significant activities report - west point weekly activity report past issues/dea… · significant...

Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation

1

y

Deans Weekly Significant Activities Report

13 April 2016 The Dean’s Weekly Significant Activities Report is an internal report on all activities conducted within the

Departments, Centers & Staff. The Report is provided to the Dean for situation awareness, throughout the

organization for shared situation awareness, and to select external organizations for outreach and

communication. Portions of the Dean’s Weekly Significant Activities Report are further staffed in a report to the

Superintendent. POC for the report is MS Lesley Beckstrom at 938-5105.

Picture of the Week

Department of English and Philosophy: USMA Cadets and

Villanova Students gathered following the final conference

plenary session.


2

Combating Terrorism Center

On 5-6 April, the Combating Terrorism Center hosted its 4th Annual Cadet/Student

Conference. The conference provides a high-level forum for undergraduate and

graduate students to present research focused on the characteristics, causes, and

implications of terrorism and insurgency as well as broader issues related to asymmetric

conflicts. This year’s experts included the Honorable Juan Zarate, former Deputy

National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism (2005-2009); Dr. Victor Asal, Chair

of Public Administration and an Associate Professor in the Department of Political

Science at SUNY Albany; and Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer, founding director of the

Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, professor of sociology, and affiliate

professor of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Student

presenters hailed from such institutions as Stanford University, London School of

Economics, Kings College, and UMASS Lowell.

The two-day event featured addresses by COL Cindy Jebb, head of the Department of

Social Sciences, and AMB Michael Sheehan, CTC’s Distinguished Chair, as well as

presentations by several cadets. These included CDT David Lane (Conciliation

Strategies in Northern Ireland), CDT Theodore Lipsky (Security Sector Reform in Post

Asymmetric Conflicts), CDT Joe Presti (States or Something Else—A Comparison

between ISIS and Hezbollah), CDT Bryan Silverman (Deciphering National Intelligence

Institutions), and CDT Carson Warnberg (Effectiveness of CT Legislation against

Militia Groups). Other cadets and USMA faculty attended panels and contributed to

discussions throughout the conference.

CTC Director LTC Bryan Price introduces the first panel of the CTC’s 4th Annual

Cadet/Student Conference.


3

Cadets, faculty, and distinguished guests attend the CTC’s annual conference.

CDT Joe Presti presents his research entitled “States or Something Else—A Comparison

between ISIS and Hezbollah” during the CTC’s annual conference.


4

Cadets, scholars, experts, and CTC staff and faculty during the CTC’s annual conference

Department of Chemistry and Life Science

AIChE Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition 2016

Cadets Benjamin Barclay (left, ’16, Co. A4) and Joshua Peck (’16, Co. E3) of the West Point Chapter

of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) explain their research in chemical

engineering with chemical engineering professionals and undergraduates during the research

poster competition on 9 April 2016.


5

Fourteen cadets from the West Point Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) travelled to the University of Delaware over the weekend (8-10 April) for the 2016 AIChE Mid-Atlantic Regionals to compete in chemical engineering jeopardy, research poster session, research paper presentation, and Chem-E-Car competition. This year was the first time that the West Point AIChE cadets have built a Chem-E-Car or competed in the research paper competition. The event was a chance for cadets to give technical presentations, meet fellow chemical engineers, and be inspired by Dr. Sujata Bhatia who challenged the undergraduates to apply their expertise to improve the lives of others.

2LT Bann Guest Lecture on Biojet Fuel Production

On Monday, 11 April 2016, 2LT Seamus Bann gave a presentation to the Department of Chemistry and Life Science and members of the West Point Energy Council. 2LT Bann discussed his work as a Lincoln Labs fellow conducting a techno-economic analysis of alternative fuels for American aviation. His work at MIT has the potential to guide industry and policy decisions regarding biojet fuel production. 2LT Bann is a graduate of the West Point Class of 2015 and majored in chemical engineering.


