President’s Letter 2008 Report 1

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is a center of 

excellence for military and public health education and research. USU’s programs 

are unique, as are our dedicated faculty, staff and students. 

The university benefits tremendously from its extraordinary alumni who return to 

teach, conduct research and guide others in clinical care. These devoted professionals 

bring a wealth of experience gained in military treatment facilities throughout the U.S. 

and around the world, as well as in combat, on ships, in airborne intensive care units, 

amid natural disaster and among other cultures. This annual report shares the stories of 

our alumni who are committed to serving our nation and the world by educating the 

next generation of physicians, scientists and advanced practice nurses.

Since USU’s F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine graduated its first class in 1980, 

the school has awarded Doctor of Medicine degrees to more than 4,200 graduates 

who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service. The school also has 

awarded nearly 1,100 degrees in the biomedical sciences to individuals who advance 

the science that underlies our ability to treat and protect against infectious diseases and 

other maladies affecting humankind.

The USU Graduate School of Nursing has conferred more than 360 master’s degrees 

since its founding in 1993 and six doctorates since opening its Ph.D. program in 2003. 

These men and women serve in uniformed and federal services at home and abroad. 

They also work with the school’s faculty to conduct research.

Besides our world-class educational programs, USU is dedicated to innovative 

research in military medicine and nursing as well as public health. Our research 

programs, devoted to preventive medicine, infectious disease and adaptation to extreme 

environments, are relevant locally and globally.

Our university educates those who are adept in military medicine and nursing as 

well as public health, and excels at developing leaders for today and tomorrow. This 

report tells about our alumni who are now guiding programs that will ensure a strong, 

healthy future for our servicemen and women. 

Finally, and most importantly, it chronicles our mission: to prepare outstanding 

scientists and health care practitioners for careers in service to our nation. Our mission 

is like our institution: unique and indispensable.

Charles L. Rice, M.D.

President’s

Letter
2 2008 Report The USU Story

The USU

Story

Often referred to as “the West 

Point of Military Medicine,” 

the Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences teaches 

uniformed officers to care for 

those in harm’s way. Since opening 

its doors more than 30 years ago, 

USU has educated and trained 

dedicated health care professionals 

who continue to advance military 

medicine and public health in the 

U.S. and around the world.

The need for military doctors was 

evident years before President 

Richard Nixon signed a bill in 1972 

chartering the nation’s only federal 

academic health center. The end of 

World War II, with the subsequent 

discharge of 10 million men and 

women, had sent many physicians 

back to their private practices. 

Policymakers began discussing the 

need for a federal medical school, 

but the debate had little traction. 

Renewed focus on the problem 

began in the 1970s, led by the tireless 

advocacy of Rep. F. Edward Hébert 

(D-Louisiana). At the proposed 

Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences, scholars 

would receive unparalleled medical 

education, and the nation would 

benefit from a superb cadre of 

officers with unique skills.

Dr. Anthony Curreri, a celebrated 

surgeon and decorated soldier, 

accepted the challenge and became 

the charter president of USU in 

January 1974. From a small office 

building in downtown Bethesda, 

Maryland, Dr. Curreri began 

assembling the university. Selection 

of students and faculty would be 

competitive, with only the best 

chosen. The curriculum would 

be grounded in educational and 

scientific rigor, the learning environment would adopt academic 

principles of collegiality and peer 

review, and the university would 

foster a commitment to high 

standards of medical professionalism.

In 1973, the Board of Regents 

appointed a site selection committee 

that chose 100 acres of wooded 

land on the grounds of the National 

Naval Medical Center as USU’s 

permanent home. Situated across the 

street from the National Institutes 

of Health, the location allows 

USU faculty and students singular 

opportunities to work alongside 

world-renowned scientists.

Construction on four buildings 

was completed in 1980. Now, nearly

30 years later, a fifth building has 

been added for much-needed 

classroom space and the offices of 

the Graduate School of Nursing.

In 1980, when the School of 

Medicine graduated 29 officerphysicians, the precedent was set 

for USU alumni’s commitment to 

service. For each succeeding class, 

the mission remains the same. In 

May 2008, the School of Medicine 

awarded Doctor of Medicine degrees 

to 157 uniformed officers.

In 1993, Congress established a 

Graduate School of Nursing at USU 

to ensure a well-prepared cadre of 

uniformed advanced practice nurses, 

to further nursing research and to 

provide graduate education opportunities to military and Public Health 

Service nurses.

From its inception, USU has benefitted from the support of an extraordinarily dedicated and talented staff and 

faculty. USU’s faculty, both civilian 

and military, is recruited from all 

disciplines of medicine, nursing and 

biomedical sciences. They advance 

education and research by sharing 

their knowledge, skills and experience 

in the classroom, clinic and laboratory. 

Most importantly, this faculty prepares 

tomorrow’s leaders of biomedicine to 

become competent, compassionate 

and caring uniformed officers. 
Our Alumni 2008 Report 3

Our

Alumni

Dr. Charles Rice is likely the only 

health sciences university president 

to hold an alumni reunion in an 

active combat zone. Rice visited USU 

graduates in Afghanistan in early 2008. 

Featured (from left) are Colonel Bryan 

Funke (1985), Colonel Gary Walker 

(1984), Brigadier General Byron 

Hepburn (1987) and Dr. Rice.

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Reilly, M.D. 

(1997) was a member of a medical team, 

comprised primarily of USU alumni, who 

performed life-saving surgery on a 3-year-old 

Afghani girl earlier this year. 

The university is a unique 

educational institution because 

its faculty, students and staff embody 

a commitment to service. Our 

alumni make vital contributions to 

military medical care and cuttingedge research throughout the world. 

Through our graduates, USU 

professors see the fruits of their work 

and students envision their futures as 

health care practitioners.

This report focuses on USU alumni, 

especially our alumni faculty, who 

return to their alma mater to teach, 

conduct research and provide clinical 

service. The university’s educational 

and research programs derive 

unparalleled benefits from its faculty 

who deploy around the world on 

humanitarian and research missions 

and provide care for those in combat 

and in the wake of disaster. Alumni 

serve as role models and mentors 

to our students as they guide future 

graduates throughout their careers.

Our alumni travel across the globe 

to care for those in harm’s way. 

USU President Dr. Charles Rice 

saw their dedication firsthand when 

he and Air Force Brigadier General 

Byron Hepburn, M.D., a 1987 USU 

graduate and command surgeon for 

the U.S. Air Mobility Command, 

reunited with alumni in Afghanistan 

and Germany last December. The 

pair toured U.S. medical facilities 

throughout Afghanistan, including 

an Afghan provincial hospital in 

Charikar, to discuss local needs and 

university assistance.

In Bagram, Drs. Hepburn and Rice 

visited several patients, both U.S. and 

Afghani, who were treated by USU 

alumni, including a 3-year-old girl 

who almost lost her life from injuries 

suffered during a bomb blast. Four 

graduates at the Craig Joint Theater 

Hospital in Bagram—Colonel 

Gary Arishita (1986), Lieutenant 

Colonel Randy McCafferty (1993), 

Major Chetan Kharod (1996) and 

Lieutenant Colonel 

Charles Reilly (1997) 

—performed the 

lifesaving surgery. 

Dr. Arishita, a plastic 

surgeon serving as 

director of clinical 

surgical services at 

the hospital, reviewed 

the case and admitted 

the toddler to the 

facility. Dr. Kharod, 

an emergency 

physician, performed 

initial trauma 

resuscitation and 

promptly diagnosed 

massive head trauma. The girl also 

had a large bomb fragment lodged in 

her brain and severe left eye trauma. 

After she was stabilized, the 

toddler was taken to the operating 

room, where Dr. McCafferty, a 

neurosurgeon, worked to control 

the elevated pressure inside her 

skull caused by her traumatic injury 

and Dr. Reilly, an ophthalmologist, 

repaired her eye. The following day, 

pressure inside her skull proved 

difficult to control so Dr. McCafferty 

performed a lifesaving bifrontal 

craniectomy, an extensive procedure 

to relieve the pressure. 

Less than a month after sustaining 

her life-threatening brain injury, the 

little girl left the hospital, having 

regained much of the vision in 

her left eye and with only mild 

neurological symptoms. 

“I am deeply moved by the dedication 

of our troops and especially proud of 

the service of USU alumni in-theater,” 

Dr. Rice said. “It is extraordinary to 

witness the courage and commitment 

of these men and women as they use 

the skills and knowledge they have 

accumulated to care for those in 

harm’s way.”
4 2008 Report School of Medicine

School of

Medicine

Colonel Steven Swann, a 1986 School of 

Medicine graduate, helps his son, Second 

Lieutenant Jacob Swann, class of 2011, don his 

coat during the university’s White Coat Ceremony.

Since its founding in 1972, USU’s 

F. Edward Hébert School of 

Medicine has prepared physicians to 

provide medical care in offices, clinics 

and hospitals, as well as the most 

challenging environments. Because a 

primary mission of military medicine 

is keeping troops healthy, the school 

focuses on health promotion and 

disease prevention. The School of 

Medicine attracts students from 

diverse backgrounds who share a 

common goal: serving the nation by 

providing the best possible health care. 

The school’s unparalleled curriculum 

operates year-round and is nearly 

700 hours longer than other medical 

schools. These extra hours focus on 

epidemiology, health promotion, 

disease prevention, tropical medicine, 

leadership and field exercises, and 

other subjects that relate to the 

unique requirements of military 

medicine. Of the school’s physician 

alumni, more than 75 percent 

currently serve on active duty in the 

Army, Navy, Air Force and Public 

Health Service.

Besides conferring Doctor of 

Medicine degrees, the school offers 

doctoral and master’s degrees in the 

biomedical sciences and public health. 

