don in his career, whether it was his family, staff or community.

Don was also politically active and ran as a Washington State Legislative candidate twice. Former Washington Governor and UW Board of Regents, Dan Evans was a dear friend and fellow politician. Dan Evans, as governor, appointed Don to the Washington State Board of Pharmacy where he served the State of Washington for 8 years.

Vandana Slatter

PharmD, 1990

Pharmacist & Washington State Representative
Vandana grew up in northern British Columbia, Canada. Her physician father who had emigrated from India, encouraged her to pursue pharmacy as a career. She studied Pharmacy at the University of British Columbia. She married Greg Slatter, who became a post doc in Tom Baillie’s lab. Vandana earned her PharmD at UW. She spent 20 years in pharma/biotech industry. She was elected to Bellevue City Council. In 2017, she was appointed and later re-elected to the WA state legislature.

Dana Hurley

B.S. Pharmacy, 1997
PharmD, 2000
M.S. CHOICE, 2004

Dana Hurley is a freelance consultant health economist and outcomes researcher. Her experience has included hospital pharmacy, managed care and the pharmaceutical industry. She earned her PharmD at UW and currently serves as a UW Foundation Board member and UWSOP Campaign Co-Chair.

Deborah Atherly

B.S. Pharmacy, 1989
Ph.D. CHOICE, 2009

Deb Atherly is Global Head of Policy, Access and Introduction for PATH’s Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access. The Center works to develop and deliver lifesaving vaccines to women, children and communities around the globe. Deb works extensively in partnership and advisory roles with many global health agencies including Gavi, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation.

Beverly Schaefer

B.S. Pharmacy, 1970

Beverly Schaefer owns Katterman Pharmacy on Sandpoint in Seattle along with partner Steve Cone, ’77. She has been a member since PAA’s founding in 1981. As the pharmacy’s Clinical Community Pharmacist and Advisor for Making Wise Health Choices, Beverly is passionate about community pharmacy. Over the years, Bev has received multiple Plein grants to develop new primary patient care services, including treating people with minor ailments and providing our travel medicine consultations and vaccinations. When she mentors younger pharmacists, she reminds them that our job as pharmacists is to educate our patients to make better choices for a healthy life.

Kate Atienza

PharmD, 2005

A graduate of the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, Kate Atienza currently works as the pharmacy manager at QFC Pharmacy where she was the recipient of the 2019 Kroger Pulse Award given to pharmacies able to hit all annual clinical and operational targets. Kate has fostered a strong passion for teaching from early on, and particularly enjoys showing a new generation of pharmacists how rewarding it is to take care of patients. She has served as a preceptor to students for over 10 years and recently won the 2018 APPE Preceptor Award. As a Russian immigrant with limited financial ability, Kate has seen firsthand how an education can open new doors. In 2018, the Atienza Endowment Fund was established to provide financial support to students pursuing a career in pharmacy. Kate is excited to continue her work in the changing and evolving career of pharmacy.

Give to the Atienza Endowed Student Support Fund

Cyrus Khojasteh-Bakht

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1998

Bagley Hall. Mid-90s. UW Medicinal Chemistry Department. In the Mid 90s, Cyrus was a graduate student helping with the move to the H wing of the Health Science Building. The spark in the new building had brought new energy to me and all the faculties and students alike. Although it maybe a dated reference now, but there was a sense of us taking on the new frontiers of science on USS Enterprise (where no scientists had gone before!).

Science.
Here, I was exposed to the original and exciting ADME sciences with which each of the faculty members from both departments were involved. The quality of science taught at the classes, the groundbreaking research performed, and the engaging journal clubs were some of my first exposures to doing rigorous and high-quality science. I frequently went to the library to checked articles (no online versions!): A working copy machine was my friend!

Faculties.
I appreciated the faculty’s availability and friendship from day one, especially Sid Nelson (my dear Ph.D. advisor). There was a real sense of community and this stem from the respect that existed among the faculties. There was a real sense of community and this stemmed from the respect that existed among the faculties. This was reinforced with the 4 pm Friday Happy hours at the College Inn.

My peers @UW.
I got to know the hardworking graduate students and post-docs that were highly driven and friendly. And over my 4 years, I learned so much from each and every one them. As they say, if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room… and I was definitely not in the wrong room.

Professional life.
I graduated and joined Pfizer for several years before coming to Genentech about 20 years ago. Here I worked on discovering new medicine and along the way advancing the ADME science. The opportunities to discover and develop medicine is unmatched by any other experience I could have imagined. From the discovery and advancing of many Genentech pipeline molecules all the way to the market to help the patients with unmet medical needs. I am fortunate to be surrounded with topnotch scientists that I call my colleagues on daily basis.

On personal level.
I am lucky to be married to my wife and all the credit for my accomplishments and who I am should go to her. We both experienced the wonderful culture of the Med Chem department. Sid was a very special person and mentor for many of us. The Christmas parties at Joanne and Sid’s house was always special and I have many great memories that I will always cherish.

Over the years, I have seen the department evolve and grow in new directions. I have seen the young faculty members become seasoned mentors to many. I am very impressed by how Professors Bill Atkins and Nina Isoherranen are leading the future of both departments. They are carrying the legacy of these esteemed departments with great honor and fortitude.

One final note, our son, Sohrob, is now an undergraduate student in a different part of the campus. Ultimately, it is a true privilege to be part of the UW alumni family. I am humbled and honored by this recognition. My accomplishments are a product of dedicated women and men that have positively impacted my life.

Ryan Oftebro

PharmD, 2003

Ryan Oftebro is a pharmacist and Principal/CEO of Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group, which consists of five divisions located in Seattle, WA, including compounding pharmacy, community pharmacy, long term care, specialty pharmacy, and a clinical division dedicated to developing and implementing innovative pharmacy services. Ryan received his Pharm.D. from the University of Washington in 2003, and completed a Community Practice Residency in 2004. Ryan has previously held board positions with the Washington State Pharmacy Association, the Polyclinic Community Health Foundation Board and is the former President of the American College of Apothecaries. Currently Ryan serves as member of the Virginia Mason Board of Governors, UW School of Pharmacy Executive Advisory Council and co-chair of the UW School of Pharmacy’s Capital Campaign. Ryan is also a member of the Seattle/King County Overdose Prevention Taskforce and Clinical Associate Professor with the University of Washington School of Pharmacy.

Give to the Kelley-Ross Endowed Student Support Fund

Scott Herzog

PharmD, 2003

Scott Herzog is currently the COO of the Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group located here in Seattle. He started his career as a clinical pharmacist at Kindred Hospital and in under two years took on the Director of Pharmacy role. In his second year at Kindred, he was instrumental in developing one of the first antibiotic stewardship programs in the state and also received the director of the year award from over 50 hospitals nationwide. In 2011, he then joined Kelley-Ross and oversees the operations including their compounding pharmacy, Long-Term Care pharmacy, two retail pharmacies, and a pharmacist run medical clinic where pharmacists see patients and medically bill insurance for our time and expertise. He previously served on the WSPA board of directors, is currently the PAA President, and a current member of the UW School of Pharmacy executive advisory council. In his free time, he is usually coaching one of his kids’ sports teams and he never ever….ever misses a chance to root on the Huskies! Go Dawgs!

Give to the Kelley-Ross Endowed Student Support Fund

Mitchell Higashi

Ph.D. CHOICE, 2001

Mitch is the Vice President of US Health Economics & Outcomes Research at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Prior to joining BMS, he was the Chief Economist for GE Healthcare, where he led global efforts in health economics, pricing, reimbursement, and health policy.

As a graduate student at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, Mitch’s research with Dave Veenstra, Allan Rettie, and a UW research team on the influence of CYP2C9 genetics on warfarin dosing was published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2002. At GE, Mitch’s team effort to organize the GE Healthcare R&D portfolio based on cost, quality, and access metrics was featured in a Harvard Business School case study. At BMS, Mitch provided testimony to Congress on the role of the pharmaceutical industry in supporting financial models of value-based care.

He has served on the Board of Directors for the University of Washington Foundation and the ISPOR Health Science Policy Council.

Give to the Higashi Family CHOICE Graduate Student Fellowship Fund

Michael Brandt

PharmD, 2003

Michael L. Brandt is the Medical Science Liaison with Janssen Oncology, where he specializes in hematologic malignancies, research, and KOL engagement. Michael’s practice includes providing care for cancer patients, assessing chemotherapy regimens, monitoring the preparation of chemotherapy, and as part of a team, providing access to oral chemo and targeted therapies to patients. The practice includes mentoring and precepting pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other pharmacists and technicians who are less familiar with chemotherapy treatment. It also involves maintaining current information sources regarding chemotherapy and maintaining best practices for the preparation of chemotherapy.

He has lectured nationally on Colorectal Cancer, Breast Cancer, and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, as well as cancer treatment in general. He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Utah in 1984 and his PharmD from the University of Washington in 2003. He is adjunct faculty at the University of Washington, Washington State University, and Idaho State University. He is Past-President of the Washington State Pharmacy Association, and has been active in local, state, and national organizations for many years. In 2013 he was recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Michael has 3 children and six grandchildren.

Elyse Tung

PharmD, 2008

Elyse Tung graduated from the University of Washington in 2002 with a B.S. in Neurobiology and in 2008, with a Pharm.D. She is currently the Director of Clinical Services at Kelley-Ross Pharmacy in Seattle, Washington. Since graduating, she has worked on establishing innovative pharmacy practices, such as a pharmacist-managed anemia clinic in a hospital setting, a concierge travel clinic, a medication reconciliation program for senior care clinic, and a pharmacist-run HIV PrEP clinic in a community pharmacy setting. Her most recent project is implementing a pharmacist managed hepatitis C treatment clinic for people who inject drugs in a community pharmacy setting. She is also a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. In 2014 she was recognized by the Washington State Pharmacy Association with the Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award. Prior to her current work at Kelley-Ross Pharmacy, she completed her pharmacy practice residency at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, and has worked at Overlake Senior Care Center in Bellevue, Washington.

Kathlyn McDonough

B.S. Pharmacy, 1980
PharmD, 1993

Kathlyn McDonough, ‘80, ‘93, and her husband Dennis Yamamoto have generously established support for UWSOP students and research. Kathy earned her BSPharm and PharmD at UW and went on to work as a clinical pharmacist at Group Health and the VA in Palo Alto, and later recently got her dream job researching drug-drug interactions at First Databank. She was energized and rewarded by her work with patients and new students. The Kathy McDonough and Dennis Yamamoto Endowed Scholarship in Pharmacy will support students with financial need and their Research Endowment in Pharmacy will support research in clinical pharmacology and clinical pharmacokinetics with a priority on drug interactions.

Lars Hennum

B.S. Pharmacy, 1943

Lars is a UW School of Pharmacy graduate from 1943. He began his pharmacy career working at Bartell Drug and later worked in several independent pharmacies, including Henderson’s Pharmacy in downtown Seattle. Before retiring in 1984, Lars worked more than 10 years with the Pharmacist and Drug Clerks Union. Lars also served as a lobbyist for more than 10 years at the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA). Lars worked tirelessly with the state legislature on many bills that benefited pharmacists and helped mold the future of health care provided by pharmacists. Lars orchestrated many key relationships between the School of Pharmacy and the state legislature over the years that have helped the School, our faculty and our students.

Lars met his wife Claire while working as a pharmacist downtown. They married in 1974 and they have five children. Although Claire worked for the IRS during her career, she was very active in WSPA, co-chairing the WSPA Auxiliary which raised funds for pharmacy student scholarships. During her time as co-chair, she raised more money for pharmacy students than had previously ever been raised. Claire passed away in November of 2003. Lars passed away in April of 2013. They created the Claire G. and Lars A. Hennum Endowed Scholarship for Pharmacy Leadership to support students who take an active role in leading the profession of pharmacy.

Give to the Claire G. and Lars A. Hennum endowed Scholarship for Pharmacy Leadership Fund

Theodore Taniguchi

B.S. Pharmacy, 1949

Born in Tacoma in 1928, Ted and his family were sent to internment camps by the U.S. government in 1942. After release, he did well in high school, and was accepted to the UW School of Pharmacy by Dean Forest Doofrich. His work with Elmer Plein led him to discover a love of hospital pharmacy. Ted worked at Harborview and was the first director of pharmacy at UWMC, where he helped lay the foundation for clinical pharmacy practice as we know it today. He was a co-founder of PAA and charter member of the School of Pharmacy Dean’s Circle. In 1973, Ted became the first hospital pharmacist and non-pharmacy store owner elected president of the Washington State Pharmacy Soociation. He received the PAA Distinguished Alum & WSPA Legend Awards.

Taniguchi today remains active with the University Kiwanis Club. He has been in the club for 25 years, and he has contributed to many regional and international service projects. He and his wife of 44 years, Akico, have two children and two grandchildren and reside in Seattle.

