By Kate Wallace
Kelly Halverson, Ph.D.
Chemistry Instructor. US Army 1990-2016
Kelly Halverson served on active duty for 26 years in the US Army Medical Service Corps from June 1990 to June 2016. Kelly began his career as an ambulance platoon leader with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and finished as a biochemist with the Army Public Health Command in Maryland managing a global network of 8 environmental analytical laboratories.
His experiences included teaching biochemistry for the DoD Physician Assistant Program and the Graduate Program in Nutrition. He also participated in numerous research projects such as characterizing Bacillus antracis proteins, developing in-vitro modeling systems to assess antibiotics and effects of environmental toxicants as well as research assessing acceleration and blast pressures experienced by Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
His duty stations included Germany, Fort Sam Houston, TX, Fort Polk, LA, Fort Detrick, MD, Minneapolis, MN, and Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. Kelly deployed to Saudia Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. He is thankful for the invaluable opportunities afforded him while serving.
He is a graduate of the US Army War College and earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota while on active duty. His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with 6 oak leaf clusters, the Expert Field Medical Badge and he is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. Kelly is originally from Custer, SD, enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family and friends.