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Indian-origin medical student honored with Remington R. Williams Award
Originally from India and raised in Colorado, Ginjupalli's journey at UMKC has been marked by her dedication to orthopedic surgery and community public health.
Rithika Ginjupalli / Image- University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine has awarded Indian-origin medical student, Rithika Ginjupalli, with the Remington R. Williams Award.
This accolade, bestowed during the University of Missouri Board of Curators meeting recognizes Ginjupalli's contributions at the crossroads of medicine and public health.The award named is after Remington R. Williams, who served as student representative to the UM Board of Curators from 2020 until his death in June 2022.
The Award is the highest non-academic honor granted by the Board of Curators, celebrating students who exemplify Williams’ legacy of academic excellence, leadership, and exceptional care for others. Recipients receive a leadership medal for commencement, a $1,000 award, and recognition at a Board of Curators meeting.
Originally from India and raised in Colorado, Ginjupalli's journey at UMKC has been marked by her dedication to orthopedic surgery and community public health. Throughout her medical education, she has identified a significant gap between public health and medicine. To bridge this divide, she has actively engaged with organizations such as the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society, to drive systemic changes from a medical perspective.
Ginjupalli currently serves as the American Cancer Society’s congressional district lead, collaborating with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver on policy development.
In his award nomination letter, UMKC chancellor Mauli Agrawal highlighted Ginjupalli's exemplary qualities, stating, “Rithika consistently demonstrates integrity, respect, compassion, and empathy in all her interactions. Beyond her academic achievements, she works collaboratively to build and foster environments of empathy and inclusion wherever she goes.”
Ginjupalli’s accolades include the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award, the Community Champion Award, the Award for Excellence in Diversity and Health Equity, and the Ida Bamberger Memorial Research Award. She expressed gratitude for the recognition, viewing it as a motivation to continue her impactful work in public health.
Reflecting on the recognition, Ginjupalli expressed her gratitude and vision for the future. “Receiving the Remington R. Williams Award is just a sign that I’m doing something right and to continue what I’m doing. We don’t do this work for the recognition of it. But recognizing public health work is important because it motivates others to enter this space too.”
“There’s a big gap in health literacy for patients and for a lot of the community members we were seeing,” Ginjupalli noted. “It’s an issue that’s everywhere.”In the future, Ginjupalli will temporarily relocate to Baltimore, Maryland, to pursue an accelerated Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University before returning to UMKC for her final year in 2025.
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