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Dean’s Weekly Significant Activities Report
29 October 2014
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
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Cadets in front of the ramparts of Fort Ticonderoga, New York
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Department of Law
The West Point Center for the Rule of Law’s three
day workshop on “Ukraine: A Case Study in the
Viability of International Law,” brought together
21 preeminent legal scholars, military
practitioners, and government representatives to
identify the emerging jus ad bellulm and jus in
bello issues stemming from Russia’s actions in
Ukraine.
The workshop was organized by Associate
Professor LTC Shane Reeves, who led the
Department of Law in executing the world’s first
meeting of legal scholars to address this topic.
The event was co-sponsored by the United States
Naval War College’s Stockton Center for the
Study of International Law.
BG Trainor opened the event by remarking on the
importance of the participants’ work on this timely and strategically important issue. This
sentiment was echoed by Acting Department Head COL David Wallace and Professor Michael
Schmitt, Director of the Stockton Center for the Study of International Law.
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The workshop’s first discussion was led by NYU School of Law Professor Ryan Goodman on
“Jus Ad Bellum, Humanitarian Intervention, and the Current Ukraine Crisis.” The second
session on “Conflict Classification in the Current Ukraine Crisis” commenced with the analysis
of Professor Robert Heinsch of Leiden University, the Netherlands. This was followed by
Professor Christopher Borgen of New York City’s St. John’s University School of Law, who
addressed the issue of “The Role of Self-Determination in the Context of the Ukraine Crisis.”
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The second day started with Professor Geoffrey Corn of South Texas College of Law discussing
the “Conduct of Hostilities in the Ukraine Crisis.” He was followed by University of Cologne’s
Professor Clause Kress, who addressed “Aggression and the Current Ukraine Crisis.” Then
CAPT Todd Huntley, the Head of National Security Law for the Office of the Navy Judge
General discussed “Unconventional Warfare in the Current Ukraine Crisis.” The University of
Glasgow’s Professor Robin Geiss then presented his research on “Occupation, Annexation, or
Conquest—the Legal Status of the Russian Seizure of Crimea.”
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Other workshop participants included MG Michael D. Conway, Director General Army Legal
Services, British Army; Mr. Brian Finucane, State Department; Mr. Gary Brown, ICRC; and
Aisling Reidy of Human Rights Watch.
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The workshop closed with Ambassador Marie Jacobsson, of the Swedish Foreign Ministry,
synthesizing all the contentious international legal issues addressed by the researchers and
workshop participants. Thanks to the lively discussions during the workshop, the presenters will
refine their research and publish the results in International Law Studies, the Stockton Center’s
historic scholarly legal publication, first published in 1895.
Throughout the event and afterwards, workshop participants conveyed appreciation of all that
the Department of Law did to make their time at West Point an outstanding experience, leaving
this community of scholars and practitioners with a positive impression of the military.
Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering
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Trip Section: On 22 October, MAJ Nestor Echeverria and cadets enrolled in NE350
(Radiological Engineering Design) traveled to STERIS Isomedix in Chester, NY to see a realworld application of radiation technology that applies their required design project.
Additionally, cadets gained a better understanding of transportation, shielding, security, safety,
disposal or radioactive waste in support of course requirements. STERIS Isomedix uses a
radioactive source to sterilized medical supplies. While there, they reloaded new Colbalt-60
sources into their irradiation facilities, thus providing the cadets a unique opportunity to observe
the inner workings of the machines and the process of transporting and handling radioactive
materials.
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Completed Events
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AIAD Briefing: On 23 October, the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering hosted a
briefing for all PaNE class of 2016 and 2017 majors on summer 2015 AIAD opportunities and
the requirements that have to be met in order for them to participate.
