Web Extra

by Marcia Hill Gossard ’99, ’04 Ph.D. | Photo by Henry Moore Jr.

Every year for 6 years, Pat Youngman (’43 BS in Bacteriology and Public Health) did something that has helped hundreds of WSU students. She provided enough support for the now School of Molecular Biosciences to purchase one Leica microscope each year.

“The microscopes made all the things we read in text books or hear in lecture become real,” said Katherine Rempe (’10 Microbiology), who is currently a Ph.D student in molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke University. “We could see how bacteria move and behave differently.”

Originally, Katherine thought she’d pursue a degree in pharmacy, but she fell in love with microbiology.

“I enjoy research because of the problem solving involved and the fact that you never do exactly the same thing two days in a row,” said Rempe. As a Ph.D. student she studies a bacterium (Haemophilus influenzae) that is a leading cause of ear infections in children.

“Washington State University provided me many opportunities that have shaped who I am now,” said Rempe. “I was able to be involved in research, which opened up a new career for me.”

Pat Youngman’s microscopes have made a difference for countless students like Katherine in classes such as Introductory Microbiology, General Microbiology Laboratory, Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory, and Combined Immunology and Virology Laboratory. The microscopes are also used for pre-college outreach activities like WSU Cougar Quest.

Pat Youngman passed away in 2010. Although most students will never realize how much they benefited from her generosity, her legacy lives on in the lives she has touched.