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News — Bethesda, MD – Legendary ABC Â鶹´«Ã½ correspondent Bob Woodruff will deliver the keynote address at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18, 2024 – Armed Forces Day.  USU, part of the Department of Defense and the Military Health System, is the nation’s only Federal health sciences university, educating the next generation of uniformed physicians, advanced practice nurses and dentists, corpsmen and medics, scientists, health educators and clinical psychologists for service to the nation.  

Woodruff, who had just been named as the new ABC Â鶹´«Ã½ World Â鶹´«Ã½ Tonight anchor to replace Peter Jennings, was injured while on assignment in Iraq.  On January 29, 2006, he was embedded with the Army’s 4th Infantry Division near Taji, Iraq, when his convoy hit an IED.  Woodruff was critically injured, and rushed to an Air Force medical treatment facility in Iraq, for surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. He was then sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and eventually moved to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. He spent 40 days in a coma. Woodruff suffered extensive brain injuries, had his skull rebuilt, and required extensive rehabilitation to recover from his injuries while in the care of military health care providers. In 2006, Woodruff established the Bob Woodruff Foundation to ensure that servicemembers with a TBI, or any injury, receive the same care and support that he did by awarding grants to programs in communities where veterans, their families, and caregivers live and work.

"Having Bob Woodruff, a recipient of care from the Military Health System and a symbol of resilience, as this year's commencement speaker is a poignant reminder of the profound impact our graduates have on the world,” said USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson. “Mr. Woodruff's presence underscores the importance of our mission to educate and train healthcare leaders who play a vital role in supporting our military community. We are privileged to welcome him as we celebrate the achievements of our graduating class."

Uniformed Services University’s commencement ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. on May 18  at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC.

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About the Uniformed Services University: The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, founded by an act of Congress in 1972, is the nation’s federal health sciences university and the academic heart of the Military Health System. USU students are primarily active-duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who receive specialized education in tropical and infectious diseases, TBI and PTSD, disaster response and humanitarian assistance, global health, and acute trauma care. USU also has graduate programs in oral biology, biomedical sciences and public health committed to excellence in research. The University's research program covers a wide range of areas important to both the military and public health. For more information about USU and its programs, visit www.usuhs.edu.