The pharmacy program will offer tuition assistance to more students this spring, thanks to the generosity of long-time faculty member Hanley N. Abramson, PhD, and his wife, Young Hee. The couple contributed $100,000 to create two new endowed scholarships. The first recipient of the Hanley N. and Young Hee Abramson Endowed Scholarship will be recognized in 2012.

The Abramsons' gift also establishes the Melvin F. W. Dunker, PhD, Endowed Scholarship in memory of Dr. Abramson's medicinal chemistry professor who passed away in June at the age of 98. Dr. Abramson wanted to honor Professor Dunker's commitment to teaching excellence, integrity and many years of dedicated service to the pharmacy program. Student pharmacists will have an opportunity to apply for this scholarship in 2012.

Hanley and Young Hee have a strong appreciation for education, working with students at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Since 1967, Dr. Abramson has worked as an educator and researcher and served in various administrative positions in the college and the university, including department chair, associate dean, interim dean and associate provost. For the past 27 years, Young Hee has been a Montessori teacher for children from 4-9 years of age.

A native Detroiter, Dr. Abramson said that he is grateful to the city for providing the resources and opportunity to help him in fulfilling his career goals. He graduated from Detroit Central High School and earned a bachelor of science in pharmacy from Wayne State in 1962. He continued his studies at the University of Michigan where he received both master of science (1963) and doctorate degrees (1966). He completed studies at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, before joining the WSU faculty.

"Making a gift to the pharmacy program has been something that my wife and I have been thinking about for a long time and now seemed to be the right time. I am proud to be an alumnus and a part of this school," Dr. Abramson said. "I felt an obligation to give back to this great institution for all that it has done for me. Young Hee and I hope that these scholarships will inspire pharmacy graduates, alumni and friends to contribute to the scholarship programs here. There is no small gift and the return on investment will benefit generations to come."

For information on how you can make a gift or establish a named scholarship, please contact Tiffany Cusmano, director of development of for the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, at (313) 577-0273 or email: tcusmano@wayne.edu

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, one of the founding colleges of Wayne State University, is committed to advancing the health and well-being of society through the preparation of highly skilled health care practitioners, and through research to improve health care practices and treatment from urban to global levels.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.

Media Contact: Kathleen J. Karas, APR
Phone: 313-577-2312
Email: kkaras@wayne.edu