VOLUME 3, ISSUE 8 WWW.USUHS.MIL APRIL 28, 2008 

USU Newsletter 

In This Issue 

 

Mobile Medical Clinic.....................2 

CFC Innovative Award...................2 

Students Present G3.......................3 

GSN Ranked Sixth...........................3 

Faculty Profile: Dr. Anders.............4 

USU Community Liaison................4 

Student Profile: 1LT Phillips...........5 

Physical Fitness Testing..................6 

Dates to Remember.........................7 
 

Carol R. Scheman 

Vice President for 

External Affairs and 

Managing Editor 

Tech. Sgt. 

André Nicholson 

Editor 

Mass Communications 

Specialist Third Class 

Jeffrey Hopkins 

Assistant Editor 

 

Marla Wright 

Webmaster 

Publishing 

USU Duplicating Office

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 by 

calling 301-295-3925. 

PAGE 2 

Cover photo by 

MC3 Jeff Hopkins

USU Newsletter 

Editorial Staff 

 Faculty and school of medicine students from 

the Uniformed Services University of the Health 

Sciences (USU) provided health screenings to underprivileged and uninsured patients as part of a 

community outreach program, April 16. 

 CDR Mark Stephens, MC, USN, associate professor for USU’s Department of Family Medicine, together with 2LT Anneliese Germain, USA, SOM 

Class of 2009 and ENS Mark Cruz, USN, SOM Class 

of 2011, volunteered with Mobile Medical Care, Inc. 

to provide medical examinations to medically underserved patients in the local area. 

 The clinic was held in Montgomery County public housing. In the community kitchen, the students 

practiced their patient intake skills, getting their 

patients’ histories and discussing their conditions. 

Two small exam rooms were available for privacy 

during physicals. 

 Stephens, previously volunteered with MobileMed from 1999-2002 before a permanent change 

of station took 

him away 

from the area; 

he has since 

returned and 

said he finds 

volunteering 

with Mobilemed a rewarding task. 

 “A lot of 

these people 

are immigrants whose 

families have 

brought them 

to the U.S.,” 

Stephens said. 

“Some of 

them are unhappy, and 

few of them have insurance, so it’s a great feeling 

USU Faculty, Students Volunteer with Mobile Medical Clinic 

By MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

Courtesy Photo 

USU Wins ‘Most Innovative Campaign Technique’ 

 The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) was awarded “Most Innovative 

Campaign Technique” for their combination of multimedia and community exposure during the 

2007 National Capital Area Combined Federal Campaign’s Communications Contest. Pictured 

here, CPT Nicholas Horton, USA, USU’s Army company commander receives the award on behalf 

of the university during the CFC awards ceremony at the U.S. Postal Service National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., April 4; Horton served as one of USU’s CFC Key Workers during the 2007 

Campaign. 

Photo by MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

CDR Mark Stephens, MC, USN, associate professor, USU Department of 

Family Medicine aids and instructs 

2LT Anneliese Germain, USA, SOM 

Class of 2009, in the assessment of 

a patient during a Mobile Medical 

Clinic visit in Silver Spring, April 16. 

See MOBILE, Pg. 6 
PAGE 3 

 A mixture of first- and second-year school of medicine students 

of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) 

visited Lakewood Elementary School in Rockville, Md. to put on 

their third “Get Up, Get Out, Get Fit” program, April 18. 

 The program, abbreviated as “G3,” is an hour-long program 

run entirely by USU SOM students, in which the students visit local 

elementary schools and teach fourth and fifth graders about the 

importance of a 

healthy diet and 

exercise, as well as 

to instill in the 

elementary students a basic familiarity with 

physiology. 

 “G3, is a growing program 

which budded off 

of a nation-wide 

program that my 

classmate 2LT Rebecca Ortolano 

has worked with 

in the past, in 

which kids go to 

camp for a week 

to learn about 

good exercise technique, good dieting and general physiology 

issues,” said 2d Lt Tom Skinner, USAF, the second year SOM student in charge of organizing the program. “We were looking for 

an opportunity to get involved with the community, so we found 

a way to boil it down to simple subjects for us to go to an elementary school and give a one hour presentation.” 

