The Official USU Newsletter

Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way

Volume 10, Issue 8 n May 11, 2015

www.usuhs.edu
2 the pulse May 11, 2015

Sharon Holland

Deputy Vice President for External 

Affairs and Managing Editor

Master Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson

NCOIC of VPE and Deputy Chief, 

Media Affairs

Eric Ritter

Writer and Editor

MC3 Laura Bailey

Writer and Photographer

Production

Editorial content is edited, prepared 

and provided by the USU Office of 

External Affairs unless otherwise 

indicated. The Pulse staff may 

include or exclude articles based 

upon news value, impact on the 

university and space availability.

Submissions

The Pulse is published 

biweekly on Mondays. The deadline 

for submissions is at 4 p.m. 

Tuesday prior to the publication 

date. Submissions can be sent to 

eric.ritter2@usuhs.edu or by calling 

301-295-3338.

Deering Named Chair of Obstetrics and 

Gynecology Department

Courtesy Article

USU Medical and Clinical Psychology students 

and a K-9 trainer enjoy the company of some 

of the companion dogs from Warrior Canine 

Connection. See full story on Page 3. (Photo by 

MC3 Laura Bailey).

On the cover

Army Col. (Dr.) Shad Deering will be 

the next chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences (USU), according 

to an announcement by School of Medicine dean Dr. Arthur L. Kellermann May 8, 

2015.

Deering, a board-certified perinatologist who currently serves as assistant dean 

for Simulation Education in the School of 

Medicine at USU and the deputy Medical 

Director for the University’s Val G Hemming Simulation Center, will succeed Air 

Force Col. (Dr.) Christopher Zahn, who 

retired earlier this year to become the Vice 

President for Practice Activities at the 

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. As chair, Deering will oversee 

the academic activities of a department 

that teaches medical students, conducts research and supports USU faculty working 

in military treatment facilties stretching 

from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., to Tripler Army 

Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

“Col. Deering is the ideal choice to 

lead our Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is a national leader in simulation education and patient safety. In 

addition to being an outstanding military 

officer, he has impeccable credentials in academic and clinical medicine,” said Kellermann.

He is a 1993 graduate of the United 

States Military Academy at West Point, and 

a 1997 alumnus of School of Medicine at 

USU. He completed an obstetrics and gynecology residency at Walter Reed Army 

Medical Center/National Naval Medical 

Center, and later completed a three-year 

maternal-fetal medicine fellowship at 

Georgetown University Hospital. 

Deering’s first assignment after fellowship was at Madigan Army Medical 

Center, Tacoma, Wash., where he was the 

chief of Obstetrics. While there, he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the medical director for the Deployed Combat Casualty Research Team 

which was responsible for oversight of more 

than 100 research protocols in the combat 

theater of operations. While at Madigan, 

he also became the medical director for the 

Andersen Simulation Center. Throughout 

his six years in that position, he started, 

and continues to chair, the Army Central 

Simulation Committee, which is responsible for oversight of medical simulation for 

graduate medical education in the Army, 

and trains more than 50,000 providers on 

an annual basis at the Army’s 10 training 

hospitals. 

Deering developed the Mobile Obstetric Emergencies Simulator (MOES), 

a highly innovative training program that 

provides simulation training on an actual 

labor and delivery unit to improve safety. It 

has been implemented in every hospital in 

the U.S. Military Health System that offers 

obstetric services. MOES was awarded two 

patents and won a Department of Defense 

Patient Safety Award for Technology as well 

as the Federal Laboratory Consortium 

Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. Deering has authored or co-authored 

more than 100 publications with an emphasis on patient safety. 

In 2011, he returned to USU to serve 

in his current capacity. As such, he has 

increased training within his division by 

more than 100% and worked to integrate 

high-fidelity trauma simulation into the 

Military and Emergency Medicine department curriculum and the University’s capstone interdisciplinary field exercise, Operation Bushmaster. 

Deering is the current chair of the 

ACOG Simulation Consortium, chair of the 

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Simulation subcommittee, and the Chair of the 

Medical Modeling and Simulation Training 

Working Group, which was created at the 

direction of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and charged with 

developing the enterprise solution for medical simulation within the Military Health 

System. He remains an active clinician. He 

has delivered babies in 10 different states 

and a combat zone. 

Army Col. (Dr.) Shad Deering will be the 

next chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 

the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at 

USU. (Photo by Sharon Holland)
3 the pulse May 11, 2015

CDP-led program cited as model for mental health legislation

Courtesy Article

See Collins, Page 5

Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly introduced legislation recently to improve mental health services for veterans, and is citing 

a program that uses content developed at 

the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences (USU) and speakers from 

the University’s Center for Deployment 

Psychology (CDP) as the model for future 

endeavors.

Donnelly introduced the “Community Provider Readiness Recognition Act,” 

which was inspired by the Star Behavioral 

Health Providers (SBHP) program. Since 

2011, USU’s CDP, the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University, state 

National Guard and other local partners 

have worked together to develop the SBHP 

program in the state of Indiana with expansion to other states, currently including 

Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio, 

New York and California. 

SBHP is a tier-based continuing education program offering CEUs to clinical 

professionals through up-to-date workshops focused on the unique needs of the 

military community. SBHP aims to enhance behavioral health providers’ scope 

of knowledge and skills for addressing the 

deployment- and reintegration-related 

concerns of military Service members, Veterans and their families. This distinct program promotes grassroots networking by 

providing training events in various parts 

of the state and actively involving the National Guard and the National Guard Bureau Directors of Psychological Health.

CDP faculty members create and 

maintain the curriculum for SBHP and 

deliver the workshops several times a year 

in each state. In addition, CDP faculty 

trains mental health professionals from 

local communities in the select states to 

deliver the Tier One presentations. CDP 

speakers and trainers are nationally-recognized subject matter experts in deployment 

psychology and evidence-based therapies. 

CDP presentations for SBHP and other 

programs have been consistently evaluated 

by participants as highly effective, both in 

content and competency.

Providers who complete all three 

tiers of SBHP have a greater understanding of military culture, deployment cycle stressors, combat-related conditions, 

and effective, evidence-based treatments 

for behavioral health problems including 

insomnia, suicidal behavior, and PTSD. 