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Triathlon Team: During 24-26 October, eleven cadets traveled to Austin, TX to compete in the
Ironman 70.3 Collegiate National Championships. The West Point Team swept the Collegiate
division with 1st place male Dylan Morgan ’16, 1st place female Cat Sedy ’16, Men’s Team
National Champions, Women’s Team National Champions, and overall Team National
Champions. Additionally, four cadets, Dylan Morgan ’16, Cat Sedy ’16, Angelica Dickson ’16
and Jacob Slife ’18 all qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in 2015. Dylan
Morgan was 10th overall in the entire race and the fastest amateur athlete with a collegiate
championship record time of 4 hours and 8 mins to complete the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike
and half-marathon. For five of the eleven cadets, this was their first time competing at the halfironman distance. This is the third consecutive 70.3 national championship for the team under
Head Coach Ian O’Brien and the third consecutive World Championship qualification for CDTs
Morgan and Sedy. In addition to the cadet athletes, the OIC of the team, LTC Ken Allen,
competed in the event and was 9th out of 266 men in the 40-44 year old age group division.
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Future Events
Sensing Session: On 30 October, LTC Sam Amber will participate in a sensing session as part
of the STAFFDEL Visit. The topic will be “West Point initiative, programs, cadet professional
development, new ideas/initiatives, and curriculum development”.
Colloquium: On 31 October, NE495 with host Dr. Alan Ross and Dr. Roger White who will
present a Secret-RD briefing on National Technical Nuclear Forensics and the role of Nuclear
Device Reconstruction. National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF) is one aspect of the
attribution process that would follow a nuclear detonation in the United States. NTNF is a
multiagency effort led by the Department of Justice. Part of the National Technical Nuclear
Forensics process is device reconstruction. In this process, data collected from the detonation of
a nuclear device is used to determine the original characteristics of the device. This includes
prompt sensor data and particulate/gas sample analysis data. Detonations of various device
configurations are simulated and then the configuration is modified based on the measured data
(actually more complicated than this).
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Colloquium: On 12 November, Dr. Ken Brockman will discuss “International nuclear power -an update on capacity growth and regulatory trends". Mr. Brockman has had an extended career
in the nuclear industry, serving as a senior manager in nuclear power plant operations, regulatory
oversight and safety consultation. He has worked with both utilities and the regulatory
authorities of the United States and several other countries (Russia, Ukraine, France, United
Kingdom, China, and South Africa). He has served on the Safety Review Boards for three
American utilities (Fort Calhoun Station; Southern Nuclear Company (Chair); South Texas
Project) and as a senior advisor for the Republic of South Africa. As a senior diplomatic
manager for the IAEA, he served as the Secretariat for the Contracting Parties for the
Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Commission on Safety Standards. Mr. Brockman has
managed multi-national technical staffs in both office and field applications and has served as a
senior spokesperson in public and political environments. Mr. Brockman has had a
distinguished career with the U.S. NRC. As a License Examiner, he was responsible for
developing, administering and evaluating the qualifications of individuals seeking Reactor and
Senior Reactor licenses on U.S. nuclear power plants. As an inspector, Mr. Brockman
conducted both planned and reactive inspections - this included normal oversight of day-to-day
operations and reactive oversight to operational events. In this latter capacity, Mr. Brockman led
the regional activities associated with the 1990 loss of offsite power event at the Vogtle Steam
Electric Plant; subsequently, he oversaw the technical response to the Congressional Inquiry into
the adequacy of welds at the Seabrook Station. As a senior manager with the NRC, Mr.
Brockman managed the NRC response to numerous significant events. While the Director,
Nuclear Installation Safety, IAEA, the IRRT review was initiated and missions were conducted
in over 15 countries; the OSART review program was administered at over 30 power plants
throughout the world.
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Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership
Completed Events
Follow BS&L on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Point-NY/Department-ofBehavioral-Sciences-Leadership/44253274507
Ray Eason, USMA '94 addressed members of the West Point Excel Scholars Program as
part of their Fireside Chat series.
On 24 September, Ray Eason, USMA '94 addressed members of the West Point Excel Scholars
Program as part of their Fireside Chat series. While here, Mr. Eason participated in the West
Point Scholars Program run by SOSH; after graduation
he went to Oxford as a Marshall Scholar. Serving on
the West Point faculty after company command, Ray
left active duty, received an MBA from the Harvard
Business School, and is currently on Wall Street and as
an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley. During the
interactive discussion, Mr. Eason and the Excel
Scholars dialogued on the importance of scholarship
programs, networking, and mentorship. POC is LTC
McCoy, x3177.