 The presenters decide what the content they present will be; 

they choose one of the three categories and put their own presentation together for the children, Skinner said. 

 “The program’s content comes 

from the volunteers,” he said. “We 

give them some direction, like ‘we 

want you to teach them how to read 

a nutrition label’” and the volunteers 

take it from there. They do all the 

hard work and figure out what they 

want the kids to take away from this 

course.” 

 Skinner said the elementary students seem to enjoy the program, 

and that it provides them an opportunity to see things most elementary 

students may not get to see during 

their elementary education. 

 “It seems like the kids really like it,” 

Skinner said. “They are at the age 

where anything out of the ordinary 

is interesting to them. The nutrition 

segment is neat because they get to 

handle the boxes and they can compare the food labels with each other. 

It’s something I think they can have 

fun with when they go to the grocery store, when they look at a label 

and say, ‘calories, we want that number small’ so they can show 

their parents, ‘hey look what I learned.’ The children are pretty 

hyperactive, so they really get into the exercise portion; they’re up 

and running in place, doing push ups and sit-ups and baseball. I 

think we probably make the people teaching class below us a little 

upset, but they have a good time. The anatomy aspect winds up 

being kind of a shock, or gross wow factor; they get to see things 

they may or may not have seen before. For instance, we bring in a 

big plastic model of a human, a plasticized heart so they can see 

what it looks like on the inside, some healthy and diseased lungs, 

so we can demonstrate the hazards of smoking, and they usually 

Medical Students Present G3 to Elementary Students 

By MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

Photo by MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

SOM Class of 2010 students 2d Lt Danielle 

Dufresne, USAF (left), and 2LT Rachel Robbins, USA, teach Lakewood Elementary students how to read a nutrition label during the 

G3 presentation, April 18. 

Photo by MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

2LT Jennifer Zuccarelli, 

USA, SOM Class of 2011, 

holds a Lakewood Elementary student’s feet as he 

executes a sit-up. 

 The Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences’ (USU) Graduate School of 

Nursing Nurse Anesthesia program ranked 

sixth nationally for the second consecutive 

year according to the 2009 Edition of U.S. 

News and World Report. 

 “This is quite an accomplishment for the 

nurse anesthesia program that admitted its 

first students in 1994,” said Air Force Lt Col 

Adrienne Hartgerink, Nurse Anesthesia 

Program director. “Last year we were 

thrilled that our program was recognized. 

To be ranked a second time just solidifies 

the outstanding contributions of both the 

graduate school of nursing and the anesthesia program. It is a direct reflection of 

the hard work and dedication of the USU 

faculty and students from all services.” 

 The U.S. News and World Report bases 

its nurse specialty rankings on peer assessment surveys sent to deans, administrators 

and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. Educators rate the academic quality of programs 

on a 5-point scale. 

 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists 

are vital to the Federal Health System’s mission of delivering quality health care to 

eligible beneficiaries in the federal sector. 

Upon graduation from USU, nurse anesthetists provide safe, competent care, adhering 

to the highest practice standards. Anesthesia is practiced in a variety of settings, including modern, state of the art medical 

centers, in the field with Special Operations 

teams and ground forces, onboard ships, in 

the air, at overseas duty stations, and remote locations that are serviced by the 

Public Health Service. Independent practice 

and the ability to perform a wide variety of 

anesthetic techniques, including regional 

anesthesia, is expected. 

 The 30-month program consists of two 

phases. The 12-month didactic component 

conducted on the university campus provides the foundation upon which all academic and professional education is based. 

Courses provided are necessary for entrance into the clinical arena and include 

the basic sciences, nursing core courses, 

basic and advanced principles of anesthesia, basic and clinical pharmacology, and 

statistics and research methodology. Human patient simulation is extensively used 

to prepare students for clinical practice. 

 The eighteen-month Phase II clinical 

component focuses on critical thinking and 

the application of science and research to 

clinical anesthesia. Students are assigned to 

a military medical treatment facility as their 

primary clinical training site. The clinical 

phase is designed to progress the graduate 

student toward the goal of functional 

autonomy and independence in decisionmaking, appropriate to the student’s level 

of experience. 

