USU Newsletter

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 20 WWW.USUHS.MIL December 9, 2009
USU Newsletter

On the cover:

Through a combination of events at USU 

and NNMC, campus parking has become 

a “full-blown parking crisis.” However, the 

University has been exploring alternative 

parking solutions to resolve the problem.

PAGE 2

Bill Bester 

Acting Vice President for

 External Affairs and 

Managing Editor

Ken Frager

Public Affairs Specialist

Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine

Production Editor

MC1 Chad Hallford

Layout and Design

Christine Creenan

Contributing Writer

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 bi-weekly on Mondays. 

The deadline for submissions is 

at 4 p.m. Friday prior to the publication date. Submissions can be 

sent to usunewsletter@usuhs.mil 

or by calling 301 295-0895. 

by Ken Frager

A recent e-mail from USU President 

Charles L. Rice highlighted the “fullblown parking crisis” the USU community is dealing with. 

While parking has been challenging at 

USU at times, the combination of events 

and construction projects throughout 

the USU and NNMC campus has raised 

this crisis to a whole new level. It also 

has led to some changes to address immediate short- and long-term challenges 

triggering planning efforts to reduce the 

chance for this type of a problem in the 

future. Added to the increased traffic 

was an unannounced increased level of 

enforcement by base police.

“We have known that parking challenges were growing, causing increased 

frustration and concern for students, 

faculty and staff,” said Dr. Rice. “However, the construction here at the University and on the base, the return of the 

third- and fourth- year medical students 

for intercession, the sponsoring of conferences and events that bring additional 

vehicles to the campus and the overall 

growth in the University population, has 

created a major parking issue. Further 

exacerbating the problem, and one of the 

immediate areas that we have addressed, 

has been a lack of timely advanced notice 

about the loss of parking spaces external 

to the campus, which has made identifying alternative parking solutions even 

more difficult.” 

Accompanying the request to NNMC 

leadership for advanced notification 

of changes, USU staff have begun an 

ongoing evaluation of potential parking 

opportunities and made some short-term 

Parking crisis being addressed

changes including:

• Relocating construction and contractor employee vehicles away from campus 

parking areas, freeing spaces along Stone 

Lake Road.

• Returning recently lost parking along 

Stone Lake Road. NNMC removed the 

tape blocking the spaces and “lining” of 

the spaces will begin soon.

• Continuing ongoing dialogue with 

NNMC and base leadership to come up 

with creative ideas for reducing parking 

shortages, including potentially increasing the availability of shuttles to the 

metro throughout the work day, which 

could make mass transit more acceptable 

to a larger audience.

• Re-evaluating how USU-sponsored 

conferences and educational schedule 

can be better programmed to identify 

times where parking impact could be 

lessened.

Base police will continue to ticket 

vehicles that are illegally parked (particularly in emergency vehicle access lanes) 

in University spaces or in areas where No 

Parking signs are posted. “As frustrating 

and stressful as the parking situation is 

currently, we can’t jeopardize the safety 

of the campus community,” said Dr. Rice. 

We will continue to provide updated 

parking options and notices in the USU 

Newsletter and through other communications means.

“Suggestions for ways to reduce the 

parking pains are always welcome. In 

fact,” said Dr. Rice, “if you can find a way 

for two or more masses to occupy the 

same space, please let me know.” 

Suggestions may be directed to the 

President’s Open Door Program at 

http://www.usuhs.mil/dre/landing.html.

by Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine

The USU alumni book store now offers online purchasing through its new 

Web site, www.usualumnibookstore.com. 

The site offers USU merchandise 

including decals and bumper stickers, 

drinkware, apparel and books.

USU book store now available online

The alumni bookstore site also has 

links to its book distributors, so students 

on rotation and others out of the area 

can order books directly. 

“This is a good opportunity for not 

only our students, but for alumni and 

families,” said Matt Landman, the book 

store manager. 
PAGE 3

U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. David Herndon

by MC1 Chad Hallford

Air Force Lt. Col. Marla De Jong, 

Ph. D., replaced outgoing Army Lt. Col. 

Deborah Kenny, Ph.D., as executive 

director, TriService Nursing Research 

Program (TSNRP) earlier this fall.

Kenny is slated to retire from the 

Army Nurse Corps at the end of the year 

and is expected to start as the associate 

dean of research at the Beth-El College 

of Nursing and Health Sciences University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

De Jong carries the torch of the TSNRP onward, bringing her own extensive 

nursing science and practice background, 

including two self-conducted TSRNPfunded studies.

