Scott Haugen Honored as PharmTox Alum of the Year

An interventional cardiologist, Haugen has spent nearly two decades leading cutting-edge procedures and shaping cardiology care at Kaiser Permanente

By Logan Underwood

With a small cohort and interdisciplinary curriculum, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy’s Pharmacology and Toxicology Program has been preparing students for careers in healthcare, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry for over 40 years.

From early on in his time at UW–Madison, alum Scott Haugen (BS’ 95) knew that the program was for him.

“I had a couple of friends who were upperclassmen that I looked up to, and they gave me some information about the program,” says Haugen. “I learned it provided a small class size, a curated curriculum, and included a lot of exposure to research.”

Since graduating over 30 years ago, Haugen has built a successful career, now serving on the Washington Permanente Medical Group Board of Directors as an interventional cardiologist in Washington. He has also been serving on the PharmTox program’s external advisory committee for over 15 years, helping guide the program’s curriculum to meet evolving student and field needs.

“It’s a full circle moment for me to have this honor of being Alumnus of the Year, and I couldn’t be more humbled by it.”
–Scott Haugen

To honor his impact as a professional advisor and his continued dedication to giving back to the School, Haugen is being honored as the 2026 Pharmacology and Toxicology Alum of the Year.

“It’s a full circle moment for me to have this honor of being Alumnus of the Year, and I couldn’t be more humbled by it,” says Haugen.

A PharmTox foundation

Haugen came to UW–Madison knowing he had his heart set on medical school. He was drawn to the PharmTox program’s tight-knit cohort and thought its specialized curriculum would help him lay the foundational skills needed for his career.

“The PharmTox program brought you into a much smaller group of people; it was an elevated curriculum, and it was more focused on the medicinal side of things,” says Haugen.

William Mellon, now an emeritus professor of pharmaceutical sciences, quickly became a mentor for Haugen while he was in the program, helping him prepare for the daunting task of applying for medical school. With help from Mellon, Haugen was accepted at one of his top choices: the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

After graduating from medical school, Haugen continued his studies at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. During his four years as a resident in the program, Haugen became engrossed in cardiology.

“As a resident, I walked into the cardiac cath lab, and I was blown away,” says Haugen. “I just knew that I would have a full life of challenges in front of me and it would keep me learning my entire career.”

Following this interest, Haugen spent more time practicing his specialty at the University of Colorado, completing three years of cardiology training and a year of interventional cardiology — a subspecialty focused on minimally invasive catheter-based techniques to treat heart and blood vessel conditions. After finally finishing his medical training more than a decade after graduating from the PharmTox program, Haugen started a position as an interventional cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente, where he currently resides.

“It’s been 18 years now at Kaiser Permanente, and I’ve been doing a lot of things with interventional cardiology that I’d never thought I would do when I came out of training.”
–Scott Haugen

Kaiser Permanente, a popular health care company along the West Coast, utilizes a unique not-for-profit care delivery system. Kaiser acts as an insurance company and a healthcare delivery provider, expanding access by avoiding the typical fee-for-service delivery model.

At Kaiser, Haugen focuses on cutting-edge minimally invasive heart procedures, completing heart valve replacements, and fixing blocked arteries in the heart.

“It’s been 18 years now at Kaiser Permanente, and I’ve been doing a lot of things with interventional cardiology that I’d never thought I would do when I came out of training,” says Haugen.

A leading voice

Alongside his direct work with patients, Haugen has also assumed several leadership positions at Kaiser Permanente. After spending eight years as the chief medical director of cardiology, Haugen moved on to governance, serving on the Washington Permanente Medical Group Board for the past three years. He’s glad for the opportunity to strike a balance between direct patient care and leadership opportunities.

Similarly, through his leadership on the PharmTox program’s external advisory committee, Haugen focuses on making personal connections with students to meet their needs.

Every one to two years, members of the advisory committee meet to take an in-depth look at the PharmTox curriculum, making small tweaks to maintain the program’s success. Apart from discussing with fellow alumni and industry leaders, the committee also takes time to speak with students, answering questions and learning how they can adjust the program from their recommendations.

“I donate my time, and it’s a really good space to give back,” says Haugen. “I get to see the School continue to turn out really great graduates, and I think that’s in part from our committee.”

As PharmTox Alum of the Year, Haugen is looking forward to addressing the newest graduating class of PharmTox students during their graduation celebration.

“I owe a lot to the School of Pharmacy and the PharmTox degree,” says Haugen. “It set me up to excel in college with the right curriculum and gave me that foundation that I needed both to get into a good medical school and then do well enough to select a residency that would be my first choice.”

Although he now practices across the country from his alma mater, Haugen’s Wisconsin connection is as strong as ever.

“I consider myself a Badger before anything else,” he says.