Alumni Spotlight

February 7, 2006

RWJ HPF Alumni, Chip Rice (1991-1992), Becomes Fifth President of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

USU Install Fifth President
By Tech. Sgt. André Nicholson
University Affairs

BETHESDA, Md. – The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), installed Charles L. Rice, M.D., as the university’s fifth president Tuesday afternoon.

As president of USU, Dr. Rice is responsible for the academic, research and service mission of the university. He advises the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and the four uniformed surgeons general on a wide array of issues related to graduate health professions education, health care research, and the unique education and training this university offers.

During his inaugural address Dr. Rice spoke about the uniqueness of USU and how important it is in the dynamics of military medicine.

"This university offers something I couldn’t find any where else – a unique combination of education, research, and military service," Dr. Rice said. “In fact, it is the very special nature of this university that has brought us here. We share the common goal of providing good medicine in bad places.”

Members of the USU Board of Regents, as well as faculty members and representatives from more than 20 other colleges, universities, professional societies and organizations participated in the academic procession that opened the installation ceremony. Retired Army Surgeon General, Dr. Ronald R. Blanck, president, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth was the guest speaker, and was joined on the platform by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Dr. David S.C. Chu; Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkenwerder, Jr.; and USU Board of Regents Chairman Everett Alvarez, Jr.

Dr. Blanck, who served as the first dean of students in USU’s F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, reflected on the first graduating class of 29 students. "They’ve all succeeded and they are what this university is all about," he said. "They represent what Congressman Hébert thought this university should do, and that is to turn people into physicians who are not just physicians in the military but who are military physicians. This is a wonderful milestone for the university and Dr. Rice."

In searching for a new USU president, Dr. Winkenwerder said he started by looking for someone who could understand the military health system.

"When we began our search for the next university president, we wanted a visionary,"
Dr. Winkenwerder said, "someone who can implement institutional change, while fostering and developing young minds of the military health system." Dr. Rice succeeds retired Navy Vice Adm. James A. Zimble, M.D., who held the position for 13 years before retiring in August 2004. Dr. Rice, who officially assumed his duties as president in July 2005, is a retired Naval Reserve Captain and a Navy-trained surgeon and researcher. Before assuming his present position, he served as the vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), from 1999-2004. Prior to that, he was vice dean of the UIC College of Medicine, as well as a professor of surgery and professor of physiology and biophysics.

Extracted from http://www.usuhs.mil/uao/Riceinstall.pdf