Consortium for Defense Psychology

On 3-4 June 2026, the Sleep and Fatigue Management in the DoW Convening Event successfully brought together 138 military stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers in a hybrid format at the HJF Headquarters in Bethesda, MD. In direct response to evolving operational requirements and GAO guidance, the summit aimed to advance cross-agency collaboration, strategically track sleep health research, and address systemic barriers to sleep and fatigue management from both an operational and leadership perspective.

The event featured esteemed presenters, including Health Affairs keynote speaker Ms. Susan Orsega, DSc(hc), MS, NP, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Health Services Policy and Oversight within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Health Affairs, and Military Leadership keynote speaker Col Christopher McArthur, Marine Corps' Training and Education Command (TECOM). The keynote speakers addressed the critical role sleep plays in optimizing service member readiness and supporting the force, highlighting the vital need for unified, cross-agency strategies to bridge the gap between scientific research and operational leadership.

Additional distinguished presenters included Dr. Jonathan Woodson, MD, MSS, FACS, President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, who delivered the welcoming remarks. Dr. Theresa Jackson Santo, Acting Director for Warfighter Performance Optimization (WPO) within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Safety and Occupational Health (ODASW(SOH)), addressed key milestones from the GAO Working Group, which was established in response to the 2024 GAO report. Furthermore, Dr. Terry Rauch, Ph.D., Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of War (Health Readiness Policy and Oversight), spoke on the critical implications of sleep deprivation in large-scale combat operations, providing real-world examples from the war in Ukraine.

The event also featured three panel presentations, which focused on the role of sleep and fatigue-related research in advancing mission readiness, sleep and fatigue-related challenges within active military operations, and dissemination and implementation approaches to addressing sleep and fatigue across the DoW and beyond. Panel presenters included Dr. Tracy Jill Doty, Dr. Aaron Laposky, Dr. Emerson Wickwire, CDR Kent Werner, COL Matthew Brock, CWO5 Steven Pearsoll, MSgt Ty Hatcher, COL McArthur, LTC Dan Cassidy, Dr. Camila Almeida, MAJ Allison Brager, LTC(R) Sean Donohue, and Dr. Daniel Taylor.

Each panel was followed by a facilitated breakout session designed to gather insights and perspectives from all attendees. These discussions generated highly-productive ideas, connections, and strategic themes to utilize moving forward. The insights gained from the summit will be compiled into a comprehensive report, presented at the upcoming MHSRS conference, and target publication as a peer-reviewed manuscript.

The success of the event is directly attributed to the esteemed presenters, engaged attendees, and dedicated planning committee and support team, which included: Timothy Rogers, Jaime Rodden, Bill Brim, Maegan Paxton Willing, Diana Dolan, Linda Thompson, Tracy Jill Doty, Kent Werner, Vincent Capaldi, Gloria Park, Camila Almeida, Jordan Ellis, Paula Domenici, Ally Grillo, Sebastian Preilipper, Ariana Bazzi, and Kristian Krslovic.

Dr. Marjan G. Holloway, Professor of Medical and Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, has assumed two additional leadership roles.

She has been appointed Chief of Research for the Center for Deployment Psychology, providing strategic oversight of research and evaluation that advances evidence-informed mental health training for military and civilian providers in support of the Department of War. She has also been named Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology within the School of Medicine, supporting departmental research strategy, mentorship, and the development of a high-impact research portfolio.

These appointments build on Dr. Holloway’s leadership as Director of the Suicide Care, Prevention, and Research Initiative and reflect her continued commitment to suicide prevention, empirically supported psychotherapies, and workforce training, translating rigorous science into meaningful clinical and policy impact.

CDP has been officially recognized by Newsweek and Statista as one of America’s Top Online Learning Providers in 2026! Highlighting the best resources for virtual education and digital learning, America’s Top Online Learning Providers 2026 was built based on an online survey of more than 10,000 respondents. We are honored to be included in such an elite list.