Al James

B.S. Pharmacy, 1955

Al James, ’55, whose career followed a path outside of pharmacy, still credits much of his success to the lessons he learned as a pharmacy student at the UW. The March 2008 UW Columns Magazine highlighted Al James, his path to success, and his gift back to the UW School of Pharmacy. In the article, James discussed the tight bonds he saw formed among students and faculty in his years at the UW. He shared this time with great fondness, which he says proved a great asset to him. “I feel that a key part of my success in life was my time at the School of Pharmacy. It opened up different avenues I couldn’t have imagined,” explained James at the time. After graduating from the School of Pharmacy, James interned at Bartell Drugs, and then opened a discount drugstore inside House of Values, becoming a partner in the business two years later. He went on to help start the Anthony’s Home Port chain of waterfront restaurants and eventually became involved in real estate and angel investing. “The discipline and attention to detail I learned at the School of Pharmacy helped me every step of the way,” James said. “There was a lot of luck involved too.” James passed away October of 2018. He was a warm, inspirational, and joyful soul who brought kindness and generosity to his extended family, which includes 5 children, 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. He never tired of supporting others and encouraging them to be the best they could be.

William Stavropoulos

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1967

After receiving his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry, Stavropoulos went on to work with Dow for 39 years, serving in positions in research, marketing and management. He has held positions as president, COO and chairman of the company. He is currently president and founder of the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a nonprofit minor league baseball franchise in Midland, Michigan, whose proceeds support area businesses and community revitalization. As Stavropoulos shared, “working toward my Ph.D. in such a vigorous program gave me so much confidence. It really helped prepare me for life and for working in a corporation. I learned about accountability, meeting deadlines, working with colleagues to get things done. You have to make your own plan with your adviser, and you are responsible to get it done.”

Muriel Vincent

MSP Pharmacy, 1951
Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1955

Muriel was born in Spokane, WA and attended school in Portland, OR. She received her Pharmacy degree from Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Washington, Seattle. She taught for two years in the School of Pharmacy at Oregon State University in Corvallis and for 31 years in the NDSU College of Pharmacy, retiring in 1987 as Professor Emeritus. She held pharmacy licenses for 50 years in OR, WA and ND. Throughout her career she received numerous honors and awards.

She was a charter member of Altrusa International of Fargo and served as their District Seven Governor. She was also active in the Swedish Cultural Heritage Society of the Red River Valley. Dr. Vincent established an endowed scholarship fund to support future pharmacy students. Sometimes the most promising students are those who demonstrate strength of character and engage in pursuits and interests outside of academia. Dr. Vincent sought to support students who demonstrate strength in character and well-rounded interests.

Give to the Muriel Vincent Endowed Scholarship

Don Katterman

B.S. Pharmacy, 1948

As the owner of Katterman’s Sand Point Pharmacy, a mentor to many UW students, a former president of the UW Pharmacy Alumni Association and a president and active member of the Washington State Pharmacy Association, Don Katterman helped make the practice of pharmacy and the instruction of pharmacy students what they are today. In 2009 the Katterman family created the annual Don B. Katterman Memorial Lecture. Presented to the community by the UW School of Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Alumni Association, this lecture provides an avenue for pharmacy practitioners to stay abreast of important trends and issues in pharmacy. Continuing-education credits are made available to qualified practitioners through the Washington State Pharmacy Association.

Give to the Don B. Katterman Endowed Lectureship

Ann Wittkowsky

PharmD, 1988

Ann K Wittkowsky PharmD, CACP, FASHP, FCCP is a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy (BS Pharm 1983) and the University of Washington School of Pharmacy (PharmD 1988). In June 2018, she retired as Director of Anticoagulation Services at UW Medicine Department of Pharmacy and Clinical Professor of Pharmacy at UW School of Pharmacy. During her 35-year career specializing in antithrombotic pharmacotherapy, she held leadership positions in multiple organizations including the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, and the Anticoagulation Forum. Dr. Wittkowsky published nearly 200 scientific papers, book chapters and abstracts, including international guidelines on thrombosis and antithrombotic therapy from the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Society of Hematology and the Anticoagulation Forum. She delivered hundreds of invited presentations throughout the US and Canada, mentored numerous professionals, fellows, residents and pharmacy students and provided care to thousands of patients at the UWMC Anticoagulation Clinic. Among her many awards are the 2012 Clinical Practice Award from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Kenneth Thummel

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 1987

Dr. Ken Thummel received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the UW in 1987. His current research spans from the molecular mechanisms of vitamin D regulation and drug-induced nephrotoxicity to microphysiologic organs-on-a-chip to large scale evaluation of pharmacogenetic testing in the health care of Northwest American Indian/Alaska Native people.

In addition to his many local roles as a departmental chair, pre-eminent researcher and mentor, he has recently been elected to the presidency of American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), an international 4,800 member scientific society whose members conduct basic and clinical pharmacological research in academia, industry and the government. He has been honored as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences. To date, he has more than 180 peer-reviewed publications and continues to collaborate with many of the scientists that he has trained over the years.

Ken’s involvement with junior scientists is legendary—at any given point in time, his laboratory team includes pharmacy students trying to decide on a path in life, pharmaceutics Ph.D. and M.S. students trying to graduate and find careers, post-doctoral fellows refining their scientific skills and applying for faculty positions, and established international scientists trying to build collaborations with the UW. At his office door, there is often a junior faculty member looking for advice on grant writing or lab management, or just some encouragement and humorous perspective.

Dr. Thummel puts the interest of others before himself. He spends long hours reviewing research proposals for other scientists, tutoring pharmacy students, and writing letters of support for graduating students as well as students that graduated many years ago. Dr. Thummel has devoted personal time and funds to help students from underprivileged communities attend conferences, help them transition to Seattle, and even help them get their tuition and billing figured out. He sets aside resources for faculty bridge support; he actively mentors young faculty with leadership potential, and he supports staff enrichment by securing funds for Professional & Organization Development programs, and other similar educational programs. He can often be found in his office working late into the night in order to accomplish all of the extra-curricular tasks on his list while always maintaining a sense of humor and humility.

Deanna Kroetz

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 1990

Deanna Kroetz interest in a career in pharmaceutical science began when she was in pharmacy school in Ohio. She worked on a faculty research project and found she loved thinking about scientific problems, how to analyze them, and how to test hypotheses. Her advisor, Dick Reuning, suggested she apply for graduate school here at UWSOP. She looked at other schools also but, in the end, loved the friendly, collaborative environment that was and is part of our culture—plus the opportunity to work with Bill Trager, Rene Levy, and Tom Baillie.

In Pharmaceutics, Deanna was energized by the work and to her faculty and peers. “I loved the camaraderie of the two basic science departments,” she recalled. Deanna worked in Rene’s lab: “To this day, I know I can call him in a heartbeat for anything.” That collegiality led to strong collaborations in the lab, and the traditional science Friday gatherings at the College Inn Pub. While at UW, Deanna began with drug-drug interactions and became interested in pharmacogenetics—a very new field in the late 1980s. Encouraged by former Dean Sid Nelson, she did a post doc at NIH. She then went to UCSF as a faculty member in 1993.

Her research is still related to drug-drug interactions, specifically the variability of drug response and pharmacogenetics. By using genetics to understand drug toxicity, she hopes to improve drug therapy for cancer chemotherapy. Her main advice to current students? “Be open minded. I like to challenge my students once a week to go to a lecture in a different area of research because you never know how it will influence your work.”

Gail Anderson

B.S. Pharmacy, 1978
M.S. Pharmacy, 1981
Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 1987

Gail Anderson obtained her B.S. in pharmacy, M.S. in pharmacy practice and Ph.D. in pharmaceutics from the UW School of Pharmacy. She completed a fellowship at State University of New York at Buffalo and a National Institutes of Health (NIH) senior fellowship at the Revional Epilepsy Center at Harborview Medical Center. Her research interests included treatment of issues in traumatic brain injury and epilepsy as well as pharmacokinetics. She was awarded the Distinguished Alumna award in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2010. Her commitment to improving the lives of people with epilepsy extends beyond her research. She joined the School of Pharmacy faculty in 1988 and served as adjunct faculty in the School of Medicine’s Department of Neurological Surgery. In 2005, she won the Gibaldi Excellence in Teaching Award.

William Fassett

B.S. Pharmacy, 1969

Bill Fasset is well respected, referenced and relied upon both with in Washington and nationally for his knowledge of pharmacy law. Bill is continually called upon to provide background and insight to the Board of Pharmacy, pharmacy legal cases, and ethical discussions. He has published the textbook of Washington Pharmacy Law for years, a resource depended on by both UW and WSU graduates alike. He has taught at the WSPA New Drugs, New Laws conference every year since 2005, a program that was co-sponsored by the UWSOP until 2009. He was instrumental in renaming the Washington State Pharmaceutical Association to the Washington State Pharmacists Association in 1985, and a member of the WSPA Senate Steering Committee formed in 1982.

Dr. Fassett joined the WSU College of Pharmacy in July 1999 as Dean and Professor of Pharmacotherapy. He served as Dean for six years until May 2005 when he returned to full-time faculty work. Prior to accepting his appointment as dean at WSU, Dr. Fassett was professor and chair of pharmacy practice at Drake University in Des Moines, IA (1994-99), and was formerly associate professor of pharmacy at the University of Washington in Seattle. His academic discipline is in the Social and Administrative Sciences in Pharmacy, and his principal teaching activity is in pharmacy law and ethics. Dr. Fassett holds appointments as adjunct professor at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, and at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, where he teaches a graduate course in ethics in the UF’s masters program in pharmacy regulatory affairs.

He is a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA), A Fellow of APhA’s Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science, the Washington State Pharmacy Association, and is treasurer of the American Society for Pharmacy Law. He is executive vice-president of the Spokane Pharmacy Association. Other memberships include the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Phi Delta Kappa, Rho Chi Society, and Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity.

Dr. Fassett is editor of the two official publications of the American Society for Pharmacy Law: Rx Ipsa Loquitur and Pharma-Law e-News. He is chair of the editorial panel on Law, Medicine and Ethics of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy, and serves on the editorial boards of JAPhA and American Health & Drug Benefits. He has published countless articles and reviews of pharmacy law and ethics over the years.

Steven Singer

B.S. Pharmacy, 1981

Upon graduation from the School in 1981, Steve worked as a pharmacist in a number of community pharmacies in Kirkland. He later held positions including vice president of operations at Evergreen Pharmaceutical and chief technology officer at MedManage Systems Inc. He devotes significant energy to mentoring UW pharmacy students. In fact, he is highly sought-after for pharmacy internships and clinical rotations. He has been a School affiliate faculty member since 1988. The School has also benefitted from Singer’s contributions as a member of the dean’s advisory committee and pharmacy practice board. And he provided his expertise during the creation of the Institute for Innovative Pharmacy Practice.

His research has focused on the areas of managed-care pharmacy, long-term care and technology. He has given multiple presentations on these topics at national industry conventions. Further, Singer has devoted much of his professional life to helping underserved populations.

Most recently, he worked with his colleagues at Bellegrove to develop an on-site telepharmacy program for patients in the rural Central Washington communities of Royal City and Mattawa. These telepharmacies followed a pilot program that Singer helped implement in 2006 at the clinic on the Stillaguamish Indian Reservation, near Arlington. Singer and his colleagues spent six months working with the state Board of Pharmacy to receive certification for that program.

The Washington State Pharmacy Association named Singer its Pharmacist of the Year in 1993. He was honored for outstanding achievement in the pharmacy profession by the Merck Human Health Division in 1997.

Warren Hall

B.S. Pharmacy, 1979

Warren Hall began his career at Thrifty Drug and Island Hospital in Anacortes. In 1987, he, with his cousin Ron Hall and fellow pharmacist Jon Wiley, ’85, purchased Halls Drug Center (a fixture in the retail pharmacy business in Centralia, WA since 1959) from Warren’s uncle, Phil Hall.

In November of 2002, Warren and his wife Ruth Ann became sole owners of Hall Drug Center, Inc. which now boosts two pharmacies, one long-term care pharmacy, one compounding pharmacy and mobility center.

Throughout his career Warren has kept a strong connection to the School. He is also one of the founding donors for the Institute of Innovative Pharmacy Practice Program (I2P2) and helps teach in the Pharmacy Ownership and Entrepreneurship class. Warren has also been very active in the pharmacy community. He is a member of APHA and NCPA and is currently serving as president-elect of the Washington State Pharmacy Association. He has been the recipient of the 2000 Bowl of Hygeia Award, 2002 Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award, 2004 Lewis Country Business of the Year, and his business has been voted “Best Pharmacy in Lewis County” for the past 10 years according to the Centralia-Chehalis Daily Chronicle annual business poll. Warren is very active in his local community as well.

