VOLUME 3, ISSUE 12 WWW.USUHS.MIL JULY 7, 2008 

USU Newsletter 

New Facility Open and Ready for Business.....Page 6 
Carol R. Scheman 

Vice President for 

External Affairs and 

Managing Editor 

Tech. Sgt. 

André Nicholson 

Editor 

MC2 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor 

Christine Creenan 

Copy Editor 

Marla Wright 

Webmaster 

Publishing 

USU Duplicating Office

Production: 

Editorial content is 

edited, prepared and 

provided by the USU 

Office of External Affairs unless otherwise 

indicated. The Newsletter staff may include 

or exclude articles 

based upon news 

value, impact on the 

university and space 

availability. 

Submissions: 

The USU Newsletter 

will be published biweekly on Mondays 

and deadline for submission is Friday at 4 

p.m. Submissions can 

be sent to usunewsletter@usuhs.mil or by 

calling 301-295-3925. 

PAGE 2 

Cover photo by 

HM2 Michael Oliver

In This Issue: 

Cafeteria Issues...........2 

Service Birthdays........3 

Tim McGraw................4 

LTC Maurer...................4 

MTN Conference.......5 

Student Spouses.........5 

Bldg. E Move................6 

MPH Graduation........7 

Anatomy Memorial....7 

Broder NIH Grant.......8 

MedPix............................8 

Race for the Cure........9 

Media Services..........10 

Gov’t Affairs...............10 

USU News...................11 

Calendar......................12 

 

 

 

 Concern has been noted over the pending rise 

in prices of food offered in the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) cafeteria. 

Below, Dr. Dale C. Smith, USU’s Senior Vice President addresses some questions about this issue. 

 Q) What is the current service in the cafeteria 

(who manages it)? 

 (A) The USU Cafeteria is currently managed by 

the US Navy’s Morale Welfare and Recreation program. They are chartered by Congress to provide 

services on Navy bases that cannot be met by appropriated funds. USU cannot legally operate a 

dining facility directly as we would either transgress 

the competition with civilian economy regulations 

or we would break the rules concerning providing 

mess facilities for billeted personnel. If we were an 

Army base or Navy ship with assigned personnel, 

we could operate a galley but the assigned personnel would not get a basic allowance for subsistence, which is an allowance to purchase food. 

 Since we are a tri-service institution, with diverse 

assignment patterns, we cannot operate a mess. 

Because there are a lot of state-side Department of 

Defense installations in the same situation, the 

MWR provides an alternative. 

 Another important difference is that the cafeteria must pay its own way, it cannot operate in debt, 

and it gets no direct operating expenses from the 

government. This means we cannot use our appropriated money to subsidize their operations. MWR 

also operates the NNMC’s bowling alley snack bar 

and the Child Development Center’s food service. 

They are the intermediary for the Main Street commercial franchise vendors in the hospital. 

 (Q) Why did we choose to go with MWR? What 

advantages does having them as our service offer 

us? How are the MWR benefits fed back to the customers? Why not go with a for-profit vendor?

 (A) A for-profit vendor has the problem of capitalization of their establishment, whereas our cafeteria is federally built and federally supported. As 

such, we cannot grant its use to a private, for-profit 

company. It is important to note that while we say 

“our” cafeteria, it really belongs, real estate-wise, to 

the Navy, as USU is a tenant in Navy buildings. 

 While we can ask for a different vendor, they 

must work through the federal laws. MWR then has 

the job of hosting whoever sells the food. By going 

directly with MWR we gain two advantages: first, 

MWR is not primarily profit or bottom-line driven 

and they reinvest in our morale activities. For example, the USU summer picnic will be held in a few 

weeks, an event that is subsidized by the MWR 

fund, which is partially fed by the gross receipts of 

the cafeteria. Second, another beneficiary of the 

gross receipts is the restaurant fund, which helps 

fund the non-essentials of the cafeteria. Things like 

the yogurt machine are purchased by the restaurant fund, not by MWR directly. 

 The biggest advantage however, is the motive 

MWR brings to the task. 

Lunch and breakfast are 

not big revenue creators in 

the food service business, 

(they typically break even,) 

and USU does not have a 

dinner business, so a private for-profit vendor 

would provide limited service. The first thing to go 

would be hot food, then 

variety in the self-service 

lines, as these things are 

personnel-intensive and 

get in the way of profits. 

 MWR must show a profit 

but it does not exist for 

profit, so as long as they 

are not in the red they can give us variety. There 

are second order effects to the variety. The staff 

that prepares hot food also give us a catering capacity that is known to the Navy and meets government standards, which is essential if you are going 

to cater in a government building and on a closed 

installation. If we lose the hot food and catering 

then there is no incentive to keep the stoves and 

other kitchen things, and hot food becomes more 

expensive. If you do not have a standard, known 

caterer, the liability associated with alcohol is too 

great, so beer and wine go away. Using MWR allows USU the flexibility to have after-hour events 

and provides a richer variety in the meal service 

offered. If we go with a single breakfast/lunch vendor we will have a vendor, be it Subway, 

McDonalds, etc. All are good, but will eventually 

lack variety, and unlike the hospital with its thousands of personnel, we cannot support more than 

one for-profit breakfast and lunch vendor. 

 (Q) Why are prices rising? When will the new 

prices become effective?

