USU Founders’ Day Looks Back on 54 Years While Looking Ahead to the Future

The Uniformed Services University community gathered to honor its history, recognize excellence, and look ahead in military medicine.

USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson honored USU’s roots and described the university’s goals for the future of military medicine during 2026 Founders’ Day on September 18. (Photo credit: Army Sgt. James Dickson, USU)

September 22, 2026 by Melissa Reichley

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) kicked off its annual Alumni Weekend with Founders’ Day on Friday, September 18, honoring more than five decades of academic excellence, military medical advances, and commitment to service. Commemorating the university’s establishment by Congress on September 21, 1972, the celebration brought together distinguished leaders, faculty, students, and returning alumni to reflect on USU’s rich history and discuss the missions that lie ahead.  

This year’s gathering included updates from USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson and School of Medicine Dean Dr. Eric Elster, dedication of a lecture hall in honor of military medicine Professor Dr. Robert J.T. Joy, an alumni panel discussion, and lots of reminiscing by graduates from the Class of 1986 who traveled to campus to celebrate their careers, friendships, and shared memories.  

More than half of USU's Class of 1986 returned to campus for Founders' Day 2026 and their 40th reunion. (Photo credit: Army Sgt. James Dickson, USU)

Welcoming the Milestone Class of 1986

This year’s festivities held special significance as the university welcomed back more than half of the Class of 1986 to celebrate their 40th reunion. Returning to a campus they helped shape during USU's formative years, Woodson told the alumni they represent a legacy of excellence and leadership across the military health system. “You represent generations of USU graduates who have taken what they learned here into laboratories, hospitals, clinics, military units, classrooms, and communities around the world,” said Woodson. 

“What you have done, in setting the foundation, and what we are continuing to do is really important to this nation's defense. To have individuals who have a value set, the leadership skills, the clinical skills, to go in harm's way, to support this nation, wherever they may be asked to go, is a unique call,” said Woodson.  

Honoring History: The Robert J.T. Joy Lecture Hall Dedication

A highlight of the day was the dedication of one of the student lecture halls as the Dr. Robert J.T. Joy Lecture Hall. The late Joy, a retired Army colonel, was the former Commandant of the School of Medicine and its founding section chair of USU’s Military Medical History program. Devoting 20 years of his career to USU, and building what was then a new curriculum of military medicine, Joy ensured generations of health professionals learned how medical lessons of the past inform modern clinical care and military readiness. His legendary weekly lectures often ran over into fondly remembered after-class discussions. 

Announced during the dedication ceremony was a gift to the University from the Class of 1986 to support a named military medical history lecture series, the Robert J.T. Joy Military Medical History Lectureship, which will begin in 2027. “He was a great officer and a great professor,” said Class of 1986 president, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Thomas Travis, former surgeon general of the Air Force. 

USU leaders dedicate the Dr. Robert J.T. Joy Lecture Hall. From left: retired Air Force Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Thomas Travis, Class of 1986 president; USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson; Dr. Dale Smith, former chair of Military Medical History; and School of Medicine Dean Dr. Eric Elster. (Photo credit: Army Sgt. James Dickson, USU)

“We hope the lectures will be given in that hall named after Dr. Joy, where every Friday afternoon, we enjoyed learning about important military medical history lessons of the past, which translated into important lifesaving care for civilian trauma cases, and post-injury rehab and recovery,” said Travis. 

Dr. Dale Smith, former chair of Military Medical History and a former USU senior vice president, said Joy taught military medical history because he was concerned military medicine had no heritage, and because heritage and tradition are what help build unit cohesion, which in turn helps get service members through the hard times to achieve mission and get home. 

“It's the reason that your class wants to remember Bob Joy,” he told the members of the Class of 1986 in the audience. “So I thank you for that gift, and I thank you for the challenge it gives the university—to remember that tradition is what helps us through tough times that are to come.”

Following the dedication remarks, Travis, Smith, Elster, and Woodson held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebrating a space where future generations of military and civilian health professionals will continue to learn.

Founders’ Day Ceremony and Alumni Panel

Following the dedication, a barbecue lunch, and cake to celebrate the Air Force’s 79th birthday, attendees met in Rice Hall for the official Founders’ Day ceremony. Woodson reminded the crowd of USU’s academic evolution, which in addition to the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine (SOM), now encompasses the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing (GSN), Biomedical Sciences and Public Health graduate programs, the Postgraduate Dental College, and the College of Allied Health Sciences. 

He discussed evolving military health due to rapid changes in science, technology, and operational environments, noting, “The technology has changed, the threats have changed, the practice of medicine has changed. But the commitment to service has not." 

Tying USU’s history with its latest endeavors and vision for tomorrow, the ceremony concluded with a dynamic alumni panel featuring graduates who are now USU faculty: Brigade Commander Navy Capt. Tammy Servies; Director and Chair of the Family and Women's Nurse Practitioner Programs Dr. Heather Johnson; and Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology Dr. Christina Faherty, who represented the School of Medicine, Graduate School of Nursing, and Graduate Programs, respectively.

Though their experiences span different eras, different disciplines, and different careers, the panelists shared their USU pride and offered their reflections on the leadership skills and resilience the university prepared them with and the confidence they carried with them from their time here. They also addressed what they believe the next generation of USU graduates will need as they take on the challenges ahead: adaptability, willingness to work hard and learn from difficult experiences, and not losing sight of the basics in the face of technological advances. 

“Now we’re here trying to imagine what we can’t imagine,” said Johnson. 

Three alumni who are now USU faculty reflect on their education during the Founders' Day panel. From left: Dr. Heather Johnson, director and chair of the Family & Women's Nurse Practitioner Program; Navy Capt. Tammy Servies, USU brigade commander, and Dr. Christina Faherty, assistant professor of Microbiology and Immunology. (Photo credit: Army Sgt. James Dickson, USU)

Showcasing Faculty and Student Research & Innovation

Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to learn more about student research via a capstone poster display and about the innovative research and projects being conducted by USU centers, highlighting key advancements across military medicine.

Fifty-four years after its founding, USU continues to build on the lessons of its past while preparing the next generation to meet the challenges of the future.