The Official USU Newsletter

Volume 8, Issue 14 • September 16, 2013

www.usuhs.edu

Welcome New Students
2 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

On the cover

The Uniformed Services University welcomed 

new students during a Presentation 

Ceremony, Aug. 30.

Sharon Willis

Deputy Vice President for External 

Affairs and Managing Editor

Gwendolyn Smalls

Chief, Media Affairs

Tech. Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson

Deputy Chief, Media Affairs

Christine Creenan-Jones

Editor

MC2 Brittney Cannady

Writer

Lori Fields

Layout and Design

The Pulse is printed by USU’s Duplicating Center.

Production

The Pulse is funded by the Department of Defense and 

published by the Uniformed Services University. It is 

authorized for members of the U.S. military services, 

USU alumni, faculty and staff. Contents of the Pulse are 

not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, 

the DoD or USU. Appearance of anything resembling 

advertising in this publication does not constitute 

endorsement by the DoD, USU or Pulse staff members.

The contents of this publication shall be made 

available for use or patronage without regard to race, 

color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, 

physical handicap, political affiliation or any other 

non-merit factor of the user or patron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by 

the USU Office of External Affairs. The editor reserves 

the right to edit articles to conform to DoD policy 

and Associated Press style. All photos are DoD photos 

unless otherwise indicated. 

The Pulse will be published bi-weekly on Mondays. 

The deadline for submissions is at 4 p.m. Tuesday prior 

to the publication date. Submissions can be sent to 

christine.creenan-jones@usuhs.edu or 301-295-3338.

Photo by Thomas C. Balfour

USU welcomes more than 

250 future military physicians, 

graduate nurses and scientists 

Sharon Willis, managing editor and deputy vice president for External Affairs and 

Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

The excitement was palpable at 

the Uniformed Services University 

as more than 170 uniformed medical 

students, 60 military graduate nursing 

students and 25 military and civilian graduate students officially 

became the newest members of 

USU’s academic community during a 

Presentation Ceremony, Aug. 30.

At the event, students in the university’s F. Edward Hébert School of 

Medicine recited the Hippocratic Oath 

to pledge their commitment to practice 

medicine ethically and honestly. 

Like the cohorts before them, 

the new medical class is comprised 

of students from across the United 

States and includes several veteran 

servicemembers. Many of them 

chose USU because of its militaryunique medical curriculum.

“I’m prior service, so learning the art 

of medicine at the military’s university 

was a perfect fit for me,” said Army 2nd 

Lt. Eddie Kwan, a member of the School 

of Medicine’s Class of 2017.

The Graduate School of Nursing also 

matriculated many experienced officers 

this year. Most have spent several years 

working as military nurses, and came 

to USU to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Practice, a Master of 

Science or a Doctor of Nursing Practice 

with a specialization in Nurse Anesthesia, Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult 

Mental Health Nurse Practitioner or 

Perioperative Clinical Nurse Specialist.

“The nurse anesthesia field is an art 

and science that allows you to take care 

of people but still use research to fight 

disease,” said Navy Lt. Michael Rucker 

on why he chose the DNP in Nurse 

Anesthesia track at USU.

Students in USU’s biomedical 

sciences and public health degree 

programs also have diverse scholarly interests. The university offers 

advanced degrees in neuroscience, medical and clinical psychology, emerging infectious diseases, 

public health, tropical medicine and 

hygiene and other health-science 

related fields. 

Although USU’s academic scope was 

highlighted during the Presentation 

Ceremony, the focus of the event was 

on the university’s newest students.

“I’m pleased to formally receive you 

and your families into the university 

community. I also welcome you on 

this continuation of your journey into 

a life of public service, devoted to the 

well-being of all people and especially 

those who serve our nation by going 

into harm’s way,” said Dr. Charles Rice, 

president of USU.

Dr. Arthur Kellermann

Photo by Thomas C. Balfour
September 16, 2013 3

Faculty Senate: Vehicle for positive change

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

Army Col. (Dr.) Louis Dainty 

knows a lot about the Uniformed 

Services University. He earned his 

medical degree from USU in 1996 and 

returned 16 years later as an assistant professor in the Department of 

Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

Despite a long, personal history with 

USU, his transition onto the faculty 

came with a steep learning curve.

