Julie Ritchey, research laboratory manager in the lab of John DiPersio, MD, in the John T. Milliken Department of Medicine at WashU Medicine, received the 2026 Gloria W. White Distinguished Service Award.
Established in 1998, the universitywide award recognizes a staff member for exceptional contribution to the university and is the Office of Human Resources’ highest honor.
“Julie exemplifies a unique leadership that combines scientific expertise with humanity. She is the steady force that keeps every aspect of the lab running smoothly … making her not only the backbone of the laboratory, but also an inspiring leader in the community,” her colleagues wrote in their nomination.
Ritchey began her career in 1984 at Jewish Hospital of St. Louis. Following the merger and formation of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, she worked in the WashU Department of Surgery before joining the DiPersio lab in 1994. In 2013, she received the Dean’s Research Support Staff Award, the highest honor conferred to staff members by WashU Medicine.
More than three decades after beginning her role in the lab, Ritchey remains dedicated to advancing research on stem cell therapies. Her work has made cutting-edge CAR T-cell immunotherapy treatment accessible to cancer patients. Ritchey also has mentored dozens of researchers, training and troubleshooting their experiments with her extensive laboratory knowledge. John DiPersio, MD, the Virginia E. and Sam J. Golman Professor of Medicine, said Ritchey is a known as a leader within the division.
“As the bedrock of my research laboratory and a pillar of the Stem Cell Biology and Cellular Therapy sections in the Division of Oncology, Julie’s contributions go far beyond technical expertise; she has been essential in propelling WashU Medicine research to the forefront of oncology,” DiPersio wrote in his recommendation. “Nothing gets done without Julie.”
In 2020, Ritchey helped facilitate the move of the cellular therapy laboratories in the expansion of the BJC Institute of Health building. Her colleagues unofficially dubbed a conference room on the ninth floor the “Julie Ritchey Huddle Room” in honor of her efforts.
Ask Ritchey about the accolades from her colleagues, though, and she’ll give all the credit back to her team.
“I work with the best people. The award reflects that we have a very collaborative group, even outside the DiPersio lab, with all the other labs we interact with here,” Ritchey said. “Everybody just has one goal: to move science forward.”
Various other WashU staff members also were honored in May for their contributions to the university:
- Matthew Cain, an assistant professor of medicine and director of the Advanced Biocontainment Laboratories: Laboratory Safety Award of Excellence
- Meihsi Chiang, assistant director of evaluation and dissemination at the Brown School’s Evaluation Center: Community Impact Award
- Jordan Cooper, inaugural director of cross-cultural connections in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion: Emerging Leader Award
- Kacey Pennington, payroll services manager, Controller’s Office: University Operations Award
- Dennis Tapella, manager of Urbauer and Jubel halls’ machine shops and Machine Shop Practicum instructor: Safety Leadership Award
View a full listing of this year’s honorees, alongside school-level recognitions and a list of employees celebrating five to 55 years of service, on the Human Resources website.