SBHP also provides a searchable, confidential registry of participating providers who 

have completed these varied tier levels so 

Service members, Veterans, and their families know they are entering a therapeutic 

relationship with a provider who elected to 

receive additional training to care for their 

unique needs.

Additionally, the state National Guard 

checks each provider's licensing credentials 

to ensure all providers on the SBHP registry 

are current and in good standing with their 

particular licensing board.

“Today, less than one percent of the 

U.S. population serves in the U.S. military. 

As a result, few civilian clinical providers 

– doctors, nurses and behavioral health 

professionals – have even a basic level of 

knowledge about military culture and the 

stressors and rewards of military service. 

Working with its partners, USU’s Center 

for Deployment Psychology created the 

Star Behavioral Health Provider program 

to bridge this gap in understanding,” said 

Arthur L. Kellermann, MD, MPH, dean of 

USU’s F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine. “In my view, any civilian healthcare 

professional who treats veterans, active 

duty service members and their family 

members should have this training.”

National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins will deliver the 

Presidential lecture during the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) annual Research Days symposium, 

May 12-13. More than 300 basic and clinical scientists and students will also present 

their scholarly works during the two-day 

event held on the university’s campus.

This year’s theme, "Celebrating Excellence in Research," reflects the complementary roles that nursing, public health, 

behavioral science, basic science, and 

medicine play in health promotion. The 

annual two-day event formally encompasses four primary events -- the Graduate 

School of Nursing Research Colloquium, 

which brings together faculty and students 

to present and discuss nursing-specific 

research findings; the Graduate Student 

Colloquium, which highlights the research 

interests and accomplishments of graduate 

students in USU’s F. Edward Hébert School 

of Medicine; and the Postdoctoral Fellows 

Symposium and Faculty Senate Research 

Day, which draw the entire USU community to share research achievements, foster 

collaborations, and stimulate intellectual 

exchange. Together, these events serve to 

inform the local scientific community, collaborative institutions, and other federal 

agencies about significant research projects conducted across the health sciences at 

USU and its affiliates. 

Collins will present, “Exceptional 

Opportunities in Biomedical Research,” 

on Wednesday, May 13, in the University’s 

Sanford Auditorium. 

On Tuesday, May 12, Janet D. Pierce, 

Ph.D, APRN, CCRN, FAAN, the Christine 

A. Hartley Endowed Professor of Nursing 

from the University of Kansas School of 

Nursing, will present “Researchers: Guardians of Science,” as this year’s Faye G. Abdellah Lecturer. 

Mary Helen-Barcellos-Hoff, Ph.D., 

professor of Radiation Oncology and Cell 

Biology and director of Radiation Biology at the New York University School of 

Medicine, Langone Medical Center, will 

deliver the first Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute Lecture, “Cancer in 

Context: A Systems Biology Approach to 

Radiation Carcinogenesis.” 

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins to Speak at 

Uniformed Services University ‘Research Days’ 

by Sharon Holland

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins will deliver 

the Presidential lecture during the USU annual Research Days event. (NIH Photo)
4 the pulse May 11, 2015

USU Hosts 10th Annual Amygdala, Stress and PTSD Conference

by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Laura Bailey, writer and photographer

Clinical and basic science experts 

from around the world convened for 

the 10th Annual Amygdala, Stress and 

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

Conference, sponsored by the Uniformed 

Services University Center for the Study 

of Traumatic Stress, in collaboration with 

the USU Departments of Psychiatry and 

Family Medicine, the USU Neuroscience 

Program, and the Walter Reed National 

Military Medical Center Department of 

Psychiatry, Apr. 21. Over 400 clinicians 

and scientists registered for this outstanding conference which seeks to address the 

biological underpinnings of stress.

This year's theme, "Of Mice and 

Man," focused on the translation of science 

across the spectrum from the bench to the 

field. Featured speakers included: Dwight 

Berles, Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins School of 

Medicine, "Dynaminc Behavior of Oligodendrocytes and their Progenitors in the 

Adult Brain;" Harvey Pollard, M.D., Ph.D., 

USU, "Big Data Meets the Brain;" Abigail 

Marsh, Ph.D., Georgetown University, 

"Empathy on a Sliding Scale: Is Altruism 

the Inverse of Psychopathy?"; Jacek Debiec, 

M.D., Ph.D., University of Michigan, "The 

Neurobiology of the Intergenerational Social Transmission of Emotional Trauma;" 

and Daniel Stein, M.D., Ph.D., University 

of Cape Town, South Africa, "Trauma and 

PTSD in South Africa." These excellent 

presentations covered the wide range of 

scientific inquiry needed to uncover and 

address the roots of stress and trauma.

Participants freely discussed PTSD 

across invisible boundaries that sometimes 

stand between scientists and clinicians, said 

Dr. Robert Ursano, a professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and chairman of the 

Department of Psychiatry at USU. From 

small group sessions to large audience presentations the conference engaged with attendees in order to maximize the interaction and potential collaborations between 

scientist and clinician.

"We're trying to take that somewhat 

technical information and deliver it in an 

interpretable and usable way for clinicians," 

said assistant chair of Research and assistant professor, Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Gary 

Wynn, Department of Psychiatry, and scientist, Center for the Study of Traumatic 

Stress, USU.

Wynn said the conference allows 

scientists and clinicians to see the excellent 

work being done by researchers striving to 

solve PTSD and allows scientists to discuss 

concepts and future avenues of possible research needed to solve gaps in current clinical care. 

"This conference offers a fresh perspective for hard working scientists and clinicians needing reinvigoration," he added. 

He hopes what was learned will be shared 

with others.

Fraternal twins, Tina and Rina Roberts, have just retired from Uniformed Services University after a combined 50 years, 

May 1.

In that span, they have seen many 

members of USU community come and go. 

Students graduate, faculty retire and staff 

head to their next duty stations. Farewells 

are inevitable, but the retirement of Rina 

and Tina Roberts of the James A. Zimble 

Learning Resource Center (LRC), is perhaps the first of its kind in the university’s 

history. 

