New USAFSAM partnership with Purdue University expands educational opportunities for Airmen, Guardians Published May 7, 2025 By Whitney Wetsig 711th Human Performance Wing WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) -- A new partnership between the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, or USAFSAM, a mission unit within the Air Force Research Laboratory, and Purdue University will expand educational opportunities for Airmen and Guardians and provide added mission flexibility. The new opportunities involve Purdue’s Master of Public Health, or MPH, program and the school’s ability to grant college credits to military members who complete select USAFSAM courses. “At USAFSAM, we research, educate, consult and lead the Department of the Air Force with integrated operational medical capability development,” said Col. Richard Speakman, USAFSAM commander. “We aim to provide our students with the best possible educational opportunities, and one way we do that is by securing partnerships with top-notch academic institutions. This agreement with Purdue is a win-win for both organizations and will especially benefit our Airmen and Guardians.” Leaders from the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, or USAFSAM, and Purdue University pose during a tour of several 711th Human Performance Wing facilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, March 11, 2025. USAFSAM hosted Purdue leaders in honor of a new partnership that expands educational opportunities for Airmen and Guardians. (U.S. Air Force photo / Richard Eldridge) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res The agreement, signed by Speakman, enables students in USAFSAM’s Residency in Aerospace Medicine, or RAM, program to complete their required MPH degree online through Purdue University. Before the 2024 academic year, students completed this degree in-person at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. “Because our residents are going on clinical rotations, which often require travel across the country, it is challenging for them to complete an in-person program, and it also causes additional stress,” said Dr. Melanie Lazarus, dean of USAFSAM. “This new online degree option will make the residency a more positive experience for our students.” Capt. Coty Winn, a resident in the program, said the online MPH provides much needed flexibility and more opportunities for travel. Winn, who is just starting his aeromedical consult service rotation, will work in Florida and Germany for several months and will also spend time in Texas, Utah and Oklahoma. He also wants to spend time at NASA working in its occupational medicine clinic as an elective. “Now that we are able to complete the MPH online, we have a lot more opportunities for rotations,” he said. Lazarus said that in addition to providing flexibility for students in the two-year RAM program, Purdue has a strong reputation for providing quality online education. “Purdue is a leader in online learning with over two decades of experience, and they know how to do it well,” Lazarus said. “They are also willing to work with us to flex as needed for our residents, knowing that we have a very complicated curriculum that must be completed in a short period of time.” New USAFSAM partnership with Purdue University expands educational opportunities for Airmen, Guardians Leaders from Purdue University view a C-130 training aircraft, part of the En Route Care Training facility, during a tour at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, March 11, 2025. The U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine hosted Purdue leaders in honor of a new partnership that expands educational opportunities for Airmen and Guardians. (U.S. Air Force photo / Richard Eldridge) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res New USAFSAM partnership with Purdue University expands educational opportunities for Airmen, Guardians Leaders from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing greet Purdue University leaders prior to a tour of several facilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, March 11, 2025. The U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine hosted Purdue leaders in honor of a new partnership that expands educational opportunities for Airmen and Guardians. (U.S. Air Force photo / Richard Eldridge) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res New USAFSAM partnership with Purdue University expands educational opportunities for Airmen, Guardians Leaders from U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, or USAFSAM, and Purdue University tour the Epidemiology Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, March 11, 2025. USAFSAM hosted Purdue leaders in honor of a new partnership that expands educational opportunities for Airmen and Guardians. (U.S. Air Force photo / Richard Eldridge) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res The new partnership also enables Purdue University to grant college credits to Airmen and Guardians who complete select USAFSAM courses. “This is a significant milestone in our school’s history, and a tremendous additional benefit for the 5,000 students who go through USAFSAM every year, who come through to advance their military career, but can now also leave with college credits for their academic career,” Lazarus said. While USAFSAM has partnered with Community College of the Air Force for many years to provide associate’s level credits, the school also wanted to provide opportunities for those who already achieved two-year degrees and wanted to work towards completing their bachelor's or master’s. Lazarus said USAFSAM has worked the past four years to locate the best universities and secure this partnership. “We started with Purdue because of their reputation, but also because they are one of the forerunners in providing academic credits to military members,” she said. Lazarus said that USAFSAM values its relationships with academia for the additional educational opportunities they present to Airmen and Guardians. “Academic partnerships are the cornerstone of our modernization and progress at USAFSAM,” she said. “These collaborations enable us to consistently implement best practices in education and training. Partnerships like the one with Purdue University are a vital step in our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence, ensuring that we remain leaders in the industry.” Leaders from the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, or USAFSAM, and Purdue University pose during a tour of several 711th Human Performance Wing facilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, March 11, 2025. USAFSAM hosted Purdue leaders in honor of a new partnership that expands educational opportunities for Airmen and Guardians. (U.S. Air Force photo / Richard Eldridge) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Several leaders from Purdue visited facilities within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s, or AFRL’s, 711th Human Performance Wing including the Epidemiology Lab and the En Route Care Training Department’s High Bay facility, March 11, 2025. “At Purdue, we value military-related partnerships, and we think deeply about matching our strength programs to unique missions within the military,” said Dimitrios Peroulis, Purdue senior vice president for partnerships and online. “This agreement is another step in that direction.” USAFSAM, a premier institute for education and worldwide consultation in Aerospace and Operational Medicine, is one of two mission units that comprises AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing. Also known as the schoolhouse, USAFSAM is home to more than 820 globally recognized experts in public health, aerospace medicine and operational medicine, and trains approximately 5,000 students each year. “The partnership between USAFSAM and Purdue University is exactly the kind of win-together mentality AFRL seeks to cultivate,” said Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, AFRL commander. “We're committed to bringing the future faster for the Department of the Air Force, and leveraging the expertise of leading academic institutions is key to modernizing our approach to education and training for Airmen and Guardians.” Operating across seven geographically separate locations, USAFSAM’s embedded role within AFRL and its unique synergy with the 711 HPW enables the organization’s mission to develop ready Airmen, Guardians and medics in all environments. About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.