6

Department of Systems Engineering

Stevens Institute of Technology Engineering Management Board of Advisors

LTC John Richards, Engineering Management Program Director for the Department of

Systems Engineering, participated in the Stevens Institute of Technology Engineering

Management Board of Advisors Meeting on 06 April 2016. The Engineering

Management programs from Stevens Institute and DSE have a long history of

collaborating together and participation in each other’s BOA is one way that the schools

continue the relationship. This year, the Stevens EM BOA meeting provided members

an update on the assessment and status of the program following ABET’s visit in the fall

of 2015. The BOA also spent time discussing how to market the program better to the

students at Stevens (overall enrollment at Stevens has grown significantly over the past

few years, but the EM program enrollment has stayed fairly consistent). It also provided

feedback on a potential change to the name of the program to better reflect its changing

curriculum to a more Systems Engineering focus and to better market to incoming

students. Overall, it was a great opportunity to continue this strong relationship and

collaboration between the two Engineering Management programs in the New York City

area.

POC: LTC John Richards, x5941, [email protected]

Network Science Center

Dean's Significant Activities Report 12 April 2016

Faculty and cadet from Network Science Center present at Sunbelt XXXVI

Four members of the Network Science Center at West Point and one cadet participated in the 36th annual Sunbelt Conference of the International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA) from 6-10 April in Newport Beach, California. The Sunbelt conference provides an interdisciplinary venue for social scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, and others to present current work in the area of social networks. CDT Nate Swanson (’16) and MAJ Dan Koban presented research entitled “Predicting NHL Postseason Success Using PageRank”, and LTC Tony Johnson and MAJ Chane Jackson presented research entitled “An Influence Maximization Approach to Enhance

mailto:[email protected]


7

or Degrade Networks by Analyzing Multiple Chess Games“. Mrs. Lori Sheetz and collaborators also had work presented on “Teaching and Learning about Networks: A Metacognitive Dilemma” and “Crowdsourcing Network Literacy: A Grassroots Story”. Faculty members also participated in sessions to discuss social network science in the Department of Defense and teaching network science to university undergraduates.

Cadet Nate Swanson (’16) presents his research on applying Google’s PageRank Algorithm to Hockey analytics. CDT Swanson was the only undergraduate student to present at the conference.

Cadet Nate Swanson (’16) answers questions during a poster session.


8

Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering

1. Cadets Compete at Collegiate Infrastructure Challenge. At 0800 on 4 APR 16, a team of five cadets (Matthew Brown, Colin Doody, Ian Mauldin, Matthew Salazar, and Kevin Yi) were given a challenge to develop a solution to reduce the vulnerability of our nation’s transportation infrastructure. They presented their solution 24 hours later to a panel of judges and a room full of engineers, policy makers, and city planners as part of the Collegiate Infrastructure Challenge hosted by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) during this year’s Critical Infrastructure Symposium in Charleston, SC. The USMA team beat teams from USAFA and The Citadel to earn a second place finish behind a team from VMI. POC is LTC Jake Bruhl at [email protected].

The team confers in Fort Sumter to develop a

description of the fort in terms of the six joint

operational variables

From R to L, CDTs Matt Salazar, Matt Brown, Colin Doody,

Ian Mauldin, and Kevin Yi, receive their challenge from

LTC(R) Steve Hart at the start of the Collegiate Infrastructure

Challenge

The team presents their solution 24 hours after having received

the challenge. Audience members included BG(R) Joe

Schroedel, foreground, the Executive Director of SAME

CDT Colin Doody describes the integration of

databases in the team’s solution to reduce

vulnerabilities of our nation’s transportation

infrastructure

LTC Bruhl Presents Design Methods for Protective Structures at the Critical

Infrastructure Symposium. On 4 APR 16, LTC Jake Bruhl, an assistant professor in D/CME,

presented findings from recent research to an audience of engineers, policy makers, and city

planners at the 2016 Critical Infrastructure Symposium hosted by Society of American Military

Engineers in Charleston, SC. His talk, titled “Multi-Hazard Analysis and Design Using Steel-



9

Plate Composite Structures” was well-received and generated questions and discussion which extended beyond the scheduled session. This innovative structural system is gaining popularity in the construction of the next generation of modular nuclear power plants and LTC Bruhl described the protective value of the structural system for other government and private industry applications. POC is LTC Jake Bruhl at [email protected].