On Saturday, 25 October, 15 cadets traveled to the Palisades Mall to conduct research on social
interactions and phenomena, otherwise called Ethnography, of the mall population. Each student
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Cadets traveled to the Palisades Mall to conduct research on social interactions and
phenomena, otherwise called an Ethnography, of the mall population.
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of PL371, Introductory Sociology, prepared a research proposal to look at a topic of their choice,
which included observing gendered family roles in walking with young children, the prevalence
of walking with and using cell phones in a social setting, responses to broken social norms,
racial and gender representation of fast food workers and kiosk sales representatives, and
consumer demographics between high-end and low-end clothing stores. The cadets will each
write a paper based on their research methods and findings, and also include a brief literature
review of other research done on their same topic of interest. POC: MAJ Laura Weimer, Course
Director & Instructor, PL371 Introductory Sociology.
Members of the Chicagoland Chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization visited West
Point.
On 9-10 October, 20 members of the Chicagoland Chapter of the Young Presidents'
Organization visited West Point. Founded in 1950 in New York City by a young president
named Ray Hickok, the organization today unites approximately 22,000 business leaders in more
than 125 countries around a shared mission: "Better Leaders through Education and Idea
Exchange." During their visit, chapter members were able to engage the Superintendent in a
spirited Q&A, toured the central area, observed PL100 and PL 300 classes, and exchanged ideas
on leader development with staff, faculty, and cadets. POC is LTC McCoy, x3177.
Faculty Member, Dr. Michael Matthews, appointed to Journal Applied Developmental
Science editorial board.
Dr. Michael D. Matthews has been appointed to the editorial board of the Journal Applied
Developmental Science for a three year term to begin the summer of 2015. POC: Dr. Matthews,
[email protected]
BS&L Faculty Member Publishes Research in Military Review.
LTC Remi M. Hajjar’s article, “What Lessons Did We Learn (or Re-Learn) About Military
Advising After 9/11?,” was published in the November-December 2014 edition of Military
Review. Military Review is the professional journal of the US Army. You can access the article
at:
http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/MilitaryReview/Archives/English/MilitaryReview_20141231_art0
13.pdf POC is LTC Remi Hajjar, BS&L
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On Saturday 18 October, Phi Alpha Theta, led by Major Shauna Hann and Captain Mark
Ehlers, took seven cadets to learn about the significance of local history and how
communities seek to preserve their history. The Orange County Historian, Johanna Yaun,
explained the strategic importance of the Hudson Valley during the Revolutionary War and led a
tour of Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site. The cadets then learned about the
industrial history of the region from one of the board members of the Newburgh Historical
Society, Russell Lange, while touring the David Crawford House, a nineteenth century restored
mansion of one of the earliest shipping magnates in the region. Overall, the cadets gained an
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Department of History
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appreciation of the Hudson Valley’s importance to American history and an understanding of
why public history and community involvement is important to saving its legacy.
Orange County historian Johanna Yaun (center) along with Major Hann and Captain Ehlers, and
Cadets Eoghan Matthews, Austin Smith, Joseph Laible, Rima Gasparini, Robin Brown, Ariyana
Boulden, and Meghan Wentz in front of the Victory Tower at Washington’s Headquarters in
Newburgh
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On 15 October, the History Department kicked off its new initiative, "Night at the
Movies," with a screening of the 1970 film Waterloo. Cadets and faculty enjoyed pizza and
desserts as well as a viewing of the epic telling of the ultimate downfall of Napoleon. Thanks to
Professor John Stapleton for hosting the panel and to Cadets James O'Keefe and Michael
O'Rourke for sitting on the panel and offering keen insights into the historical context of the
film's subject matter.
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On the same night, the Department also screened the 1992 film Last of the Mohicans in the
barracks at historic Fort Putnam. Cadets from HI 301X and HI 108, as well as Department
faculty, learned about the cultural challenges of warfare in the French & Indian War, while
enjoying pizza and soaking in the ambience of the immaculately restored fort. Major David
Musick and Lieutenant Colonel Jason Musteen coordinated and resourced this special event.
