Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences 

WWW.USUHS.MIL APRIL 3, 2006 

` 

USU Newsletter 

VOLUME 1,ISSUE 11 

In This Issue 

Dr. Rice presents plaque...1 

Hispanic Heritage Month...1 

USU in the news...............2 

Today in History................2 

USU Medal.......................2 

News Brief.......................3 

2010 Class Fact Sheet......3 

Look Who’s Talking.........3 

Calendar of events.....Back

Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences 

W W W . U S U H S . M I L S E P T . 1 8 , 2 0 0 6 

HAPPY 59th 

BIRTHDAY 

AIR FORCE! 

 Dr. Charles L. Rice, Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences (USU) 

president, (far left) presents a plaque to 

Dr. John Baxter, 1989 USU alumnus, 

flight medicine clinic commander (center) 

and Lt. Gen. (Dr.) James Roudebush, U.S. 

Air Force Surgeon General, at the Air 

Force Flight Medicine Clinic in the Pentagon. The plaque is given to all health care 

facilities that have a teaching affiliation 

with USU. Photo by Heinz Linderman 

 Faculty and staff members 

from the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences (USU) celebrated the 

kick-off of Hispanic Heritage 

month with a presentation by 

retired Army Maj. Gen. Enrique Mendez, Jr., M.D., 

 Dr. Mendez spoke to the 

USU community about cultural competence in medicine 

education. 

 Dr. Mendez said culture is a 

composite of language, religion, art, manners and scholarly 

pursuits. 

 What is sociably acceptable 

in one culture may not be in 

another. He illustrated this 

point with an example; when 

a young man asked Dr. 

Mendez for a job, he offered 

him an interview. During the 

interview, the young man kept 

looking down at the floor. 

When Dr. Mendez asked why 

he kept looking to the floor, 

the young man responded 

“You are older than me.” This 

was a sign of respect in his 

culture, while in the American 

culture it is important to look 

the interviewer in the eye. 

“Cultural manners are almost 

routine to a lot of people,” Dr. 

Mendez said. 

 “Language is an obvious 

barrier that can obscure a 

patient’s needs,” Dr. Mendez 

said. “For instance, an elderly 

Hispanic lady is complaining 

of chest pains to her doctor, 

her grandson is translating. He 

conveys the pain to the doctor 

as insignificant, because she is 

old and probably doesn’t 

know what she is talking 

about.” 

 “We have to be alert with 

body language,” Dr. Mendez 

said. “Having language skills 

means that we are dealing 

with the language barrier and 

it makes us more competent.” 

 America’s culture is becoming more diverse. One in five 

people in the District of Columbia are foreign and one 

out of four in Fairfax and Arlington. 

 While there are 40 million 

Latinos in this country, Latinos 

from different parts of the 

world call different regions of 

the United States home. For 

example, on the West Coast, 

the majority of Latinos are 

from Mexico, East Coast Latinos are mostly from Central 

America and most Florida 

Latinos come from Cuba. 

 “USU students should experience the importance of 

culture and beliefs,” Dr. 

Mendez said. 

 Dr. Mendez served in the 

U.S. Army Medical Corps for 

28 years after joining in 1955. 

He retired with the rank of 

major general in 1983. He 

became the first dean and 

subsequently, the dean and 

president of the Ponce School 

of Medicine in Ponce, Puerto 

Rico. He is currently a partner 

in Edward Martin and Associates, a consulting firm to the 

health care industry in Arlington, Va.

National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration 

By MCSA Raul Zamora 

Staff Writer, VPE 

Dr. Rice presents 

plaque at Pentagon 

Photo by MCSA Jeff Hopkins 

The graphic is one of the Hispanic Heritage Month posters. 
PAGE 2 

Dr. Rice announces university 

reorganization

USU Newsletter 

Editorial Staff 

Carol R. Scheman 

Vice President for 

External Affairs and 

Managing Editor 

Tech. Sgt. 

André Nicholson 

Editor 

Mass Communications 

Specialist 2nd Class 

Kory Kepner 

Assistant Editor 

Mass Communications 

Specialist 

Seaman Apprentice 

Raul Zamora 

Staff Writer 

Mass Communications 

Specialist 

Seaman Apprentice 

Jeff Hopkins 

Staff Writer 

Sharon Willis 

Director 

Alumni Affairs and 

Contributing Writer 

Marla Wright 

Webmaster 

USU Duplicating 

Publishing 

Production: 

Editorial content is 

edited, prepared and 

provided by the USU 

Office of External Affairs unless otherwise 

indicated. The Newsletter staff may include 

or exclude articles 

based upon news 

value, impact on the 

university and space 

availability. 

Submissions: 

The USU Newsletter 

will be published biweekly on Mondays 

and deadline for submission is Friday at 4 

p.m. Submissions can 

be sent to usunewsletter@usuhs.mil or call 

301-295-3925. 