He is the current President of the Centralia Providence Hospital Foundation Board and a member of the Twin City Rotary Board of Directors, the Southwest Washington Dance Center Board of Directors, and the Lewis County Community Concert Association Board of Directors. He serves as Master of Ceremonies for the Lewis County Red Cross Real Heroes Breakfast, the Providence Hospital Foundation Festival of Trees Gala auction and the Rotary Foundation’s annual fundraising auction.

Warren and Ruth Ann have been married for over 25 years. They have three children. Two, Daemon (20) and Bryce (17), are interested in becoming the next general of Hall’s pharmacists. The third, Jordyn (14), hopes to become a professional dance instructor. “I enjoy the challenges and opportunities of balancing a wonderful career, a great family, and community involvement” explains Hall.

Roger Woolf

PharmD Pharmacy, 1985

Roger Woolf is passionate about the leadership role pharmacists can have in the U.S. health care system. Growing up, many of his family members were in healthcare professions, including pharmacy. “My uncle was a pharmacist in Yakima,” he reflected. “Talking with him about his work helped me to see the potential impact pharmacists could have when they can be patient-focused.” In his position at Virginia Mason Medical Center, Roger provides leadership for a broad scope of pharmaceutical services within the Center’s integrated health care system. But he doesn’t stop there. He works diligently to teach and mentor student pharmacists to become leaders in health care and has been very committed to training UWSOP APPE/IPPE students and interns. “I always encourage students to get involved in leadership opportunities while in school. If we are to continue to advance the practice, we need people who can lead with passion, and not be afraid to try new and innovative ways for pharmacists to impact patient care.”

He has maintained his connection with the UWSOP since completing his PharmD degree in 1985. “From the moment I was accepted to the UWSOP, I knew I was part of something special,” he said. “The faculty challenged us to be innovative and push a progressive practice. It was at UW that I really started my passion for advancing the practice.” He has collaborated with UW faculty and WSPA leadership for years to educate Washington state legislators on the benefits of having pharmacists as paid providers. “There were so many barriers to getting pharmacists credentialed. Working with Don Downing, Jeff Rochon and many others, we were able to show the benefits to patients that come from having pharmacists as providers.” Now the team travels the U.S. sharing with providers and legislators how Washington led the way in advancing patient care by establishing pharmacists as full members of the health care team.

Jeffrey Rochon

PharmD Pharmacy, 1999

Jeff Rochon received his PharmD in 1999. As a student, he co-founded and was the first president of the Unified Professional Pharmacy Organizations of Washington (UPPOW) — the UW’s student pharmacy organization that is now nationally recognized.

Since graduation, Rochon has devoted his career to finding innovative ways to enhance pharmacy practice. At Kelley-Ross Pharmacy, he helped develop immunization and chronic disease state screening and management programs. At the Polyclinic, he developed and ran an anticoagulation clinic using prescriptive authority through the collaborative drug therapy agreement.

In 2002, Rochon joined the WSPA as director of professional development. He became CEO in 2008. His accomplishments at the WSPA include advocating in Olympia on behalf of patients, implementing statewide medication therapy management programs and strengthening relationships with entities like the Washington State Department of Health. “Jeff has been a pharmacy leader since the day he entered school,” said I2P2 Clinical Endowed Professor Don Downing, who has collaborated with Rochon on efforts to enhance pharmacy practice. “He is a change agent, and I look forward to seeing what else he accomplishes on behalf of pharmacists.”

Rochon’s long list of academic presentations covers topics including community health screenings and payment for pharmacy care services. He has lectured on such topics at our School as well as at multiple national, regional and state conventions. He has held multiple positions with the American Pharmacists Association. In 2004, he was named WSPA’s Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year. Rochon has also served as a board member of the Pharmacy Alumni Association and the UW Alumni Association. He lobbies for higher education funding as a board member of the nonprofit advocacy organization UW Impact. He is on our School’s Pharmacy Practice Board. What’s more, Rochon regularly attends and volunteers at UW PharmD student fundraisers and other outreach activities to support the next generation of pharmacists.

Jeff Rochon is a tireless advocate for enhancing pharmacy practice and improving patient care. And he is devoted to the School of Pharmacy’s faculty and students.

Timothy Lynch

B.S. Pharmacy, 1997
PharmD Pharmacy, 1998

Tim Lynch fell into a career in pharmacy by accident. When he was getting out of the Navy after six years in the submarine force, he looked at career options, deciding initially to look at accounting and automobile design. His father-in-law had a hardware store located next to a pharmacy—and he suggested to Tim that, with his interest in science and math, he consider pharmacy. Tim soon realized that it was the right match. He chose the UW for our reputation of a premier educational institution: “I knew I had to attend the UWSOP to get the best professional education” he shared. His favorite moments here included time spent with his fellow students, many of whom became best friends. “I look back at the members of my class and see that they have become the leaders in our profession,” he said. “I continue to be inspired by all of them.”

Some years after graduation, he hired Jenny Arnold as an intern at St. Francis Hospital. She encouraged him to get involved in the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA) and national pharmacy associations. Tim was part of the final BS Pharm class here at the UWSOP and took advantage of a chance to do additional work to earn his PharmD degree. He decided to apply for a residency, which ultimately led to a career in health system pharmacy.

Tim became the first pharmacist in his family but his daughters continue the Husky tradition. His oldest is a junior in the UW communication program and his middle daughter is a freshman and plans to attend UWSOP.

His advice to current students? “Set your goals beyond where you ever think you could succeed. With persistence, you will surpass what you thought you were capable of. Never say no to an opportunity to learn something new or grow your skills—it may open doors you never thought possible. Get involved and stay involved. There are so many demands for your time, but by connecting with others inside and outside the profession, you find new opportunities and ways to expand your influence.”

Mary Paine

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 1997

Dr. Mary Paine is a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University Spokane. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at Oregon State University, earned her PhD in pharmaceutics at the University of Washington, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical pharmacology at the University of Michigan. Her longstanding research program, funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), focuses on adverse interactions between conventional medications and natural products. Dr. Paine leads the Center of Excellence for Natural Product-Drug Interaction Research, a multidisciplinary effort involving clinical pharmacologists, natural products chemists, and health informaticists to provide leadership in the study of these complex interactions. She has coauthored more than 95 publications as original research articles, reviews, editorials, and book chapters. She is currently an associate editor for the journals Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Drug Metabolism and Disposition.

John Hoekman

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2010

John Hoekman co-founded Impel NeuroPharma, a Seattle-based clinical stage biotechnology company, while earning his PhD in Pharmaceutics, which he completed in 2010. The company is developing multiple clinical stage nasal drug-device combination products stemming from work he started while a graduate student in Rodney Ho’s lab.

The Precision Olfactory Delivery™ (POD™) nasal delivery platform that Impel has developed is intended to improve the biodistribution, bioavailability, and decreased dose-to-dose variability in patients by delivering the dose deep into the nasal cavity, thereby delivering a more consistent, higher concentration of the drug to the brain. The device could significantly improve treatments for neurological disorders such as migraine, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. There has been considerable research related to impaired glucose metabolism in the brain leading to Alzheimer’s disease symptoms and progression.

Maria Orosa

B.S. Pharmacy, 1920

Maria Orosa is known for being a food technologist, pharmaceutical chemist, humanitarian and war heroine, but did you know she is also a UW School of Pharmacy Alumni!

Maria moved from the Philippines to the United States at the age of 23. She was a government-sponsored scholar at the UW where she earned a bachelors and a masters degree in pharmaceutical chemistry and food chemistry in 1921. After graduating, Maria returned to the Philippines where her vision for a self-sustaining country would lead to her many innovations around fermenting, dehydrating, and preserving the local plants and animals. Her most famous, and still relevant, food invention is banana ketchup where she reimagined the popular sauce by replacing the outsourced tomatoes with locally abundant bananas. However, it was Maria’s Soyalac (a protein-rich powered soybean product) and Darak Cookies (made from rice bran and containing Vitamins A, D, E and B complexes) that were smuggled into concentration camps during WWII and saved the lives of countless Filipino and American prisoners of war.

Jack Babcock

B.S. Pharmacy, 1937

Born in Anacortes, Washington, in 1915, Jack Babcock passed away December 11, 2017, at the age of 102. He graduated from UWSOP with a BS in Pharmacy in 1937 and later went on to earn an MS and a PhD in international affairs at Georgetown University in 1954. His long life included 31 years in the Army, where he reached the rank of Brigadier General. He was proud of his service preparing for possible Nazi invasion of Latin America during World War II, and helping to train the Brazilian Expeditionary Force that fought in Italy, although he wrote later, “War is no damn good for either side. Nobody wins.” In fact, his later Army career in Europe and the United States was largely focused on preventing war or making sure that U.S. and Allied forces would be prepared for it if it came. His decorations included the Brazilian War Medal, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, and the Army Distinguished Service Medal. After retiring in 1968, Jack worked at NASA, General Dynamics (in Belgium), and Georgetown University, where he taught at the business school and founded the school’s summer program at Oxford University. He was awarded the John Carroll Alumni Medal by Georgetown University and was named the UW Pharmacy Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus for Pharmacy Practice in 1997.

Craig and Sally Kvam

B.S. Pharmacy, 1972
B.S. Pharmacy, 1970

Craig and Sally met as students at the University of Washington, where Craig studied pharmacy and Sally studied Nursing. They owned and operated Poulsbo Drug for over three decades and enjoyed providing the essential service of compounding to their community. The Kvams believe it is important to help others and want to ensure that generations of UW pharmacy students have the opportunity to benefit from specialized training in compounding.

Give to support the Craig and Sally Kvam Endowed Scholarship in Pharmaceutical Compounding here.

My-Linh Thai

B.S. Pharmacy, 1992

My-Linh Thai was born in Vietnam, but immigrated to the United States in 1983 as a war refugee. She arrived in the Seattle area at the age of 15 and enrolled at Federal Way High School despite not knowing the English language. Thai graduated from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy and worked as a practicing pharmacist in Billings, Montana, before moving with her family to Bellevue, Washington, in 2008. She has also worked as a medical interpreter for Vietnamese immigrants and returned to the country to teach one of the first graduate nursing programs in Vietnam.

She became involved in the Somerset parent-teacher association (PTA) shortly after moving to the city, during a sabbatical from her work as a pharmacist. Thai was appointed PTA president, earning an advocacy award from the state PTA, and was elected to the Bellevue School District school board in 2013. During her first term as a school board member, Thai advocated against racial inequality and campaigned to hire a racially-diverse set of teachers to reflect the demographics of the Bellevue school body. She was re-elected to a second term in 2017 and was appointed as the board president. Thai also served as the vice president of the Washington State School Directors’ Association.

Thai was elected in the general election on November 6, 2018, winning 65 percent of the vote. She became one of the first two Vietnamese American legislators to be elected to the Washington State Legislature, alongside Joe Nguyen from the 34th district.

Karan Dawson

B.S. Pharmacy, 1970
M.S. Pharmacy, 1978

Following an internship at Valley Medical Center, Karan worked as a clinical pharmacist at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Seattle and completed a residency.

She returned to the UW for an MS in Pharmacy to explore teaching and research, which led to becoming the director of continuing pharmacy education. Given the changing needs of pharmacists to provide patient-centered care, she returned to the UW for a PhD in speech communication. She is one of three consulting pharmacists in an innovative, non-dispensing practice that serves retirement communities.

She has won three awards for innovative teaching, served in a series of elective offices for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, continues to precept pharmacy clerkship students, and is a founding board member for the Center for Chronic Illness.

Beth Chester

B.S. Pharmacy, 1994

Beth Chester graduated from the UW School of Pharmacy in 1994. Currently the Clinical Pharmacy Manager and Residency Program Director for Kaiser Permanente, Beth’s career has been dedicated to improving the quality and safety of patient care; advancing the profession of pharmacy and ambulatory clinical pharmacy services; and training and educating the next generation of pharmacists. Beth’s positive influence on pharmacy practice (locally, state-wide, and nationally), has been demonstrated through her successful efforts to advocate for and advance the pharmacist’s role in patient outcomes and team-based care. She has been named an ACCP Fellow, and previously honored for her work in quality improvement, patient safety, teaching, and excellence in clinical practice. Beth’s foresight and “ability to see around the corner,” has led to invitations to serve on various committees, including the KP National Vision 2025 Advisory Panel, an AACP Taskforce on Entry-Level Pharmacist Education, the ASHP Council on Public Policy, the BPS Pharmacotherapy Specialty Council and an Employer Advisory Committee (she was Chair of the two BPS appointments). Beth was also chosen by the University of Alabama as the “Most Outstanding Family Practice Faculty,” and the Alabama State Pharmacy Association as “Outstanding Pharmacy Practitioner.”