GSN Nurse Anesthesia Program Ranked Sixth in Nation 

See G3, Pg. 5 
PAGE 4 

 It was at one time regarded an injury without treatment options, but today Dr. Juanita Anders, a professor for the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) Department of 

Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, is working diligently to advance spinal cord injury research. Her findings offer new hope for 

victims of SCI. SCI is a debilitating disease, rendering victims—in 

severe cases—completely immobile. 

 Anders’ studies show that light energy alters DNA and RNA 

expressions and the secondary injury responses including the inflammatory response, and facilitates axonal regeneration in the 

injured spinal cord. This non-invasive therapy uses wavelengths of 

light in the visible part of the spectrum to penetrate the body and 

support axonal re-growth and functional recovery. This important 

discovery has huge implications for the many sufferers of SCI. 

 Light therapy also has great potential as a treatment for brain 

injury and peripheral nerve injury. Anders was recently awarded a 

grant to investigate the effectiveness of light as a treatment for 

severe peripheral nerve injury. In severe injuries with loss of nerve 

tissue, the defect can be bridged by natural and synthetic conduits or nerve grafts or by inducing collateral sprouting from an 

adjacent nerve. However, even with these state-of-the-art microsurgical techniques, there is minimal recovery of sensation and 

motor function. Anders research will focus on the repair of severely damaged peripheral nerves by combining light therapy 

with two surgical methods currently used clinically to repair severely damaged peripheral nerves. This laser based non-invasive 

treatment has the potential to revolutionize post-traumatic/postoperative peripheral nerve repair 

and functional 

recovery. Anders 

is also expanding 

her research treatment of brain injuries caused by 

blasts. 

 Anders’ research is particularly relevant to 

the USU community because of 

the American servicemember’s personal sacrifice for 

the safety of the 

nation. In war zones, there is an increase in brain and spinal cord 

injuries due to blasts. Also, a lack of armor for the appendages due 

to potential constraints on a soldier’s mobility has dramatically 

increased the number of soldiers with severe traumatic wounds to 

the limbs. Loss of large segments of nerves innervating the limbs, 

causing chronic loss of sensation and paralysis, are often associated with these wounds. 

 As a researcher, Anders is duly committed to curing these injures. In keeping with the university’s mission, she is charged with 

caring for those in harm’s way. Her passion extends to the civilian 

community as well; she is actively involved in raising awareness 

and advocacy for the paralysis community. 

Faculty Profile: Dr. Juanita Anders, Professor, APG 

By Christine Creenan 

Web Writer, Office of External Affairs 

Dr. Juanita Anders, Professor, Department of 

Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics 

Courtesy Photo 

 I’d like to begin by saying to those of 

you I’ve already met, thank you for the 

warm welcome. To those of you I’ve yet to 

meet – hello -- my name is Jan Clark, and I 

am the university’s new director for government and community affairs. 

 My position in the university’s Office of 

External Affairs was created to build and 

maintain strong working relationships with 

key members of the general public, community members and groups, local organizations and entities, as well as federal, state 

and local governments. I will serve as the 

liaison between local community groups, 

elected and appointed officials and business leaders. 

 By definition, a liaison is ‘the exchange of 

information or the planning of joint efforts 

by two or more people or groups (often of 

military personnel)’ – a two-way street. I 

will need to provide the community with 

information about the issues, concerns, 

events and successes of the university in 

order to share who we are and what we 

do. 

 My job is to open two-way communication and develop partnerships and collaborations. In a nutshell, I plan to be a key 

communications link between USU and 

many of our external communities. This is 

quite a challenge and I cannot succeed 

without your support, input and advice. 

 That’s where you come in. 

 To date, I’ve met with members of the 

Bethesda/Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce and the Bethesda Urban Partnership 

and visited the National Institutes of Health, 

where I met with Mr. Dennis Coleman, 

community liaison. I also had a wonderful 

discussion with Mr. Ken Hartman, director 

of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, from whom I learned much 

about local community challenges and 

aspirations. Mr. Randy Schools, president of 

the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association, has also provided me with a wealth of 

information. I’ve attended a few afterhours meetings and events in the local 

community, and I’m learning a great deal, 

yet know I have a long way to go. 

