Steve Ellis is the first non-pharmacist to ever earn the Student Advocacy Award from the Tennessee Society of Student Pharmacists.
Since its founding in 2005, nearly every student pharmacist at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy has crossed paths with Steve Ellis.
Ellis, the college’s assistant dean for Student Affairs, has been involved with the college since it was founded 20 years ago, officially assuming his current role in 2008. In that time, he’s impacted the journeys of hundreds of students – an impact recognized earlier this year by the Tennessee Society of Student Pharmacists (TSSP).
It was a historic moment, as Ellis became the first non-pharmacist ever to receive the TSSP’s Student Advocacy Award.
“I am truly honored to receive the Student Advocacy Award from the Tennessee Society of Student Pharmacists, and it is especially meaningful knowing that this recognition comes from students,” said Ellis. “I love working with students to help them achieve their goals. Seeing their growth, success and dedication to the profession of pharmacy inspires me every day.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to support and advocate for them, and I look forward to continuing to champion their journeys in the years to come,” Ellis continued.
Ellis has extensive experience in student services, starting his career at Texas A&M University, his alma mater, and Louisiana State University in Shreveport before coming to ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine. Before moving to Gatton, Ellis served as assistant dean for Student Affairs and director of Student Support Services and Outreach Programs at Quillen for 13 years.
The TSSP Student Advocacy Award has always gone to a professor, preceptor, or pharmacist who has demonstrated devotion to the success of student pharmacists through a commitment of life-long leadership which directly encouraged, inspired, and facilitated the development of TSSP organization members to perform to their fullest potential.
Ellis’s nomination required the TSSP to update the award criteria to allow non-pharmacists to be eligible – illustrating the outsized impact Ellis has had on the student pharmacists he’s crossed paths with in his nearly two decades at Gatton.
“Steve Ellis shines when he’s engaging with our students — whether he’s dressing up for Halloween skits, playing kickball at our college Wellbeing Retreat or remembering a student’s name years after a recruitment event,” said Dr. Debbie Byrd, dean of ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy. "As we approach the college’s 20th anniversary on July 14, 2025, I’m reminded of the incredible impact Steve has had on our college since joining the leadership team shortly after our founding in 2005.
“He helped shape our student-centered culture from the very beginning, and his influence continues to this day,” Byrd added. “He truly has a servant’s heart, and I commend him for this well-deserved recognition.”
To learn more about ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy, visit etsu.edu/pharmacy.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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