News 

 Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Farmer Jr., who retired after more than 

33 years of military service to the U.S. Army, was awarded the 

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) 

Medal. The University Medal is one of USU’s highest honors. It 

was created in1999 to pay tribute to deserving alumni, staff, 

faculty, friends, and supporters of the university, it’s schools, 

programs, and mission. The recipients earn the University Medal 

through endorsement and recommendation for professional or 

academic success or public service. 

MedPixTM Receives Patent 

 A faculty member at the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences (USU), James 

Smirniotopoulos, M.D., developed MedPixTM a medical imaging database, which received its 

first patent in July. 

President Bush Appoints Two 

New Members to USU 

Board of Regents The Senate confirmed the 

Presidential appointments of 

two new members to the Board 

of Regents of USU Aug. 3. Colleen M. Conway-Welch, Ph.D., 

Nashville, Tenn., and C. Thomas 

Yarington, Jr., M.D., Seattle. 

USU Researchers Find Validity in 

1918 Treatment for Avian Influenza 

 Navy Capt. Edward Kilbane, 

Army Col. Jeffrey Jackson and 

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Luke, are 

all alumni and faculty of USU. 

They, along with retired Navy 

physician Capt. Stephen Hoffman, have discovered that a 

treatment for Spanish Influenza 

pandemic may also be effective 

for current Avian Influenza patients. 

USU Faculty Identifies Injury 

Severity as a Risk Factor for PTSD 

and Depression among 

Wounded Soldiers 

 The emotional impact of injury deepens in the first year 

after evacuation from combat 

according to a study by Thomas 

A. Grieger, M.D., and colleagues 

of USU, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Walter Reed 

Army Institute of Research. 

USU, NJMS, and USDA Researchers Perform Breakthrough Research on Protective Immune 

Response Against Nematode 

Parasites 

 Robert M. Anthony, a Ph.D. 

graduate student in USU's Molecular and Cell Biology program, under the supervision of 

the principal investigator, Dr. 

William Gause and collaboration 

with Dr. Joseph Urban, USDA, 

discovered a mechanism that 

provides natural protection 

against intestinal roundworm 

infections, which affect more 

than 1.4 billion people throughout the world, and which may 

lead to more effective therapies 

against nematode parasites. 

GSN Student Graduates from 

Summer Genetics Institute 

 Maureen N. Hood, MS, RN, 

assistant professor of Radiology 

and Radiological Sciences, and a 

doctoral student in the Graduate 

School of Nursing at USU, has 

graduated from the 2006 Summer Genetics Institute (SGI) at 

the National Institute of Nursing 

Research, National Institutes of 

Health (NIH). 

 The SGI is a competitive twomonth summer research training 

program held on the NIH campus in Bethesda. The program is 

designed to provide a foundation in molecular genetics for 

clinical practice and the research 

laboratory. 

For more information on any of 

these excerpts, visit: 

www.usuhs.mil. 

USU in the News 

Maj. Gen. Kenneth Farmer 

earns University Medal 

Photo by Michael Dukes 
PAGE 3 

News Briefs 

“Biker Boyz: I am a 

motorcycle enthusiast. I believe that 

everyone should ride 

motorcycles. Always 

remember that Suzuki bikes are the 

number one bikes, 

not Harley Davidson.” 

“Forrest Gump. It’s 

my favorite movie 

because it spans 

many decades in the 

20th century, has an 

outstanding cast 

(Tom Hanks) and the 

best soundtrack 

ever! "That's all I 

have to say about 

that." (Tom) 

“E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. It’s the only 

time I’ve seen a kid 

on a bike play 

chicken with a cop 

car and win.”

Look Who’s Talking... What is your favorite film and why? 

Army Sgt. 

Leonaro Ashford 

TSB Log 

Mike Taylor 

Library Technician 

MCSA Jeff Hopkins 

VPE 

Staff Writer 

Subject Matter Experts List

 The Office of External Affairs serves as a liaison to assist members of the media in contacting academic experts at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and maintains 

a list of faculty who have expertise in various scholarly areas of 

research and health professions practice. The list of subject matter experts is located at http://www.usuhs.mil/vpe/experts.pdf. 

All experts can be contacted through the Office of External Affairs at vpe@usuhs.mil or by phone at (301) 295-9475.

Acting Brigade Commander 

 The brigade commander will be on temporary duty to the 

Chief of Naval Operations Plans and Policy Division at the Pentagon due to critical short notice leadership vacancy. Lt. Col. John 

Maurer, Army will serve as the acting brigade commander. Lt. 

Cmdr. Gina Trotter, Navy will serve as the acting executive officer. 

Picnic Note

 The picnic originally scheduled for Sept. 29 will be held Oct. 

6. Picnic activities will begin immediately following the weekly 

7:30 a.m. headquarters company formation. The picnic will be 

held at the pavilion behind the softball field. 

Hispanic Heritage Month 

National Hispanic Heritage Month will be observed from Sept. 

15 - Oct. 15. The theme is “Hispanic Americans: Our rich cultures contributing to America’s future.” 