“Lieutenant Colonel Kenny left 

behind a wonderful program with a 

solid foundation and developing legacy,” 

said De Jong. “She encouraged me to 

continue to ensure the program’s growth 

and maturity since there are unprecedented possibilities to expand military 

nursing research.”

De Jong received her Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Kentucky in 

2005 and her previous assignment was as 

the Air Force program manager for the 

DoD Blast Injury Research Program’s 

Coordinating Office at Ft. Detrick, Md.

The TSNRP’s mission is to facilitate 

military nursing research and translate 

the findings into practice — improving 

patient outcomes.

“For a while, military nurses had 

pending research questions but no 

primary mechanism for funding the necessary studies,” said De Jong.

Hence, TSNRP exists primarily to 

provide grant funding and oversight 

for military unique research within the 

scope of nursing science. In addition, 

TSNRP educates nurse scientists on 

topics such as grantsmanship and writing for publication.

TriService Nursing welcomes new leadership

Then-Cadet 1st Class Bryan Lawson looks at a cell culture through a microscope with Air 

Force Lt. Col. Marla De Jong, Ph.D., supervising during her tour of duty at Wilford Hall 

Medical Center on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Lawson was a student in the Cadet 

Summer Research Program, and was a biochemistry major at the U.S. Air Force Academy. De Jong, the new executive director of the TriService Nursing Research Program, 

was the 59th Clinical Research Squadron director of nursing research at Wilford Hall. 

 “As opportunities to foster collaborative and multi-disciplinary research 

with USU and other federal agencies 

and academic institutions develop, 

we will encourage our community 

to engage in research endeavors that 

advance the science across boundaries 

and along the continuum of patient 

care,” said De Jong. 

Iraqi researchers tour AFRRI

photo by Dave Morse

Scientists from the Iraqi Ministry of Science and 

Technology toured the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) recently and 

attended a seminar on the Institute’s highthroughput dicentric analysis program. They 

were accompanied by AFRRI representatives 

and University of Maryland officials. The Iraqi 

scientists were in the United States for a course 

at USU on linear accelerators and their advantages over cobalt sources for research. Earlier 

in the tour, AFRRI Radiation Safety Officer Anna 

Teachout provided instruction on radiation safety 

associated with linear accelerator operations.
AFRRI receives award from American Nuclear Society

photo by Dave Morse

PAGE 4

by Donna Solyan

The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) was presented 

the American Nuclear Society (ANS) 

Nuclear Historic Landmark Award at 

a Nov. 17 ceremony recognizing the 

Institute as the United States’ primary 

source of medical nuclear and radiological research, preparedness and training. 

ANS Honors and Awards Committee Chair Robert C. Little presented 

the award to AFRRI Deputy Director Army Col. Donald E. Hall at the 

Society’s luncheon in Washington, D.C.

The award recognizes sites or facilities 

that have been in operation for at least 

20 years and where outstanding physical 

accomplishments were instrumental in 

the development and implementation 

of nuclear technology and the peaceful 

uses of nuclear energy.

“We are especially honored to have 

received this recognition from an organization made up of our peers,” said Hall, 

in reflecting on the awards ceremony.

The ANS is a nonprofit, international, 

scientific and educational organization 

that promotes the awareness and understanding of the application of nuclear 

science and technology.

Its membership encompasses some 

11,000 engineers, scientists, administrators, and educators from more than 

1,600 corporations, educational instituStephen I. Miller, head of the AFRRI Radiation Sciences Department (right foreground), 

explains the operation of the Mark-F TRIGA research reactor to visitors from the American Nuclear Society. Host for the tour was AFRRI Deputy Director Army Col. Donald E. 

Hall (left foreground). G. David Ledney, Ph.D., a senior AFRRI research biologist (far 

left), also briefed the group. 

tions and government agencies. 

A number of ANS attendees visited 

the Institute on Nov. 19 and toured the 

facility, including the Mark-F TRIGA 

(Training, Research, Isotopes, General 

Atomics) research reactor, the cobalt60 facility, and the cobalt-60 low-level 

irradiation facility, all licensed by the 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Attendees were briefed on AFRRI’s 

core research mission involving the 

prevention, assessment and treatment of 

the effects of ionizing radiation, along 

with AFRRI’s medical training program 

and its emergency response to managing 

incidents related to radiation exposure.

The Institute is one of approximately 

70 ANS-designated historic landmarks. 

Others include the Japan Research Reactor No. 3, Belgian Reactor 1, and the 

USS Nautilus, Groton, Connecticut. 