 I have also had the opportunity to meet 

with several university members as well, 

and as I stated earlier, you have all been 

great, and have provided me with valuable 

information that I am still processing. However, I am anxious for more; I need your 

input and your guidance. 

 My goal is to provide updated information for every other edition of the USU 

Newsletter. I expect to write about what I 

am learning about 

activities in the 

surrounding communities as well 

concerns I hear 

about current issues, such as traffic 

and congestion. I 

also hope to tell 

our community 

members and organizations more 

about the university, our mission 

and our people. 

 As part of that I 

need to know 

what matters to 

you, what you’d like to see explored. I am 

not only new to USU but to the area as 

well, and I look upon this new position and 

my new residence in Maryland as an adventure. I’m out to discover USU, Montgomery County and beyond. So, though 

seldom does one get this opportunity, I’d 

like to offer it now – tell me where you’d 

like me to go. You read that right, “tell Jan 

where to go.” Email me at 

janet.clark@usuhs.mil. I look forward to 

meeting you. 

A Letter from the New Director of Government and Community Relations 

Jan Clark 

Director, Government 

and Community 

Affairs 
PAGE 5 

 Prior-service students of the Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences (USU) have already answered the call of personal sacrifice for their country. One such student has devoted 

almost two decades of service to the military before coming to 

USU. 

 Born in Chattanooga, Tenn., 1LT Gregory Phillips, NC, USA, a 

student of USU’s Graduate School of Nursing, Certified Registered 

Nurse Anesthesia Class of 2011, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps 

Nov. 9, 1980, and spent 10 months in the Delayed Entry Program 

before undergoing recruit training at Paris Island in August, 1981. 

Having spent three years in an Air Force Junior Reserve Officer 

Training Corps in high school, Phillips was promoted to Private 

First Class upon graduation from recruit training. He said the Marine Corps had always intrigued him, and that he was particularly 

impressed by the image they presented. 

 “I always thought the Marines looked impressive in their uniforms,” he said. “It seemed like it couldn’t get boring either, because in addition to your regular job, you were also a basic rifleman, so you’d go to the range for a week every year as well as 

perform your troop leading steps.” 

 Phillips said not only did the Marine Corps change him mentally, but physically as well. 

 “I was a small person growing up,” Philips said. “I only weighed 

138 pounds coming out of high school, and I was only about 5’5”. 

Within four years I shot up to 5’6” and 176 pounds, so I gained 

quite a bit of mass, but I stayed at nine or 10 percent body fat.” 

 Phillips spent more than 17 years in the Marine Corps in a variety of positions. He began his career as an aviation electronics 

technician at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C. He spent 

eight years there, following which he performed recruiting duty 

and went to school. Upon reenlisting, Phillips was stationed at 

MCAS New River in Jacksonville, N.C. During his time with the 

Marines, he deployed on the U.S.S. Wasp and the U.S.S. Saipan, as 

well as to Okinawa, Japan, and Haiti. In addition, Phillips has spent 

time in the U.S. Army National Guard. 

 Phillip’s interest in nursing 

sparked when his sister-in-law graduated from Certified Registered Nurse 

Anesthesia school in 1989. He began to take college courses, and 

when he left the Marine Corps, he 

had attained an associates degree. 

He enrolled in 2000 at the University 

of Chattanooga’s School of Nursing. 

Upon his graduation in 2003, he 

worked in a level one trauma center 

in the burn unit for a year, following 

which he moved to the cardiac unit, 

and then surgical intensive care. 

 “At this point, I wanted to go to 

graduate school, but I didn’t want to 

be poor to do it,” Phillips said. “The 

Army offered me the best deal, so I 

took them up on it, and came to USU.” 

 Phillips said he enjoys USU’s environment, and the cohesiveness of the ideals of the university’s student body. 