_________________________________________
Major David Musick recently published an article entitled “Consequences be Damned:
Solving 20th Century Problems with 19th Century Disregard” in the latest edition of Small
Wars Journal. Check out his publication at http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/consequencesbe-damned-solving-20th-century-problems-with-19th-century-disregard.
_________________________________________
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On 27 October, students from the HI 158 Advanced Regional Studies in World History
(East Asia) course had the opportunity to meet with Stanley J. Atkins, a WWII veteran
and former Master Sergeant who served in the China-India-Burma (CBI) theater of
operations. Mr. Atkins shared his experiences serving in Burma and Chongqing, China as an
intelligence analyst under Generals Joseph Stilwell and Albert Wedemeyer. He described what
it was like to fly blisteringly cold aerial resupply missions over the Himalayan Mountains (also
known as “the Hump”) and discussed working with Chinese forces and some of the American
impressions of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong during the war. Finally, Mr. Atkins stressed
the need for Army leaders to develop a strong understanding of foreign language, culture and
history and thanked the cadets for their commitment to serving the nation.
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Major Jason Halub and cadets from HI 158 with Mr. Atkins
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On October 25 and 26, in partnership with 1st Battalion, 150th Aviation Regiment of the
New Jersey Army National Guard, an expedition of 31 cadets from the Class of 2018 and 8
faculty from the History Department conducted a multi-faceted staff ride throughout the
Hudson River Valley that explored the historical importance of the Fort Ticonderoga and
Saratoga battlefields. In addition to physically exploring seminal historical events that the
cadets have studied in the classroom, , the helicopter component of the staff ride offered an
opportunity to execute real-world tactical training. Prior to boarding the four Blackhawks
generously allocated by the New Jersey ANG, Lieutenant Colonel Jason Musteen trained loading
procedures and provided an air mission brief that exposed the cadets to the importance, and
professionalism, of standardized military operations.
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The opportunity to experience well-planned and resourced Army training had a powerful effect
on the participants, most of whom had never flown in a helicopter before. Cadet Edward
Fullerton noted after surveying the Hudson River Valley and the strategically positioned fort
that, “combining military training with academic pursuits is killing two birds with one stone. It’s
getting us ready to be both historians and second lieutenants, but will also benefit us during
summer training and later in our careers.” Another inspired attendee, Cadet Joy Schaeffer,
agreed, emphasizing that “the aerial view” gave them “a unique perspective in order to analyze
the battlefields.” She also attested that “viewing Mt. Defiance from the air” also allowed them
“to appreciate how it dominated Fort Ticonderoga,” a point reinforced by Captain Jonathan
Romaneski as he led the cadets through discussions from the parapets of the stone fort
overlooking Lake Champlain.
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Surveying Fort Ticonderoga during the aerial portion of the staff ride
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Captain Josh Silver encouraged them to marry their book knowledge with their newfound
appreciation of the actual terrain. As the groups moved across the battlefield while following
original attack routes and examining actual fighting positions, each cadet explained with faculty
input their assigned leader’s actions and impact on the unfolding battle at key locations.
According to Dr. Samuel Watson, a USMA Professor of History who specializes in early
American warfare, this type of staff ride training “forces the cadets to adopt the perspectives of
leaders and assess why and how real tactical leaders chose courses of actions with
consequences.” The professor also noted that, “briefing these roles to their peers and professors,
on critical points across the battlefield, also fosters mental agility that will serve them well at the
Academy and as officers.”
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Walking the grounds of the Bloody Knoll at Saratoga Battlefield
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By layering observation from above with analysis amongst the actual terrain where soldiers
fought and died over mastery of North America, the cadets attained a more comprehensive
understanding of timeless tactical fundamentals and decisional processes. Cadet Jared Cope, who
played the role of colonial officer Rufus Putnam, summarized their perspective best: “The
experience is awesome because no other history program does this. Only at West Point can you
get an air mission brief and fly to your historical destination.”