Navy Uniform Shift 

 All Navy personnel within the Naval District Washington 

area will shift to winter uniforms Oct. 2. For E-7 and above will 

be service dress blues or khakis; for E-6 and below, the uniform 

will be service dress blues or winter blues. Battle Dress Uniforms 

will be worn with sleeves down. 

Hails and Farewells

 Please welcome the following personnel to USU and AFRRI. 

Capt. Balagurchik, Navy; Col. Barnes, Air Force; Capt. Whitmeyer, Navy; Lt. Col. Rapp, Army; Lt. Col. Salter, Army; Maj. Beal, 

Air Force; Lt. Cmdr. Cook, Navy; Maj. Page, Air Force; Sgt.1st 

Class Gould, Army; Sgt. McQuade, Army. 

 The following staff member detached from USU, Sgt.1st 

Class Saure, Army, on his way to Soto Cano Airbase, Honduras. 

News Briefs 

 The F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine matriculated its 31st class with 1,674 

applicants having competed for 

171 positions. The applicant-toposition ratio was 9.8:1. 

 Two hundred and seventysix conditional offers were tendered for the 2006 first-year 

class, providing an acceptance 

rate of 62 percent. 

 The incoming class is comprised of 42 women (25 percent) and 129 men (75 percent). Thirty-two percent of the 

applicant pool was female. The 

average age of the entrants at 

the time of application was 

23.9 years. 

 Thirty seven members of the 

entering class are from minority 

groups, including eight from 

the groups classified as underrepresented in U.S. medicine. 

The class includes one African 

American, two American Indians, 26 Asian/Pacific Islanders, 

one Puerto Rican, three Mexican Americans, one Hawaiian, 

and three Other Hispanics. 

 Twenty-one of the incoming 

students are re-applicants to 

the School of Medicine. 

 Geographically, the student 

representation is as follows: the 

North is the legal residence of 

27 percent of the class; 24 percent are from southern states; 

15 percent are from central 

states; and 34 percent are from 

the West. 

 Academically, the accepted 

presented the following scores: 

at the time of application, their 

college cumulative grade point 

average (GPA) was 3.54 and 

their science GPA was 3.48. 

The mean score of the accepted on the Medical College 

Admission Test (MCAT) was 9.8, 

compared to applicants' average score of 9.0. The MCAT 

consists of four sections: verbal 

reasoning, physical sciences, 

biological sciences, and a writing sample. 

 All of the students have received baccalaureate degrees. 

Eighteen hold master's degrees 

and three have been awarded 

doctorates. Biology was the 

most-represented undergraduate major of the matriculants 

(33 percent), followed by 

chemistry (11 percent), and 

nine percent in biochemistry. 

Other majors for members of 

the Class of 2010 were: English, 

zoology, neuroscience, psychology, history, and computer 

science. 

 Ninety-six students (56 percent) have had no previous 

military experience. The remaining seventy-five students 

(44 percent) have been associated with the military in the 

following capacities: 17 were 

active duty officers; seven had 

prior active duty as officers; five 

had prior active duty as enlisted 

personnel; 22 were 2006 service academy graduates; 23 

were direct graduates of ROTC 

programs and one Reservist. 

- Information is courtesy of the 

Admissions Office. 

- August 2006. 

Class of 2010 Fact Sheet 
USU Calendar of Events 

 18 

USAF 

Birthday 

19 

Faculty Development 

Grand Rounds Presents: The Academic’s 

Toolkit Part 2 “Crossing 

the Digital Road” 

9 a.m.- 4 p.m. 

LRC Computer Lab 

20 

USU Toastmasters 

Meeting. 

Noon -1 p.m. 

USU Campus, Room 

A2011 

 

USU Molecular Cell 

Biology Seminar 

“Regulating Mitosis 

through SUMO & Ran” 

3:30 p.m. 

Lecture Room A. 

21 

Brown Bag Teaching 

Seminar 

noon - 1p.m. 

Lecture Room A 

22 

 

 

23 

24 25 

Dept. of Microbiology 

and Immunology 

Seminar 

“Development and 

testing of clinical 

cancer vaccines” 

Presented by 

Col. George Peoples, 

M.D. 

11:30 a.m.—1 p.m. 

Lec. Rm C 

26 

 

27 

USU Toastmasters 

Meeting 

noon—1p.m. 

AFRRI Small Conference Rm. 

 

Neuroscience Seminar 

“The Role of Infectious 

Agents in Human 

Neuropsychiatric 

Diseases - Opportunities, Prevention, & 

Treatment” 

3:30pm 

Lecture Room A. 

28 

 

 

29 

 

30 

 

 1 

 

2 3 4 

USU Toastmasters 

Meeting. 

Noon—1 p.m. 

USU Campus, Room 

A2011. 

5 

Brown Bag Teaching 

Seminar 

noon-1 p.m. 

Lecture Room A 

6 

7 8 

 

9 10 

 

 

11 

USU Toastmasters 

Meeting 

noon -1p.m. 

AFRRI Small Conference Rm. 

12 13 

October

September