 (A) As a ballpark figure, prices will rise around 25 

percent July 7. The reason is, the current balance 

sheet shows a deficit of over $30,000 for the fiscal 

year (October) to date. The deficit is the product of 

several factors, among them the fact it has been 

almost two years since there was a general price 

increase and raw food prices have gone up. Energy 

costs, both to deliver the food and to prepare the 

food, have also gone up significantly. Inflation has 

raised personnel costs, as the workers in the cafeteria need raises just like the rest of us need more to 

make ends meet. 

 The catering revenue has fallen this year as we 

have, as a community, used a wider variety of caterers for various events. The profits from catering are 

an important source of revenue for the MWR balance sheet, and as we exercise our independence 

and use other food sources, (e.g. enlisted hot dog 

sales, graduation pig roasts, and privately catered 

meetings we take money away from the MWR account. The university charges a fee, 10 percent of 

the external catering costs, to make up the loss to 

USU Senior VP Addresses Cafeteria Price Increases 

Dr. Dale C. Smith 

USU Senior Vice 

President 

By MC2 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

See CAFETERIA, Pg. 3 
PAGE 3 

Service Birthdays 

 The U.S. Army and the Hospital Corps of the U.S. Navy celebrated their birthdays with cake-cutting ceremonies in the 

Building B Lobby, June 13. The Army was officially established by the Continental Congress June 14, 1775, to fight Great 

Britain. The Navy Hospital Corps was officially established by Congress, June 17, 1898, as part of an ongoing effort to provide adequate medical care at sea. Service birthday cakes are typically cut by both the most senior and most junior servicemember. At left, COL William Campbell, MC, USAR, and SPC Romeo Satsatin, USA, cut the Army birthday cake. Right, Hospital Corpsman Chief Rodrigo Foronda, USN, and Hospital Corpsman Third Class Gregory Curtis, USN, cut the Hospital Corps 

birthday cake. 

Photos by HM2 Michael Oliver 

the MWR and restaurant funds but we do not restore the profits 

to the MWR kitchen activity. 

 We as a community need to ask ourselves how much flexibility 

we want in catering, if the costs is significant increases in cafeteria 

for the whole community. Our instructions say the cafeteria has 

the right of first refusal for on-site catering, but we have not been 

enforcing the rule because each case seems to have merit. We 

must enforce the rule while we discuss the costs of our choices. 

We will ask the University Senate as well as other fora to give the 

administration the benefit of their wisdom on catering in the coming months, but right now we are going to have to get the balance sheet back to zero. We hope that we can get price adjustments with greater regularity in the future so we are not so far 

behind and see such large jumps. Right now we must make up for 

the liberality of choice and the lack of increases for the last couple 

of years, and the result is painful. 

 (Q) What is the university doing about the rise in price? Is there 

anyway to avoid passing on the rise in cost to the customer? 

What else is being done to save money?

 (A) We are looking at catering revenue streams, but we do not 

have much flexibility when it comes to food costs. It is illegal to 

supplement the operation with appropriated funds and we do 

not have significant sources of undesignated, non-appropriated 

funds. The cafeteria managers are aware that some people will 

not be able to pay the increases and will bring their lunches, thus 

the cafeteria will lose some revenue. The prices take into account 

their best judgment of this variable, as they have opened their 

books, our financial management personnel have checked their 

numbers, the costs are real, the deficit is real and the law is clear. 

The result is they must raise prices and there is little we can do, 

practically and legally, to help mitigate the impact. 

 We can, with the management team, make some modifications 

in pricing that will limit future problems. We will probably see the 

hot line close for six weeks in the summer when the population is 

down, and this will allow greater flexibility in vacation personnel 

management in the cafeteria and keep personnel costs down. 

Low profit items will vanish, half sandwiches are a classic case -- it 

takes as much time to make a half sandwich as a whole one and 

there is some wastage of ingredients, so the profit is low. We will 

see a reduction in the variety of sizes in some things, especially 

drinks, as a cost control measure. In the fall we will have a university committee work with the cafeteria management team in an 

effort to explore other options. 

 (Q) Is there a forum available for the USU Community to weigh 

in on the issue?

 (A) If you have a money-saving idea, send a note to the President's Open Door, and we will get it to the committee. If you want 

to express an opinion, send a note to the USU Newsletter editor at 

USUNewsletter@usuhs.mil. Some will be published or consolidated for general consideration, especially if you have ideas we 

have not considered. Take your ideas to the University Senate, 

they can collect and develop data and options, or you can stop in 

and see me, and we can talk. If you just need to tell someone you 

don't like the price increase and wish someone would do something, come see me. I'll agree with you and as we talk, an idea of 

what we might do could come to one of us, but it will need to be 

legal and at least a little bit practical to get implemented. 

From CAFETERIA, Pg. 2 
PAGE 4 

 Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) 

students and staff members spent their Father’s Day backstage at 

Nissan Pavilion as volunteers for the Tug McGraw Foundation. 

 The Tug McGraw Foundation was established by former 

Mets/Phillies pitcher, Tug McGraw, in 2003 to raise funds to enhance the quality of life of children and adults with brain tumors 

and their families by stimulating and facilitating research that addresses the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and spiritual impact of the disease. He later died of a malignant brain tumor. 

