I am very excited to be kicking off my first day as the new dean of your WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences with a note to you, the people driving our college forward. It has been an extraordinary year, to say the least, but the first order of business is to thank Linda, who has been a progressive leader amid very challenging times. Linda and I have been working closely in the last few months to ensure a smooth transition and I deeply appreciate her wisdom and experience in continuing the great effort put forward by all the faculty, staff, and supporters of the college. I look forward to building on the strong foundation that you all have forged to ensure that our students continue to have exceptional opportunities that will help them excel in their careers.
As a homegrown Washingtonian and Cougar alum, WSU holds a special place in my heart. Growing up in the small, farming community of Waitsburg, in the southeastern part of the state, I am personally invested in carrying out our mission as a land-grant university—one of my brothers still farms the land that has been in our family for 130 years. I graduated from the College of Pharmacy (now known as the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences) in 1983 and worked in both community and hospital pharmacy in Walla Walla and the surrounding area prior to returning to school for my graduate education. I firmly believe that my experiences as a WSU pharmacy student and as a pharmacist set the stage for every success that I have had in my professional life. The training I received from WSU, not just in science and practice, but also the soft skills, were truly second to none. The same can be said about our alumni—who are committed and invested—to seeing the next generation of students succeed. I am assuming the position of dean of your College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences with great pride, humility, and enthusiasm.
Against the backdrop of an ongoing pandemic—the greatest public health crisis in the past century—the college’s mission to advance human health weighs even more heavily and highlights the need to continue to expand the role of pharmacists in health care teams. While we have been bombarded with unfortunate events this year, this is our moment to shine! We are in a unique position to change the course of this pandemic and train the next generation of pharmacists and scientists, who will improve detection and treatment of the current and future pandemics, as well the many other diseases that continue unabatedly to compromise health worldwide. These are certainly challenging times but adversity always opens the doors for success. Now is the time for all of us to pull together—as One Pharmacy—and dig deep to demonstrate what we can do as drug experts and as scientists. Equally importantly, this is our chance to help our students dive into the middle of a public health crisis, at a time when they are most needed. We all have a role to play in this crisis, which presents an opportunity for all of us to grow personally and push our profession forward.
As we settle in, my wife Jane and our kids look forward to re-discovering Spokane and becoming active members in the Cougar community. From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy the Fourth of July for a much-deserved three-day weekend. I look forward to renewing acquaintances and to tackling the year ahead with all of you.
Sincerely,
Mark Leid, Dean
WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Second-year pharmacy student Colin Beauvais has always been a self-starter and an active student as the Vice President of Legislative Affairs. So when he expressed an interest in the business side of pharmacy, his preceptor and faculty mentor helped to guide his entrepreneurial spirit in setting up a travel clinic serving the Portland, Oregon area. CPPS had a chance to catch up with Beauvais to hear the latest about his business plan.
Can you share more information about the travel clinic you set up? In many parts of the world, diseases that we often do not need to worry about in the United States … » More …
When a health care provider has a question about drugs, they turn to the WSU Drug Information Center. Acting as a resource for providers across the state, the center provides expertise on drug interactions, side effects, usage and other drug-related topics. Lately, most of their calls have been about potential drugs for COVID-19 patients.
Since Washington State University launched their Doctor of Pharmacy Yakima extension in 2015, students interested in learning about rural health care in a medically underserved area have pursued their PharmD degree in the scenic Yakima Valley. Last year, the extension graduated their inaugural class. As the college’s history in the Yakima Valley grows, we’re taking a moment to reflect on what makes our Yakima extension so special.
Here are a few things you may not have known about our Yakima extension:
1. Students learn to be part of a health care team
I am so glad to be welcoming Mark Leid as the new dean of the college. As Mark mentioned in his note, the two of us have been working diligently behind the scenes to ensure a seamless transition on his first day in office. He and the entire college leadership team are committed to highlighting the important role that pharmacists play in a dynamic health care team and advancing scholarship and human health through critical research. On behalf of the college, the Dean’s Advisory Council, and our CougaRx community, I would like to welcome Mark back to Washington State University.
As part of our ongoing mission to serve our students and Washington state, we have also made some important appointments. Terri Levien, who has been serving as an integral part of our Drug Information Center, has been appointed Director of Quality Assurance, Improvement and Accreditation Preparation, where she will continue work with the Accreditation Compliance Committee (ACC) to assure our program meets ACPE standards as continual improvements are undertaken. I am also pleased to announce that Julie Akers, associate professor, has been appointed Director of Health Outreach and External Residency Research, where she will design and execute partnerships for health outreach services that will include student pharmacists as part of a health care team. As a member of the BAVI Health Board of Directors, Dr. Akers will work closely with BAVI Health partners. Range Health, a division of BAVI Health, is focused on rural health through services in rural and underserved communities delivered via the mobile clinic. Their appointments take effect today and their new roles will report to Dean Leid.