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Cadets in front of the ramparts of Fort Ticonderoga, New York
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Department of English and Philosophy
1. DEP Hosts Luncheon to Welcome New Majors
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During the formal portion of the APL luncheon, COL Krawczyk encouraged APL members to welcome and become
acquainted with the newest APL majors. Later, DEP faculty, staff and APL majors enjoyed some informal social
interaction.
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On Wednesday 22 October, DEP hosted a luncheon for APL majors. DEP faculty members and
majors from the classes of 2015 and 2016 joined in welcoming the 24 newest APL majors to the
Department. After congratulatory remarks from the Department Head and a presentation on new
and exciting changes in the APL program, everyone enjoyed lunch and some informal social
interaction, while appreciating the venue’s historic views. POC is COL John Nelson, DEP,
[email protected].
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2. DEP Conducts Faculty Development Practicum
Last Thursday DEP welcomed Dr. Al Beitler, Chief of General Surgery at KACH, as the
keynote speaker for October’s Teaching Practicum. Dr. Beitler’s talk focused upon the
diagnostic process and the importance of narrative to the medical profession. Discussion
centered upon how teachers might employ similar analytic approaches inside the classroom.
This session marked the second of three planned faculty development seminars scheduled this
semester, which aim to inspire us to become better teachers. POC is LTC Dave Harper, DEP,
[email protected]
Dr. Al Beitler (’77) addresses DEP faculty members during the Department’s Teaching Practicum.
3. Philosophy Forum Hosts Dr. Henry Pratt of Marist College
On Tuesday, 21 October, the Philosophy Forum hosted Dr. Henry Pratt of the Department of
Philosophy and Religious Studies at Marist College. Dr. Pratt discussed his work on the
philosophy of comics and the viability of comic book to film adaptations. He explored the
possibilities and limitations of the media of comics and film. The event was well-attended by
cadets and faculty and the discussion was lively and searching. The forum explored innovative
forms of expression while inspiring cadets to engage in deep, creative thought. POC is Dr.
Graham Parsons, DEP, [email protected].
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4. Dr. Graham Parsons Present Paper to the Association for Political Theory
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Left and center: Dr. Pratt discusses the viability of comic books to film adaptations at the Philosophy Forum.
Right: Cadet Bradley Hodgkins (‘15) asks Dr. Pratt a question.
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On Saturday, 18 October, Dr. Graham Parsons presented his paper “Families and Armies in
Early Modern Political Theory” at the annual meeting of the Association for Political Theory at
the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Parsons’ presentation was part of a panel on Gender
and War, which was composed of others doing innovative work on the role of gender in war and
warfare. Dr. Parsons’ paper engages with the feminist literature on the status of the household in
early modern political thought and argues that the military shares a similar status in the period.
Civil society of the time excluded both the family and military, and expected military members
and families to engage in self-sacrificial labor, and both institutions were grounded in
hierarchical gender norms. POC is Dr. Graham Parsons, DEP, [email protected].
5. DEP Conducts Faculty Development Seminar with Math and DSS
The EN101 Course Director, LTC Tom Veale, facilitated a discussion with 27 faculty members
from Math and DSS. Discussion and practical exercises centered on student writing assessment
and later on developing writing prompts that challenge and inspire cadets. POC is LTC Tom
Veale, DEP, [email protected].
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
K’NEXercise – Building Construction Managers! Cadets enrolled in CE450, Construction
Management, competed in the K’NEXercise on Tuesday, October 21st, 2014. The competition
requires teams of cadets to prepare estimates, bids and construction schedules, and then execute
the construction of the awarded project using rapid setting concrete and K’NEX components.
The cadets complete the project by preparing a claim for the courts to hear to resolve issues that
cost the team time and money on the day of construction. The winning teams in the Tower,
Bridge and Hall projects were led by Cadets Frank Chen, Roman Burns and Marshall Kobylski,
respectively. POC is CPT Celio Biering, [email protected].