 Tug McGraw spent six years in the Marine Reserves. His son, 

Tim McGraw, the well known country music star, is the honorary 

chairman of the Tug McGraw Foundation and a strong supporter 

of the military and of the military’s efforts in brain injury research 

and patient care. The foundation is also working in collaboration 

with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of 

Military Medicine to advance military medical research, and as a 

result of that tie, the McGraw Foundation donated tickets to a 

number of USU students, along with wounded soldiers recovering 

at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and their families, to attend 

Tim McGraw’s concert at Nissan Pavilion in Northern Virginia. The 

foundation later requested volunteers from USU to help backstage 

to assist the soldiers during a private concert given by Tim 

McGraw. Recording artists Lance Miller and Catherine Raney 

opened the performance. 

 Afterwards, Tim McGraw invited the students and soldiers to 

meet with him and his band, the Dance Hall Doctors, privately to 

express his gratitude for their service to the nation. He also recognized them as 

VIPs during the 

concert. 

 “It was a 

great honor to 

represent USU 

at the concert,” 

said MS-1 ENS 

Grace Landers. 

“Everyone was 

kind and polite. 

They treated us 

like celebrities. 

Mr. McGraw 

and his band 

were thanking 

us for being 

their guests.” 

 In addition to 

ENS Landers, the USU students and staff who volunteered were 

ENS Andrew Kung, 2LT Paul Schunk, 2LT Douglas Farmer, 2nd Lt 

Regan Lyon, 2nd Lt Jennifer Stierwalt, ENS Elizabeth Polfer, SSgt. 

Rachel Broussard, SFC Michele DeSouza, SSgt Michelle Rogers, 

SGT Benjamin Lowry, and Ms. Leeann Ori. 

 During the concert, the Dance Hall Doctors drummer, Billy Mason, wore a USU t-shirt that had been presented to him earlier in 

the day, projecting the university’s logo on the venue’s giant TV 

screens in front of approximately 25,000 attendees. “I wore the 

shirt because I was so proud of the men and women I met, and 

didn’t meet, that serve our country,” he said. 

Tim McGraw Entertains Troops: USU Students,Staff Volunteer 

By Sharon Willis 

Deputy Director, Office of External Affairs 

Courtesy Photo 

USU students pose with Tim McGraw at the 

singer’s concert at Nissan Pavilion, June 15. 

Several students acted as volunteers to the Tug 

McGraw Foundation, assisting wounded Soldiers during a private concert. 

 Most people come on active duty and 

then retire, but the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) 

Military Training Network director did just 

the opposite. However, LTC John Maurer, 

MSC, USA, is not like most people and his 

career path has proven it. 

 After serving 30 years as an Army Reservist, Maurer retired in July 2001 and was 

enjoying life with his family in Minnesota. 

Little did he know, that would not be the 

last time he put on the Army uniform. 

 Just months after his retirement, the 

country was shaken to its core by the 

events of 9/11 and Maurer immediately 

received a call from the Army Human Resources Command asking him if he would 

come back into the Army if they needed 

him. However, a few more years would 

pass before the actual call to come back 

was received. 

 “I received a call from HRC in February 

2006 to come on active duty as the Executive Officer here at USU,” Maurer said. “So 

my wife and I flew here and met with 

(former brigade commander) CAPT Jack 

Rumbaugh. We then went back home and 

talked about it, and needless to say, a few 

months later I was reporting to the university as the new XO.” 

 Now, nearly five years after his initial 

retirement, Maurer stepped into the brigade XO position July 24, 2006 and found 

himself back in the Army uniform. But just 

as unpredictable as it may have been for 

him to find himself back in the service, it 

wouldn’t be long before he was presented 

another unexpected opportunity. 

 “I think I had been in the XO job for 

maybe a month, I was just getting my feet 

wet,” he said, “but due to some unforeseen 

circumstances, CAPT Rumbaugh was asked 

to do a temporary assignment at the Pentagon to fill a critical opening, but that meant 

I would now become the brigade commander in his absence.” 

 Initially Maurer’s new job as interim brigade commander was supposed to span 

90 days, but turned out to be permanent 

for the next 

year until the 

current Brigade Commander COL 

John Wempe, 

MC, USA, 

arrived in July 

2007. 

 “I must say 

that everything happened so 

quickly and 

this was my 

first experience working 

in a tri-service 

environment, 

but I couldn’t 

have been 

more thrilled 

with the level 

of support I 

received from 

everyone,” Maurer said. “Throughout my 

From Retired Reservist to Brigade Commander 

to MTN Director... What Lies Ahead for LTC Maurer 

By TSgt. Andre Nicholson 

NCOIC, Office of External Affairs 

Photo by MCSN Raul Zamora 

LTC John Maurer, MSC, 

USA, director of the Military 

Training Network and former USU Brigade XO and 

Acting CO, enjoys a ride in 

a Stryker Armored Combat 

Vehicle during the 2007 

Operation Bushmaster/Kerkesner Exercises. 

See MAURER, Pg. 6 
PAGE 5 

Photo by MC2 Jeff Hopkins Student Spouses Lend a Hand 

 As part of their annual charity donation, The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) Student Spouses Club 

donated $400 to the Wounded Warrior Project, June 13. The WWP is a non-profit organization that raises awareness and enlists 

the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured servicemembers by providing programs and services which meet their needs. 

Above, Melissa Martin, a Defense Travel administrator and member of the SSC, presents Casey Destefano, an intern at the WWP, 

with the SSC’s donation check. 

MTN Staff Pumps Life into Cardiovascular Conference 

 A plan to improve the resuscitative medicine and trauma training programs proved 

to be a winning bet for members of the 

Military Training Network (MTN) who recently traveled to Las Vegas, Nev., for the 

2008 Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update, an International Educational Conference and Exposition. 

