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Washington State University
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Alums & Friends

College celebrates 71% match rate, nearly 70% of matches stay in Washington state

The WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is pleased to announce that 71% of participating registrants matched with a residency program this year. Nearly 70% of those matched will be staying in Washington state, with the remaining students matched to programs in other states including Oregon, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Nevada.

“The college helped prepare me for the residency match process in many ways, but what stands out to me the most is the mentorship I have received throughout my time at [the college]. It is through these mentor relationships that I have been able to identify my career goals and the variety of … » More …

Preserving WSU Pharmacy’s Black history

The first recorded Black student who graduated from Washington State University (or Washington State College as it was known at the time) was a Black woman named Jessie Senora Sims. She received a pharmacy degree in 1913 and was the only woman and Black student in her graduating class of six students. According to a 1914 Chinook publication, she was known to her classmates as “Sister Sims” and described herself as a “Pharmacister.”

Not much is known about Sims after she graduated from Washington State College (WSC). There were no smart phones to snap a quick photo, or social media platforms to stay in touch. … » More …

How a pharmacy school seating chart led to a 64-year marriage

From their first day of pharmacy school 70 years ago, through two sons, and three grandchildren, Earl (’55) and Barbara (’56) McIntosh have faced it all together. Below Barbara shares a peek behind the scenes of their relationship and nearly 64 years of marriage.
Where did you two meet?
We met in September 1952, on the first day of classes in Dr. Haakon Bang’s one-hour credit class “Introduction to Pharmacy.”  We were seated alphabetically so Barbara McLellan was seated next to Earl McIntosh.
What was your first date?
At Halloween time in 1952 when my dormitory Regent’s Hill held a dance … » More …

Finding love in the pharmacy

For Hung Truong (’00) and Megan McIntyre, a Montana pharmacy graduate from 2004, meeting at a Bartell Drug store was all it took for a future to unfold. They met when Megan was on a Pharmacy Administration rotation with Bartell Drugs in the summer of 2003 and Hung worked at Bartell’s Coal Creek location. If Hung was telling the story he would say that she was his intern. According to Megan, she was technically licensed as an intern but met Hung when she was training him on her rotation project to establish new point of care services throughout Bartell Drugs (of course, Megan tells the correct version). And the rest is history. » More ...

Cooking and humor brought pharmacy couple together

Russell Heaton (’00) remembers seeing his future wife, Kristi (’00), in 1995, while they were both students in a chemistry class at Eastern Washington University. He immediately thought she was beautiful, so he approached her and asked a question about the lab. Russ says she was not impressed by him, at all, and Kristi doesn’t even remember this encounter. But a year later, when they were both at WSU, they met again and started to hang around with mutual friends. » More ...

College alumnus highlights demand for pharmacists in pharmaceutical industry

Randy Legg doesn’t come from a legacy family of pharmacists. In fact, he was the first in his family to go to university, and he knew by middle school that he wanted to become a pharmacist. The class of 1988 college alumnus is now National Clinical Account Director for AstraZeneca, one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. He says the path to his current role was not a linear one.

“I relied on mentors in the college as well as people throughout my career to help me progress,” said Legg who has worked in a variety of settings in his 34-year career in … » More …

Q&A with college alumnus and Chief Pharmacy Officer of Portland hospital

Class of 2007 alumnus Dr. Majid Tanas’ career has spanned all aspects of inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory, and research services. As Vice President of Pharmacy Services and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Legacy Health in Oregon, Dr. Tanas has a world of experience in health systems. Prior to joining Legacy Health, he was Chief of Pharmacy Services at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center and worked in various administrative positions in health systems at Oregon Health and Science University after completing his Health-System Pharmacy Administration Residency at University of Washington Medicine. Earlier this year, Dr. Tanas was recognized by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists … » More …

Smiles, hugs usher in return of annual Crimson Gala

There’s no feeling quite like that of seeing an old friend after years apart. This October, Cougar pharmacy students and alums greeted one another with hugs and smiles as they came together at the first Crimson Gala since 2019. The annual Crimson Gala is a celebration of pharmacy leaders who shape the profession for future generations as well as all of those who help to pave the way for future Cougar pharmacists through their guidance and leadership. » More ...

Capitalizing on opportunities in pharmacy

As a high school student who immigrated from Russia to Los Angeles, class of 2014 alum Alex Heyfetz never would have imagined that he would become a pharmacist one day. His hobbies at the time included judo and weightlifting; advertising, construction, and personal training were the many jobs he tried on before pursuing his doctor of pharmacy at Washington State University. 15 years later, Heyfetz says that the career choice has been better than what he could have ever imagined.

“The most important thing that you need to do in life is to try different things,” he impressed on an audience of pharmacy students during … » More …

Former Interim Dean Linda Garrelts MacLean to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Crimson Gala

Leader in pharmacy practice Linda Garrelts MacLean, class of 1978, will receive the R. Keith Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS) on October 7. The award will be presented at the college’s Crimson Gala in Spokane attended by alums, faculty, students, and supporters of the college.

Garrelts MacLean retired from the college on July 1, 2021, after a 20-year career as a professor, department chair, vice dean, and ultimately serving as interim dean from 2018 through 2020. She is the first female to hold the position of dean at the college.

Garrelts MacLean mentored hundreds … » More …