A large number of these graduates are 

military officers or serve throughout 

the federal public health and 

biomedical research enterprise.

White Coat Ceremony

After concluding their initial 

academic year, medical students 

received their first white coat 

during a university ceremony in 

June. The White Coat Ceremony 

recognizes humanism and the 

relationship between a patient 

and a doctor. 

The ceremony, marking the 

student’s transition from the study 

of preclinical to clinical health 

sciences, involves a formal “robing” 

of students in white coats, the 

traditional attire physicians have 

worn for more than a century.

“Words cannot describe the pride 

and joy I felt to be the physician 

who symbolically inducted my son 

into the profession of medicine by 

helping him don the white coat for 

the first time,” said Colonel Steven 

Swann, M.D., class of 1986. “As an 

alumnus of this wonderful medical 

school, USU has very deep meaning for me. Now, 22 years later, it 

is especially meaningful to have 

a son follow me to be part of the 

heritage of USU.”

Berry Prize 

Commander Lisa Pearse

Office of Armed Services 

 Medical Examiner

Class of 1991

Commander Lisa Pearse, M.D., a 1991 

USU graduate, is the 2008 winner of 

the prestigious Frank Brown Berry 

Prize in Federal Healthcare.The 

prize—named for Frank Brown 

Berry, a noted thoracic surgeon and 

assistant secretary of defense during 

the 1950s—recognizes a federal 

health professional who has made a 

significant contribution to medicine.

Dr. Pearse, a chief deputy armed 

forces medical examiner and chief 

of the Mortality Surveillance 

Division, Office of the Armed Forces 

Medical Examiner in Rockville, 

Maryland, was selected for her work 

in developing the Department of 

Defense Medical Mortality Registry. 

Multiple government agencies rely 

on the comprehensive database for 

information about active duty service 

member deaths from all causes, 

including war and infectious disease.

“My USU education equipped me to 

understand the importance of accurate 

and reliable data in both preventing and 

treating disease. Military medicine has 

unique capabilities to advance human 

health and values.”
School of Medicine 2008 Report 5

School of Medicine Dean Larry Laughlin visits 

with students as they prepare for class.

Health Disparities

Nathaniel Stinson, M.D., Ph.D.

U.S. Public Health Service

Class of 1990

Dr. Nathaniel Stinson is acting 

director, Office of Scientific 

Programs, National Center on 

Minority Health and Health 

Disparities at the National Institutes 

of Health. He has direct oversight 

of the center’s community-based 

participatory research initiative and 

loan repayment programs. 

The center leads the National 

Institutes of Health’s effort to 

eliminate health disparities. It focuses 

on expanding the nation’s ability 

to conduct research and to build a 

diverse research work force.

Dr. Stinson, a USU master of public 

health graduate, earned both a 

doctorate in environmental biology 

and a Doctor of Medicine degree 

from the University of Colorado. 

“The educational environment at 

the Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences is unique in the 

constellation of institutions of higher 

education. The interaction with uniformed 

health officials from around the world 

provided a platform for academic 

enrichment which provided me with a 

solid foundation of scientific knowledge 

and expertise in public health.”

Diversity

Like all of the nation’s academic 

health centers, USU works to 

increase and sustain a diverse 

student population. The 

university is starting to see its 

efforts bear fruit. For instance, 

the incoming class of 171 

School of Medicine students 

includes 33 minorities. This 

commitment to diversity, widely 

shared across the U.S. academic 

community, has additional 

resonance within the uniformed 

services. The military is the most 

representative organization in the 

U.S. and celebrated 60 years of 

integration in 2008.

USU has a distinct advantage in its 

diversity initiative. Studies confirm 

the cost of education frequently 

deters qualified underrepresented 

minorities from pursuing health 

care careers. Because students 

do not incur financial debt, this 

particular barrier to becoming a 

physician is removed.

Joint Service Selection 

Board, a.k.a. Match Day

Much like Match Day at civilian 

universities, fourth-year students 

learn where they will spend the next 

several years as resident-physicians 

and the specialties they will pursue 

in announcements handed down by 

the Joint Service Graduate Medical 

Education Selection Board. 

The “matches” are based on service 

needs and student preference. Ninety 

percent of USU’s newly minted 

physicians are matched with their 

specialty of choice in hospitals across 

the nation, a rate significantly higher 

than the national average.

At USU, students are not required 

to pay tuition and additionally 

are compensated as active duty 

officers who serve full time while 

attending medical school. In return 

for their fully supported education, 

graduates must serve actively 

for at least seven years following 

internship and residency training; 

if they serve fewer than 10 years 

on active duty, they make up the 

difference in the Ready Reserve. 

“Our students have a different 

debt,” said Larry Laughlin, dean 

of the School of Medicine. “It is a 

debt of service, and it is one that 

most take on gladly.”
Graduate

Programs

6 2008 Report Graduate Programs

Debbie Weinstein, Ph.D., graduated from USU 

in 1989 and is now deputy director of the 

Maryland Pathogen Research Institute.

The university’s close proximity 

to the National Naval Medical 

Center, the National Institutes of 

Health and the National Library of 

Medicine provides an unparalleled 

environment for graduate education 

and research. Given the diversity 

of research interests of the faculty, 

doctoral students at USU have an 

opportunity to engage in cuttingedge research either at the bench 

or in the field. Because of these 

unique aspects of the university, 

USU alumni are prepared for both 

traditional and non-traditional 

careers in fundamental and applied 

aspects of biomedical sciences.

From Clinics to Classrooms

USU develops scientists and health 

care practitioners who are prepared 

for wide-ranging careers in service 

to the nation. The university’s 

exceptional graduates lead 

programs in clinics, laboratories 

and classrooms around the globe. 

For instance, Julie Pavlin, Ph.D., 

who earned her doctorate in 

emerging infectious diseases in 

2007, is director of the Global 

Emerging Infections Surveillance 

and Response System at the 

Armed Forces Research Institute 

of Medical Sciences in Thailand. 

Her classmate, Jared Patch, Ph.D., is 

a research scientist at Plum Island 

Animal Disease Center in Orient 

Point, N.Y., America’s first line 

of defense against foreign animal 

diseases. Joe Larsen, Ph.D., who 

received his doctorate in emerging 

infectious diseases in 2005, became 

a congressional fellow on Capitol 

Hill before joining the Defense 

Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Other alumni have made their 

mark along more traditional paths. 

Gerry Andrews, Ph.D., who earned 

a doctorate in microbiology and 

immunology in 1993, began his 

career by completing a postdoctoral 

fellowship at the U.S. Army Medical 

Research Institute of Infectious 

Diseases, where he was promoted 

to head of the Microbiology 

Department within a few years. 

Currently, he is an assistant professor 

of microbiology at the University of 

Wyoming in Laramie.

Supporting Science

Lieutenant Colonel Jim Sheets

Center for Laboratory 

 Animal Medicine

Class of 1996

As director of the Center for 

Laboratory Animal Medicine 

at USU for the past three years, 

Lieutenant Colonel Jim Sheets 

was responsible for managing the 

university’s 50,000-square-foot 

animal facility, which is accredited 

by the Association for Assessment 

and Accreditation of Laboratory 

Animal Care. The center offers 

research support to more than 150 

scientists conducting $50 million in 

Department of Defense (DoD) and 

extramural research.

Sheets, a veterinarian who earned 

his master’s degree in public health 

through USU’s Laboratory Animal 

Residency program in 1996, was 

a member of the Institutional 

Animal Care and Use Committee, 

ensuring the care of 24,000 animals 

housed annually in compliance with 

federal and DoD regulations and 

accrediting agency guidelines. 

“I have a strong passion for this work 

and have been extremely proud to be a 

part of what I consider an outstanding 

program at USU.”

Debbie Weinstein, Ph.D., who 

graduated from USU’s program 

in microbiology and immunology 

in 1989, completed a postdoctoral 

fellowship at the National Institutes 

of Health, worked in industry and 

then became executive director of 

the Society of Leukocyte Biology. 

Currently, she is deputy director of the 

Maryland Pathogen Research Institute 

at the University of Maryland.
2008 Report 7

HJF Fellowships

Three promising USU doctoral students were selected by 

the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement 

of Military Medicine to receive fellowships for the 2007-

2008 academic year. Established in 1998, the program 

provides stipends and travel support for graduate students. 

This year’s fellowship recipients are Christina Faherty, 

Lara Kingeter and Robyn Osborn-Freed. 

Faherty, a fifth-year student 

in the Emerging Infectious 

Diseases (EID) program, 

works in the Department 

of Microbiology and 

Immunology laboratory 

under the supervision of 

Anthony Maurelli, Ph.D. 

She is investigating how the 

intestinal pathogen, Shigella, 

which causes bacterial 

dysentery, protects the host mammalian cells it invades 

while simultaneously killing macrophages stimulated to 

control the infection. 

Kingeter is a fifth-year 

student in the EID program 

who works in the laboratory 

of Brian Schaefer, Ph.D., 

in the Microbiology and 

Immunology Department. 

She is focusing on the 

mechanism of T-cell 

activation in vivo, using 

imaging to track cell 

populations. 

Osborn-Freed, a fifth-year 

student in the laboratory of 

Tracey Sbrocco, Ph.D., in 

the Medical and Clinical 

Psychology Department, 

is examining obesity and 

behavioral medicine. She is 

focusing on the impact of 

eating on stress reduction.

Fever Fighter 

Nicole Achee, Ph.D.

