A teacher remembered: The Sharon Tobias Award

Dr. Sharon Tobias left a remarkable impression on both her students and her colleagues. She was both a graduate of the WWAMI School of Medical Education - a collaboration among six universities in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho - and a beloved member of its faculty.

A physician, pathologist, scientist, artist and teacher, Sharon brought an unusual combination of intellectual curiosity and humanity to medicine. Her career included training in family medicine, pathology and hematopathology, and she played a pivotal role in establishing clinical flow cytometry in Alaska. But the qualities remembered through the award created in her honor extend well beyond her professional accomplishments. Sharon was known for her kindness and ability to find both beauty and humor in life.

Following Sharon's passing, colleagues and former WWAMI students came together to honor the teacher who had meant so much to them. Their gifts helped establish the Sharon Tobias Award, a new endowed fund at UAA that now holds more than $31,000. The award recognizes a second-year Alaska WWAMI medical student who embodies the qualities Sharon brought to her own life and work: artistic creativity, curiosity and exploration of the medical sciences, steadfast integrity and a gentle spirit.

Already, the award has begun doing exactly what Sharon's former students hoped it would. The first recipients - Kelly FitzGerald in 2024 and Heather Pollard in 2025 - represent a new generation of future physicians learning Sharon's name and the values she held dear. And because the fund is endowed, those connections will continue to be made year after year.

But perhaps the clearest indication of Sharon's impact is that her former students continue to remember her and seek to honor her memory. That happened recently for Dr. Phillip Araoz, Alaska WWAMI Class of 1991. At his class' 30-year reunion in 2026, Phillip learned of Sharon's passing and of the award established in her memory. Decades after his time as a WWAMI student, the news moved him to make a remarkable gift: Phillip has chosen to donate the author proceeds from his new book, scheduled for publication on Oct. 28, 2026, to the Sharon Tobias Award. His gift adds another chapter to a fund that is being built through many individual expressions of affection and gratitude.

There is something particularly meaningful about collective gratitude. A gift made today becomes part of a long-lasting source of support. The more Sharon's students and colleagues contribute, the stronger the endowment becomes and the greater its ability to recognize future medical students who reflect the qualities Sharon valued.

The Sharon Tobias Award is still young, but its story is already becoming larger than the fund itself. Years from now, Alaska WWAMI students who never had the opportunity to meet Sharon will continue to receive an award bearing her name. That may be one of the greatest legacies a teacher can leave: students who carry her influence forward.

Learn more about the Sharon Tobias Award at UAA.