The Society will present an inscribed 

plaque during a ceremony to be held at 

the Institute in the near future.

USU Department Chair honored for service

Army Col. (Dr.) David G. Burris, 

chair of the Norman Rich Department 

of Surgery, USU, was recently honored 

by the American College of Surgeons 

Committee on Trauma (COT) for his 

exceptional service.

“Colonel Burris is a pillar of strength 

in our academic leadership team. I 

congratulate him for his well earned 

College of Surgeons Committee on 

Trauma award,” said Dr. Larry Laughlin, Dean, F. Edward Hébert School of 

Medicine.

The COT presented Burris with the 

2009 ATLS Meritorious Achievement Award during its annual 

banquet in Chicago for his unselfish commitment and dedication to 

Advanced Trauma Life Support. His 

award presentation is featured in the 

October 2009 Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons.

Burris, who was named acting 

chair of the department in December 

2003 and made permanent in January 2006, has been actively teaching 

ATLS for more than 20 years.

Courtesy photo
PAGE 5

by Sharon Willis

Louis N. Pangaro, M.D., chair 

of USU’s Department of Medicine, 

was recently named as a Master of 

the American College of Physicians 

(MACP). 

Pangaro, a retired Army Colonel, is 

a member of the ACP’s Army Chapter 

and received the honor based on his 

many contributions to Army medicine, 

medical education and to the ACP.

“Dr. Pangaro is an established scholar 

and academic leader. I am very pleased 

that the ACP has recognized him as 

such,” said Dr. Larry Laughlin, Dean, 

F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, 

USU.

by the USU Environmental Health and 

Occupational Safety office

The USU Environmental Health and Occupational Safety 

office would like to wish the entire university family a safe, 

happy and joyous holiday season. 

The EHS office would also like to remind USU that 

maintaining good health and safety practices throughout the 

holidays will help ensure a happy holiday season. Here are 

some tips: 

• Have realistic plans. This will reduce the strain of juggling 

tasks, duties, errands and appointments. 

• Stick to your lists and your budget. Overspending is a 

common source of Christmas stress. 

• Learn how to say "no" to less important activities. Be selective. Don't over-schedule. If you limit yourself to two social 

events per week, you won't run down your batteries. 

• Plan parties or shopping trips with family and friends, in 

order to cut down on the number of events and responsibilities. 

• Schedule some "down time" to use for rest and reflection. 

• Keep your sense of humor. 

• Establish your own standards, and don't be governed by 

other's expectations or demands. 

• Don't skip meals or live on snacks because you are “too 

busy.” 

• Don't sacrifice your exercise program as you get busier. 

• Being alone this time of year can be depressing. Don't let 

someone you know spend the holidays alone. 

• Carry a plastic bottle of sand mixed with rock-salt in the 

trunk of your car. If you get stuck on sheet ice, sprinkling 

some around the tire may provide traction. Filling empty 

gallon paint cans with sand and replacing the lids also works, 

instead of bags. Roofing shingles also work well. 

• When shoveling snow, take your time and don't try to 

do too much at once. If wet snow sticks to your snow shovel, 

spray the shovel with spray shortening. 

• Don't pick up the pan your turkey is roasting in and discover that the "hot mitt" gloves you are wearing don't provide 

enough insulation. Check to make sure before you lift the pan. 

• If you have a new puppy or child in the house, don't decorate your tree with popcorn garlands, candy canes or other 

edibles. Even big trees can be toppled over by little people and 

animals. 

• When the gas tank in your car gets to half full, fill it up. 

You never know when a massive traffic jam will snare you. 

• Walk your dog at lunch time. It is safer than trying to do 

it in the dark before or after work. You can see icy patches 

more clearly, and motorists can also see you better. 

• Traffic jams, sudden storms and detours might mean that 

you have to spend much longer than you planned in your car. 

It can take two to three hours to drive as little as 15 miles on 

an icy road. Put together a winter-driving kit, including a pair 

of gloves, a warm hat and a blanket. 

• Ensure smoke detectors work and have a fire extinguisher 

handy. Consider giving these lifesaving devices as holiday gifts 

to friends and family members. 

• Don't burn wrapping paper in your fireplace. The colored 

inks can produce toxic fumes. 

• Choose age-appropriate gifts for children. Adhere to 

warning labels and age restrictions on packages. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has lots of information on 

its Web site, www.cpsc.gov. The site also has a list of product 

recalls. 