 The bi-annual conference is an opportunity for a group of CPR and resuscitation 

instructors, practitioners and researchers to celebrate the art and 

science of resuscitation. This year marked the 15th ECCU conference and MTN staff members in conjunction with the American 

Heart Association, were responsible for coordinating attendance 

and participation of their 335 training sites worldwide. 

 “The MTN staff did a remarkable job coordinating everything,” 

said LTC John Maurer, MSC, USA, MTN director. “This year we had 

more participation then we had in previous years and our staff 

members, Ruth Sullivan; SSgt (Katina) James, USAF; ENS (Iain) 

Gould, USN; and all the program managers were instrumental in 

making this a successful event for the Military Training Network.” 

 During the conference, HM1 Trudy Carmichael and (T)

Sgt Rachel Broussard presented changes and updates to 

both the Pediatric Advanced Life Support and the Advanced Cardiac Life Support programs; TSgt Tuyen Tran 

and HM1 Joe Monsivais presented changes and updates to 

the Basic Life Support programs; and LTC Maurer and SFC

(P) William Vernon discussed new programs and tools available to all the training sites. 

 “One of the things we promoted is that the sites should 

do a lot of transition training because there is always a high 

level of turnover,” Broussard explained. 

 MTN is organized under the Office of Continuing Education 

and its mission is to develop and implement policy guidance and 

ensure compliance with curriculum and administrative standards 

for resuscitative and trauma medicine training programs for uniformed service members and Department of Defense affiliates 

worldwide. It consist of a tri-service staff who provide specific 

service expertise, central record keeping, worldwide coordination 

of programs and ensures national resuscitative and trauma medicine organizations are aware of military medicine's unique requireBy TSgt André Nicholson 

NCOIC, Office of External Affairs 
PAGE 6 

USU 

A Traditional Academic University with a Unique 

Focus 

career I’ve been blessed, fortunate, lucky, however you’d like to 

describe it. I’ve always had a superb NCO Corps who looked out 

for me and that was no different here. I especially have to say 

thank you to SFC Peña, Chief Heath, SFC Gould, SFC Abrams, SFC 

Harris and the Military Personnel Office crew who really kept me 

out of trouble.” 

 Maurer is also just as appreciative of the support he received 

from the entire brigade staff and specifically CDR Gina Trotter, Lt 

Col William Boyce, LTC Wanda Jenkins and Col Ken Tashiro, who 

were extremely helpful and key to his survival as the commander. 

 “I also have to give a huge thank you to Dr. Rice and his staff 

who have mentored me along the way, Mr. Steve Henske, Dr. 

Laughlin, Dr. Kaminsky, Dr. Smith, and a fellow Minnesotian, 

(former GSN acting dean) Brig. Gen. Bester,” Maurer said. 

 But Maurer’s assignment at USU didn’t end as the brigade commander, he soon found himself filling in as the director for the 

Military Training Network, a function under the Office of Continuing Education. In this capacity, he was responsible for a smaller 

network of people but with a mission that was no less important. 

 “The work that this staff at MTN does is just incredible,” he said. 

“I’m really just here for administrative oversight as the staff handles all the resuscitative care programs throughout the Department of Defense and they do it so well.” 

 So what’s next for LTC Maurer? Originally, retirement number 

two was the plan but the Army has a need for a site commander 

at Fort McCoy, Wis., in a medical unit that is responsible for conducting medical examinations for mobilizing units. 

 “So it looks like I’m heading to Wisconsin for a tour there,” 

Maurer said. “My family will remain 

in Minnesota and I’ll just commute 

on the weekends to see them for 

the next year or so.” 

 As Maurer reflects on his time 

here, he said he would probably 

stay forever if he could and if his 

family was here with him. 

 “This is just a gem of a place, with 

a tremendously important mission, 

executed by very dedicated people,” 

he said. “The USU community made 

my wife and I feel so welcome. A 

special thanks to the Graduate 

School of Nursing for giving my wife 

a part-time position while she was 

here. It made her feel part of the 

USU family as well.” 

 Maurer said he learned several 

things during his time here but being away from his family made him 

really appreciate what deployed 

troops who are away from their 

families must go through. 

 “I have a wife and three sons 

back in Minnesota and being away from my family for this long 

makes me appreciate them even more,” he said. “The sacrifices 

being made by our young servicemembers on a daily basis is remarkable and should never be forgotten.” 

 “All the best to those who train the best.” 

From MAURER, Pg. 4 

 Members of the Uniformed Services University of the Health 

Sciences’ (USU) Continuing Health Education and Graduate 

School of Nursing are in the final stages of completing their move 

into the newly finished Building E on campus. 

 Constructed to provide extra classroom and office space for the 

CHE and GSN, Building E allows for improved communication between formerly offsite staff and the university. The 

building also features a 100-person lecture room as well as smaller classrooms 

featuring partitions for subdividing 

classes to provide for the increased number of degree-granting programs. 

 Though the move from the leased 

space on Colesville Road in Silver Spring 

to the USU campus does not possess the 

“minimal distractions,” as described by 

COL Bruce A. Schoneboom, NC, USA, 

associate dean for Academic Affairs for 

the GSN, the new location augments the 

interaction between students and faculty. Schoneboom explained that the 

GSN feels more like a “part of the USU 

community.” 

 Schoneboom added the partitioncapable spaces are a convenient way 

to share space according to class 

sizes. 

 “The new building’s classrooms 

provide the faculty with the flexibility 

to design a classroom with the needs 

of the class itself,” he said. 

