Ward Robert Richter

Dr. Richter is a board certified veterinary pathologist who is internationally recognized as an expert in toxicologic pathology and the preclinical safety evaluation of new pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals. In this field he has worked as both a corporate and an academic scientist, an educator, a laboratory manager, a corporate executive, a software developer and a consultant to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in the U.S. Asia and Europe. His career as an educator and academic scientist included 11 years as professor of pathology at the University of Chicago Medical School where he trained a series of PhD scientists and pathology residents as well as conducting research. Early in his career he conducted research for the military, including investigation of the potential adverse effects of radio frequency (rf) energy.

His pharmaceutical research involves investigating mechanisms of drug toxicity and the evaluation of drug safety for human pharmaceuticals. He has held positions from a Division Manager to Vice President of several large pathology and toxicology research laboratories and has served as Sr. Vice President of Research, Principal Scientist and a member of the scientific Advisory Panel for a major U. K. contract research organization. In addition to this busy career, he has served on numerous Federal Government advisory committees. Since 2002 he has worked as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry worldwide as Chief Scientific Officer for Druquest International, Inc. Much of his work has been submitted to Federal Government agencies such as the FDA and EPA plus their international counterparts in support of new drug applications or chemical licensing. Dr. Richter is the author or coauthor of 60 peer reviewed research papers.

Dr Richter grew up in the Union Grove area and graduated from UGJHS in 1948. He currently lives in Leeds, Alabama a suburb of Birmingham. He and his first wife had three children, Robert of St. Louis, Missouri, David of Lancaster, New Hampshire and Pamela Boss of Union Grove. Two of his grandchildren, Amanda Boss and Katlyn Boss, recently graduated from UGHS. Dr Richter was married to Joanne R. Kopplin, DVM, PhD, MBA, in 1975 and they return to the Union Grove area every summer visiting family and local friends as well as continuing their consulting work from a temporary office. Their careers have taken them from Chicago to Kalamazoo, Michigan, San Francisco, Central New Jersey and finally to Leeds, Alabama.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.johnsridouts.com for the Richter family.