Department of English and Philosophy

Department of English and Philosophy: Third Annual Ethics of War Conference Department of English and Philosophy faculty and Cadets attended the Third Annual Ethics of War Conference, an annual joint program between West Point and Villanova University. This year’s conference was hosted by Villanova University. This multi-disciplinary academic conference gathered some of the most influential philosophers, lawyers, political scientists and theologians currently contributing to the field of war ethics. The plenary sessions were offered by Dr. Claire Finkelstein of the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer of University of California, Santa Barbara; Dr. Frances Kamm of Harvard University; and Dr. Dominic Tierney of Swarthmore College, with faculty presentations by COL David Barnes, LTC Mike Saxon, Prof. Graham Parsons, and MAJ Tim Leone. While all were enriched by those scholars’ contributions, the highlight of the conference each year are the more than twenty Villanova students and West Point Cadets that present their own academic work throughout the event. USMA Cadet presenters this year were Sam Andersen, Brett Benedict, James Duncan, Edmund Mullin, Zoe Kreitenberg, Carolyn Kehn, Harold Shablom, Matthew Malcom, Sam Kolling, and Ivellisse Velez-Morey. More information about this event may be found at http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2016/04/10/main_line_times/life/doc57068eb0046d6280655702.txt. POC is LTC Saxon, DEP ([email protected]), x0226,

Course Director for PY201: Philosophy and Ethical Reasoning.


http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2016/04/10/main_line_times/life/doc57068eb0046d6280655702.txt

http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2016/04/10/main_line_times/life/doc57068eb0046d6280655702.txt



10

Department of English and Philosophy: The Mounger Writing Center hosted a two-night special event in support of the SOSH Paper (in SS307).

Under the leadership of CDT Cameron Voigt (’17), who was inspired by his attendance of the annual conference of the International Writing Centers Association in October 2015, the Writing Center conducted its first large-scale event in direct support of a specific writing assignment: the SOSH Paper. Held 3-4 April, 1930-2230, the Writing Center’s “SOSHIAL” facilitated expanded numbers of individual appointments for Cadets who worked with Writing Fellows specifically trained to assist them. In all, the Center conducted nineteen forty-five minute one-on-one consultations, in addition to serving several other Cadets who dropped in with briefer questions. Meanwhile, CDTs Nathan Hernandez and Erin Savage conducted special workshops on “Evidence: Research & Integration” and “Chicago Citation Style,” respectively. Finally, the Yoga Club helped out by conducting ‘relaxation sessions’ to support Cadets through the long writing process. The event received significant support from MAJ Renee Ramsey (SOSH), Course Director of SS307, and Ms. Laura Mosher (Library), in addition to the West Point Parents Club, which provided plentiful snacks to sustain CDTs as they worked. Overall, feedback from all Cadets who participated was extremely positive, despite the limited number of appointments the Center was able to offer, and through CDT Voigt’s leadership and the dedicated efforts of nearly two dozen Cadet Writing Fellows, the event set an important precedent and standard for the future. POC is Dr. Jason Hoppe ([email protected]), x2198.

USMA Cadets and Villanova Students gathered following the final

conference plenary session



11

Department of English and Philosophy: Dr. Jason Hoppe participated in the annual

convention of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC).

From 7-9 April, Dr. Jason Hoppe participated in the annual convention of the Conference on

College Composition and Communication (held in Houston, TX). He attended panels on various

pressing topics in college composition, including assessment, digital pedagogies, and the

problem of knowledge ‘transfer’ from first-year composition courses to writing in specific

disciplines. He also participated in the annual meeting of the International Network of Writing-

Across-the-Curriculum Programs, a special session with Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkstein

(authors of the noted composition textbook They Say, I Say), and a small workshop with the

founder of the Harvard Writing Project and longtime Director of the Harvard Expository Writing

Program, Dr. Nancy Sommers. On 9 April, Dr. Hoppe chaired a panel entitled “Political

Rhetoric: Ethos, Agency, and Courage”; panelists gave papers that engaged topics from the role

of women in the military and contemporary politics to the rhetoric of conspiracy theory, torture,

and ‘enhanced interrogation.’ POC is Dr. Jason Hoppe ([email protected]), x2198.