“I was excited to come back to 

USU, but I also realized my role on 

campus would be very different this 

time around. So I looked for ways 

to gain a better, multidimensional 

understanding of how USU works,” 

he said. 

Dainty found the insight he was 

looking for at monthly Faculty Senate 

meetings, where topics like curriculum reform, sequestration, travel 

restrictions and budget concerns 

were common fodder. So were 

discussions about education, research 

and ways to improve faculty welfare. 

For Dainty, the Faculty Senate 

meetings were places to see the flip 

side of the coin while also making 

a positive difference at USU. He 

became an active participant, and was 

recently elected to serve as a faculty 

senator by his university colleagues. 

Dainty’s work, and the work of 

faculty senators before him, has led to 

many breakthrough accomplishments 

at USU. Over the years, the Faculty 

Senate has created and sponsored many 

time-honored traditions at the university, including Education Day, Research 

Week and the Packard Lecture. 

Members of the Faculty Senate have 

also become trusted council members 

to USU’s president and deans.

“Participation on the Faculty Senate 

is a way for us to share our concerns 

and ideas with senior leaders, and 

also find out where they stand on key 

issues affecting faculty members,” said 

Dainty. “We encourage open communication from the top down and back 

up again to ensure cohesive, effective 

relationships all around.”

Communication and collaboration goes side-to-side in the Faculty 

Senate, as well. It also crosses every 

school, college and discipline at USU. 

“There is great synergy and respect 

between junior and senior-ranking 

faculty members. I’ve met some 

amazing people through the Faculty 

Senate,” said Dainty. 

Dr. Joseph Mattapallil, a fellow 

senator and an associate professor in 

USU’s Department of Microbiology 

and Immunology, is one of them. 

They co-chair the Faculty Senate’s 

Education Committee together.

“After I became tenured, I eagerly 

sought out a venue where I would 

have an opportunity to interact with 

the university leadership and a wider 

range of faculty across the various 

disciplines at USU. The Faculty 

Senate was an ideal place for these 

types of interactions, where you could 

work as a team to make a difference 

and participate not only in the shared 

governance of our university but also 

contribute to promoting our unique 

mission. As an elected senator, I have 

had an opportunity to participate in 

the Faculty Senate meetings were the 

senators representing both basic and 

clinical science departments work 

together to address the various issues 

facing the university. Our team is 

spearheading many new initiatives 

that impact USU, and it has been an 

exciting experience so far. I’m fortunate and proud to be a part of these 

efforts,” said Mattapallil.

Although Dainty and Mattapallil 

had different reasons for joining the 

Faculty Senate, both officers believe 

that positive activism geared toward 

improving the education and research 

mission at USU is their responsibility.

“Why sit idly by when there is a 

vehicle at USU for affecting positive 

change?” Mattapallil asked. “As a 

member of the faculty, it’s my obligation to contribute my best to make 

our university better.”

Many faculty members share his 

enthusiasm. Faculty Senate meetings 

are spirited and most have a robust 

turnout, but officers strive for an 

even stronger participation rate.

“All faculty members are welcome 

to attend senate meetings. This way 

everyone’s interests are represented 

in a strong, unified way,” Dainty said. 

“It’s good for us and USU as a whole.”

Visit http://www.usuhs.edu/

faculty/senate/ for more information 

about the Faculty Senate.

Army Col. (Dr.) Louis Dainty and Dr. Joseph Mattapallil are members of the Faculty 

Senate at the Uniformed Services University.

Photo by Christine Creenan-Jones
4 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

The Uniformed Services University 

is home to many distinguished leaders 

in biomedicine, including Army 

Col. John Cuellar and Army Lt. Col. 

Christopher Gellasch, PhD, who were 

recently awarded the Surgeon General’s 

prestigious 9A Proficiency Designator.

The 9A Proficiency Designator recognizes members of the Army Medical 

Department in the top one percent 

of their peer group who have made 

outstanding contributions to Army 

medicine through clinical, academic, 

research or administrative roles. 

To qualify for the 9A Proficiency Designator, officers must 

be nominated by their chain of 

command, and then undergo a rigorous vetting process. Only the most 

accomplished, nationally recognized 

leaders are chosen.