 “Moving,” according to HM1 

Trudy A. Carmichael, USN, program 

manager for MTN’s Advanced Cardiac Life Support Program, “is always 

a little chaotic 

and a little hectic.” 

 TSgt Tuyen Tran, program manager for 

MTN’s Army/Air Force Basic Life Support 

Program, said the new location is particularly 

convenient with its increased access to the 

USU Brigade and the Bethesda Naval Campus. The only drawback, he said, is the decreased storage space. He said he will simply, “figure out how to work smarter.” 

 Overall, the three-levels of the new structure are a welcome addition to the campus, 

though Tran lightheartedly insisted that the 

move will mean “a lot of people from the 

brigade are going to come find me.” Turning back to the boxes left piled outside his 

cubicle, he said, “but we like each other.” 

GSN, CHE Relocate from Silver Spring to Building E 

By Jessica Dinneen 

Assistant to the Office of External Affairs 

Photo by MC2 Jeff Hopkins 

COL Bruce Schoneboom, NC, USA, places 

a book on his bookshelf in his office in the 

newly completed Bldg. 

E. 

Photo by MC2 Jeff Hopkins 

HM1 Trudy Carmichael, 

USN, works diligently in her 

new office space in Bldg. E. 

Photo by MC2 Jeff Hopkins 

TSgt Tuyen Tran, 

USAF, moves files 

from boxes to 

shelves in MTN’s 

new room in Bldg. E. 

Photo by Tom Balfour 

LTC Maurer poses at the 

lectern in the Indian Treaty 

Room in the East Wing of 

the Old Executive Building 

during MTN’s visit to the 

White House. 
PAGE 7 

Photo by HM2 Careese Charles 

In Memory 

 Members of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) Joint Service Color Guard performed the 

“Parading of the Colors” at the 35th Annual Maryland Anatomy Board Memorial Ceremony at a dedicated gravesite on the 

grounds of the Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville, Md., June 13. Each year, the MSAB holds a memorial ceremony for the 

people who, through the Anatomical Gift Program, donated their bodies for the use of furthering medical education.

 The department of Preventive Medicine 

and Biometrics hosted its 2008 Masters 

Programs Graduation Ceremony, June 13. 

 The ceremony featured keynote speaker 

Ellen Embry, deputy assistant secretary of 

defense for Force Health Protection and 

Readiness in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. 

 Graduates of the Master of Public Health 

Program include:

Matilda Beadling 

Kris Belland 

Michael Bowens 

Erin Bohen 

David Brett-Major 

Rodney Brittain 

Kevin Brown 

Mark Chappel 

Naili Chen 

Scott Cherry 

Jared Cooper 

Glenn Dowling 

Sheena Eagan 

Val Finnell 

David Greenburg 

Joe Haines 

Cherise Harrington 

Nidal Hasan 

Paul Lang 

Megan McKenzie 

Rupal Mody 

Thomas Moore 

Stephanie Morrison 

Carmen Mundaca 

Kevin Payne 

Blaine Powell 

Mark Reynolds 

Patcho Santiago 

Cecili Sessions 

Eric Sherman 

Lloyd Sloan 

David Tarantino 

Hongyan Wu 

 Expected to graduate by fall from the 

Master of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 

program are: 

Randall Freeman 

Devin Wiles 

Diego Gonzales 

 Graduating from the Master of Science 

in Public Health was Jeffrey Delzer. 

Preventive Med, Biometrics Hold Masters Programs Graduation 
 Medpix, an online database of medical images, provided more 

than 19 percent of all continuing medical education credit hours 

granted by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) last year. 

 This included more than 5,000 hours of American Medical Association Physicians Recognition Award Category 1 credits from 

more than 21,000 CME visits in 2007 alone. 

 The database, created in 1996 and patented in 2006 by Dr. 

James G. Smirniotopoulos, chair of Radiology and Radiological 

Sciences at USU, and Henry Irvine, a USU graduate and NCC radiology resident, functions as a training system and imaging atlas. 

With high resolution JPEG images, the database allows for viewing of specific and relevant images without need for a diagnosticquality monitor. 

 In combination with an archive of past uploaded images, a 

“Clinical Case of the Week” features two 

to three questions for a review of medical literature. Certified since 2003 by 

the USU Continuing Health Education 

office, physicians and students are also 

able to take tests and receive scores 

using an automated system. Since September 2000, there have been more 

than 100,094,113 logged visits. 

 Though the site is not intended for 

computer assisted differential diagnosis, 

Smirniotopoulos said the Web site does 

possess the potential. 

 With more than 230,000 visits in a 

month from approximately 160,000 

visitors, MedPix has achieved a milestone in shared medical imaging. 

 Researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health 

Sciences (USU) have been awarded a $5.6 million grant from the 

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part 

of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop and test vaccines and treatments for the Nipah and Hendra viruses. 

 Dr. Christopher C. Broder, USU professor of microbiology and 

immunology and director of the university’s interdisciplinary program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, is the principal investigator 

of the grant from NIAID. The grant was awarded to further develop the vaccines and therapeutics for Nipah and Hendra that 

his group has been working on for the past several years. 

 The award will support a continued collaboration with investigators Lin-Fa Wang, Ph.D. and Deborah Middleton M.V.Sc, Ph.D. 

of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research 

Organization (CSIRO) Livestock Industries, Australian Animal 

Health Laboratory (AAHL) and Australian Biosecurity Cooperative 

Research Center (AB-CRC) in Geelong, Victoria, where there is a 

high-level biosafety and security facility for testing the vaccines 

and therapeutics against deadly viruses in appropriate models. 

