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SUMMIT 2026

AUGUST 7, 2026
OHIO UNION 

Join us at the SUMMIT for military- and veteran-connected research, programs, and student initiatives. 

SUMMIT is a one-day conference bringing together work that already exists across Ohio State and the greater Central Ohio community, but which often operates in isolation. The event is designed as a convening point where we see one another’s work, identify aligned interests, and build pathways for impact. 

Register to attend and present your work, hear from national leaders in defense and veterans' health research, and network with campus colleagues and community supporters.

Details

Sponsors

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Featured Sponsor

Peg’s Foundation drives progress in mental health by bringing people, ideas, and resources together in powerful ways. We focus on strengthening systems, elevating lived experience, and raising the standard of care for people with serious mental illness to create meaningful, lasting change. Peg's is: 

  • Advancing mental health through leadership, partnership, and public engagement
  • Supporting initiatives and collaborations that strengthen systems and expand access to care
  • Creating space for conversations that shift perspectives and spark progress
  • Improving how mental health systems work for everyone

Speakers

Andrew Kovich profile picture

Andrew Kovich

Senior Analyst, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory • Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel

With experience spanning the U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, U.S. Strategic Command, and Johns Hopkins APL, Andrew Kovich brings a rare practitioner’s perspective on mission-focused research. His session will examine UARCs, defense-connected research partnerships, and why military and veteran voices matter in shaping research that is both strategically relevant and operationally informed.

Christianne Roumie profile picture

Christianne Roumie, MD, MPH

Professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center • Section Head, Veterans’ Health • Director, VETWISE-LHS VA Health Systems Research Center of Innovation

As Director of the VETWISE-LHS VA Health Systems Research Center of Innovation, Christianne Roumie brings deep experience in partnered research, learning health systems, and Veteran-centered implementation. Her session will offer a practical look at how VA COINs operate, what makes these partnerships work, and how institutions can grow the relationships and capabilities needed to improve Veteran health through research.

 
Jason Souza profile picture

Jason Souza, MD

Director of the Limb Restoration Program & OSU Military Medicine Program, Ohio State University Medical Center • Plastic Surgeon • Veteran, U.S. Navy Commander

Dr. Souza is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, achieving the rank of commander in the Medical Corps while serving as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. During his military service, Dr. Souza served as director of the Peripheral Nerve Program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He has performed over 1,000 extremity reconstructive procedures, including over 200 advanced wounded warrior reconstructions. He now serves as director of Ohio State’s Orthoplastic Reconstruction and Advanced Amputation Program, as well as the Military Medicine Program. Dr. Souza’s presentation will focus on the critical need of military and veteran focused agendas in cancer and trauma research and care.

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Tracy Yu-Ping Wang, MD, MHS, MSc

Chief, Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Dr. Tracy-YuPing Wang serves as Chief of Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, where she provides strategic leadership for research comparing health care interventions and emerging innovations. A cardiologist and clinical researcer, she has extensive expertise in observational research, implementation science, pragmatic clinical trials, health care quality, and patient-centered outcomes research. 

Before joining PCORI, Dr. Wang was a professor of medicine at Duke University and led major studies through the Duke Clinical Research Institute. She has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and has helped advance methods for representative patient recruitment, patient-reported outcomes, and pragmatic research. Her session will provide a national perspective on patient-centered research, funding, implementation, and partnerships needed to translate evidence into meaningful improvements in military- and Veteran-connected health care.

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Shane Preston

Great Lakes Region Liaison for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War • U.S. Marine Corps Combat Veteran

As Great Lakes Region Liaison for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Military Community and Family Policy, Shane Preston brings direct experience connecting state policymakers, military leadership, the pentagon, and additional federal defense stakeholders on defense priorities and military related issues across Ohio and the broader region. A Marine combat veteran with experience in both military service and state government, he offers an important policy and partnership perspective for SUMMIT 2026. His session will help attendees better understand how stronger coordination across institutions can support DoW priorities, improve support for military-connected communities, and advance more effective collaboration