According to the ACP, Masters 

comprise a small group of highly 

distinguished physicians, selected from 

among Fellows of the ACP. 

They are recommended by the 

Awards Committee for election 

to Mastership by the ACP Board 

of Regents and have achieved 

recognition in medicine because of 

personal character, positions of honor, 

contributions towards furthering the 

purposes of the ACP, eminence in 

practice or in medical research, or other 

attainments in science or in the art of 

medicine.

Pangaro was selected for chair in 

June 2008, and started teaching at USU 

in 1979. 

Pangaro selected for ACP mastership

Maintaining health, safety through holidays 
by Sharon Willis

Sometimes it takes a team to unite a 

country — a small team made up of representatives from the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences (USU), 

the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for 

the Advancement of Military Medicine 

(HJF) and the Tug McGraw Foundation 

(TMF).

Country United: Advancing Medicine 

from the Frontlines to the Homefront, 

held in November in Washington, D.C., 

was a two-day event dedicated to supporting advances in medical care and 

quality of life for battle-wounded, ill and 

injured service members.

The event was nearly a year and a half 

in the making, and came on the heels of 

last year’s successful USU-HJF Symposium, a one-day meeting coordinated by 

HJF that brought together military and 

civilian researchers and clinicians, military 

leadership, and private partners to create 

greater awareness of the military medical 

system’s achievements and capabilities 

and facilitate military-civilian collaborations to advance medical care for service 

members and their families. 

Research in TBI, PTSD and other 

neurologic insults also inform scientific 

investigation into brain cancer. This year, 

TMF partnered with HJF for the Country 

United events because of their recognition 

of the value of military-civilian partnerships advancing neurological research.

“By sharing their strengths, military 

and civilian scientists can hasten scientific 

discovery not only in the neurosciences, but 

also in many other areas,” said Cynthia Gilman, HJF’s Special Assistant to the President for the Advancement of Collaborative 

Relationships. “For example, public-private 

research partnerships in orthopedics and rehabilitation have contributed to tremendous 

advances in prosthetic technologies that 

benefit not only our brave warriors, but also 

civilians. Our goal this year was to encourage more of these types of collaborations.”

Many months of planning, led by HJF 

employees Gilman, and Kelly Huegel, development public relations manager, along 

with Jennifer Brusstar, CEO of TMF, and 

Bill Bester, acting vice president for External Affairs, and Sharon Willis, deputy 

vice president for External Affairs, from 

USU, yielded the Partnership for Military 

Medicine Symposium, the first of the 

two-day Country United events. 

The symposium opening keynote 

remarks were given by Gen. James Amos, 

Assistant Commandant of the Marine 

Corps. The symposium itself was divided 

into three topic panels: humanitarian 

assistance, traumatic brain injury and 

post-traumatic stress, and global infectious diseases, made up of participants 

from the Military Health System, the 

National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services and 

other federal agencies, along with civilian 

health care and policy experts. Each of 

the topics proved timely — a devastating 

earthquake and flooding in the Philippines 

in August, followed by a tsunami in Samoa 

in September; the H1N1 outbreak; and 

the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the events at Fort Hood 

were all reflected in each panel’s theme 

and discussions. The wrap-up panel was 

comprised of an assortment of prominent 

military and civilian representatives who 

discussed a variety of health-related topics 

affecting the military, as well as highlighted areas of research that could benefit 

from public-private partnerships.

In all, there were more than 200 symposium attendees and 20 exhibitors.

“The Partnership for Military Medicine 

Symposium is representative of HJF’s 

commitment to supporting USU and the 

broader military medical system,” said 

Huegel. “It’s an honor for us to work in 

partnership with some of the finest and 

most dedicated researchers and clinicians 

Country United: Advancing Medicine

in the world. The symposium was an opportunity to let civilians know about the 

tremendous work they’re doing and to 

encourage public-private collaborations to 

hasten advances in medical research.”

Grammy and multiple-award winning artists Tim McGraw and Faith 

Hill served as the Country United 

co-hosts. Ms. Hill delivered the symposium luncheon keynote address. The 

pair, along with fellow Country music 

artist Keith Anderson and McGraw’s 

band, the Dance Hall Doctors, took time 

between events to visit wounded warriors 

at the National Naval Medical Center. 

The USU Alumni Association supplied 

lunch and musical entertainment was 

provided for a gathering of injured service 

members, their families, and a number of 

health care providers from the hospital, 

along with a handful of students from 

USU in the NNMC dining hall, during 

which the entertainers signed autographs 

and posed for photographs.