 Hendra virus and Nipah virus are recently emerged paramyxoviruses that are highly pathogenic and can cause lethal infections in several animals and in humans. Since their initial discovery in Australia and Malaysia, sporadic Hendra outbreaks have 

been reported from 1995 to 2007, while Nipah has caused at least 

nine outbreaks between 1998 and 2008. The majority of these 

episodes have occurred on a regular basis in Bangladesh and India, with human case fatality rates approaching 75 percent along 

with evidence of human-to-human transmission. The most recent 

appearance of Nipah in 2008 claimed the lives of several children. 

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. 

 The first steps in countering infections caused by these viruses 

were to develop a vaccine that was both safe and effective, and 

also to find antibodies that could neutralize them. In earlier work, 

also supported by NIAID through the Middle-Atlantic Regional 

Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (MARCE), a subunit vaccine for Nipah and Hendra, 

composed of a piece of the virus known as the G glycoprotein, 

was developed by Dr. Katharine Bossart, a former graduate student of Broder’s laboratory. Recent experiments by Dr. Bossart 

and colleagues have shown the vaccine to be very effective in 

preventing Nipah virus disease. 

 Antibodies on the other hand are proteins that are found in blood or other bodily fluids of animals and humans that are 

used by the immune system to identify 

and neutralize foreign molecules, including bacteria and viruses. 

 The neutralization of an invading virus 

is the process by which an antibody can 

specifically bind and block its infection, 

and in other recent MARCE-supported 

studies carried out by Broder’s group in 

collaboration with Dimiter S. Dimitrov, 

Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute’s, 

Center for Cancer Research in Frederick, 

Md., and Zhongyu Zhu, Ph.D., of Dimitrov's group, a very potent Nipah and 

Hendra virus neutralizing human monoclonal antibody (m102.4) was developed as a potential therapeutic that 

could be administered to people infected by these viruses. 

 “We now have the critical resources needed to evaluate the 

therapeutic potential of both vaccines and perhaps more importantly a potent human antibody against both Nipah virus and 

Hendra virus, that could help control outbreaks in geographical 

regions susceptible to these emerging viruses, and result in a real 

benefit to those people at risk of infection and disease caused by 

these deadly agents," said Broder. “Our success in obtaining these 

new critical funds is also evidence of the success of NIAID’s Regional Center of Excellence program,” Broder added. 

 This NIH award will also support and bring together the expertise to structurally characterize the interaction between the Nipah 

and Hendra virus and the receptor proteins on cells that serve the 

gateway for virus infection, led by Dimitar B. Nikolov, Ph.D., and 

Kai Xu of Nikolov’s team at the Structural Biology Program of the 

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York. Information from these additional studies may lead to the discovery of 

new therapeutics targeting the virus-host cell infection process. 

 NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria 

and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. It also supports 

basic immunology research, transplantation and immune-related 

disorders, including autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies. 

USU Professor Awarded $5.6M NIH Grant for Deadly Virus Therapeutics 

Dr. Christopher Broder 

Professor and Director, 

Emerging Infectious 

Diseases Graduate Program 

MedPix Website passes 100,000,000 visit-mark 

Dr. James Smirniotopoulous 

Chair, Radiology and 

Radiological Sciences 

By Jessica Dinneen 

Assistant to the Office of External Affairs 

PAGE 8 
Courtesy Photo 

Racing for the Cure 

 A team of servicemembers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) participated in the 19th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a five-kilometer run/walk held in Washington 

D.C., June 7. The team, named “Betty Boobs”, raised approximately $800 for the Susan G. Komen for the 

Cure foundation, the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to breast cancer research and awareness. 

Plans for next year’s Race for the Cure are already on the table for the team, incorporating logos from USU’s 

tri-services among them. Pictured here, back row from left, are: (T)Sgt Troyann Ernle, USAF; SSG Sacha 

Moore, USA; SSG Sherry Kwasnik, USA; (T)Sgt Rachael Broussard, USAF; and SSG Pauline Sedano, USA. 

Front row from left are: RP2 Maria Rajas, USN; (T)Sgt Stacey Fusco, USAF; and SFC Michele Desouza, USA. 

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

Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) has introduced a 

new health communication campaign, Resources for Recovery, 

addressing the impact of combat injury on our nation’s military 

children and families. 

 CSTS is part of USU’s Department of Psychiatry, and a partnering center of the Defense Center of Excellence. Each installment of 

Resources for Recovery will provide an electronic fact sheet for 

providers, civilian and military, as well as for the military family, to 

educate them about important and timely topics that span the 

trajectory of care from recovery to return to home . 

 The title of the first installment of Resources for Recovery is “The 

Combat Injured Family: Guidelines for Care.” This groundbreaking 

information was developed in collaboration with the Workgroup 

on Intervention with Combat Injured Families, a group of national 

experts and leaders in child psychiatry, trauma and military medicine brought together by Dr. Stephen J. Cozza, M.D, COL (ret), 

U.S. Army. Cozza, a former chief, Department of Psychiatry at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, is an associate director of CSTS, and 

oversees its Child and Family Program that serves as a component 

site of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. In addition to 

his research and scholarly writing in child and family trauma Dr. 