In 1982, Rita jumped at a job opportunity at the university as a clerk-typist. She 

went on to become a library technician in 

the LRC at USU, conducting inner library 

loans. Ten years later, Tina joined her when 

she was hired in the LRC’s references department. 

Together, they have directly contributed to the successful distribution of 

more than 500,000 USU library resources 

internally and to libraries across the country, said Alison Rollins, head of reference 

and inter-library loans at the LRC at USU. 

Resources include articles from medical 

journals, books, dissertations and proceedings. This was no small task, but the twins 

remained undaunted day after day. Their 

mission was to get people the resources 

they needed as quickly as possible. 

“Sometimes they would need something in a hurry and we would get it to 

them right away,” said Tina. “We’d jump on 

it.”

Advances in technology throughout 

the years and the ability to send requests 

via the internet made it possible for the 

quick turn-around, but it wasn’t always so 

easy, said Tina. Hours spent hunched over a 

copier machine were just the beginning of a 

time-consuming two-week process that included "snail mailing" materials to requestors. Now, everything is sent through email 

and can usually be sent within an hour of 

the request. 

Helping others has always been the 

highlight of their time at USU, even before 

there was internet, they said. 

“I’ve really enjoyed working here,” 

said Tina. “This has been my favorite job – 

just being around the students, the faculty 

and our co-workers. We’ll miss the people 

the most.”

“When we came here, it was like our 

second family,” said Rina. “They appreciated us, they supported us, they gave us 

encouragement and they got us through. 

We’ve worked other places, but it wasn’t like 

that. This is just a special place.”

Retiring is bitter sweet, but they’re 

ready for this new chapter to begin. 

“We have a house on the beach in 

Ocean City, Maryland, and our plan is to 

move down there with our mom. She’s 

turning 90,” said Rina. “I also want to volunteer at my church there.” 

Both of them are especially excited 

about volunteering at a horse farm. 

“I love horses,” said Tina. “I want to 

take care of them, learn to ride, brush them 

and feed them.” 

They both said they will continue 

to do in retirement what they did in their 

years at USU, which is to continue helping 

others and being the best they can be.

Twins retire with 50 combined years of USU service

by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Laura Bailey, writer and photographer

Fraternal twins, Rina (left) and Tina (right) 

Roberts retired together after 50 combined 

years of USU service. (Photo by MC3 Laura 

Bailey)
5 the pulse May 11, 2015

USU Test to "Sniff" out brain injuries

by Eric D. Ritter Writer/Editor 

A new way of detecting Traumatic 

Brain Injuries (TBI) among injured service members is showing signs it can pass 

the “smell test”, literally, thanks to research 

from Uniformed Services University’s 

(USU) TBI Surgical Research Program.

Research on 231 Soldiers at the Walter Reed National Medical Center who had 

been injured due to explosions during tactical combat operations overseas were given the test shortly after their arrival to the 

medical center. Time is important with the 

test, so the injured service member had to 

be transported as quickly as possible to the 

medical center to be analyzed.

According to lead author of the study, 

Air Force Col. (Dr.) Michael Xydakis of the 

Department of Surgery in the F. Edward 

Hébert School of Medicine at USU, the olfactory test will help identify brain trauma 

shortly after an event while on the front 

lines of combat.

“This study is the first to investigate 

olfactory impairment in combat casualties 

during the acute and subacute phase of injury,” Xydakis said.

The official name of the test is the 

Acute Military Measurement Olfaction 

(AMMO) identification test.

The olfactory system processes thousands of different odors, sending signals 

to the brain which interprets the smell by 

linking it to a past memory. If memory is 

impaired, as is the case with Alzheimer’s 

disease, sleep deprivation, and acute traumatic brain injury, the task is not entirely 

possible. When the smell test was abnormal 

in a subject, those soldiers were all found to 

have abnormalities on their brain scans.

For years, the Department of Defense 

has been looking for a rapid screening test 

to diagnose TBI. Xydakis said since olfactory difficulties are so commonly associated 

with damage to the brain, it could help determine who should be removed from the 

field for further testing.

“Ultimately, the compelling interest 

identified by the DoD is the development 

of an FDA-approved diagnostic instrument 

which will assist in-theater military providers in determining which troops, sustaining 

combat-related injuries, require advanced 

neuroimaging,” he said. 

Having an accurate test that can help 

better identify an acute brain injury won’t 

just help the service members with proper 

care, but it will also help reduce 

the resources it takes to transport patients in a hostile area.

“Getting a CT scan in 

a combat zone is often the 

equivalent distance of placing a soldier on a helicopter in 

Washington, D.C., and sending 

them to Boston,” he exclaimed. 

“It requires a significant investment in personnel and aviation 

resources, and not to mention 

flying troops over hostile terrain.”

Xydakis sees a broader 

use for the USU-developed test 

outside of just the military. It 

is designed for anyone on the 

frontlines and that includes first 

responders like police and firefighters who may be exposed to 

civilian polytrauma patients. 

Xydakis said the reaction 

from the medical community 

has been overwhelming. The 

test has been highlighted in 

dozens of publications, including the journal "Neurology".

As much pride and passion Xydakis said he is feeling 

regarding the test, he is enjoying that USU, 

as a whole, is taking center stage on such 

a large level to help deliver medical excellence.

Air Force Col. (Dr.) Michael Xydakis of the Department 

of Surgery in the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at 

USU wrote the report explaining the importance of linking 

loss of smell with TBI. (Courtesy photo)

“It’s exciting to me,” he said. “This 

continues to show USU’s dedication to providing the best quality combat care in medicine.”

The Bullard Lecture, named for the 

late USU associate dean for Graduate and 

Continuing Education Dr. John Bullard, 

will be given by Bruce Alberts, Ph.D., the 

chair in Biochemistry and Biophysics for 

Science and Education at the University 

of California, San Francisco. Dr. Alberts’ 

lecture is titled, “The Future of Biology: 

Keeping Science Healthy.” 

Joining Collins on Wednesday, May 

13, Kim Lewis, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor and Director of the 

Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Department of Biology at Northwestern University, will present the USU Postdoctoral 

Lecture, “The Quest for Novel Antibiotics.” 