Cadets working on their final papers for SS307 – or taking a needed break under the direction

of the Yoga Club – at the Mounger Writing Center’s inaugural “SOSHIAL,” held 3-4 April

during ESP



12

Department of English and Philosophy: USMA-Vassar Initiative

Members of the USMA-Vassar Initiative convened at Vassar College, where Cadets and their

student hosts attended a C. Mildred Thompson Lecture given by Dr. Marilyn Young, New York

University Professor of History, entitled “How to Remember the Vietnam War.” Young’s

lecture coincided with Vietnam Veterans Day and the 33rd anniversary of the United States’

withdrawal of combat units and support personnel from Vietnam on 29 March 1973. In her

lecture, Young explored what the Vietnam War can tell people about today's foreign policy

problems. Following a group dinner with their student hosts, Cadets remained overnight in the

Vassar College dormitories before returning to West Point early the next morning. In its sixth

year, the USMA-Vassar Initiative part of a Mellon Foundation funded project designed to bridge

the civil-military divide. POC is LTC Laura Bozeman, DEP ([email protected]), x2329.

Dr. Jason Hoppe, at the annual convention of the Conference on College Composition and

Communication, with Dr. Nancy Sommers (professor in the Harvard Graduate School of

Education and founder of the Harvard Writing Project) and with MAJ Maurice Wilson,

currently completing his Ph.D. at the University of Houston before returning to the

Department of English and Philosophy as an Assistant Professor in the fall of 2017



13

Department of English and Philosophy: Hudson Valley Cultural Forum – Gotham Comedy

Club

Members of the Hudson Valley Cultural Forum traveled to the Gotham Comedy Club in New

York City to attend an evening of veteran comics’ performances. Three of the performers—

Isaura Ramirez, Mike Garvey, and Clifton Hoffler—were alumni of the Armed Services Arts

Partnership’s (ASAP) Veterans Comedy Bootcamp who were making their NYC debut. They

were accompanied by national headliner and Navy Veteran, PJ Walsh, and Army Veteran Dion

Flynn, who plays Barack Obama on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Cadet Kyle

Lackey discovered an unexpected connection with one of the performers, Marine Corps Veteran

Mike Garvey. Cadet Lackey assisted in training Garvey’s service dog, Liberty, with Puppies

Behind Bars. The Hudson Valley Cultural Forum’s mission is to expose Cadets to the history,

arts, and culture of the Hudson River Valley. POC is LTC Laura Bozeman, DEP

([email protected]), x2329.

Vassar College student Min Chen orients Cadets

to Vassar College’s outdoor amphitheater,

where commencements occur each May

West Point Cadets and Vassar College

students with Dr. Marilyn Young, NYU

Professor of History

Members of the Hudson Valley Cultural Forum with



14

Cadet Kyle Lackey and Liberty, a service dog he helped to train with Puppies Behind Bars

who is now assigned to US Marine Corps Veteran and Standup Comedian Mike Garvey

Members of the Hudson Valley Cultural Forum with

Veteran Comics at the Gotham Comedy Club in New

York City

US Marine Corps Veteran and Standup Comedian

Mike Garvey with his service dog, Liberty


15

Department of History On 29 March, CPT Antonio Salinas provided a lunchtime lecture to second- and third-

class history majors. His lecture discussed Siren's Song: The Allure of War, his wartime

memoir about his experiences as an infantry platoon leader in Kunar, Afghanistan. CPT

Salinas not only shared his combat and leadership experiences but he also gave a brief

outline of about future class offerings for cadets interesting in studying Greco-Roman

Warfare for their thesis research. 35 cadets attended this voluntary event, which was

the third installment of the Cadet History Advisory Council (CHAC) mentorship series.

CPT Salinas discusses his memoir of his experiences in Afghanistan as part of the third

installment of the Cadet History Advisory Council’s mentorship series.