Department of Preventive Medicine 

 and Biometrics

Class of 2004

Nicole Achee, Ph.D., is a research assistant professor 

in USU’s Department of Preventive Medicine and 

Biometrics. Along with collaborators from the 

U.S. and other countries, she is undertaking an 

innovative research project to prevent dengue in 

Thailand and Peru, supported by a $3.5 million 

grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Each year, 50 million to 100 million cases of 

dengue fever—an acute febrile disease found 

primarily in the tropics and Africa—occur 

throughout the world. Spread by Aedes aegypti, a 

mosquito that prefers to feed on humans, dengue 

fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever are major 

public health concerns. 

Under the new grant, Achee and colleagues plan to 

develop a system designed to reduce the presence 

of Aedes aegypti inside homes. As part of her 

graduate work at USU, Achee designed reusable, 

portable huts for such experiments. A simulated 

village, comprised of these huts, will be used for 

studies in Thailand and Peru.

Graduate Programs
Graduate

School of

Nursing

8 2008 Report Graduate School of Nursing

Major Robert Arnold, program director, and 

Lieutenant Commander Pamela Herbig spent 

months researching psychiatric mental health 

nurse practitioner programs at various universities 

before assisting in the development of a signature 

curriculum for USU.

Brigadier General William Bester, lower left, and 

Colonel Bruce Schoneboom served as interim 

deans of the Graduate School of Nursing before 

Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw, top, became dean.

The Graduate School of Nursing 

(GSN) at USU was established 

in recognition of the key role of 

advanced practice nurses in the 

military and other federal services. 

The school’s alumni are leaders in 

military operational environments, 

in federal health systems and at 

universities. The GSN faculty and 

alumni contribute significantly to 

the literature of advanced practice 

nursing and public health science.

Hinshaw Named 

Nursing School Dean

Ada Sue Hinshaw, Ph.D., R.N., 

FAAN, is the new dean of USU’s 

Graduate School of Nursing. 

A pathfinder in nursing education 

and research, Dr. Hinshaw is a 

member of the Institute of Medicine 

and a widely published scholar. 

Before joining USU, she was a 

professor and dean emerita of the 

University of Michigan’s School of 

Nursing. She received her doctorate 

and master’s degrees in sociology 

from the University of Arizona, a 

master’s degree in nursing sciences 

from Yale University, and a bachelor’s 

degree from the University of Kansas.

Dr. Hinshaw’s research interests have 

focused on quality of care, patient 

outcomes, measurement of those outcomes and building positive work 

environments for nurses. She was the 

first permanent director of the 

National Center of Nursing Research 

and first director of the National 

Institute of Nursing Research at the 

National Institutes of Health.

“The opportunity to expand 

graduate programs and research at 

the Graduate School of Nursing and 

working with outstanding colleagues 

at USU make this deanship very 

exciting,” she said. “I am impressed 

by the accomplishments of the 

faculty, and I am deeply appreciative 

of the recent stewardship of the 

Graduate School of Nursing by Bill 

Bester and Bruce Schoneboom as 

acting deans.”

Mental Health Program 

The university’s Graduate School of 

Nursing established the Psychiatric 

Mental Health Nurse Practitioner 

program in 2008 to help meet the 

mental health needs of our nation’s 

service members. 

The curriculum, taught by a faculty 

with diverse deployment experience, 

provides education in traditional 

advanced practice nursing as well as 

specialized education in behavioral 

health. Student learning is augmented 

by participation in clinical and 

psychiatric rotations at top military 

treatment facilities around the nation. 

This program is extraordinarily 

valuable because its health care 

providers will be with units within 

the U.S. and deployed in theaters 

of operation where their skills are 

critical to maintaining the health 

of the fighting force.
2008 Report 9

Among Nation’s Best

Lieutenant Colonel 

Adrienne Hartgerink

Nurse Anesthesia Program

Class of 1997

Lieutenant Colonel Adrienne 

Hartgerink is an example of USU’s 

excellent alumni faculty. A 1997 

graduate of USU’s nurse anesthesia 

program, Hartgerink returned 

to campus in 2004 as an assistant 

professor in the Graduate School of 

Nursing, incorporating her clinical and 

operational expertise into her teaching. 

Now, she is the nurse anesthesia 

program director, largely responsible 

for helping to make USU’s program 

one of the best in the nation.

In fact, U. S. News and World 

Report ranked the Graduate School 

of Nursing’s Certified Registered 

Nurse Anesthesia program sixth of 

100 national programs for the second 

consecutive year.

“This is quite an accomplishment for the 

nurse anesthesia program that admitted 

its first students in 1994. To be ranked 

a second time 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.”

Graduate School of Nursing Founding Dean Dr. 

Faye Abdellah and Lieutenant Colonel Adrienne 

Hartgerink at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 

new Academic Program Center.

New Home for 

Faculty and Staff

In June 2008, Graduate School of 

Nursing faculty and staff moved 

into a newly constructed Academic 

Program Center. The ribbon-cutting 

event held in May marked a historic 

day as the university celebrated its 

first major construction project since 

completion of the original four 

buildings nearly 30 years ago.

The center provides urgently 

required classroom space as well as 

facilities for expanding educational 

programs and support activities for 

the Military Health System.

Several other USU offices returned 

to campus with the center’s opening, 

including the university’s offices for 

Continuing Education for Health 

Professionals and the Military 

Training Network. The center 

also features classrooms, a 100-seat 

auditorium, distance-learning facility 

and conference rooms.

Advisory Council

Maryland Governor Martin 

O’Malley appointed Graduate 

School of Nursing Associate 

Professor Gloria Ramsey, J.D., R.N., 

to the State Advisory Council on 

Quality Care at the End of Life. 

She is a faculty member in the 

Department of Health, Injury and 

Disease Management. 

The council studies the impact of 

state statutes, regulations and public 

policies on the provision of care 

to the dying and monitors trends 

on such care. It also advises the 

state’s General Assembly, Office 

of Attorney General, Department 

of Aging and the Department of 

Health and Mental Hygiene on 

matters related to the provision of 

care at the end of life.

Graduate School of Nursing
10 2008 Report A Unique University

A Unique

University

Medical and nursing students 

 at USU are active duty 

uniformed officers in the Army, 

Navy, Air Force and Public Health 

Service. They are being educated not 

only to be health care providers but 

also to be prepared for wartime 

casualties, natural disasters, emerging 

infectious diseases and other public 

health emergencies. Many university 

graduates have been called to support 

these operations at home and around 

the world in combat and humanitarian relief efforts, offering both their 

leadership and expertise.

In addition to a traditional academic 

health sciences curriculum, USU 

students are immersed in studies and 

field exercises directly related to force 

health protection, tropical diseases, 

disaster medicine and military and 

public health medical readiness. 

Many faculty members have deployment experience and bring these 

in-theater lessons to the classroom.

Good Medicine in 

Bad Places

Although many health professions’ 

exams are practicums, a number of 

USU’s final exams are not replicated 

anywhere else. For example, firstand fourth-year students in Military 

and Emergency Medicine head 

to helicopters for a flight to Fort 

Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, for 

training and testing on simulated 

battlefields. 

Operation Kerkesner, a first-year 

medical student exercise, and 

Operation Bushmaster, an exercise 

for fourth-year medical students, 

run concurrently at the 19,000-acre 

military facility. Both serve as final 

exams for one-of-a-kind courses 

in the university’s Department of 

Military and Emergency Medicine. 

Both are designed to closely 

replicate combat conditions and to 

test a student’s ability to care for 

patients in adverse environments and 

situations. Students are faced with 

extraordinarily realistic scenarios 

created by their faculty, many of 

whom are regularly deployed to care 

for our troops, our citizens and people 

around the world. The university’s 

enlisted military personnel provide 

essential support to the exercises and 

to the students in helping them learn 

not only about the military but about 

leadership as well.

Conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, as 

well as natural disasters within the 

United States and around the world, 

have emphasized the lifesaving work 

of the U.S. military and the Military 

Health System. USU provides much 

of the professional and scientific 

expertise that supports these operations. The education and training 

gained at Operation Kerkesner and 

Operation Bushmaster uniquely 

prepare medical students to “practice 

good medicine in bad places.”
 

“I had a chance to visit Bushmaster 

training and thought it was the best 

medical training I had ever witnessed 

(and I was an Army medical officer for 

30 years). When I see realistic training 

like this, it makes me want to apply to 

USU as a new medical student.”

Rick Erdtmann, M.D., M.P.H.

Director, Board on Military 

 and Veterans Health (and the 

 Medical Follow-up Agency)

Institute of Medicine

National Academies of Science

“To say I was impressed would be an 

understatement. I have observed many 

field exercises in my career with the 

military and with the Public Health 

Service and this was no ordinary field 

exercise nor can it be simply described. 

There was not a facet of the training 

that did not impress and inspire me.”

Rear Admiral Robert Williams

U.S. Public Health Service

Acting Deputy Surgeon

 General of the United States

2008 Report 11

Bushmaster

Lieutenant Colonel Cliff Lutz

Department of Military and 

 Emergency Medicine

Class of 1993

Lieutenant Colonel Cliff Lutz, 

M.D., is a natural choice to lead 

USU’s Military and Contingency 

Medicine (MCM) course and 

Operation Bushmaster. 

The former Special Operations 

medical officer has significant 

firsthand experience in planning 

for missions and caring for troops 

in extreme conditions and austere 

environments. Lutz, an assistant 

professor in the Department of 

Military and Emergency Medicine, 

directs Operation Bushmaster, the 

annual field exercise and MCM 

final exam for fourth-year medical 

students.

“Serving as a faculty member at 

USU is a great opportunity for me to 

give back to my alma mater and also 

help train the next cohort of military 

medical officers. I draw on my own 

experiences as a student and also my 

many deployments as a medical officer 

to prepare these young men and women 

to care for those in harm’s way.”

An integral part of Operation Bushmaster involves the triage of multiple or mass casualties, a 

series of four-hour exercises designed to test medical skill and judgment under combat conditions.