Cozza provides his expertise on the effects of deployment and 

combat injury on children to public education projects such as 

Sesame Workshop’s “Talk, Listen, Connect” DVDs that help children understand and cope with the challenges of deployments, 

homecomings and parental changes. 

 Future installments of Resources for Recovery will cover the 

principles of communicating about injury, both within the family 

and between family members and health care/community service 

providers, understanding child and family distress as a result of 

combat injury, and sustaining parental availability during the recovery process. Resources for Recovery will be available on the 

CSTS website, www.cstsonline.org or at www.usuhs.mil/csts, as 

well as through distribution to a number of DoD sites and organizations involved in the health and care of our military community. 

Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress Introduces “Resources for Recovery” 

PAGE 9 
 June marks my fourth month as the director of Government 

and Community Affairs at USU. 

 Thus far, I have met with many of our faculty, staff and students 

and have been fortunate to be involved in activities like the School 

of Medicine Graduation Awards Ceremony, the Building E Ribbon 

Cutting Ceremony and USU’s 2008 Commencement Ceremony. 

 Venturing out into the community, attending functions and 

meeting many who did not know USU existed, as well as those 

who did but believed the university belonged to the National Naval Medical Center, tells me I have my job cut out for me. 

 One discovery that has inspired me in my explorations of the 

university and community has been our student organizations. I 

was surprised to discover the numerous community outreach 

programs in which our students have been involved. 

 I observed members of the Family Medicine Interest Group 

working alongside CAPT (sel) Mark Stephens, MC, USN, associate 

professor for the Department of Family Medicine, as he treated 

underserved patients with competency and compassion as a volunteer with the Mobile Medical Clinic. It was heartwarming. 

 The FMIG also recently worked with the United Bethesda 

Methodist Church on a Rock Creek Park cleanup initiative. I met 

with them on a Sunday afternoon and watched their progress in 

turning a neglected dumping area into a beautiful site. 

 During April, the FMIG also came out in force with their “Get 

Up, Get Out, Get Fit” program at a local elementary school. The 

campaign demonstrated the importance of exercising and eating 

right to the school’s 5th grade students. Watching the children 

step forward to ask questions and perform various exercises with 

enthusiasm was a joy to see. 

 The Pediatric Interest Group spent March 19 at the John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Md., as guest lecturers on medical careers and taught two classes explaining the journey to acceptance into medical school. 

 The PIG hosted students from JFK at USU, May 30. The students 

toured the campus, received lectures on laboratory medicine and 

participated in a hands-on session on medical exam skills. 

 Most recently, members of the USU community participated in 

the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This nationwide event covered 

34 miles over two days. USU representatives walked the course, 

and USU medical student volunteers 

treated blistered feet and other injuries. 

 I recently learned of events sponsored by the Christian Medical Association. Working with members from other 

special interest groups, they served dinner at Christ House, a Christian-based 

homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., 

which they have done in the past. 

 The CMA served a Valentine’s Day 

dinner at another homeless shelter in 

the National Capitol Area. Teaming up 

with students from Georgetown University, dinner was served to the ladies of 

the shelter and white athletic socks 

were given to the men staying there. 

Following dinner, two MS-IIs played 

guitar and lead a time of worship. Is it 

any wonder I’m inspired? 

 I now have a list of all of the student organizations. If there is 

more to discover, I need our students to lead the way. 

 Why am I observing activities at USU? To better understand 

USU and be able to tell our story to other government agencies 

and the various community group members, to function as a contact for community groups who are seeking information and to 

strengthen ties between USU and communities while improving 

relationships and connecting USU to local resources. 

 I continue to communicate with the Montgomery County Base 

Realignment and Closure coordinator and the director of the Bethesda and Chevy Chase Regional Services Center and attend the 

BRAC county and Board of Advisors monthly meetings. I also meet 

monthly with Dr. Jeff Longacre, Liaison for Joint Task Force CapMed, director for USU’s Medical Education and Associate Chair, 

Department of Pediatrics, and USU JTF cell representatives to discuss BRAC and integration issues and concerns. As information 

becomes available, I will pass it on to you. 

 Which leads me to the question, “what’s next?” I’m not sure, 

which is why I continue to seek your guidance. When I last wrote, 

I asked you to “tell Jan where to go.” I was sincere. I need direction, and will take your advice to heart. 

Much Ado About USU: Jan Continues to Observe 

By Jan Clark 

Director, Government and Community Affairs 

Jan Clark 

Director, Government 

and Community Affairs 

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

University Media Services opened the doors to its new Customer 

Service Center earlier this year, and have been assisting with the 

multimedia needs of the people of the Uniformed Services University ever since. From the creation of posters for Research Week to 

event documentation, the expert staff incorporates a wide range 

of communication technologies into product development. 

 “It is exciting to be a part of the team that advances the name 

USU and it is tremendously gratifying knowing our services support the university’s overall mission,” said Chief of Multimedia Design Division, Cathy Hemelt. 

 The center is located in G070 and is open from 7:00 am to 4:30 

pm and accepts customers by appointment or on a walk-in basis. 

For more information call 295-3337. 

University Media Services’ Customer Service Center Offers Assistance 

By Christine Creenan 

Web Writer, Office of External Affairs 

PAGE 10 
July 13 – 25 : 2008 Field Exercises - Operations Bushmaster and 

Kerkesner will be conducted July 13-25 at Fort Indiantown Gap, 

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

support of all university uniformed personnel. Only emergency 

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

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

July 7-11, 21-25 : Transition Assistance Program - The staff at the 

NNMC Fleet and Family Support Office has developed a week 

long TAP class for transitioning service members. The next classes 

will be held July 7-11, 21-25, and Aug. 18-22. Classes start at 8 

a.m. and the location will be sent out to the registered service 

members. To register for the, class call the Career Development 

Office at (301) 319-4896. 