_________________________________________

On 31 March, the Cadet History Advisory Council (CHAC) hosted a paper tutoring

session for cadets enrolled in HI108, International History. 25 plebes (5% of the core

class) benefited from the tutelage of volunteer history majors, who advised the

underclassmen on writing style, organization, and clarity of argument. CHAC will also

conduct a paper tutoring session for HI105 in the upcoming weeks.


16

Volunteer History majors worked with cadets enrolled in HI108 in a paper tutoring session

organized by the Cadet History Advisory Council.

_________________________________________

Members of the Department of History traveled to the Fires Center of Excellence at Fort

Sill, Oklahoma on Friday, 8 April, to participate in two Leader Professional Development

Sessions centered around a leadership vignette taken from the Battle of the Bulge, in

partnership with GEN (Ret) John Abizaid (USMA ’73), former USCC Commandant and

Commander of USCENTCOM.

COL Ty Seidule, Professor and Head of the Department, and LTC Andrew Visser,

from the Department’s International Division, worked with representatives from Rowan

Technology Solutions (publishers of the electronic version of the West Point History of

Warfare) to develop an interactive web app presenting the strategic and operational

context of the Bulge campaign. This tool also described the predicament in which 1LT

Lyle Bouck and members of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon of the 394th

Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry division found themselves on the first day of the German

attack. The audience was able to use their personal mobile devices to access a

combination of static and interactive maps, historic photos, and oral history video

footage in order to gain a better understanding of the situation 1LT Bouck faced,


17

develop their own recommendations as to the necessary leader actions, and finally

evaluate the actions this junior leader took, which enabled him and his small unit to hold

off an full-strength German battalion for an entire day.

The two Leader Professional Development sessions focused on distinctly different

audiences. The morning session involved students at the Field Artillery Basic Officer

Leadership Course and Captains’ Career Course, as well as their Small-Group

Instructors, while the afternoon session gathered Commanders and Command

Sergeants Major from the Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery Battalions and

Brigades at Fort Sill. Both audiences responded well to the opportunity to think critically

about this historical scenario, engage their peers in discussion, and argue their views in

a public setting. This event allowed the History Department to showcase the benefit of

participation-based instructional techniques as well as emerging instructional

technology. In addition, GEN (Ret) Abizaid provided an invaluable perspective on the

importance of a broad and deep knowledge of history in order to be able to understand

current challenges in their proper context.


18

A page from the Battle of the Bulge LPD Web App uses an interactive map of the campaign, as well as an interactive 3-D model of the theater of operations, to illustrate

the broader context of the specific historical events under consideration.

MG Rossi presents COL Seidule and LTC Visser with gifts following the conclusion of

the Battle of the Bulge LPD.


19

COL Ty Seidule, Professor and Head of the Department of History, addresses Battalion and Brigade Command Teams during the afternoon session of the Battle of the Bulge

LPD at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

_________________________________________

On 8-9 April, 2016 CPT Antonio Salinas presented his 2008 publication from Michigan

War Studies Review, "Julius Caesar’s Art of War: A Graphic Portfolio of the Battlefields

and Tactics in the Commentarii de Bello Gallico" at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.

His publication includes over 200 maps which illustrate the strategy, operations, and

tactics Caesar narrated in his book The Gallic War. Attendees of his presentation were

made up of Dickinson College faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and

Latin teachers. CPT Salinas's work seeks to assist classicists and military historians

alike in bringing Caesar’s Gallic War to life in a way never before seen.


20

CPT Tony Salinas discusses the strategy, operations, and tactics of Caesar’s Gallic

War in front of an audience of educators and students at Dickenson College in Carlisle,

PA.

Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering

Cadet Community on Civil-Military Operations (C3MO) NYC Engagement. The Cadet Community on Civil-Military Operations (C3MO) travelled to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, in Brooklyn on 07APR16. The cadets sat in on proceedings by Judge Sterling Johnson and Senior Judge Jack Weinstein and toured the offices of the U.S. Marshals. The cadets discussed the difference between civil and military justice with the judges and learned about the judges’ legal careers. The club strengthened the Academy’s bond with New York City and demonstrated the professionalism of the Corps of Cadets. This event will create opportunities for future engagements between West Point and the Federal Court system.