A Unique University
“CDHAM 

augments the 

education of 

military medical 

officers through 

specialized 

expertise, consultation and teaching. This 

prepares them for the roles and responsibilities they will fill during their careers.”

Colonel Charles Beadling, M.D.

Director of CDHAM

Class of 1984

“The weapon of 

mass destruction 

course is designed 

for health care 

providers and others who are responsible 

for planning for, and responding to, 

catastrophic events. Although the course has 

a medical and public health focus, many 

of our students have law enforcement, 

emergency management and other nonhealth-care-related backgrounds. This is 

important because effective planning and 

response to such incidents will require the 

seamless integration of a wide cross section 

of disciplines in both government and the 

private sector.” 

Captain (Ret.) Robert Darling, M.D.

Associate Director of CDHAM

Class of 1985

12 2008 Report

A Unique

University

A Unique University

Lieutenant Colonel Ben Woods, USU class 

of 1995, examines a local child while on 

deployment to Afghanistan.

Disaster Response

The university’s Center for Disaster 

and Humanitarian Assistance 

Medicine (CDHAM) pursues 

initiatives to mitigate domestic and 

international disasters. This center 

of excellence serves as an essential 

resource for the Department of 

Defense and other federal agencies, as 

well as international partners.

Created within USU’s Department 

of Military and Emergency Medicine, 

CDHAM works to improve disaster 

response and humanitarian aid 

capabilities. Its multidisciplinary team, 

including USU alumni, supports a 

wide range of health-related activities 

around the world.

In Chad, unexploded landmines 

remain hidden throughout the 

central African terrain, jeopardizing 

the safety of local populations. 

Colonel Charles Beadling, M.D., 

director of CDHAM and class of 

1984 USU alumnus, is collaborating 

with local government and mine 

clearance organizations to develop a 

program that provides quality care to 

victims of landmines.

In several Caribbean nations, HIV/

AIDS has grown to pandemic 

proportions and the center is 

responding by working with 

U.S. Southern Command to 

develop awareness and prevention 

campaigns that educate and train 

local defense forces. Under the 

leadership of Lieutenant Colonel 

Ben Woods, M.D., associate director 

of international programs and a 

1995 USU alumnus, a team of USU 

experts is working with host military 

and civilian populations to develop 

sustainable training programs. Besides 

providing consultation services, the 

center is producing educational 

material and supplying military 

laboratories with much-needed 

research equipment.

CDHAM has launched the first 

of three online programs designed 

to educate medical responders on 

how to deal with the aftermath of a 

disaster involving weapons of mass 

destruction. The training courses, 

created as part of the USU Online 

Preparedness Education Program, 

were developed in collaboration with 

subject-matter experts and provide 

CME credits. The result is a free, 

easy-to-access resource that provides 

critical information for disaster 

response worldwide.

Preventing disasters through effective 

surveillance has gained attention at 

the center. For instance, CDHAM 

has partnered with the Global 

Emerging Infections Surveillance 

and Response System in an effort 

to prepare for a possible worldwide 

influenza outbreak. Dr. John Malone, 

who earned a master’s degree in 

public health from USU in 2005, 

leads the program.
A Unique University 2008 Report 13

Helping Families

Stephen Cozza, M.D., USU 

professor of psychiatry, collaborated 

with the Sesame Street Muppets 

to launch “Talk, Listen, Connect: 

Deployments, Homecomings, 

Changes,” the second phase of 

the Sesame Workshop’s military 

outreach program begun in 2006. 

This initiative, aimed at helping 

families cope with deployment 

issues, is in partnership with the 

university’s Center for the Study 

of Traumatic Stress.

Gary Knell, president and chief 

executive officer of Sesame 

Workshop, and Brigadier General 

Loree Sutton, M.D., director of the 

Defense Center of Excellence for 

Psychological Health and Traumatic 

Brain Injury and special assistant to 

the Assistant Secretary of Defense 

(Health Affairs), partnered with 

Cozza to help military families 

foster stability and resiliency. David Riggs, Ph.D., is CDP director.

Stephen Cozza, M.D., USU professor of psychiatry, consults 

with his colleague, Elmo, during the “Talk, Listen, Connect: 

Deployments, Homecomings, Changes” campaign.

Center for Deployment 

Psychology

The Center for Deployment 

Psychology (CDP) trains military and 

civilian mental health professionals 

to provide high-quality, deploymentrelated behavioral health services 

to military personnel and their 

families. The center, headquartered 

at USU and affiliated with the new 

Defense Center of Excellence for 

Psychological Health and Traumatic 

Brain Injury, works with deployment 

behavioral health psychologists at 

10 military medical centers. The 

consortium was created in 2006 

through a joint effort of the Defense 

Department, American Psychological 

Association and Congress. 

Multiple efforts are under way to 

increase the number of behavioral 

health providers in uniform and to 

augment these providers with civilian 

mental health professionals. At the 

core of the center’s training effort is 

an intensive two-week USU course 

on military medicine, neuropsychology and trauma. CDP has trained 

more than 150 behavioral health 

professionals through the program.

The center is developing a series of 

shorter workshops designed to train 

professionals in specific skills and 

techniques, and has trained nearly 

500 military and civilian providers.

With its second phase, the Sesame 

Workshop aims to reduce children’s 

anxiety during homecomings 

from multiple deployments, assist 

parents’ ability to cope with multiple 

deployments and help young 

children gain an age-appropriate 

understanding of a parent’s injury by 

including them and the entire family 

in the rehabilitation process. 

“The program provides an 

opportunity for children to cope 

with these challenges in positive 

and reassuring ways,” Dr. Cozza 

said. “These much-needed materials 

offer wonderful strategies that can 

help military families with young 

children and foster meaningful 

connections among family members, 

friends and communities in their 

everyday lives.”

(Photo by Richard Termine, Sesame Workshop)
A Unique

University

14 2008 Report A Unique University

Profiles in Courage

Second Lieutenant

 Gilberto Nieves

Second Lieutenant

 Demara Wright 

Class of 2011

The very nature of the Uniformed 

Services University of the Health 

Sciences inspires tales of bravery 

and inspiration. Second Lieutenant 

Gilberto Nieves and Second 

Lieutenant Demara Wright are two 

heroes who have turned tragedy into 

a call for service. 

For Nieves, it began in a West Point 

dormitory on a seemingly normal 

day for the aspiring infantry soldier. 

He was pursuing a family tradition 

by joining the Army, and Nieves was 

eager to graduate so he could join his 

brother on the battlefield.

His ambition would be halted with a 

single phone call. On the line, Nieves’ 

mother broke the devastating news: 

His brother was hit by a rocketpropelled grenade and killed at the 

hands of Sunni insurgents.

“It was like someone struck me in the 

heart, and for a long time everything 

seemed to move in slow motion,” 

Nieves said.

But he persevered, eventually graduating from West Point and, after visiting 

the USU campus, deciding to pursue 

a career in military medicine. After 

completion of his first year of medical 

school, his conviction remains steadfast 

and he is beginning to consider his 

medical specialty. Nieves is interested 

in pediatrics—he calls himself a kid at 

heart—but more importantly, wants 

to help alleviate any concerns soldiers 

have about their families. 

Outside of school, he brings to life the 

memory of his brother and other fallen 

heroes by speaking to veterans groups. 

“I’m not forgetting what soldiers give 

up,” he said, knowing all too well the 

meaning of sacrifice. 

Nieves is not alone. The journey to 

USU by Demara Wright also draws 

inspiration from despair. She too came 

to understand the direst consequences 

of war.

Wright was married just weeks when 

her husband—an Army tank driver—

was deployed to Iraq. They made the 

best of their situation; writing letters, 

speaking frequently and sending gifts 

to each other. As the weeks wore on, 

their correspondence became more 

sporadic and “I realized he was in a bad 

place,” Wright said.

Even so, nothing could prepare her 

for the news she would receive in the 

early morning hours on April 29, 2004. 

Her husband of two months, Sergeant 

Adam Estep, died in an attack outside 

Baghdad while looking for weapons of 

mass destruction.

A widow at 20, the once light-hearted 

bride was grief-stricken by the loss of 

her husband. “I slept, I ate, I studied, 

I cried,” she said, “and that’s what I 

did for the next year and a half.” She 

graduated with the highest honors 

from the University of California, 

Santa Barbara, and decided to pursue 

a medical degree at USU. 

“Coming here was important to 

me because regardless of what area 

I go into, I’ll be helping people like 

Adam,” she said.

Lieutenant Anton Shufutinsky

A graduate student in USU’s environmental health sciences doctoral program, Lieutenant Anton Shufutinsky 

came to the United States with his 

family from the former Soviet Union 

to escape persecution and discrimination. The family of four arrived in 

Brooklyn, New York, in 1981, with 

$100 and two suitcases. 

Anton joined the U.S. Navy at age 

17, serving as an enlisted cryptologic technician in the intelligence 

community. He also worked his way 

through college and supported a 

family while on active duty. He later 

earned a Master of Public Health 

degree, and just prior to coming to 

USU served on the USS Ronald 

Reagan, the country’s newest 

nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and 

“America’s flagship.” 

 “My family and I were able to 

overcome many adversities and come 

to the United States. I feel fortunate 

to be able to serve my country.”
Major Alaric LeBaron, M.D., spent many 

months deployed to Afghanistan as part of 

Operation Enduring Freedom. Dr. LeBaron, 

an anesthesiologist assigned to David Grant 

Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, 

California, served at the Craig Joint Theater 

Hospital at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. 

The class of 2000 alumnus worked alongside 

several USU graduates, providing medical 

care for U.S. and coalition troops, as well as 

many Afghan citizens.