Jenny Arnold

PharmD Pharmacy, 2006

Jenny graduated from the UW School of Pharmacy with a PharmD in 2006. After graduation, she completed a pharmacy practice residency at Swedish Medical Center and then began working for Kelley-Ross Pharmacy as the clinical services manager. She now works at the Washington State Pharmacy Association as the Director of Professional Development. She is a dedicated advisor to UPPOW, a member of the Pharmacy Alumni Association Board, and recipient of the 2011 UW School of Pharmacy Outstanding Service Award.

Hope Barnes

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1991

Hope Barnes was clear of head and clear of heart. Hope was remarkably able to know what she wanted–a berth on a rowing team, a degree, a summit–and make that knowledge come to life. She also had the knack of sharing her quiet passion for life with many people. Hope took what she learned as a scientist (persistence, thoroughness) and as a world-class athlete (focus, teamwork), and she added to them her own fierce independence and integrity.

She was a supremely competent scholar and athlete, yet always willing to take a novice climbing or listen to another idea. She wore her numerous successes and achievements lightly, giving the impression she found equally impressive accomplishments possible in all of us. Hope was a truly rare element. Hope was an ardent supporter of women in science, an accomplished skier, climber and competitive rower. Hope rowed on the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic rowing teams. Hope was awarded her doctoral degree posthumously on February 8, 1991. Hope’s family established The Hope Barnes Graduate Fellowship to support and encourage talented female graduate students in medicinal chemistry.

Give to the Hope Barnes Fellowship
Give to the Hope Barnes Endowment

Ernest Bush

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1981

Dr. Bush has 37 years of experience working in the field of biomedical R&D, driving development of innovative therapies for treatment of human diseases. He has served as a consultant in non-clinical development providing advice and insight into IND enabling programs, pre-clinical data-set analysis for due diligence and prioritization of investment decisions, and evaluation and audits of GLP bioanalytical and toxicology facilities and studies. In recent years, Dr. Bush has served as Chief Scientific Officer at Akashi Therapeutics, Inc., providing expertise to the development of drugs in Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. In previous positions, Dr. Bush worked as Senior Research Director and Head of Non-Clinical Drug Safety at Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc. where among other duties he led the assembly and review of preclinical data packages for all potential in-licensing and acquisition drug candidates and companies. He has utilized this experience to help small pharmaceutical companies and non-profit patient advocacy organizations plan and execute strategies to move them forward expeditiously and cost-effectively.

Douglas Black

PharmD Pharmacy, 1983
B.S. Pharmacy, 1981

Douglas Black is a Professor at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the UW in 1983. During 1983-1989 he served as oncology pharmacist for the UW Medical Center, participating in the design, completion, and analysis of two febrile neutropenia antibiotic trials. Doug has provided pharmacy consultation to the UW General Infectious Disease service for almost 30 years, instructing hundreds of pharmacy students and residents on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial agents and collaborating with infectious disease physicians on multiple projects involving antibiotic resistance and the pharmacokinetics of drug interactions. Doug has served as contributing editor in pharmacology for The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy since 2010. Doug’s true passion is teaching and in 2007, Doug was the recipient of the UW School of Pharmacy’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Students praise him for his level of engagement, his passions for the subject and the way he takes interest in them and what they are learning. He has serves as the faculty advisor for the Rho Chi Honor Society and he never misses a graduation ceremony. In 2005, a group of students created the Doug Black Endowed Student Award to honor Doug for his dedication to students’ education and for all the time he spends guiding them and sharing his famous “pearls” of wisdom. The Doug Black Endowed Fund provides support to outstanding students in the School of Pharmacy, ensuring Dr. Black’s incredible teaching legacy and commitment to excellence lives on at the University of Washington.

John DiGiovanni

B.S. Pharmacy, 1974
Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1978

John DiGiovanni obtained both his BS in Pharmacy and PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, in 1974 and 1978 respectively. Currently a professor and the Coulter R. Sublett Chair in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin, John’s lab focuses on understanding how cancer develops and identification of novel targets, mechanisms and strategies for cancer prevention. John holds a dual appointment as a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the School of Human Ecology at the University of Texas at Austin. Garnering a number of awards, John has been recognized as the recipient of the Faculty Research Award by the American Cancer Society; is the J. Ralph Meadows Chair in Carcinogenesis; was awarded The Margaret and James A. Elkins Jr. faculty Achievement Award in Cancer Prevention from the University of Texas at Austin; and was awarded the UW School of Pharmacy’s Distinguished Alumni Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research in 1998.

Kayte Edson

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 2013

Kayte obtained her BS in chemistry and a PhD in medicinal chemistry from UW. She moved from Seattle to LA in 2013 for a job in the pharmaceutical industry making drugs for cancer, cystic fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease. In 2019, she left pharmaceutical sciences to develop micro apartment projects in LA with STS Construction Services. Kayte heads up STS Development Services in LA, and is currently either acquiring, entitling, or permitting 569 potential micro units in DTLA and Hollywood for STS Construction to build.

She enjoys skiing, river rafting, and playing outside with her with her husband, Jed and their 3 kids, Marilyn, Porter, and Eloise.

William Garland

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1974

Bill Garland graduated from the UW School of Pharmacy in 1974 with a PhD from the department of Medicinal Chemistry. Currently the Vice President of Research and Development at Tosk, Garland has over 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical research and development, having worked with Roche, Centaur Pharmaceuticals, Atairgin Technologoes, and AngioGenex. After a very productive career at Hoffmann La Roche, Inc., Dr. Garland left to run research and development for a number of successful smaller companies such as Centaur Pharmaceuticals, Atairgin Technologies, Lpath, Inc., Tosk, and AngioGenex. During that time he has managed the successful development of many drugs from pre-clinical studies, through all phases of clinical testing, to regulatory approval. Long a champion of education at the UW School of Pharmacy, Garland was a member of the Corporate Advisory Board, helping to create connections and opportunities for students in the pharmaceutical industry. Garland was honored by the UW School of pharmacy with the 1996 Distinguished Alumni Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research.

Forest Goodrich

B.S. Pharmacy, 1914
M.S. Pharmacy, 1917
Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1927

Dean Forest “Foley” Goodrich led the UW School of Pharmacy from 1939 to 1956. Having earned one of the first PhDs awarded by the school, Dean Goodrich earned all degrees possible upon graduation. When Dean Charles Johnson stepped down in 1939, Dean Goodrich inherited the School, which at the time was well regarded and administratively stable. As Dean, Goodrich’s challenges were initiated by world events. In 1939, the world was on the brink of war and Goodrich and his faculty were faced with developing an accelerated, year-round program for students during the war. Even more of a challenge was the influx of students that arrived after the war, straining the already limited physical capacity of the School.

In 1946, the University was granted $5 million to build a health sciences complex to house the newly organized schools of medicine and dentistry. The School of Pharmacy took the opportunity to request space in the new building so the School could become more closely integrated with medicine, dentistry and nursing to foster and enhance multidisciplinary research in basic and clinical science.

As one of the “charter deans” of the Division of Health Sciences, Goodrich was involved in planning for the new Health Sciences Building and lobbied intensively, although unsuccessfully, to secure a pharmacy wing on the new structure.

Pharmacy was also evolving at this time, from botanically based drugs to synthesized ones. To keep pace with the rapid changes in the field, the faculty began planning a new five-year curriculum. The School thrived under Goodrich, who led its administration for nearly 20 years.

Mark Grillo

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1993

Mark P. Grillo received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He completed his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry at the School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle and performed post-doctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco. He is currently a Staff Scientist in the department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics at MyoKardia, Inc., South San Francisco. Prior to MyoKardia, Mark held positions at Pharmacia/Pfizer (Kalamazoo, MI), Merck (West Point, PA), and at Amgen (South San Francisco, CA). Mark’s role has been and continues to be involved in the application of in vitro and in vivo ADME techniques to optimally support drug discovery programs. Throughout his career in industry, Mark has contributed to 38 peer reviewed manuscripts and 4 book chapters. A continued research interest of his includes the use of state-of-art in vitro and mass spectrometric methods for the detection of chemically-reactive metabolites in support of the discovery and development of safe and efficacious drugs.

Laura Hart

PharmD, 2014
M.S. CHOICE, 2017

Prior to joining the faculty at SSPPS in September 2018, Dr. Hart completed a PGY2 Residency and Fellowship in Geriatric Pharmacotherapy and served as an instructor in the PharmD program at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. Her research aims to optimize medication use in older adults, particularly using pharmacoepidemiologic methods to examine risks and patterns of medication use in older adults. Her research to date has specifically focused in the areas of central nervous system-active medications, falls, and dementia. She is also interested in the implementation and evaluation of innovative pharmacy practice models in the care of older adults. In addition, she has an interest in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr. Hart is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) and Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP). She has been awarded the Alumni Award/Alumni Honor Roll, Rho Chi Academic Honor Society (2018); Junior Investigator Award, American College of Clinical Pharmacy Research Institute Futures Grants (2016); University of Washington Retirement Association Fellowship in Aging (2016); Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society (2012); Rho Chi Academic Honor Society (2012).

Shane Hendrickson

M.S. Medicinal Chemistry, 1996

Shane initially fell in love with organic chemistry while studying under Dr. Clarita Bhat at Shoreline Community College. He went on to complete his undergraduate chemistry training at the University of Washington, then joined the group of Dr. William F. Trager in the U.W. School of Pharmacy’s Department of Medicinal Chemistry. While there, he focused on the disposition of drugs in mammalian systems with particular focus on a class of drug metabolizing enzymes (the cytochrome p450’s) primarily responsible for transforming foreign compounds into forms more readily eliminated from the body. Shane has taught organic chemistry at Pierce College, Walla Walla Community College and in the College of Pharmacy at Washington State University before joining the faculty of Wenatchee Valley College in January of 2009. He is delighted to be working with so many talented, generous individuals, and looks forward to serving the greater Wenatchee region for many years to come.

He is a native of Snohomish and enjoys the close proximity of Wenatchee to the family farm, located north of Snohomish close to US Highway 2. Having extensively hunted, hiked and fished the region, Shane considers himself fortunate to reside in the area and already has managed to complete his first Hög Loppet 30K cross-country ski adventure with minimal physical and emotional trauma.

Marianne Ivey

PharmD Pharmacy, 1987

Marianne F. Ivey, Pharm.D., M.P.H., FASHP, served as ASHP’s President in 1981. “I remember the day that Dr. Oddis dropped me off at the White House to meet President Ronald Reagan, who had invited many organizations to celebrate National Safety Week,” Marianne recalled. “Pharmacy had introduced the safety closure cap for prescription bottles, so I got to shake President Reagan’s hand and have a photo op!”

Marianne is Professor Emerita at the University of Cincinnati. She was inspired to become a pharmacist by the pharmacist and his wife in her small hometown. “They sponsored me to visit the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy when I was in high school. I loved what I heard and saw,” said Marianne.

She was VP, Pharmacy Services for the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, an integrated health care system. She is Professor Emerita, Pharmacy Practice/Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati. She facilitates strategic planning for pharmacy departments in multi hospital systems.

Ivey has been ASHP President, Chairman of the HOD, member of the Commission on Goals and the Commission on Credentialing and Treasurer of ASHP and the ASHP Research and Education Foundation. She received the 1993 ASHP Whitney Lecture Award, the 2005 Ohio Society of Health System Pharmacists Walter Frazier Leadership Award, the 2007 Webb Lecture Award for pharmacy leadership, and the Federation of International Pharmaceutique (FIP) Pharmacy Practice award in 2011. She was faculty for ASHP Research and Education Foundation Pharmacy Leadership Academy and the Pharmacy Technical Advisory Committee of the Joint Commission. She is Immediate Past President of the Hospital Pharmacy Section of FIP and hosted pharmacists from Nigeria and India through FIP Pharmabridge. She is on the Board of Visitors for the University of Wisconsin SOP, the External Advisory Board of the University of Kentucky SOP and St Louis COP President’s Advisory Council. In 2019, the Marianne F. Ivey Leadership Development Fund was created to enhance pharmacists’ impact as direct-patient-care providers, according to ASHP.

Kenneth Korzekwa

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1987

Dr. Ken Korzekwa is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Temple University School of Pharmacy. Ken received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from New Mexico State University and his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Washington. He received a PRAT Fellowship from the NIH and worked as a Staff Fellow and Senior Staff Fellow in the areas of drug metabolism and enzymology. He joined the University of Pittsburgh as an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and continued his research in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics. Some of the predictive technologies developed by Ken and his colleague Jeff Jones were licensed to Camitro Corporation, a startup company based in California. Ken joined Camitro Corporation as Vice President of Research in 1998. Ken moved to the Philadelphia area in 2004 and worked as a Director and Distinguished Senior Investigator in Drug Metabolism at Merck. After some time at another start-up company, Ken joined Temple University School of Pharmacy in July 2010, and teaches Pharm D and graduate pharmacokinetics. Ken’s laboratory is currently working in the areas of in vitro and in vivo drug metabolism, models for drug absorption, drug transport, time dependent inhibition, and human pharmacokinetics prediction.

