USU News Top Stories of 2025: A Year of Resilience, Innovation, and Record-Breaking Achievement

The year’s most-read articles from the Uniformed Services University highlight advances in TBI imaging, enlisted-to-doctor pathways, and the enduring legacy of combat casualty care.

The USU News 2025 Year-in-Review collage captures key moments and achievements from the university

community. From groundbreaking research to celebrating graduates and honoring the legacy of military

medicine leaders, the image reflects USU’s commitment to excellence and innovation.

December 26, 2025 by USU External Affairs

The Uniformed Services University (USU) defined 2025 by a relentless focus on achievement, innovation, and resilience, turning a year of complex challenges into one of record-breaking milestones.

In a landscape that demanded adaptability, the university sharpened its focus on the warfighter. USU’s most-read articles and institutional achievements reveal a dual commitment: utilizing advanced technology to solve combat medical problems, and opening doors for battle-tested service members to become the next generation of medical leaders.

From the first Coast Guard-sponsored medical graduate to the integration of artificial intelligence in the classroom, here is how USU defined military medicine in 2025.

Building the Next Generation of Medical Leaders

The most compelling narrative of 2025 was the changing face of the medical student. The university continued to prove that the "right stuff" for military medicine often comes from the enlisted ranks.

The year’s most-read story, "From Basic Training to Breakthroughs: Army Enlisted Soldier Earns Ph.D. and Commission in Medical Entomology," exemplified this meritocratic path. It detailed a soldier’s journey to earning a doctorate and a commission to fight vector-borne diseases. This individual success was part of a broader wave of academic excellence; in May, nearly 300 uniformed and civilian health professionals graduated, including the university's historic first U.S. Coast Guard-sponsored medical graduate.

Army Staff Sgt. Luka Ndungu (right) and his research advisor, Dr. Bernard Okech. Ndungu's journey from
enlisted soldier to Ph.D. candidate exemplifies the merit-based advancement opportunities at USU. (Photo credit:
Luka Ndungu)

Similarly, "Saving Lives on the Streets Was Just the Beginning." highlighted the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) through the lens of a former paramedic. This focus on practical experience is now being augmented by cutting-edge tools: the School of Medicine's Class of 2028 began integrating AI tools into their curriculum this year to master complex clinical concepts, shaping a more tech-savvy medical corps.

These students are entering programs that are objectively among the nation's best. In 2025, the Graduate School of Nursing’s nurse anesthesia program was ranked #1 nationally for the second consecutive year, while its Doctor of Nursing Practice program placed in the top five percent nationwide with a perfect 100 percent first-time board certification pass rate.

Innovation at the Speed of Relevance

While students prepared for their careers, USU researchers delivered solutions for the immediate needs of the force. The year’s top scientific stories bridged the gap between the lab bench and the battlefield.

"Using Dynamic MRI to Advance Traumatic Brain Injury Research" captured attention for its potential to visualize invisible wounds. This drive for better diagnostics was matched by global health achievements, including the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations recognizing a USU-developed monoclonal antibody (1F5) as a top innovation for protection against Nipah and Hendra viruses.

Lt. Col. Kristin Barby, Chief Nurse and AE CNS, 375th AE Training Squadron (375 AETS) Formal Training
Unit (FTU) discusses the challenges associated with patient care in an austere and constrained environment
such as the C-130 cargo aircraft. The new GSN Aeromedical Clinical Nurse Specialist program trains nurses
for the specific challenges of providing critical care during high-altitude medical evacuations. (Photo credit:
Col. (ret.) Tami Averett-Brauer, 711HPW)

In the operational domain, the Graduate School of Nursing introduced a new standard for en route care. "USU's Graduate School of Nursing Launches First-of-its-Kind Aeromedical Clinical Nurse Specialist Program" detailed a curriculum designed specifically for aeromedical evacuation. Moving critical patients in unpressurized or high-vibration aircraft cabins presents unique physiological challenges; this program trains nurses to manage those complexities, ensuring the "ICU in the sky" is as safe as a hospital on the ground. Simultaneously, the university led an international effort to standardize musculoskeletal injury reporting, resulting in the globally adopted ROMMIL framework.

Innovation also touched the home front. "Revolutionizing Midlife Health: Telehealth Support for Women at Every Stage" highlighted a vital retention tool. By addressing midlife health challenges remotely, the program helps ensure experienced leaders remain fit and deployable.

Honoring Pioneers of Military Medicine

The advancements of 2025 are built on a foundation of giants. This year, the university community celebrated leaders whose careers have saved countless lives.

"Dr. Frank Butler Receives Presidential Citizens Medal" recognized the "father" of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC). Butler’s work revolutionized battlefield trauma care by standardizing the use of tourniquets and hemorrhage control. His legacy is now codified in USU’s curriculum, which achieved Tier 4 TCCC certification for all military students this year, and highlights the direct link between USU research and the fact that modern survival rates for wounded US troops are the highest in history. 

Faculty excellence was further recognized with Dr. Craig Shriver receiving the Carol Johns Medal for his leadership in cancer research, and Dr. Robert Ursano earning the 2025 Distinguished Service Award for his lifetime contributions to trauma and suicide prevention.

Law enforcement officers salute as the flag-draped casket of a fallen Harford County Sheriff’s Deputy, Sgt. 

George Gregory “Greg” Dietz is moved for an anatomical donation. His final gift to the USU Anatomical 

Teaching Laboratory supports the education of future military medical officers. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU)

The community also mourned the loss of a key leader in "Dental Leader Passes Away: Remembering Major General (Retired) Patrick D. Sculley." His obituary noted his lasting influence on the Postgraduate Dental College. General Sculley was instrumental in integrating dental readiness into overall force health protection, recognizing that oral health is a key component of a deployable soldier.

Finally, the most widely shared human interest story of the year was "Fallen Harford County Sheriff’s Deputy Honored Through Final Gift to Medical Education." The deputy’s choice to be an anatomical donor allowed him to teach future military doctors even after his passing. The article emphasized the essential role of anatomical donors in medical education, serving as the "silent teachers" who help students master human anatomy before they ever touch a living patient.

A Legacy of Service, A Future of Readiness

Ultimately, the top stories of 2025 reveal a university that never stands still. Whether honoring the sacrifices of the past or engineering the medical solutions of the future, USU remains a foundation of the Military Health System. As the nature of conflict evolves, so too does the training and research conducted here, ensuring that when the nation calls, its medical forces are ready to answer.