Army Capt. Paul Joseph Crites, 

DDS, MS, Department of Oral Biology 

in USU’s Postgraduate Dental College, 

will deliver the Dental Award Lecture, 

“A Report on a Thesis: Microtensile Bond 

Strength of an Adhesive System Containing 

0.2% Chlorhexidine.” 

Rounding out the day’s talks on 

Wednesday will be the annual Wu and 

Leonard Award for Excellence in Research 

lectures. The awards are named for former 

USU department chairs, Henry C. Wu, 

Ph.D., and James J. Leonard, M.D. Army 

Lt. Col. (Dr.) Michael Ellis, deputy director of the Infectious Diseases Division in 

USU’s Department of Medicine, this year’s 

Leonard Award recipient, will give, “Prevention of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections 

in Military Trainees: Results from a Fieldbased Prospective,” while Michael J. Daly, 

Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology at USU, the Wu Award recipient, 

will present, “A Revolutionary Approach to 

Vaccine Development: Deinococcus radiodurans Mn Antioxidants.” 

Collins from Page 3
6 the pulse May 11, 2015

Jindal selected for Fulbright-Nehru U.S. 

Distinguished Chair to India

 by Eric D. Ritter, Writer/Editor

Dr. Rahul M. Jindal, Professor of Surgery and Global Health here at Uniformed 

Services University (USU), was recently 

selected for the Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Chair to India.

The scholarship program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and 

consists of 40 distinguished lecturing and 

research awards. The selection will provide 

Jindal the opportunity to teach and conduct 

research for the next four months in India 

on transplantation medicine.

“The Fulbright Award is probably 

one of the highest academic achievements,” 

Jindal said. "It allows me the opportunity to 

do research and teach in another country. 

My clinical and research work in the field 

of transplantation science and immunology 

strongly prepared me to apply for the program and ultimately be selected.”

The primary goal for Jindal there is to 

increase understanding of transplant tolerance in a large cohort of patients undergoing kidney transplantation. Specifically, to 

evaluate and analyze the clinical tolerance 

in living renal transplantation cases. The 

second goal is to give seminars on the principles and practice of organ transplantation. The emphasis of these lectures will be 

on transplant tolerance.

Jindal added that his selection for the 

Chair will also have direct positive impacts with USU staff and students.

“I took a study team from USU to 

India last September. As a result of this, 

we have signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Indian universities and will allow some of our final year 

students to spend time in India for electives (Surgery and Tropical Medicine),” 

he said. “We already have a MOU with 

the Armed Forces College of Medicine, 

Pune, India. Four of our students will 

travel there to spend four to six weeks this 

year and in later years. Jindal continued 

that the Fulbright award will strengthen 

the collaborations he’s been working on.

Jindal also said while he is there, he 

will use his position to increase the collaboration between military and civilian 

medicine.

“The scholarships have an enormous "name recognition" in India and 

other countries,” he said. “I will be able 

to leverage this to increase military-to-military and military-to-civilian partnerships 

with various entities in India. I hope to see 

that will have a positive long-term impact.”

Jindal concluded the award is one of 

the bigger personal and professional honors he’s experienced in his long surgical career.

“I was very excited to be selected as 

it will further my own career and also give 

recognition of the academic work done by 

our university,” Jindal said. “I will not only 

work at the host university in India, but 

also lecture in several other centers of excellence in India. I’m very pleased I’ve been 

allowed this opportunity.” 

Dr. Rahul M. Jindal, Professor of Surgery and 

Global Health USU, was recently selected for the 

Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Chair to India. 

(courtesy photo)

Adolescent female military dependents may be at higher risk than civilians 

for eating disorders and associated problems, according to a study released May 

8, 2015, in the online version of the International Journal of Eating Disorders. The 

study, “Comparison of Overweight and 

Obese Military-Dependent and Civilian 

Adolescent Girls with Loss-of-Control Eating,” gives insight into the additional vulnerabilities of adolescent female military 

dependents and shows that they reported 

more disordered eating and depression 

than civilians.

Researchers from the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health Sciences, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, and 

National Institute of Child Health and 

Human Development, led by Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, Ph.D., associate professor of 

Medical and Clinical Psychology and director, Developmental Research Laboratory 

on Eating and Weight Behaviors at USU’s 

F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, conducted a study of 23 female overweight 

adolescent military dependents and 105 

age- and BMI-matched civilian peers. All 

participants completed interview and questionnaire assessments of eating-related and 

general psychopathology, and metabolic 

function was measured for all participants. 

Military dependents reported more 

binge eating episodes over the previous 

three months compared to civilians. Seventeen percent of military dependents met 

criteria for Binge Eating Disorder as compared to only 2% of civilians. Compared 

to civilians, military dependents reported 

more shape, weight, and eating concerns. 

Military dependents also reported greater 

depressive symptoms. Also, although preliminary, findings suggested that military 

dependents may be more likely to have 

clinically significant insulin resistance than 

civilians.

“Previous research suggests that 

military dependents may face additional 

stressors compared to their civilian peers,” 

said Natasha Schvey, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Medical 

and Clinical Psychology at USU, and lead 

author of the study. “The present study suggests that even when girls are matched on 

known risk factors for obesity and eating 

disorders, adolescent military dependents 

may be at greater risk for poor physical and 

psychological outcomes.”

The authors say that these findings 

may demonstrate the unique vulnerability 

of military dependents and highlight a need 

to assess military dependents for eating-related and general psychopathology. 

Female children of service members more vulnerable to 

eating disorders, obesity than civilians

Courtesy of Medical and Clinical Psychology
7 the pulse May 11, 2015

Warrior Canine Connection connects with USU students

by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Laura Bailey, writer and photographer

The Uniformed Services University 

Psychology Club, along with the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, 

hosted a group of service dogs and their 

trainers, April 15, to demonstrate the benefits of having canine companions for veterans affected by psychological trauma.

The group from the Warrior Canine 

Connection (WCC) brought with them 

years of experience in social education the 

USU students can use in future psychological cases they feel a veteran can benefit 

from programs like that.

There are several local and national 

canine companion programs veterans have 

access to like Canine Companions for Independence, Vets Adopt Pets, American Vet 

Dogs and several others that are available 

for veterans to receive companion care. 