 “I really like the environment,” Phillips said. “I’m surrounded by 

people with similar views and opinions of how the world should 

run. One thing I disliked about civilian schools is that all these kids 

who think they know all the answers to the world’s problems, 

when they have little experience under their belts. I like the people I go to school with, and all of my instructors are top notch.” 

 Phillips family has passed down a legacy of service, starting 

with his grandfather, who was a parachute packer for the U.S. 

Navy during World War II. Phillips has passed the legacy down to 

three of his five children; one of his sons is an Army combat 

medic, currently deployed to Bukka, Iraq, another is an aviation 

structural mechanic in the U.S. Navy. A third son spent four years 

in the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant, and now serves in the North 

Carolina Air National Guard. Of his non-military children, he has a 

daughter who is a disc jockey in Boston, and another son also in 

Boston, who is currently deciding what he wants to do with his 

life. He met his wife Bonnie of 17 years in North Carolina. 

Student Profile: 1LT Gregory Philips, GSN CRNA Class of 2011 

By MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

1LT Gregory Phillips, 

 NC, USA, GSN, CRNA, 

Class of 2011 

wind up asking a lot of questions.” 

 Skinner added that the medical students 

teaching the physiology portion have the 

most difficult job, because they field a lot of 

the children’s questions. 

 “The models really spark the kids interests, so they end up fielding questions that 

aren’t really teaching specific, but questions 

about the body in general,” Skinner said. 

“At this stage if you can spark an interest in 

something for them, they may end up following that interest.” 

 Skinner said the program is not only 

enjoyable for the elementary students, but 

it’s therapeutic and a confidence boost for 

the medical students as well. 

 “I think we love the idea of being confident enough in what we do and knowing 

what we know to be able to explain it to a 

young crowd,” Skinner said. “We’re hoping 

the program will be something that will 

really stick with the children.” 

 In addition to the practical knowledge 

and experience the elementary students 

bring home, the medical students have put 

together a pamphlet for the children to 

take home for their parents which details 

healthy snack ideas, easy exercise options 

like dancing in the kitchen, and general 

health and physiology tips like getting 

enough quality sleep and not eating before 

going to bed. 

 “We wanted it to be full of things that 

would establish good habits for the kids,” 

Skinner said. 

 Several first year SOM students shadowed the presenters to get a feel for the 

program, which Skinner said will be passed 

on to them. Whether the G3 program continues through the generations of USU 

students remains to be seen, as the decision to continue the program will rest with 

each new class of students. 

 “We’re trying to transition G3 over to the 

first years so next year they can continue 

the program,” he said. “We’re hoping 

maybe next year they’ll make some improvements upon it; the class of 2011 will 

hopefully like the idea enough to carry it 

on. We’d like to have more opportunities to 

present the 

program 

again before 

the end of 

the semester, but 

schedules 

are getting 

tighter, and 

the elementary students 

themselves 

are getting 

ready to take 

standardized 

tests.” 

 Skinner 

added that 

there was 

talk of making the program part of a fourth-year internship, in which a student would devote 

six-weeks to the program to make it a 

county-wide project; however, he added 

that at the moment, there are no concrete 

plans. 

Photo by MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

2LT Rebecca Ortolano, USA, 

SOM Class of 2011, explains 

how the human heart works 

to Lakewood Elementary 

students. 

From G3, Pg. 3 
PAGE 6 

Photo by MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

Fit for Duty 

 Military personnel at USU participated in their respective services’ bi-annual physical fitness testing throughout the month of 

April. Each service’s test typically consists of push-ups, sit-ups and a run; two miles for the Army, and one and-a-half miles for the 

Navy and Air Force. Above, SSG’s Sherry Kwasnik, Pauline Sedano and Julie Weitz monitor Soldiers performing pushups for correct 

form and quantity during the Army Physical Fitness Test in the USU Student Lounge. 

to be able to help them, and at the same time reinforce the lessons our students learn in the classroom, so we are grateful for 

our patients.” 

 And the patients are grateful for the treatment. Florinda Bellido, a woman who came in seeking treatment said she enjoys 

helping the students, and 

greatly appreciates the level of 

professionalism and sympathy 

she receives during care. 

