An NDMU department chair and licensed clinical psychologist received the second-highest honor for federal civilian employees for providing clinical care to returning U.S. service members from Iraq and Afghanistan and engaging in research impacting service members.
Dr. Maria Mouratidis presents a slideshow


Dr. Maria Mouratidis was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal from the Office of the Secretary of the Army not only for her clinical work, but also for her voluntary service on Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program external advisory boards and on the Army Science Board.

I was fundamentally changed as a doctor, as a teacher and as a human being for having sat with our service members and their families. There were times when I felt like I should take my shoes off because the ground was so sacred. I want people to remember that the service members and families are still in our communities, churches, synagogues, mosques, grocery stores, unemployment lines, VAs, and homeless shelters. We still owe them a huge debt. – Dr. Mouratidis

Dr. Mouratidis worked with the service members as a psychologist and supported their family members by developing programming, like public education campaigns, to help children understand what happened to their parents after they were deployed. Her subsequent research included how blast brain injuries affect psychological health, uncovering clinical solutions to benefit current and future service members.