According to Army Lt. Kathryn Eckland, a medical and clinical psychology 

student at the F. Edward Hébert School of 

Medicine at USU and treasurer of the Psychology Club, “The WCC enlists recovering 

warriors in a therapeutic mission of learning to train service dogs for their fellow veterans.”

WCC executive director Rick Yount 

has been working with service dog for over 

two decades to develop therapeutic models 

designed to help military personnel with 

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 

traumatic brain injury (TBI). 

The warrior dog-training program 

provides a safe, effective, non-pharmaceutical intervention to help treat the symptoms 

of PTSD and TBI. The pilot program, established in 2008 at Palo Alto Veterans Affairs 

Men’s Trauma Recovery Program (TRP) in 

Menlo Park, Ca., became a highly respected 

intervention. 

The program expanded in 2009 to include Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s 

Warrior Transition Brigade in Washington, 

D.C. The canine program grew substantially when, in October 2010, WCC was 

asked to be part of the PTSD and TBI research, treatment and education mission at 

the National Intrepid Center of Excellence 

(NICoE). After that, the canine program 

became readily available to USU students 

interested in working with therapy dogs. 

Since its inception, the program has 

worked with thousands of service members and veterans who have participated 

in the program. For just one example of 

the program’s effectiveness, Yount recalled 

there was a Marine who had tried to take 

his own life a few months before entering 

the TRP, and weeks into the program, the 

Marine wouldn’t engage while refusing to 

talk to other Marines. He would just sit in 

the corner with his sunglasses on, twitching 

and stayed really angry. 

One day, Yount brought a service dog 

with him to the TRP and sat down with him 

next to the Marine. 

“I didn’t even try talking to him, because I knew it was pointless,” said Yount. 

“He wasn’t going to talk to me, but the dog 

was the secret weapon.”

The dog went up to the Marine and 

started nudging him on his leg. The Marine turned to the side as if to say he didn’t 

want anyone to bother him, let alone this 

dog, said Yount. So, the dog tried again to 

get the Marine’s attention by nudging him. 

This happened several more times. This dog 

wouldn’t stop until the Marine petted him, 

he said. 

“Finally this dog jumps up on the 

Marine’s lap and gives him a sweet little 

kiss on his cheek,” said Yount. “I’m sitting 

there watching out of the corner of 

my eye. Then I say [to the Marine], 

“Boy this dog really seems drawn 

to you, and I could really use some 

help to train this dog to help with 

wheelchairs and open doors to help 

out a veteran. If you wouldn’t mind, 

I could use your help.’”

He gave the Marine an application to become a trainer. The next 

morning he learned the Marine 

had filled out the application and 

slipped it under the therapist’s door. 

“Everything they were throwing at him [the Marine], all the therapies, all the hospitals he was at – in 

his heart of hearts, he [the Marine] 

didn’t feel like he deserved to feel 

better,” said Yount. “So, what we’re 

doing is flanking that resistance to 

treatment.”

He explained to Psychology Club members that often times, 

those who don’t feel they deserve 

to “feel better” just need the right 

“purpose” in order to propel them 

toward healing. 

“To take somebody [warriors] out of 

in-theater operations where their lives depend on each other working together and 

then pulling them out of that – I think you 

create such a void-of-purpose,” said Yount. 

“We need to do as much as we can to try 

and fill that.”

Training a service dog relieves symptoms of PTSD and TBI and provides a “social lubricant,” said Yount. 

“When he [the Marine] would go out 

with his beautiful golden retriever, rather than him being isolated, the dog pulled 

people into him,” he said. “It’s also a buffer.” 

Strangers are less likely to unintentionally ask questions that spark PTSD or TBI 

symptoms, he said. 

“It’s not ‘Hey, you were in the military. What did you do?’ It’s ‘Hey, what’s your 

dog’s name?’”

Yount told students there are several 

books, literature and websites veterans can 

read to get more information. They all work 

to explain the animal-human connection. 

Powerful brain chemistry is at work 

when wounded warriors train dogs, said 

Yount. Oxytocin, a feel-good hormone, releases in the brain causing a “profound 

Specially-trained therapy dogs were brought to USU 

by the Warrior Canine Connection to show students 

and staff the effectiveness of canine companionship 

to help ease symptoms of phycological issues such as 

PTSD. (Photo by MC3 Laura Bailey)

See K-9, Page 8
8 the pulse May 11, 2015

CDC Director Tom Frieden Delivers 2015 Packard Award Lecture 

by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Laura Bailey, writer and photographer

Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

presented “Ebola: Past, Present and Future 

and other Global Health Issues” during the 

2015 David Packard Award Lecture at the 

Uniformed Services University, April. 15.

Frieden's lecture primarily focused 

on the recent Ebola outbreak and timeline 

of events and emphasized that rapid intervention is key to responding to that type of 

global health situation. 

Frieden became director of the CDC 

in June 2009. He is especially known for his 

early work in tuberculosis control and the 

recent Ebola epidemic. 

“We believe that Ebola virus is enzootic,” said Frieden. 

Infected bats come into contact with 

primates or other mammals which then 

expose humans to the virus, he said. This 

“theory” is likely how the virus transmits 

from the animal to human world and how 

a single Ebola outbreak can become an epidemic. 

Frieden mentioned three core outbreak response essentials as identified by 

the CDC – speed, flexibility and making 

sure the front lines receive help first. Perhaps, of the three, speed is the most important, he said. 

In September 2014, the CDC predicted that Ebola cases would roughly triple for 

every month of delayed intervention. Rapid 

isolation and treatment of Ebola 

– or RITE treatment, developed 

by the CDC, addresses this concern. The CDC rightly predicted 

that employment of RITE treatment would lead to a rapid, exponential fall. 

“Response time matters 

more than it’s really possible to 

grasp,” said Frieden. “By getting 

there quickly we could cut duration of the outbreak in half and 

double survival.”

Frieden also discussed the 

collaboration between the CDC 

and the Department of Defense. 

“From my time as CDC director it’s been a very productive, 

constructive, respectful relationship between DoD and CDC and 

I look forward to a continuing 

and deepening partnership and 

collaboration.” 