Joseph Ness

B.S. Pharmacy, 1990

Joe Ness graduated from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in 1990 with a BS in Pharmacy. Currently the SVP and Chief Operations Officer at OHSU Healthcare, Joe is an experienced Hospital and Healthcare Executive having served in several senior leadership roles, and formerly for 15 years as Vice President of Professional Services at OHSU. Joe’s skills are extensive, ranging from Disease Management, Physician Relations, Hospital and Pharmacy Automation to Hospital Operations, and Pharmacy Services. Joe also holds a Master’s degree focused in Health/Health Care Administration/Management from University of Washington.

David Porubeck

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1984

In 1984, after completing his PhD in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry under the guidance of his adviser, the late Sidney Nelson, Dr. Porubek received a postdoctoral fellowship at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. After that fellowship, he returned to the UW School of Pharmacy to serve as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of then-Professor of Medicinal Chemistry (and now School of Pharmacy Dean) Thomas Baillie.

Throughout his career, Porubek has worked for several Seattle area research companies – many of which focused on cancer drug development. He has worked in roles from research scientist to project manager at places including Cell Therapeutics, Pathogenesis Corp. and OncoGenex. He joined the Department of Medicinal Chemistry faculty in 2012, and he is currently a research consultant.

Luis Ramos

PharmD, 2010

Growing up in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, during a period of economic turmoil and political violence, Luis Ramos developed a sense of the importance of community. He watched as his mother reached out to help people in need, and he saw how others helped his family in return when they struggled. Consequently, Ramos, 30, has devoted his life to serving others. He moved to the United States when he was 14 to help his aunt take care of his grandmother. After high school, while working as a local pharmacy assistant, he became passionate about advocating for public health. Ramos co-created a UW World AAIDS Day event series in 2006 and in 2007 implemented a multicultural-awareness education program for pharmacy students, which became a standing program at the UW School of Pharmacy. As a student, Luis was committed to serving others, with one professor remaking that “not only that, but he is dependable, smart and funny. Overall he wants to see other people do well.” Now a medical scientist for HIV prevention at Gilead Sciences, Ramos has over 15 y3ears of experience in Specialty Pharmacy Services with a focus on HIV, Oncology, Solid Organ Transplant, Chronic Inflammatory Disease and Hepatitis C care, having served on the Gilead Medical Affairs Advisory Panel in 2018.

Rory Remmel

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1983

Rory Remmel graduated from the department of Medicinal Chemistry in 1983 and is currently a distinguished teaching professor in the department of medicinal chemistry at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. He is well known as a collaborative investigator in drug metabolism research, with an emphasis on glucuronidation. His research has included studies in basic enzymology, work with hepatocytes, animal studies, and clinical studies in AIDS patients, in patients with epilepsy, and in patients with tuberculosis. He has received multiple teaching awards (including highest teaching award given at the University of Minnesota), especially for teaching antimicrobial agents to pharmacy students.

Tove Tuntland

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 1996

Tove Tuntland holds a Pharmacy degree from the University in Oslo, Norway, and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. She has expertise in preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), pharmacology and PK/PD, and worked in discovery and development at Pfizer Global Research and Development (PGRD) in La Jolla, California (1996 to 2002). Thereafter until present time she has led a group at Genomics Institute of Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), supporting in vitro and in vivo preclinical DMPK and PK/PD studies in a variety of discovery and development programs in oncology, immunology, infectious and metabolic diseases.

John Watkins

B.S. Pharmacy, 1979
PharmD Pharmacy, 2011

John Watkins, PharmD, MPH, BCPS managed the formulary process at Premera Blue Cross from 2000-2019. His responsibilities included health technology assessment, formulary process development, formulary reviews, and medical policy review and providing drug information support to medical and case management staff. He is currently Director of Premera’s PGY1 Managed Care Pharmacy Residency program and Student Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Coordinator. Along with these responsibilities, he manages the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. John is Affiliate Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Washington. His areas of interest include health policy, health technology assessment and application of evidence-based medicine, personalized medicine, economics and bioethics to formulary and coverage decision making processes.

After graduating from the University of Washington (1979) and working as a community pharmacist, John served as a hospital pharmacy director pharmacology instructor for 7 years in Kathmandu, Nepal. He completed a combined MPH degree in Pharmacy and Health Services at the University of Washington (1993) with a residency at Group Health Cooperative, where he later worked as a clinical and drug information pharmacist. Before coming to Premera, he was a pharmacist at Regence BlueShield. He is board certified in pharmacotherapy, and has a PharmD, also from the University of Washington. He is a member of the AMCP Format Executive Committee, the ISPOR North American HTA Roundtable, HTA Council Working Group – Challenges in the Use of HTA in Pluralistic Healthcare Systems and the Precision Medicine SIG. He is a member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical Advisory Panel.

John’s interest in formulary systems goes back to Nepal, where he established the first formal P&T committee and developed a combined formulary and drug procurement system serving 30 projects under two separate NGOs. It was there that he first became interested in the problem of managing scarce resources to maximize the value of pharmacotherapy at the patient level.

Ping Zhao

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2002

Ping obtained his BS in Pharmacy from Beijing Medical University in China in 1994, and his PhD in Pharmaceutics from University of Washington in Seattle, WA, USA in 2002. Since then, Ping worked as a DMPK scientist at Pfizer in La Jolla CA (2002-2005), a pharmacokineticist at Sonus Pharmaceuticals in Seattle (2005-2007), a clinical pharmacologist at Amgen in Seattle (2008), and the Scientific Lead of PBPK (physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling) Program and Expert Pharmacologist at the Office of Clinical Pharmacology, US FDA in Silver Spring, MD (2008-2017). At FDA, Ping led review of PBPK submissions in IND/NDA/BLAs, research in PBPK, and development of policy on PBPK, including authoring the agency’s first draft PBPK guidance (2016) and updated in vitro and in vivo drug-drug interaction guidance (2017). In June 2017, Ping joined the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, WA as a Senior Program Officer of Quantitative Sciences, where he applies pharmacology concepts and manages Model-informed Drug development (MiDD) efforts in programs funded by the foundation to academic centers, product development partners, and regulatory agencies around the world.

Mingshe Zhu

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1993

Mingshe Zhu graduated from the department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in 1993. With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Mingshe has led a group in DMPK support of over 10 discovery programs and developed over 20 drug candidates. In his current role with ZenoBiotic Laboratories, Mingshe conducts ADME and DDI studies in preparation of DMPK parts of regulatory submissions. His drug metabolism research ranges from CYP phenotying and inhibition, to metabolic soft spot screening and profiling of radiolabeled drug metabolites. Mingshe frequently gives lectures and conference talks on drug metabolism at ASMS, EAS, ACS, CACO and CPSA. His extensive published works include two co-edited books, Drug Metabolism in Drug Design and Development and Mass Spectrometry in Drug Metabolism and Disposition. Mingshe is actively involved in exchanges of drug metabolism science and technology with China, serving in leadership roles in establishing the “Beijing Drug Metabolism Discussion Group,” The CPSA-Shanghai Young Scientist Excellence Award”, and the Ling-Nan International Forum for DMPK. He is the founder of Sunrise Forum for Drug Metabolism, a non-profit organization in China, and serves as an adjust professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Xiamen and the Technology and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Zhejiang University.

Steve Toon

PostDoc Medicinal Chemistry, 1983

Dr. Stephen Toon is the Managing Director of Certara’s Simcyp business unit. Steve received his pharmacy degree from the University of Bath and his PhD in pharmacokinetics from the University of Manchester. following a period at the University of Washington, he founded Medeval, a clinical pharmacology CRO, which was acquired by ICON in 2003. He has published over 50 articles, abstracts and chapters in books.

Catherine Yeung

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 2005

Dr. Yeung’s research includes both basic science and translational studies, and spans from the determination of molecular mechanisms of altered drug metabolism using 3-dimensional cell culture techniques to the evaluation of the effect of drugs and nutritional supplements on health outcomes in patients receiving hemodialysis. She is a key investigator in the development of a “kidney on a chip” microphysiological system that can be used in preclinical drug development.

https://www.washington.edu/boundless/kidney-health/

Richard Ramsey

B.S. Pharmacy, 1955

A graduate of the class of 1955, Dick Ramsey purchased Ostroms Drug and Gift in 1964. A pillar in the community, Dick says he was blessed to see families grow and kids turn into adults. Dick is always personable and available to his customers, talking to each to see how he could help. Through the store’s move from Kenmore to Bothell, Dick and his employees remained steadfast in their commitment to the Puget Sound Community.

James Ramseth

B.S. Pharmacy, 1963

Jim Ramseth graduated in the class of 1963 and has remained an ardent supporter of pharmacy practice in Washington State. A long-time preceptor and mentor to UWSOP students, Jim is remembered fondly by those who were on rotation at his Covington Pharmacy. Jim emphasized the role of pharmacist as a caring provider, not just a product dispenser. One of the founders of the “Norwegian Pharmacists Association,” Jim imbues humor into all he does, including this association. Jim mentored more than 100 pharmacy students throughout his 40-year career.

Leslie Dickmann

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 2003

Leslie joined the Division of Pharmacy Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin in August 2019. She has thirteen years of experience in drug discovery and development working at both Amgen and Genentech/Roche. Her areas of expertise include drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, drug-drug interactions, ocular and oncology drug development and patient-centric clinical trial design.

Lara Connell

PharmD Pharmacy, 2005

A graduate of the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, Class of 2005, Lara currently works as the Supervisor of Clinical Pharmacy Services and Prescription Renewal Service at the Polyclinic in Seattle. She is board-certified in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy, and enjoys encouraging and supporting fellow pharmacists to practice at the top of their licenses. She also has a strong passion for teaching and supporting students, has served as a mentor for UW School of Pharmacy students, and has been a preceptor since 2006. Lara grew up in Eastern Europe, and is keenly aware of the impact that limited financial resources can have on students’ ability to succeed. With this in mind, Lara and her husband, Jake, established an Andjelkovic-Connell Endowed Scholarship, to support future pharmacists and give back to her School. She also enjoys attending events at the UW School of Pharmacy, which allows her to stay in touch with her School, her former classmates, colleagues and students.

Give to the AnDjelkovic-Connell Student Support Fund

Peggy Odegard

B.S. Pharmacy, 1985
PharmD Pharmacy, 1990

Peggy Odegard, BS Pharm, PharmD, CDE, is Associate Dean for Professional Pharmacy education, Professor in the Department of Pharmacy, and an active pharmacist practitioner. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degrees from the University of Washington.

Dr. Odegard oversees the UW School of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy program and is advanced diabetes care pharmacist clinician. She provides regular outreach and community-based education to older adults and to those affected by diabetes, mentoring students alongside her in this role. Her research and teaching are focused on diabetes care, pharmacy practice advancement, interprofessional education, and leadership. Dr. Odegard has published more than 60 refereed manuscripts and book chapters, and regularly presents her work nationally.

Dr. Odegard is past Chair of the UW School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy and was the first woman to hold a department chair position at the School of Pharmacy. Prior to her work at the UW, served as the Clinical Pharmacy Manager for a regional health system, where she gained substantial experience and training in organizational leadership, change management, and with quality improvement and implementation of pharmacy practice services. A nationally-recognized expert on diabetes management for older adults, Dr. Odegard is a certified diabetes educator and has worked in diabetes education and patient care for over 25 years. Her teaching focuses on diabetes, teamwork, and the care of older adults.

As the Associate Dean, Dr. Odegard devotes much of her leadership to advancing pharmacy education and the practice of pharmacy, and to inspiring students in the importance of their role in health care.

Give to the Odegard Practice Enrichment Fund

Raimund Peter

PostDoc Medicinal Chemistry, 1992

Raimund Peter completed his postdoc work in Sid Nelson’s Lab in the department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in 1992. A polyglot, Raimund speaks English, French, German and Greek.

Judi Tawney

B.S. Pharmacy, 1962

Judi Tawney graduated from the UW School of Pharmacy in 1962. After moving back to her native Novato, CA, Tawney began working at Corinthian Pharmacy and eventually purchased the pharmacy in 1990. Judi remarked that “There were several elderly people who knew me as a kid working [there] during college who thought I didn’t know anything. Over time, they started depending on me for medical advice.” These individuals include such celebrities as Robin Williams, Robert Redford, Woody Allen, Danny Thomas, Vivian Vance and Sterling Hayden.

Donna Dockter

B.S. Pharmacy, 1972

After graduating from the UW School of Pharmacy in 1972, Donna Dockter and partner Holly Whitcomb Henry opened View Ridge Pharmacy in 1987. Donna ensured that the focus and attention of the pharmacy was on patient satisfaction and education, always taking on students to precept and mentor from the School of Pharmacy. She introduced students to and encouraged the community to take advantage of innovative technologies such as blood pressure monitoring, glucose monitoring and cholesterol monitoring both at the pharmacy at the many health fairs she attended. When DawgScripts editor Paul Kuehn stepped down in 1988, Donna took up the charge and remained the editor until the winter of 2005. During her tenure, DawgScripts grew from a six-page, two column fold-out to the16 page, magazine-style newsletter we know today.

