Dr. Thomas R. Cullison Announced as Commencement Speaker

Rear Admiral Thomas R. Cullison was recently announced as this year's commencement speaker for the University's 125th ceremony being held at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts at 2 p.m. on October 13. He was also nominated to receive the Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters by the University's Board of Trustees.

"We are thrilled that RADM Cullison has agreed to be ourkeynote speaker and honorary degree recipient at our Fall commencement ceremony," Salus president, Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, said. "His breadth of clinical, operational and strategically important experiences make him the ideal speaker for this event."

Dr. Mittelman and RADM Cullison have known each other for many years, in which he served as both a mentor and colleague. "Knowing his extensive background and the work he is currently doing for the Center for Strategic and International Studies I am certain his remarks will serve to educate all of us. I truly am looking forward to bringing him to Salus," he said.

Dr. Cullison has been actively involved in health policy and international health engagement issues since retiring in 2010 following a 38-year career that culminated in service as Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy. He is currently a Senior Associate at the Global Health Policy Center of the Center for Strategic and International Studies focusing on Department of Defense contributions to United States health security. He recently served as senior advisor to the Uniformed Services University’s Center for Global Health Engagement. His Navy career began as a surface warfare and saturation diving officer.

Dr. Cullison received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1979 from the Indiana University School of Medicine, completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego and served in a variety of clinical assignments involving direct patient care, graduate medical education and operational deployments.

His Navy Medicine leadership career began in San Diego as Surgeon General Specialty Leader for Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of Surgical Services. He later served as Deputy Commander Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Commanding Officer Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, Fleet Surgeon, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Command Surgeon U.S. Pacific Command, Medical Officer of the Marine Corps, Commander Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (VA) and Commander Naval Medicine East. He has also held academic appointments at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Association.

During this year's fall commencement, the University will bestow doctoral and master's degrees in the professions of Audiology, Blindness and Low Vision Studies, Biomedicine, Clinical Audiology, Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant Studies.