Major Sarah-Ann Beal, USU Air Force company 

commander, helps a patient perform passive 

range-of-motion exercises at the Air Force Theater 

Hospital in Balad, Iraq. Beal deployed from USU 

to Iraq, where she was assigned to the 332nd 

Expeditionary Medical Support Squadron as an 

occupational therapist.

Major Michael Charlton, 

M.D., and Technical 

Sergeant Judy Hickman 

examine the healing 

progress of an Iraqi 

policeman at Joint Base, Balad, Iraq. The leg injury resulted 

from an improvised explosive device attack. Dr. Charlton, 

a 332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron 

orthopedic trauma surgeon and USU class of 1998 

alumnus, and Hickman, an orthopedic technician, were both 

deployed from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. 

Major Nisha Money, 

a USU preventive 

health physician and 

class of 2007 master of 

public health graduate, 

examines a young boy at the provincial Friendship 

Clinic in Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia. 

She was with the 13th Air Force-led medical team in 

Cambodia in late May for Operation Pacific Angel. The 

team provided free medical care to Cambodians. 

2008 Report 15

Serving Humankind Around the Globe

USU faculty and alumni travel the world to provide lifesaving medical care to military and civilian patients alike. 

From war-torn Iraq to Southeast Asia, USU graduates 

offer the best in health care and exemplify the university’s 

commitment to preparing medical professionals to care for 

those in harm’s way.

These dedicated health care practitioners bring a wealth of 

experience gained at the university and military treatment 

facilities. They have been called upon to support operations 

at home and around the world in combat and humanitarian 

relief efforts.

A Unique University
16 2008 Report

University

Life

University Life

The university benefits immeasurably from 

its dedicated administrative staff. Human 

Resources Director Darryl Brown (right) 

and Lab Manager Amal Nadel, from USU’s 

Department of Surgery, collaborate to provide 

the highest level of personnel services.

The university’s distinguished 

faculty and staff include 

renowned scientists and exceptional 

clinicians who are dedicated to 

furthering scientific research and 

medical practice, while sharing 

their expertise and experience with 

students. The university’s uniqueness 

resides in its people—students, 

faculty, staff, leaders and advisers—

who work together to ensure 

our nation’s health by developing 

tomorrow’s leaders in public and 

military medicine. 

USU Pioneer

Andre Dubois, M.D.

Professor

Department of Medicine

Andre Dubois, M.D., is the longest serving faculty member at USU, 

having joined the F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine in 1975, just 

three years after the university was 

chartered and one year before the first 

class matriculated. Dr. Dubois, a professor in the Department of Medicine, 

also directs the Gastrointestinal and 

Liver Studies Laboratory.

Throughout the years, he has enjoyed 

teaching medical and graduate 

students and guiding gastroenterology 

fellows through the frustrations and 

intellectual rewards of bench research. 

In the past 20 years, his research has 

focused on Helicobacter pylori, the 

bacterium that causes stomach ulcer 

and cancer.

“I have always been impressed by the 

openness and quality of students and by 

the supportive environment provided by 

my collaborators and the university staff. 

Much has changed over the years, but the 

people have remained of the same highest 

caliber. They are ready to serve their 

country, to ‘care for those in harm’s way’ 

and to advance the boundaries of science.”

Leadership Changes

The university made several leadership changes in the past 12 months, 

including naming its first senior 

vice president.

As senior vice president, Dale Smith, 

Ph.D., a USU faculty member 

since 1982, directs operations of the 

Office of Recruitment and Diversity, 

Learning Resource Center and 

the Center for Multidisciplinary 

Services. He also leads the Office of 

Affiliations and International Affairs 

and the Directorate of Continuing 

Education for Health Professionals. 

Previously, he served as professor and 

chairman of USU’s Department of 

Medical History in the F. Edward 

Hébert School of Medicine.

Teresa Dunn, Ph.D., is the new 

chair of USU’s Department of 

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 

succeeding Paul Rick, Ph.D. 
University Life 2008 Report 17

Dr. Dunn, a member of the biochemistry faculty since 1988, served 

as interim chair for nearly a year 

prior to her selection as chair. She 

has developed an internationally 

respected research program and 

served on several important committees and panels at the university and 

in the scientific community.

Jeffrey Harmon, Ph.D., professor of 

pharmacology and former director of 

USU’s Molecular and Cell Biology 

graduate program, was chosen 

pharmacology department chairman, 

succeeding Brian Cox, Ph.D., who 

stepped down after 17 years.

Mary Lou Cutler, Ph.D., a professor 

of pathology and molecular and 

cellular biology, became director of 

USU’s Molecular and Cell Biology 

program. She has been associated 

with USU’s Department of 

Pathology for more than 12 years. 

Public Servant 

The Honorable 

Everett Alvarez Jr.

Chair, Board of Regents

Everett Alvarez Jr.’s life is devoted 

to public service, beginning with 

a career in the U.S. Navy and 

continuing with his dedicated and 

diligent work as chair of USU’s 

Board of Regents. 

Shortly after receiving a bachelor’s 

degree in electrical engineering in 

1960, Mr. Alvarez joined the Navy. 

As a pilot serving in Vietnam, he was 

the first American shot down. He 

became a prisoner of war in 1964 

and was held in North Vietnam 

for eight and one-half years, until 

the general release of prisoners in 

February 1973.

Until his retirement from the 

Navy in 1980, Mr. Alvarez served 

in program management at the 

Naval Air Systems Command in 

Washington, D.C. In 1981, he was 

appointed deputy director of the 

Peace Corps and one year later 

became deputy administrator of the 

Veterans Administration, where he 

remained until May 1986. 

He is the author of two books: 

“Chained Eagle,” a historical account 

of his experiences during captivity 

in Vietnam, and “Code of Conduct,” 

the story of rebuilding his life.

Mr. Alvarez joined USU’s Board of 

Regents in 1988 and served as chair 

from 1992 to 1996. He then was 

re-appointed as a regent and was 

re-appointed as chair in 2001.

Mr. Alvarez and his family are a part 

of the USU family. Besides his years 

of service to the university, his wife, 

Tammy, created a not-for-profit 

organization called The Friends 

of USU. The group, under Mrs. 

Alvarez’s tireless leadership, formed 

a partnership with Oscar-winning 

documentary film producer Terry 

Sanders, which resulted in a featurelength film about the university, its 

faculty, students, staff and alumni. 

“Fighting for Life” opened in 

theaters around the nation in spring 

2008 to consistently rave reviews.

The Alvarez family also knows the 

university’s education intimately 

through their son, Bryan, a 2005 

School of Medicine graduate. 

Lieutenant Alvarez has been deployed 

twice to Iraq as a general medical 

officer (senior battalion surgeon) 

and now serves at the Naval Medical 

Center San Diego in general surgery.
18 2008 Report University Life

University

Life

Military Expertise

The USU Brigade, serving as the 

university’s military leadership 

element, provides military expertise 

through its staff and faculty. The 

brigade offers unique administrative, 

legal, training and operational 

support, while contributing to 

continuity, leadership and military 

medical readiness. Members of the 

brigade include officers and enlisted 

personnel.

Under the leadership of the Brigade 

commander, Colonel John Wempe, 

uniformed students, faculty and 

staff assigned to the university must 

participate in all activities and events 

as they would in any other command 

of the uniformed services. Regular 

formations are held; physical fitness 

exercises, standards and testing are 

completed; performance evaluations 

are rated; and personnel are trained in 

the appropriate uniformed programs 

and customs.

Country Star McGraw 

Hosts Students

USU students and staff members 

spent Father’s Day backstage at 

Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia, 

as volunteers for the Tug McGraw 

Foundation and guests of Grammywinning country music singer Tim 

McGraw. Tug, a former Mets and 

Phillies pitcher and Tim McGraw’s 

father, created the foundation to 

enhance the quality of life of children 

and adults with brain tumors by 

stimulating research that addresses the 

physical, social, emotional, cognitive 

and spiritual impact of the disease.

Zerhouni: ‘Unique Value’

The Uniformed Services University 

of the Health Sciences distinguishes 

itself in various ways, Elias Zerhouni, 

M.D., director of the National 

Institutes of Health, told graduates 

at May’s commencement. “I learned 

firsthand at the university’s field 

exercises the unique value of USU’s 

emergency medicine curriculum. 

You lead the way in preparation for 

providing medical care to victims 

of natural disasters and armed 

conflicts,” he said.

Returning to USU

Captain Mary Porvaznik, M.D.

U.S. Public Health Service

Class of 1992

Like other USU alumni, Captain 

Mary Porvaznik, M.D., has returned 

to her alma mater—where she serves 

as the U.S. Public Health Service 

brigade company commander. She 

is a physician in the university’s 

family health clinic. In addition, she 

works in the Office of Public Health 

Service for the Indian Health Service 

in Rockville, Maryland.

Dr. Porvaznik was born on a Navajo 

Indian reservation and, after her 

residency, returned to work with 

the Navajo for 12 years as a family 

physician at a 60-bed tribal hospital, 

where she provided full-spectrum 

health care.

“As a graduate of USU, I feel very 

proud to be here. I can see a lot of 

changes for the better. I would like to 

see more USPHS officers and students 

in the School of Medicine.”
University Life 2008 Report 19

Prominent Roles 

For Faculty

USU faculty members are active 

in their disciplines and often take 

leadership roles in associations and 

scientific societies. Examples of this 

leadership abound. For instance, four 

university professors recently assumed 

prominent roles within the professional and scientific communities.

Brian Cox, Ph.D., former chair of 

the Department of Pharmacology 

and professor of pharmacology and 

neurosciences at USU, is the new 

president-elect of the American 

Society for Pharmacology and 

Experimental Therapeutics.

