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Washington State University
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumni & Friends

Balancing military service and pharmacy school

Colton Sorensen is one of many service men and women who pursued his doctor of pharmacy degree at Washington State University. Colton, who served in the United States Marine Corps, shares how his military training as a marine translates to becoming a better health care provider as a pharmacist. In 2020, Colton was asked to press pause on his third year in pharmacy school to deploy to Georgia, a country which shares a border with Russia, Azerbaijian, Armenia, and Turkey. The deployment ended up delaying his graduation by one year. Along with an active-duty tour to the countries of Georgia, Afghanistan, and Qatar, Colton also … » More …

From farm to pharmacy

Tyler Young grew up in Oakesdale, Washington, a town of about 400 people, and a 45-minute drive south of Spokane. He graduated from high school with only 11 other students in his class and his first job was on the wheat farm where he spent summers from ages 14 to 20 spraying weeds in 90-degree heat, driving a tractor, and harvesting the crop. » More ...

Finding love through serving others

By Kelly Sylvester, director of advancement & alumni relations

There’s something in the air at pharmacy school. Every year we learn about students who have met while in college and end up getting married, starting families, and living the dream. One such couple is Cassandra (Cassie) Song, who graduated in 2015, and Eric Wilson, who was a year behind her in pharmacy school. Here’s their story, in Cassie’s words, and it’s pretty sweet!

“Eric and I met during Eric’s orientation of his first year in pharmacy school. I was in my second year and was one of the orientation leaders at that time. We had … » More …

Healthy competition turns to marital bliss

By Kelly Sylvester, director of advancement & alumni relations

Although Grant MacLean (’73) and Linda Garrelts MacLean (’78) both graduated from the Washington State University (WSU) pharmacy program, they never met in college. It wasn’t until they were working as competing pharmacists that they initially became acquainted. Grant was working for a Rosauers location on the South Hill in Spokane, Washington, while Linda was working for Jones Pharmacy just two blocks away. They had their first date just after Linda graduated from the WSU College of Pharmacy in 1978, and as they say, the rest is history. Their professional rivalry saw an end shortly thereafter … » More …

Alumni Spotlight: Pharmacy Career in Oncology

Natasha Olson, class of 2014, shares her professional journey from becoming a pharmacy intern at Rite Aid to manager of clinical initiatives with NCODA (National Community Oncology Dispensing Association). Her passion for patient-centered care led her on a path to oncology pharmacy, where she now shares her experience and best practice with other clinicians. Hear her story to learn about the various opportunities from a career in pharmacy. » More ...

CPPS alum research helps Homeland Security in event of nuclear attack

WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences alumna, Dr. Sara Dumit, was invited to attend the 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting this past summer, which convenes in Lindau, Germany. This annual meeting gives the next generation of leading scientists in the world the chance to discuss global issues ranging from climate change to genome editing with Nobel Laureates. She is among the leading theorists working on the modeling of plutonium decorporation and the development of chelation models. These models help to better understand the movement of plutonium inside the human body during chelation therapy, otherwise known as the process of binding to heavy metals which is then removed from the body. » More ...

WSU faculty, alumni recognized at WSPA Annual Meeting

It is always a time to celebrate when any member of our Cougar community is recognized for their commitment to the profession. This year the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA) honored several Coug pharmacists on October 30 for their contributions to the profession. Congratulations to the following College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences alumni and faculty. » More ...

How one alumnus transformed his Seattle pharmacy into a community center

You probably have never considered your local pharmacy to be a community center. But that’s exactly what class of 2008 WSU PharmD graduate Ahmed Ali wanted to create when he started his own pharmacy in the southside of Seattle three years ago. Ali’s Othello Station Pharmacy serves the predominantly East African and Somali community in Rainier Valley. It is also the community in which Ali grew up after relocating to Seattle from Somalia in 1998 at the age of 17.

“It was a completely different world and different language. I had to do a lot of learning, and my parents were the driving force for … » More …

Two students who found a passion for pharmacy and each other

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences would like to feature one of the many couples who found their match in pharmacy school. Ryan Nottingham and James (Jimmy) Leonard found their passion for pharmacy and each other while pursuing their Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Hear their story and what they have been up to since graduating.

In 2016, Ryan Nottingham and James (Jimmy) Leonard sealed the deal –personally and professionally. Shortly after receiving their Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Washington State University, the two committed to spending the rest of their lives together on June 25, 2016, in … » More …