“It means a great deal to be 

awarded the 9A Proficiency Designator. Although all Army officers 

strive to be tactically and technically proficient leaders, recognition 

is typically based on performance in 

the execution of our military duties. 

It is gratifying to also be recognized 

for the scientific contributions I have 

made both to the Army and the larger 

scientific community,” said Gellasch.

Uniformed Services University 

personnel, Michelle Creenan, Melissa 

Marcellus, Erica Jones and Kristen 

Brown, read the Pulse before running 5k 

races. How about you?

Send christine.creenan-jones@usuhs.

edu a picture of you reading the Pulse 

in your favorite spot for a chance to be 

featured in an upcoming issue.

Dr. Robert DeFraites, an assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine 

and Biometrics at the Uniformed 

Services University, earned this 

year’s William Gorgas Preventive 

Medicine Award from the Association of Military Surgeons of the 

United States.

DeFraites, who was recognized 

for exemplary work in preventive 

medicine, education and research, 

will be formally honored by 

AMSUS at their annual conference 

in Seattle this November. 

“Receiving the Gorgas award is 

a huge honor for me for several 

reasons. First, I was pleasantly 

surprised and very grateful for the 

nomination and consideration as 

a candidate by AMSUS. Second, 

to be associated with Dr. Gorgas, 

who was highly accomplished 

and recognized worldwide for his 

leadership in controlling tropical 

infectious diseases, is wonderful 

and at the same time humbling, 

since my few contributions to the 

field cannot compare. Third, I was 

pleased to notice that among the 

previous recipients of the award 

are several former USU faculty 

members who I greatly admire,” 

said DeFraites. 

Faculty members earn high honors 

from Surgeon General

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

Where do you read the Pulse?

AMSUS recognizes 

USU faculty

By Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

Army Col. John Cuellar Army Lt. Col. Christopher Gellasch, PhD Photo by Thomas C. Balfour

 Photo by Thomas C. Balfour

Photo by Christine Creenan-Jones
September 16, 2013 5

In a recent article published in 

“Obesity,” Dr. Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, an 

associate professor in the Department of 

Medical and Clinical Psychology at the 

Uniformed Services University, shared 

updates from a collaborative study on 

obesity prevention.

Obesity is a wide-spread, expensive 

problem for the armed forces. Medical 

expenses related to obesity cost the 

Department of Defense nearly $2 

billion dollars annually, and it affects 

thousands of service members, retirees, 

veterans and their families around the 

world. Obesity is also a problem for 

recruitment and retention, since the 

military has strict weight standards for 

both new and veteran service members.

In order to combat the military’s 

obesity problem, Tanofsky-Kraff, along 

with Drs. Tracy Sbrocco, an associate 

professor in the Department of Medical 

and Clinical Psychology, and Navy Capt. 

Mark Stephens, chair of the Department of Family Medicine, is exploring 

ways to promote healthy living through 

a pilot study focused on good behavior 

habits and reducing stress. The research 

team is called Preventing Obesity in 

Military Communities.

 “The review was a collaboration 

with Drs. Sbrocco and Stephens who 

are also interested in treating obesity,” 

she said. “At the time we initiated this 

review, there was really no solid compilation of the research on obesity or 

eating disorders in services. We know 

how hard it is to treat obesity. We need 

prevention. We need to stop it before it 

happens,” said Tanofsky-Kraff.

The POMC team is conducting pilot 

studies in North Carolina, Washington 

and Virginia. The North Carolina study 

is focusing on expecting mothers to help 

them with healthy weight gain, breastfeeding and healthy eating habits for 

mother and child. The Virginia study is 

targeting adolescent daughters of service 

members, a group also at a greater risk 

for eating disorders and obesity. 

“We’re working to reduce any disordered eating patterns they may have. 

Research shows that some people may 

be genetically predisposed to use food 

as a coping mechanism,” said TanofskyKraff. “As teenagers, they feel some of 

the same stressors their parents experience like anger and frustration. They 

may come home from school after a 

bad day and eat two cookies, and then 

the whole bag is gone. We’ve found it’s 

not the amount that kids are eating 

that’s an issue. It’s the loss of control 

and sense of compulsion. We’re trying 

to find a way to help them communicate better what they’re feeling so that 

they are less likely to use food to cope.”