Alison O’Brien, Ph.D., professor 

and chair of the Department of 

Microbiology and Immunology, is 

the new president of the American 

Society for Microbiology.

Captain (select) Mark Stephens, 

M.D., an associate professor in the 

Department of Family Medicine, 

was elected president of the 

Uniformed Services Academy of 

Family Physicians. He succeeds USU 

Department of Family Medicine 

Chair Colonel Brian Reamy, M.D., 

in the post.

Anthony Maurelli, Ph.D., a 

professor in the USU Department 

of Microbiology and Immunology, 

became a fellow of the American 

Academy of Microbiology in 

recognition of his “pioneering 

discoveries in microbiology and 

evolutionary sciences.”

‘Small-Town’ Atmosphere

Colonel John Farley, M.D.

Department of Obstetrics 

 and Gynecology

Class of 1990

USU alumnus Colonel John Farley, 

M.D., is an associate professor and 

senior medical coordinator/adviser 

in USU’s Department of Obstetrics 

and Gynecology.

Dr. Farley has dedicated his career 

to teaching, research and patient 

care with a focus on eliminating 

health disparities in the minority 

community.

“USU gives you a step up on your 

peers because of the exposure you get to 

field medicine and infectious diseases. 

It also develops your capabilities in 

terms of leading those peers. ... USU is 

almost more like a small-town medical 

school. All of your professors are very 

approachable and accessible. You can talk 

to them; you can get tutoring. Anything 

you need to be successful, you can get 

here very easily.”
USU School of Medicine students 

visited a Rockville, Maryland, 

classroom to teach elementary 

school students the importance of 

a healthy diet and regular exercise. 

The program, “Get Up, Get Out, 

Get Fit,” is one of several USU 

student volunteer efforts to reach 

out to the community. 

20 2008 Report

University

Life

University Life

Colonel Brian Reamy, M.D., chair of the 

Department of Family Medicine, examines 

Chloe, daughter of Kristen Brown, alumni 

affairs assistant. “You can almost guarantee 

that you see ‘your’ doctor each and every time 

at the USU clinic,” Kristen said. “That says 

something about continuity.”

Besides offering a demanding 

course of studies to its students, 

USU provides a full complement 

of extracurricular activities, ranging 

from athletic programs and student 

clubs to community outreach 

initiatives and health care facilities. 

The commitment to camaraderie, 

service and teamwork pervades 

every aspect of student life—from 

academics to extracurricular 

activities—and exemplifies the 

special collaborative and supportive 

nature of USU. 

Comprehensive Care

The University Family Health Center 

provides comprehensive personal and 

family-centered care to all enrolled 

military beneficiaries. The staff offers 

services that extend across the health 

care spectrum, including treatment of 

acute illness, family planning, minor 

surgery, immunizations, sports medicine 

and mental health counseling.

Physicians and support staff at 

the Family Health Center deliver 

personalized care by tailoring services 

to meet the needs of patients through 

this continued interaction. They also 

foster long-term relationships with 

students and their families.

Beyond traditional ambulatory care, 

the clinic hosts education programs 

and weekly specialty services, including sports medicine and mental health 

counseling. This allows patients to seek 

the expertise of a specialist without 

leaving campus grounds. 

Several staff physicians are USU 

alumni, giving them a unique perspective on how to prepare students for 

the military’s training requirements.

“When I see students in clinic, I am reminded of 

how challenging the experience was and how I did 

not need an illness to slow me down or derail me 

from studying,” said Colonel Brian Unwin, M.D., 

class of 1988.
USU volunteers made a difference, 

one step at a time, by participating 

in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. 

Staff members raised funds by 

navigating the arduous course while 

medical students remedied minor 

injuries by administering first aid 

to the sprained ankles, calloused feet 

and dehydrated bodies that crossed 

their paths.

University Life 2008 Report 21

Athletics at USU

Athletic activities enrich the USU 

experience and offer a welcome 

break from the rigors of medical 

education. Participation in programs 

such as ice hockey, running, soccer, 

softball and Ultimate Frisbee fosters 

a pervasive spirit of camaraderie and 

teamwork. The teams are studentorganized and student-run and 

are approved by USU as private 

organizations.

Student athletes play at sports 

complexes throughout Montgomery 

County, Maryland, where they 

often compete against local teams 

and experience a healthy dose 

of competition. For example, the 

men’s indoor soccer team ended 

the fall season as undefeated league 

champions.

“Soccer was a great way to get to know 

other USU students, especially those not 

in my class. It is a perfect study break to 

take your mind off school with practice 

on Wednesdays, which breaks up the 

monotony of the week, and games on 

Saturdays, which get you some sun and 

exercise amid a weekend usually spent at 

the library.” 

Ensign Allison Griswold

Class of 2011

“Nothing beats getting together with 

a great group of folks outside of the 

classroom and seeking out some ‘friendly’ 

competition. The softball team gave us all 

the unique opportunity to display some 

hidden talents, and at the same time, 

get the name of USU into the public in 

another positive way.”

Second Lieutenant Timothy Ori

Class of 2009

Excellence Award

The university’s Family Medicine 

Interest Group is one of 10 programs 

to receive the American Academy 

of Family Physicians’ Program of 

Excellence Award.

The award recognizes family 

medicine interest groups for their 

efforts to stimulate interest in family 

medicine and family medicine 

programming. Honorees exhibit 

exemplary efforts in community 

outreach and patient advocacy, family 

medicine advocacy, infrastructure, and 

student involvement and retention.
22 2008 Report Research

Research

Gerald Quinnan, M.D., left, and Christopher 

Broder, Ph.D., are developing vaccines to fight 

devastating viruses.

The university’s research efforts 

support its educational and 

clinical care missions. Our School 

of Medicine and Graduate School 

of Nursing faculty work closely 

with students to advance basic 

biomedical research as well as explore 

new clinical applications. The result 

is a greater understanding of the 

fundamental importance of research 

to human health.

Vaccine Grants

Vaccines are among the most 

important advances in modern 

medicine. They have eliminated 

smallpox and nearly eradicated polio. 

USU scientists are making their own 

mark on vaccine research by seeking 

advancements in the fight against 

devastating viruses. 

Gerald Quinnan, M.D., a retired 

Public Health Service captain and 

professor and interim chair of USU’s 

Department of Preventive Medicine 

and Biometrics, was one of 10 

scientists awarded a grant from the 

National Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of 

the National Institutes of Health. The 

$15.6 million, five-year program will 

strengthen and expand the scientific 

foundation of HIV vaccine research 

through a network of 10 research 

teams nationwide that will share 

resources, methods and data to 

accelerate progress.

The grant will advance underdeveloped approaches to designing 

a preventive HIV vaccine. NIAID is 

launching a new program to foster 

the study of B cells, immune cells 

that can produce antibodies with the 

capacity to neutralize HIV. In the 

immune system, B cells recognize 

key parts of microbes, called antigens. 

Then, in cooperation with T cells—

parts of the immune system that 

kill cells infected by pathogens—a 

reaction is triggered that leads B cells 

to produce antibodies. The antibodies 

then lock onto antigens and remove 

them from the body. HIV excels 

at deceiving B cells and shielding 

itself from antibodies or changing 

its antigenic parts, so antibodies can 

rarely rid the body of the virus. 

The new program aims to uncover 

mechanisms that will enable scientists 

to outwit HIV and stimulate the 

B-cell production of long-lasting 

antibodies that can neutralize many 

strains of the virus.

University researchers, under the 

leadership of Christopher Broder, 

Ph.D., also won a $5.6 million 

grant from NIAID to develop and 

test vaccines and treatments for the 

Nipah and Hendra viruses. The 

award will support a continued 

collaboration between investigators 

in Australia and a USU research 

team led by Dr. Broder, a professor 

in the Department of Microbiology 

and Immunology.

The newly emerged Hendra and 

Nipah viruses can lead to lethal 

infections in humans and several 

animals. The majority of outbreaks 

have occurred in Bangladesh and 

India, with human fatality rates 

approaching 75 percent. Studies 

have demonstrated that the natural 

reservoirs for Hendra and Nipah 

viruses are bats, primarily several 

different species of large fruit bats 

commonly referred to as flying foxes.

USU scientists have developed a 

vaccine for Nipah and Hendra found 

to be very effective in preventing 

Nipah virus disease and a highly 

potent Nipah and Hendra virusneutralizing antibody as a potential 

therapeutic for both viruses.
Research 2008 Report 23

Commander Jack Tsao, M.D., watches as Sergeant Nicholas Papoure uses mirror therapy, which allows 

Papoure to visualize flexing his missing limb to help alleviate pain.

The Research Week poster session drew 

interest from researchers and military health 

care providers alike.

Research Week 

The university’s annual Research 

Week promoted research by faculty, 

staff and students and provided 

opportunities for interdisciplinary 

collaboration and communication 

among USU graduate students 

and faculty.

Wide-ranging symposia discussed 

traumatic brain injury, technological 

advances and research, and education 

research. John Gallin, M.D., director 

of the National Institutes of Health’s 

Clinical Center, delivered a keynote 

address on translating basic research 

into clinical practice. 

This year’s event, “Celebrating 

Excellence in Research,” reflected 

the complementary roles that 

nursing, public health, behavioral 

science, basic science and medicine 

play in health promotion and disease 

prevention. Poster presentations, 

distinguished guest speakers and 

panels demonstrated USU’s special 

role in civilian, public health and 

military research initiatives across the 

health sciences.

Mirror Therapy

Phantom limb pain plagues as many 

as half of all amputees. Such pain is 

believed to be the result of a faulty 

signal between the brain and the 

missing appendage. Commander 

Jack Tsao, M.D., associate professor 

of neurology, is employing a novel 

therapy to alleviate the condition: 

a mirror.