Donna also served as a Campaign Co-Chair during the 2000-2008 capital campaign, helping to ensure future support for faculty and pharmacy students. Donna was instrumental in the creation of the Institute for Pharmacy Practice (I2P2) Endowment that currently supports Professor Don Downing. Donna remains an ardent supporter of the UW School of Pharmacy to this day, never missing a PAA Football Tailgate!

Teresa O’Sullivan

B.S. Pharmacy, 1984

Teresa O’Sullivan obtained her Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from the University of Washington in 1984, and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota in 1990. After completion of a research fellowship in clinical pharmacokinetics, she became the Director of Experiential Education at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. She was board-certified as a pharmacotherapy specialist in 1993. Her teaching topics include medical literature evaluation, drug allergy, and practice-based education. She interacts regularly with the over 400 volunteer faculty and preceptors who teach the University of Washington Doctor of Pharmacy students. She conducts qualitative research in the area of practice-based learning, precepts pharmacy students in the Dental Clinics of the University of Washington School of Dentistry, and is an active member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Terri is a second generation UW Pharmacy alum and her son Kieran is also a proud Husky. In 2018, Terri created the Davison Family Endowed Fund to support future pharmacy students and honor her family’s long connection to the School of Pharmacy.

Support the Davison Family Endowed Fund

James Omichinski

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1986

Currently a professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular medicine at the University of Montreal, James G. Omichinnski graduated with a PhD from the UW Department of Medicinal Chemistry in 1986. Dr. Omichinski has over 100 publications to his credit and previously worked at the National Institutes of Health. With a $2.2M grand from the Dana Foundation for Innovation’s Succession Fund, Dr. Omichinski and his wife, fellow biochemist Pascale Legault, established research laboratories in Montreal. Famously, Dr. Omichinski illustrated the important role of the p53 protein in the development of cancer, showing its association in more than 50% of human cancers.

Christopher Endres

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2008

Dr. Chris Endres graduated with a PhD from the Department of Pharmaceutics in 2008, having written his thesis on “The Role of the Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1(ENT1) on the Absorption and Disposition of Ribavirin in the Mouse, under his advisor Jash Unadkat. As a graduate student, Dr. Endres was appointed to the PPDM Executive Committee of the AAPS. After 8 years as a senior and principal scientist at Amgen, Dr. Endres is now a Director of Clinical Pharmacology at Seattle Genetics. Dr. Endres has published over 10 papers on drug metabolism and nucleoside transporters.

Donavon McConn

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2001

Donavon McConn graduated with a PhD from the Department of Pharmaceutics in 2001 and is a classically-trained enzyme and pharmacokineticist. His expertise has grown to encompass in vitro and in vivo drug metabolism, drug interactions, transporters, translational research, PK-PD and PB-PK modeling. He has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career that has spanned early discovery to post-marketing phases of development. Dr. McConn has led or been a part of teams that have transitioned >20 assets into clinical trials, many which included innovative modeling-based paradigms.

Having held senior leadership positions in multiple small and large pharmaceutical companies, Dr. McConn has led scientific departments with >30 staff and built drug discovery groups at two different institutions. Over the past two years, he used these skills to successfully transition into an external drug discovery role within Takeda. He is currently pioneering a role in External Research and New Ventures for Takeda, working with Takeda’s academic, biotech and consortium partners to facilitate new company formations or internal acquisition of novel projects, platforms and assets. Strongly connected to the UW School of Pharmacy, Dr. McConn previously sat on the UWSOP Corporate Advisory Board.

Yvonne Lin

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2002

Dr. Lin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics. She received her BA in Biophysics from the University of California at Berkeley and her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Washington, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Her research interests include: natural product-drug interactions, regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes in children and in pregnancy, and using metabolomics to discover endogenous biomarkers of drug metabolism and transport.

Chiba Morio Family

Beau Chiba, ’18, is the sixth member of his family to attend UWSOP and his family’s story echoes the social, political, and economic ups and downs of the last century.

Beau’s great-great-grandfather on his father’s side of the family, Shirosabura Chiba, was a pharmacist who emigrated to the U.S. from Japan with his young family, including his son, Yasukuchi, Beau’s great-grandfather. When Yasukuchi graduated from UW School of Pharmacy in 1917, he went to work with his father. They owned several pharmacies in the Seattle-Tacoma area, including Main Drug in Nihonmachi (Japantown) in Seattle’s International District. Twenty years later in 1937, Yasukuchi’s son, Bain, graduated with his degree in pharmacy, likely making them the first father-son graduates from the UW School of Pharmacy. Bain began working as a pharmacist at the family’s Main Drug after graduation. Bain’s brother-in-law, Noboru “Nibs” Morio, began his studies at UW School of Pharmacy just before WWII. Mary Shimoda, who would later marry Nibs, was also a student at UWSOP.

In 1941, all four members of the family were practicing or learning pharmacy, helping their neighbors and advancing health care. But in February 1942, just three months after Pearl Harbor, all of that ended when President Roosevelt signed an executive order to relocate 120,000 Japanese Americans to isolated relocation centers.

And sadly the Chibas, Morios, and Shimodas were no exception. Beau’s great-grandfather, grandfather, grandmother, and great-aunt were forced to leave their homes in south Seattle and Beacon Hill for the harsh conditions of the internment camps. Automobiles were impounded. Homes and property sold. Families even donated their Japanese trees and shrubs to the UW Botanic Garden for safekeeping. Businesses were lost…including Main Pharmacy.

The Chibas were initially sent to the short-term detention center at the Puyallup fairgrounds. The Army called it Camp Harmony, and it was anything but that. The family spent months living in close quarters in shacks with limited rations and poor facilities.
The UW President and faculty advocated for their students. President Seig wrote a letter to 25 college presidents begging them to take UW’s Nikkei students. The Army initially permitted a few students to transfer. Most schools didn’t want the students and some rescinded offers as the story broke in the press. In December 1941, there were 450 Nikkei students enrolled at the UW, including Nibs and Mary. By May 1942, there were none. One dean went to Puyallup to hold an informal graduation ceremony for the Nikkei students who were just one month from commencement. Weeks later, the group was moved to Minidoka internment camp in Idaho. Among them was Mary Shimoda, Nibs’ future wife. She was a remarkable student and was made a member of Rho Chi, an honor she received in absentia in 1942. She was in Puyallup, on her way to Idaho where she spent the war with her mother and sister.

Nationwide, there was a shortage of labor. In some cases, people were able to get out of the internment camps—some worked farms in the Midwest and many health professionals were able to go to other parts of the country. As a knowledgeable pharmacist, Bain transferred out of the camp. He worked at the University of Michigan Hospital as a pharmacist until he could afford to move his family to safety in Michigan, where they lived out the war.

Nibs took a different path. He enlisted to serve with the 442nd Infantry Regiment. With the motto, “Go for Broke,” the Japanese-American regiment was the most decorated in U.S. military history for its size and length of service. Nibs was in the 2nd Division, G Company, and was sent to Italy and then France to fight. He earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. In 1946, Nibs married his college sweetheart, Mary Shimoda. While Mary was able to leave the camp by transferring to Idaho State University to complete her education, Nibs eventually retired from the Army where he worked as a hospital pharmacist (without a degree!). He returned to the UWSOP to finish the education he had started 20 years prior. Upon graduation, he moved with Mary to Bellevue where they continued practicing pharmacy. She worked at Group Health and he at Overlake Hospital.

Bain and his family returned home to Seattle a few years after the war ended. He was able to resume ownership of Main Drugs, but times were still hard post-War for Japanese-Americans in the Northwest. Many didn’t return. For the Chibas, the International District community came together and provided a safe harbor. In 1966, twenty years after they married, Nibs’ and Mary’s son—Beau’s cousin—Dave Morio enrolled at the UW School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1971. In 1980, he apprenticed with Bob and Maxine Sowders at Fife Pharmacy and Gifts, with the expectation that he would buy the pharmacy. He did just that in 1985. He worked closely with the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority serving PTHA contract-care patients. Dave also served on the UWSOP Pharmacy Alumni Association Board (PAA) as President. As a Clinical Assistant Professor, he helped precept many students. Being a staunch supporter of pharmacy and his community, Dave served as President of WSPA as well as the Fife-Milton Rotary Club.

In 2008, the UW Board of Regents voted to issue 450 honorary degrees to the students who were pulled from the classroom and sent to camps and war. Among the 2008 honorary graduates were Nibs and Mary Morio. Mary finally gained her full-fledged status as a Husky.
The Chiba-Morio family history reflects the pharmacy profession’s changes over the last century. Main Drugs closed in 1978 and now there are condos in its place. As physicians left the area and drug reimbursements continued to dwindle, Dave closed Fife Pharmacy in 2010 after 25 years. He now works for Safeway Pharmacy.

2015 marked a new era in pharmacy practice with the change in Washington state legislation. In fall of 2014, Beau Chiba picked up the family mantle by enrolling at UWSOP. “I never got to meet my grandfather, but I’ve been told he was a character, and that I’m just like him. I chose UW School of Pharmacy to stay connected to my family history. It feels like home.

Watch the Chiba Morio Family Story

Katrina Claw

PostDoc Pharmaceutics, 2019

As a Navajo scientist trained in genomics, UWSOP post doctoral researcher Katrina Claw is on a two-fold mission to make a difference: As a scientist, she seeks to understand the role genetics play in Vitamin D insufficiency in Alaskan Native populations. Dr. Claw is Assistant Professor, Medicine-Bioinformatics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus. While at the University of Washington, Dr. Claw was the recipient of the UW Health Sciences Martin Luther King Service award.

As a Native American, Dr. Claw wants to increase the number and impact of indigenous people pursuing science as a career. “It’s not enough just to get admitted to a program or school,” she says. “There are significant burdens on underrepresented students. We need mentors who can provide support, and guide us through the system, particularly to find funding. I was fortunate to find faculty mentors like Drs. Wylie Burke and Kenneth Thummel who believed in me.”

Dr. Claw also found support in organizations like the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). “When high school students meet me, they realize they can pursue science as a career and I want to encourage them in that work.”

Her life experiences inform her research. Working with tribal partners in the Northwest-Alaska Pharmacogenetic Research Network (NWA-PGRN), Katrina’s NIH fellowship research seeks to identify and functionally characterize variation in genes related to vitamin D metabolism. Vitamin D deficiency is a public health problem, particularly for northern latitude indigenous populations. Limited sunlight exposure and a shift to Western diets may be some of the driving causes of insufficiency, but gene variation modifies individual risk.

With all that’s known, there remains inter-individual variability that is not completely understood. As more Alaskan Native people suffer from vitamin D insufficiency, there may be increases in pathologies like cancer, heart disease, and bone disease. Knowledge of genomic variation associated with Vitamin D levels will be key to achieving optimal intervention strategies that reverse the insufficiency.

Another aspect of Dr. Claw’s research is to actively engage with Native American partners, exploring their expectations for genomic medicine research. In the past, some Native communities lost trust in researchers who used tissue samples and data without permission.

Joseph Babigumira

Ph.D. CHOICE, 2011

A graduate of the CHOICE program in 2011, Dr. Joseph Babigumira is an Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health and Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Washington. Joseph’s main research interest is improving access to safe and cost-effective diagnostic technologies, medicines, and healthcare delivery platforms in low-income countries. He has performed studies of the status of health technology assessment in low-income countries, the cost-effectiveness and scale-up of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria, the economic and health impacts of unsafe abortion, the cost-effectiveness of increased access to contraception and reproductive health services, and incentives for seeking and receiving services to prevent HIV. His current projects include an economic evaluation of HIV resistance testing, an impact evaluation of pharmacy worker training, and a study of the willingness to pay for male circumcision using contingent valuation. He is also developing studies of preferences for HIV prevention and fertility regulation using discrete choice experiments and incentives to reduce the use of counterfeit medicines for malaria.

After several years of practicing medicine in Uganda, his home country, Babigumira moved to America to pursue healthcare and pharmaceutical degrees in 2004.

“My thinking at the time was I would have a bigger impact if I did something public health-related — something at the system level, as opposed to seeing one patient at a time,” he said. “I definitely do miss practicing, but I like thinking about the system broadly.”
Most of his work is still based in Africa. He travels to the continent about five times a year to do research and run small-scale pilot projects, such as developing a gaming app for HIV prevention. Back at the UW, he teaches about economic evaluation in healthcare and the role of pharmaceuticals in resource-deprived areas.

“This is a learning environment, and I consider myself a lifelong student,” Babigumira said. “You can learn in any place — in an industry, a company, a government job — but I don’t think there’s a better place to learn than being at a university.”