The Washington study, which is set 

to launch soon, is geared toward new 

recruits, who get fit in order to get 

into the military, but regain the weight 

soon after. About 30 percent of candidates hoping to join the military are 

turned away for not meeting weight 

standards, and 1,200 entry-level 

military discharges occur each year due 

to subpar fitness and weight standards. 

By focusing on lifespan wellness 

within the military family, POMC 

team members hope their programs 

will be able to reduce the chances of 

weight gain over a long period of time.

USU researcher tackles obesity 

in the military family 

By MC2 Brittney Cannady, writer

Dr. Marian Tanofsky-Kraff

 Photo by Thomas C. Balfour

Trivia Question #3: 

Graduate School 

of Nursing 20th 

Anniversary

Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Bonnie 

Sanchez (second from left) is the 

campaign manager for the 2013 

Combined Federal Campaign at the 

Uniformed Services University. Her CFC 

team, which includes more than 60 key 

workers, have a $105,000 fundraising 

goal for USU. Sanchez celebrated 

the university’s ambitious goal with 

the Honorable Ashton Carter, deputy 

secretary of Defense (left), Navy Lt. Cmdr. 

Maria Coon, chief of the Cost Assessment 

and Evaluation Program at the Joint Task 

Force National Capital Region Medical 

Command (third from left), and Dr. H. 

Brandon Haller, chairperson for the CFC’s 

Local Federal Coordinating Committee 

(right) during a Department of Defense 

Kick-Off Ceremony held Sept. 5.

Fundraising campaign 

at USU underway

The Uniformed 

Services University 

will name its 

Graduate School of 

Nursing after this late 

senator from Hawaii, 

who was a decorated 

World War II veteran and a long-time 

supporter of USU, during a ceremony 

that will be held in October. 

The first person to correctly e-mail 

the future namesake of the GSN to 

christine.creenan-jones@usuhs.edu 

wins a large coffee and doughnut 

courtesy of the USU cafeteria. Courtesy Photo

Courtesy Photo
6 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

Air Force 2nd Lt. Billy-Joe Liane, a medical student in the class of 2016 at the Uniformed Services 

University, took part in Top Knife training at Luke Air Force Base in Ariz. Photo by Thomas C. Balfour

Growing up in Lebanon, Air Force 

2nd Lt. Billy-Joe Liane, a medical 

student at the Uniformed Services 

University, never dreamed he would 

be where he is today. However, the 

opportunity to be a part of the American culture he had closely followed as a 

child presented itself, and Liane took it. 

Liane left home six years ago to 

pursue his education in the United 

States, completed his undergraduate 

studies in biological sciences at Rutgers, 

the State University of New Jersey, and 

along the way became a U.S. citizen. 

The motivation to serve is different 

for many but for Liane, a huge part 

of that motivation came from being 

sworn in as a U.S. citizen. 

“I felt the joy, the pride and the 

glory of being a defender of the 

American nation and its principles. 

I consider my commitment to the 

armed forces a token of appreciation and gratitude for the United 

States for providing me with so much 

opportunity,” he said. 

After completing his first year as 

a medical student at USU, Liane had 

USU medical student flies high, gains unique training 

By Airman 1st Class Jenna Sarvinski, 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

GSN student earns high honors

Air Force Maj. 

Rachelle Hartze

Air Force 

Maj. Rachelle 

Hartze, a PhD 

student in 

the Graduate School of 

Nursing at the 

Uniformed 

Services 

University, was 

awarded the 2013 Nurse Award from 

the Association of Military Surgeons 

for the United States for outstanding 

contributions to nursing.

“I am very honored to receive this 

award. This nomination was really a 

reflection of the tremendous effort 

and teamwork of the Aerospace 

Medicine Clinic, 28th Medical 

Group, Ellsworth AFB, South 

Dakota. In addition to running flight 

medicine operations supporting 

back-to-back B-1 squadron deployments, our team directed an aircraft 

mishap response to a C-130 crash in 

July 2012. I was fortunate to work 

with professional Airmen who were 

dedicated to the mission. We took 

care of our patients and each other,” 

said Hartze.

Hartze will receive the Nurse Award 

at AMSUS’s annual meeting, Nov. 6.

Courtesy Photo

to choose a program for his summer 

experience. Of the programs available, 

Liane said the Top Knife program 

stuck out to him.