Dr. Tsao began his work by 

revisiting literature he had first 

seen in graduate school. Vilayanur 

Ramachandran, a neuroscientist at 

the University of California–San 

Diego, devised mirror therapy to 

treat phantom limb pain in upper 

extremities. Ramachandran used 

mirrors so amputees could “see” and 

“move” their missing limbs to relieve 

the discomfort. 

Tsao, who treats military amputees 

wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan 

at the Walter Reed Army Medical 

Center, decided to test the mirror 

premise. He set up a clinical trial 

and recruited 18 combat-wounded 

amputees suffering from phantom 

limb pain. 

“The mirror works for most people 

who have tried it,” Tsao said. “It 

doesn’t work fully for everyone. 

Some people are left with some 

residual pain, but it is better than 

when they started.” 

Tsao now will test mirror therapy 

for treating phantom pain in missing 

arms and will conduct a second trial, 

called functional magnetic resonance 

imaging, to discover precisely why 

mirror therapy works. 
24 2008 Report Research

Research

AFRRI Collaboration

The Armed Forces Radiobiology 

Research Institute (AFRRI), a 

USU component, collaborates 

with other government facilities, 

academic institutions and civilian 

laboratories in the United States and 

worldwide to exchange information 

and conduct research. In addition, 

the facility provides medical training 

and emergency response to manage 

radiation exposure incidents.

AFRRI’s research is dedicated to 

exploring the effects of ionizing 

radiation and developing the best 

means of assessing and treating 

military and civilian casualties in the 

event of a nuclear or radiological 

attack or accident.

Approximately 90 researchers from 

Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, 

the Netherlands, the United Kingdom 

and the U.S. gathered for an AFRRI 

workshop in May that focused on 

assessing and treating casualties 

caused by partial-body radiation.

In AFRRI labs, researchers are 

examining such approaches 

as cytogenetic and molecular 

biomarkers applicable to partialbody exposure. Another approach, 

proteomics, examines the potential 

of radiation-responsive proteins 

as biodosimeters to gauge levels 

of acute and chronic exposure to 

ionizing radiation.

Full Circle

Christopher Lissner, Ph.D.

Deputy Scientific Director 

 of AFRRI

Class of 1984

Christopher Lissner, Ph.D., has come 

full circle, returning to the university 

where he earned his doctorate in 

1984. As deputy scientific director of 

USU’s Armed Forces Radiobiology 

Research Institute (AFRRI), Dr. 

Lissner focuses on understanding, 

measuring and ameliorating the 

effects of ionizing radiation on 

people and biological systems.

The institute’s work extends from 

basic and applied research to 

advanced development. His work 

also includes educating the next 

generation of radiation biologists.

“I’m particularly proud of my role as 

a clinical and medical microbiologist 

assisting with diagnoses that have helped 

reduce human suffering and saved lives. 

I value opportunities to teach and to 

learn from physicians, researchers and lab 

technicians, as well as to apply skills to 

bring people and leaders together and to 

share equally in improving an institution 

and its mission.”

Sigal Award

D. Scott Merrell, Ph.D., assistant 

professor in the Department of 

Microbiology and Immunology, 

received the 2008 Merck Irving 

S. Sigal Memorial Award from 

the American Society for 

Microbiology. Dr. Sigal was a 

pioneer in discovering therapies 

to treat HIV/AIDS. The award 

recognizes excellence in basic 

research in medical microbiology 

and infectious diseases.

Dr. Merrell identified an important regulatory protein known as 

“Fur,” which he has characterized 

in his laboratory. Since joining 

USU in 2004, he has established a 

research program funded by the 

National Institutes of Health and 

developed several local and 

international collaborations to 

study “Fur-dependent” gene 

regulation.
Research 2008 Report 25

With the sponsorship of Assistant Secretary of 

Defense for Health Affairs S. Ward Casscells, 

M.D., far right, USU coordinated the 

first-ever Graduate Medical Education 

Research Poster Session at the 2008 

Military Health System Conference. 

Grandfather’s Footsteps

Colonel Naomi Aronson, M.D.

Department of Medicine

Class of 1981

A career in health care comes 

naturally to Colonel Naomi 

Aronson, M.D., who is following in 

the footsteps of her grandfather, an 

Army medic during World War I 

and World War II, and her uncle, a 

Public Health Service officer at the 

National Institutes of Health. 

After completing her undergraduate 

degree, Dr. Aronson decided to 

study tropical medicine at USU, 

receiving a doctor of medicine 

degree in 1981. She has returned 

to the university as a professor 

and senior researcher in the USU 

Emerging Infectious Diseases 

graduate program.

“I’m now doing work with tuberculosis. 

In the 1930s, my grandfather did a 

vaccine efficacy study for TB and now 

my work is actually following up on 

his original study. ... The military and 

USU gave me the opportunity to do 

something that was important to me 

and to public health.”

USU-HJF Symposium 

A first-ever symposium, held in 

June and sponsored by USU and 

the Henry M. Jackson Foundation 

for the Advancement of Military 

Medicine, drew leading military 

and civilian researchers and 

clinicians who discussed recent 

advances within the Military 

Health System. 

The one-day symposium featured 

presentations on trauma and 

combat casualty care, posttraumatic 

stress and traumatic brain injury, 

infectious diseases research and 

response, and advancements in 

cancer research. The meeting also 

offered a unique opportunity to 

discuss novel ways to better integrate the federal and civilian sectors 

to improve the nation’s health. 

From Concept to Clinic

An active technology transfer 

program is essential to translating 

scientific discovery to 

improved patient care. The 

USU-HJF Joint Office of 

Technology Transfer—a 

partnership between the 

university and the Henry M. 

Jackson Foundation for the 

Advancement of Military 

Medicine—works to advance 

inventions by university and 

Foundation researchers. 

The office has worked with 

USU faculty to develop 

partnerships with a variety of 

industries to bring research 

results to clinical application. 

This work has resulted in 

advances in human nutrition, 

diagnosis and treatment of 

infectious diseases, development of 

immunoprotectants, and improved 

care for cancer patients. 

Collaborative Research

USU’s Infectious Diseases Clinical 

Research Program (IDCRP) is a 

collaborative research effort with 

the National Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases. Established at the 

university in 2005, this unique program 

aims to strengthen infectious disease 

clinical research in the U.S. It brings 

together a network of clinical scientists 

at military treatment facilities who 

focus on conducting patient-based 

research on a wide range of infectious 

diseases relevant to the military and the 

broader medical community. 

This cooperative relationship utilizes 

the Defense Department’s extensive 

health care and research infrastructure. 

Research centers on clinically 

important infectious disease threats 

to the military community, including 

methicillin-resistant staphylococcus 

aureus and other multiple-drug-resistant 

organisms. IDCRP scientists also are 

addressing infectious complications of 

war wounds, travel and tropical diseases, 

and HIV and its related conditions.
26 2008 Report The Future

The

Future

Construction has begun on a 

new national military medical 

center adjacent to the university, 

which promises to leverage USU’s 

educational and research efforts in 

dynamic new ways. The tri-care 

facility will become the flagship of 

military medicine and a new model 

for an academic health center of the 

21st century.

The July groundbreaking for the 

Walter Reed National Military 

Medical Center (WRNMMC), to 

open in 2011, ushers in a new era for 

military medicine. It will house an 

integrated, advanced medical facility 

that will join all three services on 

the National Naval Medical Center 

(NNMC) grounds adjacent to the 

National Institutes of Health. The 

$970 million project will create 

one major military hospital in the 

Washington area, a 2.5-millionsquare-foot, 345-bed facility that 

will merge the existing Walter Reed 

Army Medical Center (WRAMC) 

with the NNMC. USU will serve as 

the health sciences education core of 

this new hospital.

USU plays a key role in two 

additional important initiatives: 

the Center for Neuroscience 

and Regenerative Medicine and 

the National Intrepid Center 

of Excellence for Psychological 

Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. 

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) 

and posttraumatic stress disorder 

(PTSD) are signature injuries of 

Operation Iraqi Freedom and 

Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Current understanding of the 

pathophysiology of these injuries 

does not provide military medicine 

with adequate therapeutics to address 

them. One overarching knowledge 

gap is the need for epidemiological 

data to help define those affected by 

mild brain injury. 

New diagnostic tools are critical to 

a better understanding of mild brain 

injury, which often goes undetected 

because few or very subtle changes 

are difficult to discern during routine 

exams. Therefore, the immediate 

challenge is to develop more accurate 

and precise diagnostic tools, novel 

approaches to increase neuroplasticity, 
The Future 2008 Report 27

Colonel Michael Roy, a 1993 graduate of 

USU’s Master’s of Public Health program, uses 

virtual reality therapy as a novel approach to 

treat posttraumatic stress.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates addresses 

the audience during the ground-breaking 

ceremony for the new Intrepid Center of 

Excellence at the National Naval Medical 

Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

and when appropriate, the use of 

regenerative medicine to address 

brain injury at the organ, cellular 

and molecular level. 

To this end, the Defense Department’s fiscal 2008 supplemental bill 

provided $70 million to USU to 

establish a Center for Neuroscience 

and Regenerative Medicine for the 

study of blast injury to the brain 

and PTSD by studying the combat 

casualties cared for at WRAMC and 

NNMC. Because of the sophisticated neuroimaging technology at 

NIH’s Clinical Center, Congress 

encouraged a collaboration with 

NIH and this work is well under way.

The center will focus on several 

areas:

•	 Neuroregenerative medicine to 

restore neurological function. A 

USU-based team of researchers 

will develop tools that manipulate 

adult neural stem cells in situ to 

restore function associated with 

damaged areas of the brain.