Casey McClellan

B.S. Pharmacy, 1983

Born to a farming family in Eastern Washington, Founder Casey McClellan learned about agriculture at a young age. Later, Casey and his wife, Vicky, began to cultivate an interest in wine and developed a long term vision to make wine from the family farm in Walla Walla Valley. They drew further inspiration during a European cycling trip through wine country, where they experienced wine as an integral foundation to these communities and an important, vital part of small town agricultural life.

In the early 1980s, Casey and his family planted the founding blocks of their future winery, 21 acres of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Eight years later, the McClellans established Seven Hills Winery. Over the past three decades, the winery’s endeavors have continued to reflect an unwavering commitment to creating wines that showcase the distinctive terroir of Walla Walla Valley.

Not only is Casey McClellan a fourth-generation farmer in Eastern Washington, but also he understands the commitment needed to help a community thrive. Over the years, Casey and his wife, Vicky, have promoted a spirit of collaboration, not just between Walla Walla Valley growers and winemakers but within the whole community.

Cheryl Zimmerman

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 1983

Cheryl L. Zimmerman was born in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. She graduated from Owen-Withee High School in 1971 and attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She graduated from UW in 1976 with a B.S. in Pharmacy and spent a year practicing pharmacy at the University Hospitals in Madison. Having a strong desire to learn more about pharmacokinetics, Cheryl joined the University of Washington graduate program in pharmaceutics in 1978, where her thesis advisor was John Slattery. She graduated in 1983 with a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, and immediately joined the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities College of Pharmacy as an assistant professor. She rose through the academic ranks at UM to Professor of Pharmaceutics. She received the Horace T. Morse – Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education in 1989 and was inducted into the University of Minnesota Academy of Distinguished Teachers in 2005. For her research accomplishments she was named a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) in 2009. She has graduated 12 Ph.D. students and 5 M.S. students, and has taught pharmacokinetics to innumerable Pharmacy students. Dr. Zimmerman retired from the UM in 2016 as Professor Emeritus.

Will Canestaro

Ph.D. CHOICE, 2017

Will earned his PhD from the CHOICE Institute in 2016. His dissertation research was on “Publication Bias: Development and Assessment of Methods for Adjustment and Quantification of Impact” and Dr. Josh Carlson served as his committee chair.

Will is a valuable catalyst for life science startups in the Pacific Northwest. In his role at WRF, Will is responsible for the Foundation’s investments in Life Science and Biotechnology start-ups where he provides insightful strategic advice and facilitates connections based on his own startup experience. During his PhD. studies at the UW, Will worked extensively with several university spin-outs to help them launch. He always finds time to meet with students and advise them; moreover, connect them to others in his network.

Will has been on the management team for the Institute for Translational Health Sciences, ITHS/WRF Summer Commercialization Fellows program, and teaches the Health Innovation Practicum. He has served on and been a great collaborator on committees and boards for M3 Biotechnology, Faraday Pharmaceuticals, Phase Genomics, Icosavax, One Radio, Life Science Washington Institute, and the ITHS. He was also recognized by Puget Sound Business Insider as a 40 under 40 for 2019.

Ryan Hansen

PharmD Pharmacy 2003
Ph.D. CHOICE, 2012

Dr. Hansen is an Associate Professor of pharmacy at the UW School of Pharmacy. His primary research interests focus on the comparative safety of prescription medications, health technology assessment, and health care system efficiency. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Carroll College, and his Doctor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Washington.

Hansen is a fellow in the American College of Apothecaries, and a member of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research and the Washington State Pharmacy Association. He was also an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/UW K12 Patient Centered Outcomes Research Scholar, an ARCS Foundation Scholar, and was selected as a Distinguished Alumnus of the UW School of Pharmacy. Hansen has served as a journal referee for “JAMA Internal Medicine,” “Pediatrics,” “Value in Health,” and “The Journal of Pain.” He is also an active pharmacy practitioner in a community practice setting. In this role, he applies his research skills in order to improve the practice of pharmacy. He also serves as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group. in 2006, Ryan and his wife Keli created the Adam Christopher Hansen Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students at the School of Pharmacy.

Give to the Adam Christopher Hansen Endowed Scholarship

Anita Mathias

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2004

Anita Mathias, PhD, is a Director in the Clinical Pharmacology Group at Gilead Sciences, Foster City, California. Dr Mathias received her PhD in Pharmacokinetics from the Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Her expertise is in the area of clinical pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism and has extensive experience in clinical development of antivirals for HIV and HCV infections, specifically, tenofovir DF, elvitegravir, pharmacoenhancer cobicistat and sofosbuvir. In 2019, The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Dr. Mathias, to its College of Fellows.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.”

J. Greg Slatter

PostDoc Medicinal Chemistry, 1988

Dr. Greg Slatter has over 25 years of industry experience in DMPK and clinical pharmacology aspects of drug discovery & development. He is currently SVP, Clinical Pharmacology at Kartos Therapeutics (Apr 2018-present). Prior to joining Kartos, Dr. Slatter was VP, DMPK/Clinical Pharmacology at Acerta Pharma (a member of the AstraZeneca Group, 2014-18); Scientific Director (PKDM) and Medical Sciences Director (Clinical Pharmacology/Early Development) at Amgen (2006-14); Scientific Director (Preclinical Molecular Profiling) at Rosetta Inpharmatics/Merck (2003-06); Scientist II-IV (Drug Metabolism Research) and Associate Director (Life Cycle Management) at Pharmacia/Upjohn (1990-2003).

Glenn Adams

PharmD Pharmacy, 1998

Glenn serves as SVP of ancillary services at Confluence Health. In 2019, Glenn received Seattle Magazine’s Leaders in Health Care Award in Community Outreach for the Opioid Take Back Program. The award underscored the essential and important work developing a comprehensive and coordinated program addressing the prescription drug abuse epidemic in our communities and Central Washington. This included creating an Opioid Epidemic Response Team, developing workgroups affecting holistic changes in the way we deal with pain and chronic opioid use, and rolling our patient and staff education. As central Washington’s major medical provider, Confluence Health has faced the rising opioid-addiction statistics in rural communities and is making a difference. With support from the Confluence Health Foundation, Confluence Health installed eight prescription-medication take-back boxes in locations from Wenatchee and the Columbia Basin to locations near the Canadian border, and received nearly 1,600 pounds of unneeded medications in rural areas previously lacking disposal options.

Joan Douget

B.S. Pharmacy, 1994

Joan Douget touched many lives during her time at the School. Born in Billings Montana, Joan displayed a lifelong commitment to supporting pharmacy students in need. After a varied career, which led her to a Renton, Washington veterinary supply company, Joan realized her passion for healing and decided to pursue her passion at the School of Pharmacy. Joan graduated in 1994 and despite her cancer diagnosis during her final year in the program, Joan was determined to maintain her academic excellence and complete her degree, even while undergoing her chemotherapy treatments. Receiving scholarship support allowed Joan to remain in the program during her medical treatment. When she passed away in 2003, Joan requested that a scholarship fund be established in her name to support future students at the School, especially students facing health issues, disabilities or have children.

Raymond Wilson

B.S. Pharmacy, 1969

Ray credits much of the success he enjoys today to the education he received at the UW School of Pharmacy, and the doors it opened, allowing him to go on to earn a Ph.D, then MD. Like many of today’s students, Ray would not have been able to attend our School without the help of scholarship funds. “I applied to the UW, they offered me financial support, I took them up on it, and I’ve been grateful ever since,” said Wilson. To show his gratitude, Wilson led the creation of the first ever class sponsored scholarship endowment. Over one-third of his classmates helped create the Class of 1969 Endowed Scholarship. Wilson, co-chair of the School’s 2000-2008 campaign, presented the idea to his class at their 35th reunion. The scholarship became fully endowed in 2006. Wilson challenges other classes to create their own endowed funds. “It just takes one or two motivated people in each class to get the ball rolling. It’s a very doable thing,” said Wilson. Ray is longtime Husky Basketball and football fan and continues to support students and the School. He and his wife, Cherie, created the Joan Nelson Endowed Fund in honor of Dean Emeritus Sid Nelson’s wife Joan, who was instrumental in creating the pharmacy alumni community we know today.

Barbara Tolliver-Craig

B.S. Pharmacy, 1987

Barbara Tolliver-Craig graduated from the UW School of Pharmacy in 1987. Currently, a community pharmacist, Barbara has had the opportunity to provide a variety of pharmacy services as a Certified Diabetes educator, an anticoagulation therapy management provider, a family practice clinic pharmacist and a pharmacy manager. Her favorite pharmacy school memories include playing on the recreational volleyball team, studying in the South Campus Center booths and eating pizza at Northlake Tavern. A preceptor for many years, Barbara continues to serve students at the UW School of Pharmacy. Helping students grow in knowledge, skill and confidence and watching so many go on to be outstanding pharmacists has been a pleasure and an honor for her. in 2020, Barbara’s daughter, Marissa, graduated with a PharmD from the UW School of Pharmacy.

Brenda Kelly

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 2000

In 2018, Brenda Kelly was appointed as Provost and Dean of the College at Gustavus Adolphus College. Kelly, who holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Creighton University and a doctorate in medicinal chemistry from the University of Washington, has been a member of the Gustavus chemistry and biology faculty since 2002. Before moving to an administrative role in academic affairs as an associate provost in 2015, Kelly taught courses in biochemistry, organic chemistry, and introductory chemistry while focusing her student-centered research on the relationship between biological enzymes’ structure and function. Recently, she co-authored a textbook, The Science of Cooking: Understanding the Biology and Chemistry Behind Food and Cooking, which covers a range of scientific principles of food, cooking, and the science of taste and smell.

Prior to her time in the Office of the Provost, Kelly served as the chair of the chemistry department from 2011-2015 and director of the biochemistry and molecular biology program from 2013-2014. Her service to the College also includes extensive grant writing experience in addition to coordinating the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Peer Mentoring Program and managing the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation grant.

Jed Lampe

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 2007

Jed is an Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Each year thousands of sick and premature infants are treated with a variety of medications, despite the fact that many of these drugs have never been tested for safety and efficacy in this fragile patient population. The primary goal of the Lampe lab is to understand how drug metabolism modulates efficacy and toxicity in the developing infant in order to make medications safer for these vulnerable patients.

Mark Holzemer

B.S. Pharmacy, 1973

After completing his studies at the University of Washington, Mark Holzemer began his career as a pharmacist at Dick’s Pharmacy in Bellevue. In 1975, he left Dick’s to join Valley Ridge Pharmacy where he was employed until 1976. In 1976 he and a Mr. Karpen founded Prescription Etc., Inc. (dba Bellegrove Medical Supply), a medical supply. For more than 25 years, Bellegrove Medical has been a resource for cruise ships, commercial vessels and remote locations. Bellegrove delivers solutions that ensure ships are equipped with the supplies required to take care of crew and passengers. He also owned Woodinville Medical Center Pharmacy, a pharmacy he opened in 1991, prior to selling the pharmacy to fellow SOP alumnus, Steve Singer.

Luke Lightning

Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1998

Luke Lightning is a Native American entrepreneur whose career spans many industries including tech startups, business development and sales, and pharmaceutical research (Chief Evangelist at Good&Co Labs Inc; past Managing Partner for The LAUNCH Partnership, This Week in Startups; Founder of Bay Area LifeTech). He was a Postdoctoral scholar at UCSF, Assistant Professor at Purdue in Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Drug Metabolism, Biochemistry, and Bioanalytical Chemistry; Sr Scientist II, DMPK. He is currently head of Business Development for BIM Designs, Inc. Throughout his career, Luke has also facilitated and fostered diversity initiatives, including 7+ years as lead organizer of Native American Heritage Night with the SF Giants, as well as Board member for the Multicultural Alumni Network at Carlton College. Luke has also helped build the UWSOP alumni network in the Bay Area.

Klarissa Jackson

PostDoc Medicinal Chemistry, 2013

Klarissa Jackson, Ph.D. joined the faculty at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy as an assistant professor in the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics in 2019. Her research interests focus on drug metabolism and toxicology to better understand the mechanisms and risk factors of adverse drug reactions and improve drug safety.

Jackson received her B.S. in chemistry from Jackson State University and her Ph.D. in pharmacology from Vanderbilt University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry under the mentorship of Drs. Allan Rettie and Sidney Nelson. Prior to joining UNC, Jackson was an assistant professor at Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and an adjunct assistant professor at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Pharmacology. In 2014, Dr. Jackson received the New Investigator Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).

Jackson’s research program has been supported by funding from the NIH National Cancer Institute Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Her laboratory is currently investigating the role of cytochromes P450 in the metabolism and hepatotoxicity of tyrosine kinase inhibitors used in targeted cancer therapy. She is interested in understanding the impact of variability in drug metabolism and disposition on individual risk for drug toxicity. The long-term goal of this research is to better predict and prevent serious adverse reactions and improve drug safety in diverse patient populations.