 “I love helping the students,” 

she said. “This is my first time 

here, but the care is already so 

much better than at other 

places I have visited; I tried to 

explain my condition to another 

doctor, and he told me I was 

‘just getting old,’ and that it was 

probably arthritis, but he never 

even gave me an examination. 

Doctor Stephens is very gentle 

and personable.” 

 Through participation in the 

clinic, students have the opportunity to reinforce their didactic 

lessons and help out their community; something which could not 

happen without the supervision of their instructors, for which 

Germain said she was very grateful. 

 “It’s hard for medical students to improve their skills without 

supervision,” Germain said. “Doctor Stephens has generously volunteered his time to supervise us, making this whole thing possible. The goal is to allow students to work with patients with no 

medical insurance; they’re really an underserved community with 

little to no access to health 

care.” 

 Cruz said he appreciates the 

opportunity to volunteer and 

serve those with limited access 

to health care, as well as practice non-simulated medicine. 

“I’d heard about the program 

through Commander Stephens 

during class,” Cruz said. “I was 

interested because I had been 

looking for opportunities to help 

out in the community.” 

 “I think it’s a great opportunity to gain clinical experience, 

since most of the time we as 

medical students have to practice on each other, with one person playing the doctor and the 

other acting as a patient with a medical condition. More importantly, the program allows us to help out the underprivileged.” 

From MOBILE, Pg. 2 

“The goal is to allow students to 

work with patients with no 

medical insurance; they’re really 

an underserved community with 

little or no access to health care.” 

 

 - 2LT Anneliese Germain, USA 
PAGE 7 

Clinical Simulation Manual Information : Richard Kyle’s Patient 

Simulation how-to manual, “Clinical Simulation: Operations, Engineering and Management” is available in USU’s Alumni Bookstore, 

as well as online at Amazon.com, and from Elsevier Book Sales’ 

website, elsevierdirect.com.

Basic Life Support Classes: Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers courses will be on the first and third Thursday of every 

month at 9 a.m. Seats are limited, so if you would like to attend a 

course, please contact mrogers@usuhs.mil for availability. 

April 30 : Seminar, “Spindle Assembly & Chromosome Movement 

in Mitosis” - Speaker will be Gary Gorbsky, Ph.D., chair of WH & 

Betty Phelps, and chair of the Department of Molecular, Cell & 

Developmental Biology for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City. 

April 30 : Molecular & Cell Biology Seminar— Spindle Assembly & 

Chromosome Movement in Mitosis, at 3:30 p.m. in Lecture Room 

A. Presented by Gary Gorbsky, Ph.D. WH & Betty Phelps Chair, 

Developmental Biology, chair, Molecular, Cell & Developmental 

Biology Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. 

May 1: Lecture Room E - Practical Dermatology for Primary Care 

Providers Eighth Annual Course— This educational activity is designated for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, 

medical students, independent duty medical corpsmen and dermatology nurses. No special prerequisites are required to attend 

this educational activity. The topics will be structure and function 

of the skin; common bacterial, viral and fungal infections of the 

skin; acne and rosacea; common rashes, eczemas and dermatitis; 

benign growths and skin cancers; effects of sunlight; common 

cosmetic procedures; and when to refer to a dermatologist. Preregistration is required. Attendance is limited to 140 applicants. 

Registration forms must be received by April 18. Cost: $10 for 

medical students (military or civilian), nursing students, and 

enlisted attendees; $35 for federal, state or local government employed (military or civilian) physicians, residents, nurses, nurse 

practitioners and physician assistants; and $100 for nongovernment civilian health care professionals. Amenities: no 

charge for parking; coffee provided at breaks; and a box lunch is 

available at no extra cost, or lunch may be purchased at the USU 

cafeteria in Building B. Questions may be directed to Katherine 

Hall, dermatology dept., USU, at (301) 295-9802 or by e-mail at 

katherine.hall@usuhs.mil

May 1: Antietam Road March— The annual Antietam Road March 

will take place on May 1 beginning at 7 a.m. This march is an important lesson in medical history that allows students, faculty and 

staff the opportunity to witness the medical practices of the Civil 

War. It is preferable that all who attend this function wear only 

black backpacks. Further guidance will be disseminated as the 

date draws near. 