“I want to know what flight doctors 

do and how they take care of pilots and 

the aircrew staff, and be familiar with 

the basics and tactics of the F-16,” he 

said. “I wanted to learn what it’s like to 

be on the forefront of the mission and 

help pilots accomplish that mission.”

Liane got his chance to experience 

just that, as the latest of opportunities 

to come his way landed him here at 

Luke Air Force Base in Ariz. for a spot 

in the Top Knife program.

Program instructors at Luke say 

their students get more than just a 

classroom experience.

“The medical students got a unique 

opportunity to experience the Top 

Knife program which provides flight 

surgeons assigned to a fighter aircraft 

the chance to get a higher level of 

familiarization with the aeromedical 

aspects of high performance flight,” 

said Air Force Capt. Christopher 

Reichlen, a 56th Training Squadron 

Top Knife course director.

The program lasts two weeks and 

provides a hands-on experience for 

the students. The first week focuses 

on academics and flying specifics about the aircraft, tactics and 

the human factor. The second week 

involves flying and the opportunity 

to experience what the aircrew goes 

through on a regular basis. 

“This experience has been a dream 

come true,” Liane said. “I never 

thought I would have an opportunity like this, especially growing up 

overseas. But I am so grateful for 

where I am right now. I’ve gained 

so much more respect for the pilots 

and what they go through, both the 

mental and physical stress. I’m more 

motivated to finish strong with my 

medical studies to provide the best 

care for the pilots and aircrew because 

they deserve it.”
September 16, 2013 7

With the start of another 

school year, the Fightin’ Docs, 

an intramural hockey team 

at the Uniformed Services 

University, is gearing up for 

another season of fast-flying 

fun and competition at the 

Garden’s Ice House Arena in 

Laurel, Md.

The team, which is more 

than a decade old, is open 

to all members of the USU 

community on a first come, 

first serve basis. 

“We usually have just 

enough interest on the team to 

accept everyone, and because 

of everyone’s busy schedules 

and the high cost of ice time, 

we don’t usually have tryouts,” 

said Navy Ensign Colin Kelly, 

who’s been a member of the 

Fightin’ Docs for two years 

now. “This year we had a very 

high number of interested 

players and unfortunately had 

to accept people based on who 

responded first.” 

Although playing for the 

Fightin’ Docs can be a timeconsuming commitment, it 

comes with many rewards, 

including a strong sense of 

community, camaraderie, and 

culture, Kelly said.

The Fightin’ Docs will play 

their first game in October, 

and the regular season will 

continue through April. 

“We play 20 games this 

season, and when we obliterate 

the competition, we’ll climb 

the playoff ladder after that,” 

Kelly said.

The cafeteria at the Uniformed Services 

University reopened this month after 

undergoing major renovations to meet 

the demands of its customers. Planning 

for the major overhaul began more 

than two years ago. 

“The entire service line area, which 

was original construction, was gutted. 

Only a couple of brick walls will remain 

visible to the public,” said Ernest 

“David” Green, the cafeteria officer at 

USU, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony 

held on Sept. 10. “The renovated area 

will be bigger. The design is more 

modern and user friendly. The food 

stations will allow for less congestion 

by providing separate areas for salad, 

hot food and sandwiches. It should 

allow for less frustration in getting 

lunch in a bright, open service area.”

Besides adding to the aesthetic 

appeal of the cafeteria, the renovation 

increased the size of the service area 

to allow for a more customer-friendly 

traffic flow, updated equipment and a 

sleek interior design. 

Fightin’ Docs season begins soon

By MC2 Brittney Cannady, writer

USU cafeteria gets a makeover

by MC2 Brittney Cannady, writer

University president, Dr.Charles Rice (right), and members of the cafeteria staff and renovation 

team took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the reopening of the USU cafeteria.

The Fightin’ Docs, an intramural hockey team at the 

Uniformed Services University, will begin their season in Oct.

Photo by Thomas C. Balfour

Photo by MC2 Brittney Cannady
Final Frame

The Apollo Society hosted its third Open Mic, Sept. 10. The event 

included live performances from faculty, staff and students, who 

demonstrated their musical, writing and lyrical talents, including 

a classical interpretation of Metallica’s, “Fade to Black.” 

Photo by Christine Creenan-Jones