Elkins Park PA - Salus University held a flag raising ceremony of special significance at its main campus. Salus students and faculty who are active or retired military formed an honor guard to raise an American flag that had flown over the US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington DC during the command of the University’s new president, Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, former Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy.
Photo by Dan Z. Johnson
Dr. Mittelman, a highly decorated, 33-year naval veteran rose to the rank of Rear Admiral before his retirement in June. The flag raised yesterday was given to Dr. Mittelman in June at his naval retirement ceremony. At that ceremony he presented the flag to Dr. Thomas L. Lewis, immediate past president of Salus, who donated it to the University.
In his remarks to the students, faculty and staff in attendance at the flag raising, Dr. Mittelman welcomed new students to the University, telling them that he was “here to learn, just like you.” A 1980 graduate of the Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Dr. Mittelman told the spectators that his mission now was to determine how to “best support our University, which is perfectly poised with the right mix of specialties to help shape the future of American healthcare.” He also spoke of the “great gift we have in America with our higher education systems,” noting the occasion of the flag raising was a good time to reflect on the freedom in this country that provides for those systems.
A color guard from the US Army Recruiting Command in Philadelphia participated in the ceremony. The Salus University honor guard included Dr. Richard C. Vause, Jr., director, Physician Assistant program (US Public Health Service, captain, retired); Dr. Charles M. Wormington, associate professor, Optometry, Audiology and Physician Assistant programs (USAF and USAF Reserve, Lt. Colonel, retired); Mr. Daniel P. Scott, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor, Physician Assistant program (US Public Health Service, Lt. Commander, active);
Dr. Michael Rebar, director, On-Campus Optometry Residency Program (USAF Reserve, captain, active); Mr. Samuel Menei, Optometry Class of 2016 (Delaware National Guard, captain, active) and Mr. Jonathan Jacesko, Optometry Class of 2017 (USNR, lieutenant, active).
Salus University, founded as the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1919, today is a diversified, globally recognized, professional academic medical center of learning that offers a wide range of accredited post-graduate degree programs including: Optometry, Audiology, Physician Assistant, Public Health, Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Biomedicine, and Occupational Therapy. The University’s nearly 1,800 students include PhD and post-doctoral candidates, and there are more than 10,000 Salus alumni worldwide. For more information, please view Salus Facts (PDF) or visit https://www.salus.edu/.