21

The cadets take their seats in the jury box of the US District Court in Brooklyn, NY on 07APR16.

The C3MO cadets and CSCMO director, Mr. John Melkon, in Judge Sterling Johnson’s office.

Field Trip to United Nations. On 11 April, 25 firstie environmental science majors enrolled in EV487 Environmental Security participated in a field trip to the US Mission to the United Nations and to the United Nations itself. The cadets were briefed by a USUN staff member (LTC David Macdonald) who works in the Military Affairs branch of the US Mission, by a USUN Political Section expert (Ms. Tashawna Smith) on the role of the UN Security Council in pursuing US national security interests, and by a USMA graduate (Mr. Brian Conroy) who is employed in the USUN Management Reform Section on reform priorities for UN Peacekeeping. After lunch, the cadets toured the United Nations building with the highlight being visiting the Security Council and


22

General Assembly chambers. The briefings and tour tied directly to class discussions on how military and NGO organizations can promote stability and security in developing nations and thus limit the global spread of terrorism and the ultimate involvement of the US military. POC is Dr. Marie Johnson at [email protected].

EV 488 Field Trip: On 11 April 2016, cadets from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering traveled to Brooklyn, NY to visit an ExxonMobil remediation site near Newtown Creek. The trip was hosted by Mr. Scott Wybro, Class of 2003. Scott is the ExxonMobil Area Manager for the northeast and a graduate of the D/G&EnE Environmental Geography major. The trip supplemented their environmental remediation studies as a part of EV488, Solid & Hazardous Waste Treatment and Remediation. The cadets were able to view full scale remediation systems that target one of the largest subsurface petroleum spills in the United States. The tour included several on-site remediation technologies, such as the free-product recovery wells, a catalytic oxidizer, an air stripper, carbon adsorption vessels, and an oil/water separator. This rewarding experience allowed cadets to see these processes first hand and talk with practicing engineers about their careers and the on-going waste remediation and recovery processes. Cadets also experienced cultural emersion by eating at the Karczma Restaurant, which is located in a Polish neighborhood in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. POC is LTC Jeffrey Starke at [email protected].

EV488 cadets at the ExxonMobil remediation site near Newtown Creek. The group was hosted by Mr. Scott Wybro, Class of 2003 (back row in green shirt).




23

Cadets are given a tour of the air stripping process which removes contaminants from the contaminated water into the air for further oxidation treatment.

Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering

Completed Events

Hardened Electronics & Radiation Technology (HEART) Conference: During 4-9 April, MAJ Will Koch and MAJ Tony Clark traveled to Monterey, CA with Cadets to attend the Hardened Electronics & Radiation Technology (HEART) Conference. Recognition: On 7 April, Ms. Kim Lewis was recognized at the 1st EEO Meet and Greet Luncheon “In Recognition of EEO Program Volunteers”. Kim has been volunteering as a Collateral Duty EEO Counselor for three years.


24

Ms. Lewis with COL Dunham, USMA Garrison Commander

NE350 Trip Section: On 7 April, Radiological Engineering Design students took a trip to STERIS Isomedix, in Chester, NY to see an example of how radiation is used in industry. Cadets experienced first-hand how gamma rays from a Cobalt-60 radioactive source sterilize medical supplies and food, remediate mold, cross-link polymers, and perform many other applications. During the visit, STERIS Isomedix loaded about 500,000 Curies of new Co-60 sources into one of their gamma-ray sterilization machines, reshuffled older sources, and removed the oldest ones which were no longer sufficiently radioactive. Cadets watched the shielded containers as they were lifted by crane off a flatbed truck and lowered into a 25-foot deep pool of water where they were safely opened and loaded into the machine. Mr. Mark Thomas, the Director of Operations, was very knowledgeable and a great teacher as Cadets asked him many questions about the business aspects of using radioisotopes in industry.