The annual lecture was 

established by the University’s 

faculty senate in honor of Hewlett-Packard co-founder David 

Packard, who served as Deputy 

Secretary of Defense and USU’s 

second president in the 1970s. 

Previous Packard Award Lecturers include 

Nobel Laureate Dr. Stanley Prusiner and 

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, among 

many other distinguished scholars and scientists. 

Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC presents "Ebola and Other Global Health Threats: Past Present and 

Future" to attendees during the 2015 David Packard 

Lecture at USU. (photo by Tom Balfour)

sense of attachment” in the trainer and 

dog. Fear and anxiety decrease as a result, while trust between dog and human 

increases. 

“We try to get people [wounded 

warriors] to challenge their distorted cognitive thoughts,” said Yount. “In order to 

convince this dog that the world’s a safe 

place, you pretty much have to convince 

yourself. We’re seeing that something as 

simple as a sweet golden retriever bumping into you or using you as a pillow can 

sometimes do what eight different meds 

can’t do. It’s fascinating.”

According to many of the canine 

companion websites, their hope is that 

more research will provide more concrete 

scientific evidence that dogs provide powerful therapeutic support that improves 

the lives of wounded warriors and their 

loved ones.

More evidence is being sought out 

through current collaborations with researchers at NICOE, USU and private academic institutions. 

K-9, Cont. from page 7

The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences (USU) held its Class 

of 2015 Graduation Awards ceremony May 

7. 

More than 30 awards were presented 

to 38 members of the class, along with three 

School of Medicine faculty. Additionally, 

15 students were recognized for their induction into “Who’s Who Among Students 

in American Universities and Colleges,” 

and 16 were lauded for their role as student 

members of the School of Medicine Admissions Committee.

“In the years since the University and 

School were founded, the individual and 

collective achievements of our 5,000-plus 

alumni, and the talent and potential of this 

and every graduating class offer a powerful validation of Congressman F. Edward 

Hébert’s vision,” School of Medicine dean 

F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine 

Holds Graduation Awards Ceremony

By Sharon Holland Dr. Arthur Kellermann said in addressing 

the awards assembly. “As a few you know, 

my hobby is Twitter. On the way in to work 

today, I sent out two Tweets. The first said, 

‘Today is our annual awards day at “America’s Medical School,” when we recognize 

and celebrate the best of the best.’ The second read as follows: ‘It requires character 

and intellect to get admitted to USU, tenacity and discipline to graduate, and an extra 

dose of gift and grit to excel.’ 

“The values that Chairman Hébert 

displayed as he fought to create this University – foresight, tenacity and an indomitable will to succeed are on full display today. 

And yes, “gift and grit” are on display, too. 

Every student and faculty member we honor today embodies the values and personal 

characteristics Congressman Hébert hoped 

this University would foster. You are an inspiration to us all. If Congressman Hébert 

Awards Cont.Page 11
9 the pulse May 11, 2015

For the second time in a little more 

than a decade, Dr. Michael J. Daly, a professor of Pathology in the F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University (USU), has been selected 

as the recipient of the Henry Wu Award for 

Excellence in Research. 

The Wu Award recognizes a USU 

faculty member or AFRRI scientist who, in 

the estimation of their peers, has made the 

most significant published scientific contribution to basic science research during the 

past three years. The award is named for 

the late Dr. Henry Wu, former chair of the 

School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology at USU. The recipient of the award 

gives his/her award lecture at the session 

named in honor of Dr. Wu during USU’s 

Research Days, and receives a memento 

and a cash award of $2,500. 

Daly’s award was based on his paper, 

“A reconstituted Mn2+-peptide complex of 

Deinococcus radiodurans preserves immunogenicity of lethally irradiated vaccines 

against viruses and Staphylococcus aureus,” 

published in Cell Host Microbe 12,117-124 

(2012), E. K. Gaidamakova, I. A. Myles, D. 

P. McDaniel, C. J. Fowler, P. A. Valdez, M. 

Gayen, P. Gupta, A. Sharma, P. J. Glass, R. 

K. Maheshwari, S. K. Datta and Michael J. 

Daly. 

Daly joined the Pathology department at USU in 1992, following completion of his PhD degree in genetics at 

Queen Mary, University of London, and 

a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of 

Health. Since joining the faculty, the focus 

of his research has been the genetic development of the extremely radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans 

as a system to study DNA repair, as a model 

for functional genomics, for cleanup of radioactive waste sites, and most recently, for 

the development of vaccines against whole 

pathogens. 

Based on a rubric for DNA recombination in yeast used as a postdoc at NIH, 

Daly was the first to develop a variety of 

novel techniques to study ionizing radiation-induced gene conversions and crossovers in D. radiodurans. A turning point 

for his laboratory was in 1996 when D. radiodurans was chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as one of the first 

free-living organisms subjected to whole-genome sequencing. He published, along with 

collaborators at The Institute 

for Genomic Research in 

Rockville, Md., two genome 

papers in Science in 1999 – one 

reporting its Sequence and the 

other reporting its mapping. 

Between 1999 and 2006, 

using the whole-genome sequence as a guide, his group 

engineered D. radiodurans for 

bioremediation of radioactive 

mixed waste sites. In 2001, they 

published a comparative genomics review which included 

predictions on D. radiodurans 

operon organization, and some 

of the earliest evidence for horizontal gene transfer. In 2002, 

with DOE collaborators, they 

published breakthrough research in PNAS, which validated functional predictions by a 

whole-proteome, mass-spectrometry-based approach using Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FTICR). The following year, they 

published a second, related D. radiodurans 

paper in PNAS that reported the construction and utilization of one of the world’s 

first whole-genome microarrays. 

Since then, Daly and others have 

shown that few of the uncharacterized 

genes, at least individually, make a substantial contribution to recovery of irradiated D. radiodurans, and his focus shifted 

to cell-cleaning functions. In 2004, as first 

and corresponding author, Daly reported in Science the identification of a widespread Mn2+-dependent, nonenzymic 

mechanism required for extreme radiation 

resistance. In an article published in PLoS 

Biology, as first and corresponding author, 

he showed that intracellular Mn2+ ions accumulated in resistant bacteria protect proteins. Since then, his group has identified 

key radioprotective Mn2+-peptide complexes in D. radiodurans, reporting their 

structural properties in PNAS, with Daly as 

a corresponding author, in 2013. 