We are also working hard behind the scenes to get our students practice-ready to administer vaccines. Once the COVID-19 vaccine is able to be administered en masse, our students will be prepared to be on the front lines fighting this pandemic to advance and protect the health of our communities in Washington. Despite the challenging circumstances this year, our students have stepped up and shown their willingness to be a part of the solution to this pandemic. We look forward to ensuring that they have the resources they need to make an impact in their communities.
Please join me in welcoming Mark to his new role and thank you all for your continued support and guidance. We look forward to this new era for our college.
With best regards and much respect,
Linda Garrelts MacLean, Vice Dean of External Relations
WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
As the COVID-19 pandemic uproots life for many pharmacy students across the nation, faculty and staff at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have met the challenge head on through technology and innovation.
In the pocket of central Washington, lies the small farming community of Mattawa, population: 4,437. Most residents of the predominantly Latino town work in the acres of surrounding orchards, picking fruit that end up in supermarkets halfway around the world. This is where 26-year-old Osmark Jauregui, part of WSU’s PharmD inaugural Yakima class, found his calling as a pharmacist.
Bill and Felicia Gaskins at the 2019 Crimson Gala where Bill was honored with the R. Keith Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award.
Philanthropy Focus
Bill ‘69 and Felicia ’73 Gaskins, recently made a generous donation to the Jessie Senora Sims Walker scholarship. Jessie was the first African American graduate of what was then Washington State College in 1913, paving the way for minority students. She was a pharmacy alumna and a Tacoma native. The scholarship endowment that was created in Jessie’s honor by Dean Abdul Monem and the Gaskins several years ago.
Alumni Updates
Bill Bethmann, ’51, checked in from his home in Othello, where he’s been mostly gardening, reading, and staying home during the pandemic. He does journey out once in a while to grocery shop in Tri-Cities and visit one of his two sons, but other than that he’s now an official “homebody.” He’s maintaining a good sense of humor, glad to be healthy, and is eagerly awaiting the announcement about whether there will be Cougar football this fall. Thanks for the check-in, Bill! Stay safe and healthy.
Haley Neff-LaFord, ’06, PhD, DABT,was recently promoted to Director Toxicology and Translational Sciences Team Lead at Seattle Genetics, Inc. Headquartered in Bothell, Washington, Seattle Genetics is a global biotech company that discovers, develops, and commercializes transformative medicines targeting cancer. Congratulations, Haley!
Patrick Tabon, ’12 and Cassie Law, ’12 celebrated their daughter Celeste’s third birthday party recently at their home in Brea, California. Patrick, who is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Southern California (USC), was recently awarded three prestigious honors by the USC School of Pharmacy: Preceptor of the Year for the class of 2020, Professor of the Year for the class of 2021, and Professor of the Year for the class of 2022. Cassie continues to work at her family’s independent pharmacy, Manning Pharmacy in Rowland Heights, California, and if this photo is any indication, Celeste is getting ready to take over the family business someday. Congratulations to this special Cougar Family!
Celeste’s third birthday.
Getting ready to take over the business.
Kathryn Hammarstedt, ’41, who we featured in last month’s newsletter with her reflections of pharmacy school, sent us a photo of her 100th birthday party, where one of her favorite gifts was a special letter from the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Take a peek at her photo, hard to believe she is 100 years old! She looks amazing!
Want to be listed in our alumni updates? Send us your career information or let us know what you’ve been up to at gocougs@pharmacy.wsu.edu!
Allen I. White Distinguished Associate Professor of Pharmacotherapy Josh Neumiller and co-authors published a research abstract, “Risk factors for incident T2DM in patients with prediabetes by CKD status,” for the 80th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) virtual meeting in June 2020. View abstract
Josh Neumiller and co-authors published a research abstract, “Risk factors for incident CKD in prediabetes,” for the 80th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) virtual meeting. View abstract
Pharmacotherapy Associate Professor Kimberly McKiernan and co-authors published, “Further insight into how pharmacists ascribe value to technician certification and how that value might be … » More …
The Future of Community Pharmacy: Direct Patient Care “More involved direct patient care is the future of pharmacy practice, and schools need to ensure they are graduating practice-ready pharmacists who are prepared to move in to that role.” AACP recently talked to Associate Professor Julie Akers about the future of community pharmacy. Read more from Academic Pharmacy Now
Science Explained: How do vaccines work? Have you ever wondered how vaccines work? Pharmacotherapy Associate Professor Kim McKeirnan recently helped to answer that question for the Washington State University student newspaper, The Daily Evergreen. Read more from the Daily Evergreen
On the Hunt
When will we have a COVID-19 vaccine on the market in the United States? Pharmacotherapy Professor and Chair John White looks at vaccines in production and when we might see one available. Read more from the Inlander Health & Home