May 2 : AFRRI seminar—Title to be Announced. 11 a.m., at AFRRI 

room 3425. Presentation by Dr. Thomas B. Elliott, Ph.D., research 

microbiologist, Radiation Infection Treatment Program, AFRRI. For 

further questions, please contact Dr. Vijay K. Singh at (301) 295-

2347 or email at singh@afrri.usuhs.mil. 

May 5 : Seminar, “Interactions Between Schistosomiasis and Immunodeficiency Viruses” - Speaker will be W. Evan Secor, Ph.D., research microbiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Parasitic Diseases. Lecture begins at 11:30 

a.m. in Lecture Room A. 

May 9 : AFRRI seminar - The Identification of Genes Involved in 

Pituitary Tumorigenesis, at 11 a.m., at AFRRI room 3425. Presentation by Lynnette Cary, Ph.D., scientist, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Radiation Countermeasures Program, AFRRI. For further 

questions, please contact Dr. Vijay K. Singh at (301) 295-2347 or 

email at singh@afrri.usuhs.mil. 

May 12: GSN Awards Ceremony and Reception—GSN Awards 

Ceremony from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. in the Sanford Auditorium, GSN 

Awards Reception from 5 - 6 p.m. in the Lobby of Building B. 

May 15: Bldg. E Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony—USU will be having a 

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Building E May 15 at 10 a.m. The 

ceremony will be attended by senior leadership from within the 

university as well as DoD, congressional, state, and local government representatives. All members of the university community 

are invited to attend. A reception will follow the ceremony. For 

further questions or concerns, please contact Mr. John Frankenburg (OUA) at (301) 295-3665 or jfrankenburg@usuhs.mil. 

May 15: School of Medicine Graduation Awards Ceremony— 

12:30 p.m. in the Sanford Auditorium. 

May 16: School of Medicine Graduation Awards Reception—

3 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the Courtyard.

May 17: DARC Hall- Class of 2008 Commencement Exercise— DAR 

Constitution Hall,18th & D. St. NW, Washington, DC. P.O.C. University Affairs at 301-295-4796. 

May 19 : Seminar, “Regulation of Gene Expression During the 

Chlamydial Development Cycle” - Speaker will be Ming Tan, M.D., 

associate professor for University of California, Irvine’s Department 

of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. Lecture begins at 11:30 

a.m. in Lecture Room A. 

June 6-8: Tom’s Run 2008— Tom's Run is a 200-mile fitness event 

in memory of CWO4 Tom Brooks, USCG (Ret.), who contracted 

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Each year teams of runners relay 

from Cumberland, Md. to Washington, D.C., and finish at USU. For 

sign-up information, contact SSgt Rogers at mrogers@usuhs.mil. 

June 30 : 1st Annual USU/HJF Symposium — Military and Civilian 

Medicine Joining Forces to Advance Research, from 7:30 a.m. - 6 

p.m. at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center 

in Bethesda, Md. For more information, visit 

http://www.hjf.org/symposium, or call 301-294-1218. 

June 30: First USU/HJF Symposium— The Military and Civilian 

Medicine Joining Forces to Advance Research symposium will be 

held from 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel 

and Conference Center in Bethesda, Md. For more information, 

call 301-294-1218. 

July 10 – 25 : 2008 Field Exercises: Operations Bushmaster and 

Kerkesner will be conducted July 10-25 at Fort Indiantown Gap, 

Penn. These exercises are unique to our University and require the 

support of all university uniformed personnel. Only emergency 

leave will be granted during this time frame as there are over 135 

uniformed personnel (not including evaluators) needed to support this mission. 

July 28 – Aug. 1 : Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation Course: 

AFRRI will host the Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation (MEIR) 

Scientific Course from July 28 –Aug. 1. All personnel are invited 

and encouraged to attend. For more info, go to 

www.afrri.usuhs.mil for registration and information. CMEs/CNEs 

will be offered. 

August 4-5 : Board of Regents Quarterly Meeting— The Committee of the Whole Meeting will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Dates to Remember 
UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY 

of the Health Sciences