Watch Beyond the LAB

Erica Woodahl

Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2004

Erica Woodahl received a B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame in 1998 and a Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Washington in 2004. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical pharmacokinetics at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. She joined the faculty at the University of Montana in 2007 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012. The research focus of the Woodahl laboratory is on precision medicine and pharmacogenomics to identify sources of interindividual variability in disease treatment and prevention (e.g. genes, environment, and lifestyle). We are interested in genetic and environmental factors that alter the pharmacokinetics, or ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination), and pharmacodynamics of many therapeutic compounds. Translation of pharmacogenomics into clinical practice requires genetic research with diverse patient populations to accurately predict drug response and toxicity for all people. Towards this end, we focus on precision medicine and pharmacogenomics with rural and underserved populations.

American Indian and Alaska Native populations in the United States have largely been left out of precision medicine and pharmacogenomics research. Our research is part of the Northwest-Alaska Pharmacogenomics Research Network (NWA-PGRN), whose goals are to engage indigenous populations in precision medicine research (1U01GM092676 and P01GM116691). In Montana, we have established a community-academic partnership with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes living on the Flathead Reservation. This work includes the characterization of genetic variation and environmental factors that predict drug response and toxicity. Precision medicine research has broad utility across many therapeutic areas, with our primary focus on medications for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Catherine Lockhart

PharmD Pharmacy, 2013
Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2016
M.S. Pharmacy, 2016

Cate is the Executive Director at Biologics and Biosimilars Collective Intelligence Consortium. BBCIC was convened by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) in 2015 to address anticipated needs for post-market surveillance of biosimilars and their corresponding novel biologics. The BBCIC is the only multi-stakeholder research network dedicated to monitoring biosimilars, and draws on large sets of de-identified medical and pharmacy data (100 million lives). Managed care and integrated delivery organizations have devoted significant resources to develop an infrastructure that makes possible active surveillance of biosimilars in distributed research networks. The BBCIC marshals these resources for the important public health benefit inherit in monitoring biosimilar safety and effectiveness, using ongoing sequential analyses to compare biosimilars to their innovator product. Cate has been active in AMCP since she was a pharmacy student, including competing in the student pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) competitions, and serving as student chapter president at the University of Washington. Cate also received the Plein Fellowship during her time at the School of Pharmacy and was an active researcher in Professor Ed Kelly’s Lab, studying kidney-on-a-chip (Cate designed the project logo and patch that flew to the NASA space station) and Bietti’s Crystalline Dystrophy (BCD), a rare eye blinding disease.

Juan Cantu

B.S. Pharmacy, 1979

Juan Cantu graduated from the University of Washington in 1976 with a degree in Invertebrate Zoology. In 1980 he earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. Cantu has been the owner of JC’s Pharmacy in Shepherd for six years. Before that he worked as a manager and director of pharmacy for many hospitals including the Methodist and Spawn Hospitals in Houston and Corpus Christi respectively.

Juan also was one of the founding member for Sea-Mar health clinics. Organized by a group of Latino community leaders and health activists who dreamed of developing a comprehensive health center for the Latino community in Seattle, with satellite clinics in rural communities in western Washington. They began in 1978 with one small clinic in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. Today, Sea Mar is one of western Washington’s largest providers of community-based health and human services, including community and migrant primary medical and dental care, obstetrics and gynecology, minor outpatient surgery, laboratory and radiology services, outpatient and inpatient behavioral health and substance abuse treatment services, social services and case management, maternity support services, migrant and homeless support services, health education and nutrition programs, pharmacy services, community- and facility-based long-term care services, child care, low-income and migrant farm worker housing, and youth education and leadership programs. Sea Mar has services and programs in 13 Washington counties, including Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Franklin, Grays Harbor, Island, King, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima. He has been married to his wife Rosario for over 18 years and together they have three daughters, Laurie, Rosita and Yolanda. He and his family have lived in Shepherd since 1991.

Douglas Mendenhall

B.S. Pharmacy, 1968

Doug worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over thirty-five years, mostly in the product development/pre-clinical development space. He made significant contributions to the development of 70 marketed products including designing multiple successful development and regulatory strategies. He also led a number of change initiatives and played an instrumental role in major organization redesigns to accomplish substantial increases in speed and resource efficiency. He holds three patents including, Nitroglycerin Carriers and Bandages, powder syringe mixing system and bulk Lyophilization of Pharmaceuticals. Doug served as a campaign co-chair during the 2000-2008 capital campaign, helping to secure over $22M in private support and the creation of the Sid Nelson Endowed Professorship.

Karen Craddick

PharmD Pharmacy, 2012

Karen Craddick is the Assistant Director of Pharmacy at the University of Washington Medical Center-Northwest. In her role, she has the pleasure of working with many UW School of Pharmacy students through IPPE, APPE, WIP and serving as a Mentor in the Mentor program. She oversees pharmacy student educational programs on the Northwest campus and the intern program. She loves working with students! She gives back to UWSOP because she is very thankful for the training and mentorship she received at the UW School of Pharmacy and UW Medicine where she worked as a Harborview intern and pharmacy resident. When not working, she is actively involved in her community serving as the Vice President for the Haller Lake Community Club. Running, playing with her whippets, wine and backpacking all rejuvenate her to tackle what’s next.

Rodney Shafer

B.S. Pharmacy, 1977

A graduate of the class of 1977, Rod Shafer served as CEO of the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA) for 15 years. He received the School’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1992. The WSPA also created the Rodney D. Shafer award which recognizes a pharmacy professional who has made pioneering and sustaining contributions to the profession of pharmacy.

Roger Woolf

PharmD Pharmacy, 1985

Roger Woolf, ’85, is passionate about the leadership role pharmacists can have in the U.S. health care system. Growing up, many of his family members were in healthcare professions, including pharmacy. “My uncle was a pharmacist in Yakima,” he reflected. “Talking with him about his work helped me to see the potential impact pharmacists could have when they can be patient-focused.” In his position at Virginia Mason Medical Center, Roger provides leadership for a broad scope of pharmaceutical services within the Center’s integrated health care system. But he doesn’t stop there. He works diligently to teach and mentor student pharmacists to become leaders in health care and has been very committed to training UWSOP APPE/IPPE students and interns. “I always encourage students to get involved in leadership opportunities while in school. If we are to continue to advance the practice, we need people who can lead with passion, and not be afraid to try new and innovative ways for pharmacists to impact patient care.” He has maintained his connection with the UWSOP since completing his PharmD degree in 1985. “From the moment I was accepted to the UWSOP, I knew I was part of something special,” he said. “The faculty challenged us to be innovative and push a progressive practice. It was at UW that I really started my passion for advancing the practice.” He has collaborated with UW faculty and WSPA leadership for years to educate Washington state legislators on the benefits of having pharmacists as paid providers. “There were so many barriers to getting pharmacists credentialed. Working with Don Downing, Jeff Rochon and many others, we were able to show the benefits to patients that come from having pharmacists as providers.” Now the team travels the U.S. sharing with providers and legislators how Washington led the way in advancing patient care by establishing pharmacists as full members of the health care team.

Glen Schumock

PharmD Pharmacy, 1989

Glen T. Schumock is Professor and Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Previously he was Head of the Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy (2013-2017), and founding Director of the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomic Research (2002-2013). He has held clinical and managerial positions in hospital pharmacy, and from 1995-2000 he was Director of Pharmacy at Wausau Hospital, Wisconsin. He has degrees from Washington State University (B.Pharm.), the University of Washington (Pharm.D.), and the UIC (M.B.A., and Ph.D.). He completed residency and fellowship training at the University of Washington and UIC. Dr. Schumock’s scholarly efforts focus on the economic impact, clinical effectiveness, and safety of pharmaceuticals and related services or policies. He has received over $6 million in funding as a PI from government agencies, private foundations, and pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Schumock has authored over 200 articles and books. He is on the editorial boards of Pharmacotherapy, PharmacoEconomics, and the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research (Associate Editor). In 2014 he received the Award for Sustained Contributions to the Literature from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Foundation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Shelby Reed

PostDoc CHOICE, 1999

Shelby Reed, PhD, RPh is Professor in Population Health Sciences and Medicine at Duke University and Director of the Preference Evaluation Research (PrefER) Group at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. She also is core faculty and serves on the executive committee at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy. Dr. Reed has 20 years of experience leading multidisciplinary health outcomes research studies. Dr. Reed has extensive expertise in designing and conducting trial-based and model-based cost-effectiveness analyses of diagnostics, drugs and patient-centered interventions. In evaluating health policy issues, she has developed computer models to evaluate the economic impact of trends in clinical trial design, changes in reimbursement policies, a new financing scheme to spur drug development for ultra-rare conditions, and the societal value of alternative approaches to identifying drug safety problems. Over the last several years, her research has increasingly focused on stated-preference studies to evaluate benefit-risk tradeoffs, patient-centered value, and their application in comparative effectiveness research and clinical decision making. Dr. Reed earned pharmacy and doctoral degrees from the University of Maryland and completed her training in the Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program at the University of Washington. She serves on editorial advisory boards for Value in Health and Health Services Research. She served as President of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) in 2017-2018.

Donald Downing

B.S. Pharmacy, 1975

Don Downing has devoted his career as a professor and practitioner to moving the profession of pharmacy forward. A graduate of the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, Don teaches on topics including legislative advocacy, leadership and ethics and is a prolific advocate for pharmacists, patients and underserved populations.

In 1975, Don helped to start up the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority clinic in Tacoma, Washington and continued there until 1985. While there, he joined the Washington School of Pharmacy faculty and later opened the first pharmacy in Bonney Lake and a community pharmacy in Federal Way. He continues to consult with and develop pharmacy services for various Native American tribes.

Peggy Soule Odegard, Associate Dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Washington, commended Don’s dedication to pharmacy. “Don exemplifies the meaning of teaching by example and is a major contributor to the professional development of our pharmacy graduates…. He embodies a service attitude for his students and peers, kindly nudging each of us to become involved to improve access to services for those who are less fortunate. He reaches out with regular service to communities both locally and throughout the world to help those in need, modeling compassionate care for his students and often facilitating and advocating for necessary change to reduce disparities during his visits.”

Don developed the nation’s first pharmacist-provided emergency contraception program and the first pharmacist-initiated ongoing hormonal contraception services. He also helped lead the effort in the 1990s to educate and certify pharmacists in Washington state and numerous other states to provide flu shots and other vaccines. Don has worked on pharmacy-care legislation in 39 states, devoting much of his energy to changing the public’s perception of pharmacists. In addition, he has conducted extensive research with funding from agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Institutes of Health, Advocates for Youth and the Packard Foundation.

Don has received numerous recognitions from local, state, and national pharmacy organizations, including the American Pharmacists Association’s Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management Distinguished Achievement Award, the Washington State Pharmacy Association David Almquist Award and Pharmacist of the Year Award, and the UW School of Pharmacy’s Distinguished Alumnus Award and Milo Gilbaldi Excellence in Teaching Award. Don is most proud to have written and produced the 2015 pharmacist medical provider bill (SB 5557) that was the first legislation of its kind in the country to recognize and pay pharmacists for their clinical services.

FILTERS:

Glenn Adams

Gail Anderson

Jenny Arnold

Deborah Atherly

Kate Atienza

Joseph Babigumira

Jack Babcock

Alice Ball

Hope Barnes

George H. Bartell Jr.

Brian Beach

George Benson

Douglas Black

Susan Teil Boyer

Jim Bracken

Louis Bracken

Lynn R. Brady

Michael Brandt

Shirley Bridge

Ernest Bush

Will Canestaro

Juan Cantu

Beth Chester

Chiba Morio Family

Katrina Claw

Lara Connell

Karen Craddick

Karan Dawson

Leslie Dickmann

John DiGiovanni

Donna Dockter

Joan Douget

Donald Downing

Kayte Edson

Christopher Endres

William Fassett

Tim Fuller

William Garland

Forest Goodrich

Mark Grillo

Nathan Hall

Warren Hall

Roy Hammarlund

Ryan Hansen

Laura Hart

Shane Hendrickson

Lars Hennum

Scott Herzog

Mitchell Higashi

Han Kiat Ho

John Hoekman

Mark Holzemer

Gayle Hudgins

Dana Hurley

Dawn Ipsen

Marianne Ivey

Klarissa Jackson

Al James

Don Katterman

Brenda Kelly

Cyrus Khojasteh-Bakht

Kenneth Korzekwa

Deanna Kroetz

Don Kusler

Craig and Sally Kvam

Jed Lampe

Luke Lightning

Yvonne Lin

Al Linggi

Catherine Lockhart

Timothy Lynch

Anita Mathias

Casey McClellan

Donavon McConn

Kathlyn McDonough

Douglas Mendenhall

Duane Miller

Nanci Murphy