Debra and Harry Devereaux

Debra Devereaux grew up on Colorado’s Western Slope during the 1960s – a time when female pharmacists were rare. Despite that fact, world-renowned female scientist Theo Colborn, PhD, happened to work at a local drug store where Debra had a high school job. Dr. Colborn encouraged her to pursue a career in pharmacy. Debra took her advice and went on to blaze trails in the field, creating new paths for others like her.

As one of only 11 women in the class of 1976 at the then-named CU School of Pharmacy, Debra and her colleagues navigated new frontiers. As a longtime Medicare consultant, Debra has not only paid it forward professionally, but also philanthropically.
She has given generously over the past several decades, including giving to a pharmacogenomics fellowship. Her investments are enabling the school to attract and retain a leader to explore the potential of personalized medicine and big data for producing more effective, highly tailored drugs.

In addition to their giving at CU Anschutz, Debra and her husband, Harry, a 1974 CU Boulder alumnus, support CU Athletics, including the department’s student-athlete mental health initiative.

“We’re big proponents of giving back. For us, it’s rewarding to say, ‘we did the right thing.’”
– Debra and Harry Devereaux