•	 Improved neuroimaging to diagnose TBI and PTSD. Application 

of cutting-edge imaging technologies, in combination with clinical 

assessments and improvements in 

identifying biomarkers, should 

significantly improve the diagnosis 

and development of treatments for 

returning service members.

•	 Neuroplasticity as a tool to improve 

TBI therapeutic outcomes. The 

goal is to further define how 

current knowledge in neuroplasticity can be used to design clinical 

trials that address recovery.

•	 Rehabilitation medicine for 

TBI and PTSD. This represents 

a rare opportunity for patients 

to gain advanced imaging results 

integrated with genomic and 

proteomic biomarkers and 

assessment approaches to facilitate 

rehabilitation and recovery from 

functional deficits.

The second initiative is an effort 

to crystallize knowledge about 

health issues related principally to 

PTSD and TBI. The Department 

of Defense, with support from the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, 

will create the National Intrepid 

Center of Excellence (NICoE). The 

72,000-square-foot facility, located 

inside the gates of NNMC, will share 

the campus with the university and 

WRNMMC.

Speaking at the groundbreaking for 

the center in June, Defense Secretary 

Robert Gates said, “This superb new 

center will be a living reminder that 

America honors the contract [to 

provide care] and keeps faith with 

those who have sacrificed so much 

for all of us.”

The NICoE for Psychological 

Health and Traumatic Brain Injury 

will provide advanced diagnostics, 

initial treatment and family education 

for soldiers with PTSD or TBI, and 

will integrate the educational and 

training functions of USU’s Center 

for Deployment Psychology. The 

goal is to offer lifelong, standardized 

and comprehensive screening, diagnosis and care for TBI and PTSD.

The facility also will serve as the 

clinical research and educational 

arm of the Defense Department’s 

Center of Excellence for psychological health and TBI, a 

collaborative network of military, 

public and private health care and 

educational organizations, including USU. The network seeks to 

discover and promote best practices in the treatment of TBI and 

psychological health.

The NICoE project is being funded 

by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, 

which provides assistance to critically injured service members and 

their families. 

USU President Charles Rice has 

described both efforts as key 

initiatives to strengthen the relationships between research and 

clinical care, between the university 

and WRNMMC, and between this 

new academic health center and the 

National Institutes of Health.
28 2008 Report USU Leadership

President

Charles L. Rice, M.D.

Senior Vice President

Dale C. Smith, Ph.D.

Vice President for Distributed Learning

William Bester, R.N., M.S.N., NEA-BC

BG, AN, USA (Ret)

Vice President for Research

Steven G. Kaminsky, Ph.D.

Vice President for Finance and 

Administration

Stephen C. Rice, M.S., FACHE

CAPT, MSC, USN (Ret)

Vice President for External Affairs

Carol R. Scheman, M.S.S.A.

Chief of Staff

Stephen J. Henske, M.H.A.

CAPT, MSC, USN (Ret)

Review and Evaluation

Dennis Stutz, B.S., CPM

General Counsel

John E. Baker, J.D., L.L.M.

COL, JA, USA (Ret)

Brigade Commander

John M. Wempe, M.D., D.V.M., Ph.D.

COL, MC, USA

Assistant to the President for 

Special Projects

Mary A. Dix, M.S.

Faculty Senate President

Andrew J. Bauer, M.D.

LTC, MC, USA

Director, Armed Forces Radiobiology 

Research Institute

Patricia K. Lillis-Hearne, M.D.

COL, MC, USA

Director, United States Military Cancer 

Institute

John Potter, M.D.

Graduate School of Nursing

Dean

Ada Sue Hinshaw, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Bruce A. Schoneboom, Ph.D., CRNA 

COL, AN, USA

Commandant

Assistant Dean for Student Affairs

Kandace J. Wolf, B.S.N., M.N.

LTC, AN, USA

Acting Associate Dean for Research

Patricia W. Kelley, R.N., Ph.D., FNP-C, GNP-C, 

FAANP

CAPT, NC, USN 

Executive Assistant/Assistant Dean for 

Administration, Finance and Technology

Ernest L. Hepler, Jr., Ph.D.

COL, MSC, USA (Ret)

Department of Health, Injury and 

Disease Management

Chair: Diane Padden, Ph.D., CRNP

Department of Health Systems, Risk and 

Contingency Management

Chair: Sandra C. Bibb, D.N.Sc., R.N.

CAPT, NC, USN (Ret)

Doctoral Program in Nursing Science

Acting Director: Christine Kasper, R.N., Ph.D., 

FAAN, FACSM

Family Nurse Practitioner Program

Director: Diane Seibert, Ph.D., CRNP

Nurse Anesthesia Program

Director: Adrienne G. Hartgerink, M.S.N., 

CRNA

Lt Col, USAF, NC

Perioperative Clinical Nurse Specialist 

Program

Director: Linda J. Wanzer, M.S.N., CNOR

COL, AN, USA (Ret)

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse 

Practitioner Program

Director: Robert R. Arnold, R.N., M.S.N., 

PsyCNS

MAJ, AN, USA

F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine

Dean

Larry W. Laughlin, M.D., Ph.D.

CAPT, MC, USN (Ret)

Vice Dean 

John E. McManigle, M.D.

Col, USAF, MC (Ret)

Commandant

Ken M. Tashiro, M.D., M.P.H.

Col, USAF, MC, CFS

Associate Dean for Graduate Education

Eleanor S. Metcalf, Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Student Affairs

Richard M. MacDonald, M.D.

COL, MC, USA (Ret)

Associate Dean for Simulation Education

Joseph V. Lopreiato, M.D.

CAPT, MC, USN

Associate Dean for Faculty Development

William H.J. Haffner, M.D.

CAPT, USPHS (Ret)

Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs

Emmanuel G. Cassimatis, M.D.

COL, MC, USA (Ret)

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

Eric S. Marks, M.D.

Associate Dean for Graduate 

Medical Education

Howard E. Fauver, Jr., M.D.

COL, MC, USA (Ret)

Associate Dean for Medical Education

Donna M. Waechter, Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Recruitment 

and Admissions

Margaret Calloway, M.D.

CDR, MC, USN

Department of Anatomy, 

Physiology and Genetics

Chair: Harvey B. Pollard, M.D., Ph.D.

CAPT, USPHS (Ret)

Department of Anesthesiology

Acting Chair: Cynthia H. Shields, M.D.

COL, MC, USA

Department of Biochemistry and 

Molecular Biology

Chair: Teresa M. Dunn, Ph.D.

USU

Leadership
Department of Biomedical Informatics

Interim Chair: A. Leon Moore, Ph.D.

Department of Dermatology

Chair: Leonard B. Sperling, M.D.

COL, MC, USA (Ret)

Department of Family Medicine

Chair: Brian V. Reamy, M.D.

Col, USAF, MC

Department of Medical and 

Clinical Psychology

Chair: David S. Krantz, Ph.D.

Department of Medical History

Chair: Dale C. Smith, Ph.D.

(1997–May 2008)

Acting Chair: Trueman W. Sharp, M.D. 

CAPT, MC, USN

(June 2008–present)

Department of Medicine

Chair: Louis N. Pangaro, M.D.

COL, MC, USA (Ret)

Department of Microbiology 

and Immunology

Chair: Alison D. O’Brien, Ph.D.

Department of Military and 

Emergency Medicine

Chair: Trueman W. Sharp, M.D.

CAPT, MC, USN

Department of Neurology

Chair: William W. Campbell, Jr., M.D.

COL, MC, USA

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Acting Chair: Christopher Zahn, M.D.

Col, USAF, MC

Department of Pathology

Chair: Robert M. Friedman, M.D.

CAPT, USPHS (Ret)

Department of Pediatrics

Chair: Ildy M. Katona, M.D.

CAPT, MC, USN (Ret)

Department of Pharmacology

Chair: Jeffrey M. Harmon, Ph.D.

Department of Preventive Medicine 

and Biometrics

Chair: Gerald V. Quinnan, M.D.

RADM, USPHS (Ret)

Department of Psychiatry

Chair: Robert J. Ursano, M.D.

Col, USAF, MC (Ret)

Department of Radiation Biology

Chair: Terry C. Pellmar, Ph.D.

Department of Radiology and 

Radiological Sciences

Chair: James G. Smirniotopoulos, M.D.

Department of Surgery

Chair: David G. Burris, M.D.

COL, MC, USA

Section of Medical Jurisprudence

Bradley S. Beall, J.D.

CDR, JAGC, USN (Ret)

Doctoral Programs

Emerging Infectious Diseases Program

Director: Christopher C. Broder, Ph.D.

Molecular and Cell Biology Program

Director: Mary Lou Cutler, Ph.D.

Neuroscience Program

Director: Regina Armstrong, Ph.D.

Board of Regents

Chair

The Honorable Everett Alvarez, Jr., J.D.

Vice Chair

The Honorable Linda J. Stierle, M.S.N., R.N., CNAA

Members

The Honorable Otis W. Brawley, M.D.

The Honorable Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D.

The Honorable Vinicio E. Madrigal, M.D.

The Honorable Lawrence C. Mohr, Jr., M.D.

Ex-Officio Members

The Honorable S. Ward Casscells, M.D.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

Health Affairs

Charles L. Rice, M.D.

President, USU

LTG Eric B. Schoomaker, M.D., Ph.D., MC, USA

Surgeon General, United States Army

VADM Adam M. Robinson, MC, USN

Surgeon General, United States Navy 

Lt Gen James G. Roudebush, USAF, MC

Surgeon General, United States Air Force

RADM Steven K. Galson, USPHS

Acting Surgeon General of the United States

®

This publication was produced by the Henry M. Jackson Foundation 

for the Advancement of Military Medicine.
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