Cadets watch as 500,000 sources of Co-60 are received by crane

NE450 Tabletop Exercise: On 8 April, the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering hosted its semi-annual Tabletop Exercise, in which nuclear policy experts


25

from the National Defense University (NDU) at Washington, DC guide cadets as they simulate formulating the nuclear strategy of a foreign government that is in tension with the US government. The cadets who participated are currently taking NE450: Nuclear Weapons Effects, either as part of their major, or their 3-course engineering sequence. The facilitators from NDU were Senior Research Fellow Dr. Shane Smith and Research Analyst Ms. Amanda Moodie. Here the cadets synthesize their technical knowledge of nuclear weapons with their knowledge of the humanities as they attempt to identify plausible combinations of strategic "ends, ways, and means" for North Korea, given various scenarios in which North Korea's nuclear program upsets the international status quo. Historically, the Tabletop Exercise has focused on Iran's nuclear program, but this semester, fortuitously timed with recent developments in the US strategic "Pacific Pivot", the NDU sent its leading regional experts on East Asia and North Korea. LTC Dave Morrow, who observed the cadets' presentations at the end of the exercise, pointed out that he had previously used these exact NDU products at a recent USSOCOM assignment where USSOCOM had responsibilities for capability development and general planning readiness. This signifies a deepening of this cooperative relationship between NDU and USMA. Ideas for further expansion of this exercise in the future include opening the exercise to courses in other departments, and incorporating classified material into the exercise. Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) Expo: On 9 April, Cadets Abigail Daniel (’18) and Kris

Korzan (’16), along with their PH489 individual research project advisor, Dr. Paula Fekete,

attended the NEAF Astronomy and Space Expo held at Rockland Community College in nearby

Suffern, NY. As part of their research project, the Cadets are performing visual observations

and acquiring astrophotography images in the new West Point Observatory. They visited the

expo to be acquainted with the latest astronomy and astrophotography gear available. More

than 150 astronomy equipment vendors were represented. In addition to being the largest expo

of specialized equipment in the field, NEAF is also a forum for numerous scientific

presentations. Cadets attended two of the scientific talks. NEAF talks are given by the most

brilliant personalities in the fields of space and astronomy. The first talk was contributed by Alan

Stern, principal investigator of the New Horizons Mission to Pluto and it was entitled Mission to

Pluto and What Planethood Really Means. The second attended talk was The Confirmation of

Gravitational Waves, and it was presented by David Shoemaker, senior research scientist at

MIT, director of the Advanced LIGO project. Attendance allowed a great opportunity to cadets

and their instructor to enlarge their horizons (pun intended) by attending talks given by

researchers at the forefront of science today.


26

CDTs Daniel and Korzan with Dr. Fekete at the NEAF Expo

P&NE Academic Awards Banquet: On 12 April, the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering hosted their Annual Awards Banquet at the West Point Club to induct cadets into the Society of Physics Students and the American Nuclear Society as well as present certificates for excellence in physics and nuclear engineering coursework throughout AY16. The guest speaker for the event was BG Timothy Trainor, Dean of the Academic Board, USMA.

Advanced Physics Award Recipients with LTC Gerving and Dr. Pfenning


27

Nuclear Engineering Award Recipients with Dr. Moretti and LTC Pitcher

Core Physics Award Recipients with LTC Sentell and Dr. Kashinski

ANΣ Inductees with Dr. Moretti and CPT(P) Molgaard


28

Inductees with LTC Gerving and Dr. Kashinski

Current Events NE300 Trip Section: On 12, 13, and 21 April, CPT Josh Molgaard is taking Cadets to the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, NY. The purpose of this trip is to broaden student's understanding of the operation of a nuclear reactor and help bring many classroom concepts to life.

Future Events AIAD Brief: Supervisory Physicist Dr. Dan Schultz will be giving an AIAD departure brief on 14 April to approximately 70 cadets who are going on D/P&NE-sponsored AIADs this summer. Oak Ridge Trip: 20-24 April, MAJ Anthony Clark will take four Cadets to Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN, where they will learn about and operate the latest nuclear detectors. NE474 Trip Section: On 21 April, LTC Chris Pitcher will take 15 Cadets on a trip to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City for practical reinforcement of academic instruction for NE474.

significant activities report - west point weekly activity report past issues/dea… · significant...

Documents