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

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

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

and encouraged to attend. Visit www.afrri.usuhs.mil for registration and information. CMEs/CNEs will be offered. 

Sept. 21 : 2008 Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Ride for Kids - 

Attention MOTORCYCLE enthusiasts! The Baltimore/Washington 

“Ride for Kids” road ride is set for Sunday, Sept. 21, starting at the 

mall in Columbia, Md. Donations for the ride (minimum $35.00 

donation per bike) will benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 9:15 a.m. The 

police-escorted ride through scenic countryside starts at 9:30 a.m., 

rain or shine. Riders on all makes and models are welcome. After 

the ride, stay for the Celebration of Life program to hear from the 

local children we help. Award presentations will honor the highest fundraisers and distribution of premiums will follow. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Inc., is a federally-recognized nonprofit charitable organization. Their missions are to discover the 

cause of and cure for childhood brain tumors by supporting medical research, aid in the early detection of children's brain tumors in 

order to improve the quality of life of children. For more information contact CDR Rene Hernandez at 295-9635, or email at rhernandez@usuhs.mil. You can also log onto: www.pbtfus.org/

rideforkids/calendar/2008/baltimorewashington08.html.

Sept. 28 : Navy Five-Miler— The 2008 Navy Five-Miler will be held 

Sept. 28 in downtown D.C. FC2 Adam Race will be heading up a 

team from the university. The course is mostly flat and good for 

beginning runners. For more information, visit 

www.navy5miler.com. Contact FC2 Race at 295-9637 or email 

him at arace@usuhs.mil to join the university’s team. 

Oct. 10-13 : U.S. Annual Armed Forces 49th Open Chess Championship - National Naval Medical Center, will be the site event for 

the 2008(49TH) Armed Forces Open Chess Championship, which 

will take place on Oct. 10-13 (Columbus Day Weekend) at 8 a.m. 

in the Galley of the National Naval Medical Center. The tournament is open to all Active Duty, Reservists, Military Retirees, Cadets, 

Midshipmen and ROTC personnel who have a USCF membership. 

Please enter in advance by sending an e-mail to 

Erick.Toribio@med.Navy.Mil. Please include rank, name, USCF ID 

number, current rating and branch of service. Come and participate regardless of your chess experience. For more information 

please contact PS3 Erick Toribio at (301) 295-5805 or visit 

www.usmilitarychess.org. 

Oct. 15 – 28 : PFT/PFA/APFT Notice - The Fall 2008 Physical Fitness Test for all services is scheduled for Oct. 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 

and 28 at 7 a.m. and noon. All military personnel are required to 

select the time and date they will take their test. All Sailors must 

complete the Health Risk Assessment questionnaire and Physical 

Health Assessment annually, and Navy weigh-ins must be conducted between 10 days and 24 hours prior to the Physical Readiness Test. If there are any questions please contact your senior 

service advisor. 

USU Color Guard : The Brigade color guard will not be accepting 

requests for ceremonies or flag set up due to preparation for the 

upcoming field exercise. Business will continue as normal beginning Aug. 1. If there are any questions please contact HM2 

Charles, USN, at 295-9451 or ccharles@usuhs.mil. 

Dates to Remember 

New GSN Program Welcomes First Students: 

 The Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences (USU) Graduate School of 

Nursing’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse 

Practitioner program welcomed its first four 

students in May. 

 Directed by MAJ Robert Arnold, NC, 

USA, and LCDR Pamela Herbig, NC, USN, 

both psychiatric clinical nurse specialists, 

the program is designed to prepare students for military environments. 

Four Faculty Receive 2008 Maher Awards: 

 The Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences’ (USU) Department of 

Medicine recently announced that four 

faculty members received the 2008 John F. 

Maher Award for excellence in the field of 

peritoneal dialysis. 

 The 2008 recipients include: TeodorDoru Brumeau, M.D. associate professor, 

Division of Immunology and Rheumatology; Mary A. Marovich, M.D. associate professor; LCDR Erich F. Wedam, MC, USN,

assistant professor, Division of Cardiology; 

and Xiaoming Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., research 

assistant professor, Division of Nephrology. 

 The award, given every two years by the 

International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, 

honors the contributions of those selected 

to the field of PD and their distinction in 

either scientific, medical or nursing aspects. 

Judged on the basis of the excellence in 

research, clinical attributes in PD, publications, patient impact and recognition at 

national and international level, the 

awardees will present their findings to the 

ISPD Congress. 

Surgery Professor Earns ASA Award: 

 Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences (USU), 

received the 2008 American Society for 

Microbiology Abbott Laboratories Award in 

Clinical and Diagnostic Immunology during 

the 108th General Meeting of the ASM, 

June 1- 5.The Abbott Laboratories Award 

recognizes a distinguished scientist in clinical or diagnostic immunology. 

Join the FDA Team: 

 The Food and Drug Administration is 

currently recruiting for hundreds of professional positions located throughout the 

United States. To learn more about career 

opportunities with the FDA, visit http://

www.fda.gov/jobs/hiringinitiative08.html. 

USU Briefs 

USU 

A Traditional Academic University with a Unique 

Focus 

PAGE 11 
UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY 

of the Health Sciences