PULLMAN, WA – At Washington State University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, two former deans are continuing their lifelong commitment to students in a deeply personal way — by establishing new scholarships to support future generations of Coug pharmacists.
Dean at WSU’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences from 1999 until 2005, Bill Fassett recently established the Sharon Elaine Fassett Memorial Scholarship in Pharmacy in honor of his late wife. After his six-year term as dean, Bill Fassett returned to teaching and pharmacy practice.
Likewise walking the walk this year was Mark Leid, who stepped away as dean at WSU’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in June after a five-year term. Just like Bill Fassett, Leid left the dean’s desk to continue lending his experience and expertise to students as a professor at the college, while simultaneously establishing the Dean Mark Leid Pharmacy Pathways Scholarship.
Each of the scholarships demonstrates the closeknit nature of the health sciences community, the dedication of former deans to their students, and the importance — some might say urgency — of scholarships for students to access, attain, and afford higher education.
Sharon Elaine Fassett Memorial Scholarship in Pharmacy
Through the creation of this memorial scholarship, Bill Fassett honors the life he and Sharon built together from their marriage in 1966 until Sharon’s passing in 2024. Bill Fassett’s investment reflects a deep commitment to education and a heartfelt tribute to a beloved partner whose memory will live on through the success of those students it helps.
I hope that this scholarship not only supports aspiring pharmacists with financial need, but also recognizes how critically important a spouse can be in the work of a college dean…
Bill Fassett, former dean
WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
“The role of a dean’s spouse is important,” said Bill Fassett, who first met Sharon in English class in the eighth grade at Anderson Junior High School in Bothell. “It’s a demanding role without compensation. I hope that this scholarship not only supports aspiring pharmacists with financial need, but also recognizes how critically important a spouse can be in the work of a college dean, especially in both appealing to donors with an extended warmth and hospitality and in keeping the dean on an even keel with grace, style, and creativity.”
Dean Mark Leid Pharmacy Pathways Scholarship
A graduate in 1983 from the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leid’s gift is designed to inspire and support future students in their pursuit of a pharmacy career at WSU. Among his many accomplishments as dean, Leid guided the launch in 2021 of the college’s Rural Health Initiative, buoyed by a $2.2 million anonymous gift to create opportunities for student pharmacists and post-graduate pharmacists in answering the health care needs of residents in rural Washington. Fueling this initiative is among the aims of the scholarship.
…I hope this scholarship in some way entices students to choose WSU Pharmacy and ultimately lands some first-gen students and rural students, who occupy a special place in my heart.
Mark Leid, professor and former dean
WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
“WSU was responsible for every success I had in my career — from pharmacist to graduate student to post doc in a foreign country to 27-plus years as a faculty member at Oregon State University,” said Leid, who was born in Walla Walla and grew up in Waitsburg. “There are only two pharmacy schools in the state of Washington, and I hope this scholarship in some way entices students to choose WSU Pharmacy and ultimately lands some first-gen students and rural students, who occupy a special place in my heart.”
Legacies built to inspire and endure
Several donors have announced intentions to contribute to Leid’s scholarship in honoring his term as dean and the innovative programs he helped launch, including the Rural Health Initiative and the bachelor of science in pharmaceutical and medical sciences program.
“It’s a unique coincidence that both deans are forming scholarships at the same time,” said Julie Akers, interim dean at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “Through their extraordinary service as deans and somewhat harmonious decision to pay it forward, both Bill and Mark cement a legacy of support for their students and beloved university alike. These gifts will make a real impact on real lives while supporting and promoting health care throughout the state of Washington.”
To support the Sharon Elaine Fassett Memorial Scholarship in Pharmacy or the Dean Mark Leid Pharmacy Pathways Scholarship — the latter is still in the process of being fully funded — please contact Kelly Sylvester, director of development and alumni relations at WSU’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, at kelly.sylvester@wsu.edu or visit pharmacy.wsu.edu/give.
