From NDSU to Colorado: NDSU alumni make their mark in pharmacy

An NDSU degree can be the beginning of a career that takes you further than you ever imagined. For pharmacy graduates Jerrod and Brenda Milton, it led them from North Dakota to Colorado, where they each built successful, decades-long careers serving patients, leading teams and making a lasting impact in their community.

Jerrod began his career at Children’s Hospital Colorado after he graduated from NDSU in 1991. Over more than three decades with the organization, he held a variety of different positions cumulating in his position as senior vice president and chief clinical officer, a role he held from 2019 until his retirement in 2024.

What Jerrod enjoyed most about his career in pharmacy was the opportunity to tackle complex challenges while working alongside others.

“I really enjoyed developing highly functioning teams and supporting the growth and development of leaders, really helping them realize their potential,” he said.

His impact at CHC, and the role he had in pediatric pharmaceutical care continue to be felt today. Recently, Jerrod was recognized with an award named after him: the Milton Award for Pediatric Pharmacy Excellence.

“Having my name associated with an award like this is incredibly meaningful and being the inaugural recipient makes it particularly special because this recognition connects my own professional journey with the place where that journey began,” he said. “When I started at Children’s Hospital Colorado, I certainly couldn't have imagined that one day there would be an award bearing my name and recognizing the accomplishments of pharmacists who followed that path. So, I'm deeply honored and more than a little humbled to be the inaugural recipient.”

Brenda also built a long and impactful career in pharmacy. For 36 years, she worked at Safeway Pharmacy where she developed lasting relationships with patients and served the community, including through the COVID-19 pandemic. She especially enjoyed helping her loyal patient base and learning from other professionals. Brenda retired this past July.

The path to NDSU

When it came to deciding where to go for college, Brenda, who grew up in Dickinson, and Jerrod, who grew up in West Fargo, found their path to NDSU was pretty straight forward.

Brenda’s interest in pharmacy was inspired by her mom, who worked with pharmacists in Dickinson.

“Just talking to the pharmacists she worked with, they really influenced me to pursue that type of career,” Brenda recalls.

Jerrod was drawn to pharmacy by his interests in allied sciences, especially anatomy, physiology, chemistry and mathematics. His interests became a clear career direction after Dr. Phillip Haakenson, the former dean of the College of Pharmacy, now the School of Pharmacy in the College of Health and Human Sciences, visited Jerrod’s high school class to talk about careers in pharmacy. To this day Jerrod remains fond of Haakenson’s lasting legacy in the pharmacy profession, at NDSU and beyond.

“I was from North Dakota, so I knew about NDSU and it was a great opportunity to get a great education close to home,” he said.

NDSU’s fully accredited Doctor of Pharmacy degree, the only PharmD program offered in the state, is the perfect choice for those looking to get the best hands-on experience in the pharmaceutical sciences field. The comprehensive curriculum covers topics in innovative drug delivery systems, pharmacokinetics, biotechnology and more.

The School of Pharmacy provides four different admission options depending on your career path. Admission options include the early assurance pathway, the traditional admissions pathway, the post-baccalaureate pathway and pharmacy technician options.

The program combines a strong academic foundation with opportunities to apply what you learn in real-world clinical settings. For Brenda and Jerrod, that combination helped prepare them for their careers. They credit NDSU with helping them develop foundational skills in communication, clinical decision-making and professionalism, while helping build confidence.

The rigorous program also instilled a strong work ethic, something Jerrod said continued to set him apart throughout his career.

“I think a lot of employers look for employees and clinical team members who have a solid work ethic,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to mentor and help train many other students who came out of the NDSU program. In fact, I met one just this week who was in the residency program at Children’s. So I know that those skills are reliable and certainly there’s integrity still in all of those attributes.”

Learning by doing

In addition to the practical skills, NDSU’s pharmacy program ensures students have ample hands-on opportunities to work directly with patients in clinical settings starting their first year.

Jerrod recalls one particularly unique experience when he was part of a pioneering effort that allowed pharmacy students in clinical practice settings to help screen the patients they worked with for four different cardiovascular diseases.

“I learned clinical skills and got to actually practice them. At that time, that was pioneering work and I was proud to be a part of that,” he said.

With a small student-to-faculty ratio, personalized mentorship is a guarantee for every student. Brenda fondly remembers several faculty members who had an impact on her education.

“NDSU’s School of Pharmacy has an amazing culture, and I think it's actually evolved since we were there because now it’s more of an allied health conglomerate with the School of Nursing and pharmacy tied together,” Brenda said. “It's a great learning environment. It was the relationships with our professors that really influenced me to go out after college and pursue a career in pharmacy.”

“We feel like we've been able to be very successful and owe a lot of that to our experience at NDSU,” Jerrod said.

A Bison connection that lasts

While Colorado has been their home for decades, North Dakota and NDSU remain an important part of the Milton's lives. They continue to make trips back to visit family and the NDSU campus.

Their Bison Pride also extends to cheering on NDSU football. Jerrod has traveled to Frisco, Texas, to watch the Bison compete in championship games. In 2024, he and Brenda made the trip to Boulder, Colorado, to watch NDSU take on the University of Colorado Boulder.

They plan to continue that tradition now that football has joined the Mountain West Conference. On Sept. 12, the Bison will travel to Colorado Springs when they play against Air Force. Brenda and Jerrod are more than happy to see Bison Pride on full display close to home.

“I think it's going to be fun to be able to see NDSU play a little closer to home. It’s just always so exciting, and the energy is a lot of fun,” Jerrod said.

See where an NDSU degree can take you by applying today or scheduling a visit.