In April 2012, as senior/corresponding author, Daly published a breakthrough 

paper in Cell Host Microbe on how to apply reconstituted Mn antioxidants of D. 

radiodurans to the production of irradiated vaccines – a novel approach that could 

expedite vaccine production for emerging 

and established pathogens for which no 

protective vaccines exist. 

Daly’s reconstituted D. radiodurans 

Mn2+-peptide-Pi complex now forms the 

basis of a powerful new irradiated vaccine 

approach which is being marketed and licensed by HJF. Ionizing radiation-induced 

destruction of a pathogen’s genome is desired, while radiation-induced damage to 

the structural proteins (epitopes, etc.) is 

counterproductive to the preservation of 

antigenic potency. Under normal aqueous 

irradiation conditions, proteins, DNA and 

RNA are similarly damaged in a dose-dependent manner by gamma-rays. This destroys most protein epitopes at doses required to irreversibly inactivate a pathogen’s 

genome. The Deinococcus Mn antioxidants 

uncouple protein and nucleic acid damage during supralethal irradiation (e.g., 50 

kGy), leaving protein epitopes undamaged 

and their macromolecular structures intact, 

while obliterating a pathogen’s genome - essentially yielding an “ideal” vaccine. Viruses and bacteria “bathed” in Mn2+-peptidePi and exposed to 40-50 kGy are killed by 

genome damage, but their lifeless “shells” 

retain the capacity to generate highly protective neutralizing antibodies in animals. 

Daly receives second Henry Wu Award

Courtesy Article

Dr. Michael Daly has been selected for this year's Henry 

Wu Award for Excellence in Research. (Photo by Tom Balfour)
10 the pulse May 11, 2015

Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Michael W. Ellis was selected for the 2014-2015 James 

Leonard Award for Excellence in Clinical 

Research. 

The Leonard award, named for the 

late USU Department of Medicine chair, 

Dr. James J. Leonard, recognizes a USU 

faculty member or AFRRI scientist who, in 

the estimation of their peers, has made the 

most significant published scientific contribution to translational or clinical research 

during the past three years. The recipient 

of the award gives his/her award lecture at 

the session named in honor of Dr. Leonard 

during USU’s Research Days, and receives a 

memento and a cash award of $2,500. 

Ellis was nominated for his 2014 

publication, “Hygiene strategies to prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus 

aureus skin and soft-tissue infections: a 

cluster-randomized controlled trial among 

high-risk military trainees,” by M. W. Ellis, 

C.D. Schlett, E.V. Millar, K.J. Wilkins, K.B. 

Crawford, S.M. Morrison-Rodriguez, L.A. 

Pacha, R.J. Gorwitz, J.B. Lanier, and D.R. 

Tribble, published in Clinical Infectious 

Diseases (Vol.58 Issue 12, pages 1540-1548, 

2014) and follows a decade-long series of 

clinical research studies in the field. 

The Center for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) ranks methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among 

its “serious threat” antimicrobial resistant 

pathogens. Although MRSA skin and 

soft-tissue infections (SSTI) have become 

widespread, they appear to disproportionately affect certain high risk groups, which 

include military service members. Most 

recent data indicate that SSTI account for 

approximately 1,500 hospitalizations and 

65,000 ambulatory clinic visits in active 

duty personnel each year. Moreover, SSTI 

is second only to influenza and pneumonia 

among infectious causes for hospitalization 

during the first two years of military service. 

These infections occur in the deployed service member, but the hardest hit 

by these infections are soldiers in training. 

At Georgia’s Fort Benning, the majority of 

cultured SSTI are MRSA and annual rates 

of medically-attended MRSA SSTI have 

been reported as high as 42 per 1,000, with 

3% of SSTI patients requiring hospitalizaDr. Michael Ellis Named Leonard Award Recipient

Courtesy Article

tions. These infections 

are also costly. It has 

been estimated that each 

MRSA SSTI has a direct 

cost of approximately 

$2,200-3,000. Given the 

number of MRSA SSTI, 

these infections cost the 

U.S. Army alone $14-32 

million annually. 

Ellis has been at 

the forefront of MRSA 

prevention within the 

Department of Defense 

and results from his cited work have informed 

the U.S. Army Training 

and Doctrine Command 

infection prevention policies. He first completed 

a large longitudinal observational study determining the importance 

of MRSA nasal colonization in military trainees 

for which he was recognized in 2005 with the 

Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Emanuel 

Wolinksy award, given 

for the best original manuscript in Clinical 

Infectious Diseases, the Society’s clinical 

journal. 

Ellis has pioneered efforts to understand and prevent methicillin-resistant 

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections 

in the military population. Over the years, 

he has emerged as a nationally-recognized 

leader in the field of MRSA epidemiology, 

pathogenesis, and prevention. 

Conducting large-scale clinical research in a military training population 

poses numerous challenges. Ellis has assembled and leads a team of investigators 

from numerous agencies, departments, and 

specialized areas, which include the CDC, 

the National Institutes of Health, Naval 

Medical Research Command, and several 

USU departments. Executing this research 

required Ellis to develop a robust field site 

at Fort Benning, Ga., with clinical research 

coordinators and microbiology laboratory assets. This site, which has been active 

for five years, is the only research site of its 

kind where military-relevant research can 

be studied in large trainee populations. 

The study cited above relates the 

results of a CDC-funded two-year fieldbased, cluster-randomized trial aimed at 

assessing personal hygiene measures to 

prevent skin and soft-tissue infections 

(SSTI) among military trainees at Fort 

Benning, Georgia. Dr. Ellis led his team 

in developing a rigorous prospective study 

design, where weekly use of chlorhexidine 

body wash was a critical component of this 

prevention trial. The primary endpoints 

were incidence of overall SSTI and MRSA 

SSTI. This trial included more than 30,000 

trainees. Dr. Ellis and his team found that 

personal hygiene and education measures, 

including once-weekly use of chlorhexidine 

body wash, did not prevent overall SSTI but 

demonstrated limited effectiveness against 

MRSA SSTI among high-risk military 

trainees. Nevertheless, these results suggest 

that there may be a role for chlorhexidine in 

community-based prevention strategies. 

Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Michael W. Ellis has been selected for the 

2014-2015 James Leonard Award for Excellence in Clinical Research. (Photo by Tom Balfour)
11 the pulse May 11, 2015

is looking down on these proceedings – and 

I think he is – I bet he has a big grin on his 

face. We do, too.”

This year’s honorees were:

Vice Admiral James A. Zimble Valedictorian Award: Army 2nd Lt. Timothy Blood 

and Air Force 2nd Lt. Lauren Van Decar

Association of Military Surgeons of the 

United States (AMSUS) Award: Navy Ens. 

Sean Simmons

Surgeon General Awards: 

United States Army Surgeon General 

Award: 2nd Lt. Elena Zitzman

United States Navy Surgeon General 

Award: Ens. Willis Lyford

United States Air Force Surgeon General 

Award: 2nd Lt. Robert Lystrup

United States Public Health Service Surgeon General Award: Ens. Jaren Meldrum

Service Awards:

Navy League Award, Sponsored by the 

National Capital Council of the Navy 

League: Ens. Lyndsey Kiss

Air Force Association Award, Sponsored 

by the Nation’s Capital Chapter of the Air 

Force Association: 2nd Lt. Erin Grindlay

Association of the United States Army 

Award, sponsored by the Association of the 

United States Army: 2nd Lt. Megan Garcia

National Association for Uniformed Services Admiral James Zimble Selfless Service Award: Army 2nd Lt. John Green

Faculty Awards:

School of Medicine Outstanding Biomedical Graduate Educator Award: 

Cara H. Olsen, MS, DrPH, associate professor, Department of Preventive Medicine 

and Biostatistics School of Medicine

Outstanding Civilian Educator Award:

Edward Jones, MS, instructor, Department 

of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics

William P. Clements, Jr., Award: Army Lt. 

Col. (Dr.) Justin Woodson, associate professor, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine

Named Awards:

Emma Bockman Award: Army 2nd Lt. 

Mitchell Harris; Honorable Mention: 

Army 2nd Lt. Christopher Stark

John F. Maher Award: Air Force 2nd Lt. 

Shira Paul

Marcia Salzer Award for Humanism in 

Medicine: Army 2nd Lt Ryan Akrami

Angeline Lazarus Navy Chapter of the 

American College of Physicians Award for 

Outstanding Achievement: Navy Ens. Natalie Slepski

Gregory Argyros Army Chapter of the 

American College of Physicians Outstanding Achievement Award: Army 2nd Lt. David Cook

Jeffrey P. Kavolius Award for Academic 

Excellence: Army 2nd Lt. Samuel Burns

Enrique Cervantes Agurre Medical Education Award: Air Force 2nd Lt. Robert 

Lystrup

The Mabuhay Award: Navy Ensigns Sara 

Drayer, Lyndsey Kiss, and Andrew Woodhouse, and Army 2nd Lts. Nicole Laferrier 

and Elena Zitzman

The Captain Richard Hooper Memorial 

Award: Army 2nd Lt. Christopher Stark

The Llewellyn J. Legters Foreign Area 

Medical Studies Award: Air Force 2nd Lt. 

Joshua Fields

A. Bernard Pleet Outstanding Student in 

Neurology Award: Air Force 2nd Lt. Lauren Van Decar

LTC Daniel Kayanan AMSUS Military 

Medicine Award: Navy Ens. Sara Drayer

Specialty Awards:

Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 

Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award: 

Navy Ens. Ellen Lesh

Government Services Chapter of the 

American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency Medicine Award: Air 

Force 2nd Lt. Elizabeth Chen

Air Force Chapter of the American College 

of Physicians Award: Air Force 2nd Lt. 

Joshua Fields

Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians Outstanding Student of the 

Year Award: Navy Ens. Chase Hughes and 

Air Force 2nd Lt. Robert Lystrup

Armed Forces District American College 

of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) 

Outstanding Student in OB/GYN Award:

Army 2nd Lt Megan Pagan

Pathology Honor Society Award: Army 

2nd Lts. Ryan Akrami, Jonathan Jeter, and 

Bart Wilkison, Navy Ensigns Kelly Haensler and Todd Life, and Public Health Service Ens. Christopher Morris

Outstanding Student in Pediatrics Award: 

Air Force 2nd Lt. Erin Grindlay

American Academy of Pediatrics, Uniformed Services Chapter East, Outstanding Achievement in Pediatrics Award:

Army 2nd Lt. Lauren Staiger

Outstanding Student in Psychiatry Award: 

Navy Ens. Willis Lyford

Who’s Who Among Students in 

American Universities and Colleges:

Navy Ensigns Thomas Allen, Kelly Haeusler, Willis Lyford, Sean Mock, Sean Simmons, Jessica Winters and Andrew Woodhouse, Army 2nd Lts. Noel Dunn and Bart 

Wilkison, and Air Force 2nd Lts. Joshua 

Fields, Robert Lystrup, Meghan Olsen, 

Mark Prats, Jaren Meldrum, and Hal Willardson

Admissions Committee Certificates of Appreciation:

Navy Ensigns Mary Carrington, Sara Drayer, Tracey Honohan, Chase Hughes, Lyndsey Kiss, Todd Lilje, Willis Lyford, Jordan 

Lyons, Lan Nguyen, and James Prieto, Air 

Force 2nd Lts. Maggie Castile, Elizabeth 

Chen, Joshua Fields, Douglas Katein-Taylor, and Brian Stephens, and Army 2nd Lt. 

Gabrielle Rolland

Awards From Page 8

A group of students from the class of 2015 display their awards following the graduation 

awards ceremony at the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences (USU) May 7. More than 30 awards were presented to 38 

members of the class, along with three School of Medicine faculty. (Photo by Tom Balfour)
12 the pulse May 11, 2015

Final Frame

USU's Learning Resource Center gets new study carrels. The new carrels have soundproofing, thicker foam 

cushions, safer stairs to the upper decks and are certified for low emissions of Volitile Organic Compounds. 

(photo by MC3 Laura Bailey)