The second major event, the Country United Gala, was held at Mellon 

Auditorium in Washington, D.C., and 

featured performances by McGraw, Hill 

and Anderson, as well as both a live and 

silent auction. Volunteers from USU, HJF, 

TMF, and a number of organizations provided assistance throughout the evening. 

Proceeds from the event will be used to 

further medical research and clinical care. 

“I’ve seen firsthand the power of military and civilian research collaborations 

and how they’ve helped to speed advances 

in medical care for our wounded warriors,” 

said John Lowe, President and CEO of 

HJF. “As a nation, we owe it to those who 

protect and defend us to provide them 

with the best care possible. The goal of the 

gala was to both honor our service members and those who care for them, and to 

help accelerate military medical research.”

“The Henry M. Jackson Foundation 

and the Tug McGraw Foundation accomplished an amazing feat in organizing and 

presenting the Country United event,” 

said USU President Charles L. Rice. 

“This is a wonderful illustration of one 

of the innumerable ways HJF supports 

USU. The university is indebted to Mr. 

John Lowe, Ms. Cynthia Gilman and Ms. 

Kelly Huegel for their tireless efforts in 

making this such a success.”

PAGE 6

John Lowe, President, HJF
Joint Holiday Ball tickets: 

Tickets are now available for the 

2009 Joint Holiday Ball sponsored 

by the Joint Task Force National 

Capital Region Medical and tenant 

commands. 

Tickets are $10 each for E-4s, 

GS-4s and below; $20 each for E-5 to 

E-6, GS-5 to GS-6 and YA-02/O-1 

to O-2; and $40 each for E-7s, GS-7s, 

YA/YC-03s, O-3 and above. 

The event will be held at the Show 

Place Arena from 6 p.m. to midnight 

Dec. 12. The social hour begins at 

6 p.m. 

Dress for the occasion is formal for 

civilians and formal or military dress 

for military. 

For more information, contact Army 

Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Woods at 295-

9562. 

License plates:

The USU Alumi Bookstore still has 

USU organizational license plates available for purchase. 

Most of the first 50 license plate 

numbers have already been assigned. 

For more information about reserving 

your USU Maryland license plates, call 

Matt Landman at 295-3686. 

Helpdesk Closure:

The UIS helpdesk is closed for training on Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. 

During this time, you can leave a 

voicemail message at 295-9800, utilize 

the HEAT Self Service (http://www.

usuhs.mil/uis/forms/trouble.html), or 

email help@usuhs.mil. 

If an emergency should arise, please 

call 295-9870.

Ornaments available:

The 2009 White House Ornaments 

are now back in stock at the University 

bookstore.

This year’s ornament commemorates 

the 24th presidency and is the second 

of two produced in Grover Cleveland’s 

honor by the White House Historical 

Association. The price for each ornament is $16.95 each plus tax.

In addition to the White House 

ornament, the bookstore also has the 

commemorative Walter Reed 2009 ornaments. The price for these ornaments 

is $15.00 each plus tax.

If customers may call to have ornaments held. However, the bookstore will 

only hold them until the end of that 

business day. If customers would like 

them held longer, payment will need to 

be made when the hold request is made.

For more information about getting 

these ornaments, call Matt Landman at 

295-3686. 

CFC extended:

The deadline for donations to the 

Combined Federal Campaign has been 

extended to Jan 15. 

The deadline was extended to provide more time for people to select and 

decide on their contributions. 

For more information, contact your

department’s key worker.

Exercise/Fitness Areas: 

Physical Fitness training should be 

conducted in designated areas. 

The only authorized space for PT 

within the university is room G060. 

The campus’ Student Community 

Lounge area is also authorized, but 

only during specified PFT testing 

dates or times. 

USU Briefs

The final issue! 

This issue (Dec. 7) is the final issue 

of the USU Newsletter for the 2009 

calendar year. 

The next issue of the newsletter will 

be published on Jan. 11, 2010. 

Beginning with this issue, the newsletter will be published under its new 

name. 

We would like to wish all of our 

many readers, as well as your families, 

a safe and happy holiday season. 

-The USU Newsletter staff 

PAGE 7

Caption contest

The winning caption: “Patients with hyper-extended necks attend an on campus 

lecture about head and neck trauma. The Power Point presentation was NOT well 

received,” submitted by 2nd Lt. Scott Fleming. 

Congrats to the runners-up, Sgt 1st Class Michele C. DeSouza and Sarah N. Dhandu. 

...and thanks to all who submitted.

photo by MC1 Chad Hallford