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(left) Team “Marky Marc & the Funky Boys”
pose with their winning Hall project. From left to
right: CDTs Abby Imelio, Josh Gallegos, Calvin
Kiesewetter, Marcus Phillips, Parker Callaghan,
and Project Manager Marshall Kobylski.
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(right) Team “Dirty Mike + Boys + Christmas” pose with
their winning Bridge Project. From left to right: CDTS
Roman Burn (Project Manager), Scott Mackinnon,
Christmas Linzy (front), Kerimo Deby, and Evan
Hansen.
(left) CDTs Kevin Hadden, Eric Churchill,
Michael O’Rourke, and Caio Parente race
the clock as they gamble that they can
overcome the higher labor costs of
additional workers with the progress they
can accomplish during the first month.
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2. CME Cadets and Faculty Build Air Force Bonfire Airplane. At the request of USCC
CME cadets and faculty members built the airplane for the Air Force bonfire. Volunteer firstie
mechanical engineering cadets Micah Uchida (Computer-Aided-Design drawings and ordnance
fabrication), Christina Cox (landing gear and structural components), Taylor Ferguson (frame
and wings), Andrew Barthel (frame and nose), and Mark Hesford (sheathing and landing gear)
with faculty advisors MAJ Josh Keena, LTC Phil Root, and Dr. John Rogers constructed a scale
model of an F-16 fighter for the Air Force bonfire over a three-day period, 24-26 Oct. The rollout to the bonfire site will occur at lunch formation on Thursday, 30 Oct. POC is COL Daisie
Boettner, [email protected].
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Cadets Christina Cox, Mark
Hesford, Andrew Barthel,
Micah Uchida, and Taylor
Ferguson hard at work.
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Finished airplane
Defense & Strategic Studies Program
http://www.warcouncil.org/
This past weekend LTC Liam Collins participated in the annual Marine Corps Marathon. The
All-Army team dominated the marathon event. Out of nearly 20,000 finishers, The All-Army
Team had the overall men and women’s champion. The men won the Armed Forces
championship and the women took second. LTC Collins finished in 2:40:50 for 23rd overall, 5th
on the Army team and 9th in the Armed Forces.
This week, CPT Nolan Lasiter from the Defense & Strategic Studies Program is hosting three
visitors from the Israeli Defence Forces. They are: LTC Eran Shani (CDR, Israel Tactical
Academy), LT Aviran Elfasy, and LT Amir Ofer. The visit includes a tour of Manhattan, office
calls with COL Neumann and LTC Collins, attendance and instruction in several DSS classes, a
USMA tour guided by Maj. Andrew Betson, visits to the Jewish Chapel and the Simulations lab,
and a dinner at the historic Thayer Hotel.
Department of Systems Engineering
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1. Cadet James Cho presented the results of his social media study. CDT James Cho presented
his AIAD research entitled “Analyzing Sub-national sentiment with Twitter” at the 2014 SAS
Analytics Conference. CDT Cho conducted his research this summer at Data Tactics in
Washington DC and was advised by Major David Beskow in the Department of Systems
Engineering.”. POC is MAJ David Beskow at x4792.
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Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering
Physical Geography Terrain Walk This week cadets in EV203, Physical Geography,
got up close and personal with the physical landscape of West Point during the terrain walk
lesson. The rich and complex geologic history of the Hudson Valley offers outstanding learning
opportunities for the cadets. Cadets observed the geomorphology they learned about the previous
week, examining evidence of endogenic and exogenic forces that have shaped our ‘Rockbound
Highland Home.’ The terrain walk reinforces several key concepts from the geomorphology
block, including the theory of plate tectonics, rock formation, weathering, mass wasting, and
erosion. Cadets also discussed how humans have modified the landscape of West Point over the
centuries to suit our needs.
On Friday, 24 October, cadet teams from EV300 and EV301 coordinated with the Department of
Physical Education (DPE) to collect indoor air quality data during the Indoor Obstacle Course
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EV300/301 Cadets Measure Particulate Matter Concentration in Hayes Gym
During IOCT
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Cadets enjoy learning about the complex geological history of West Point.
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Test (IOCT). The cadet teams wrote their own hypotheses about the perceived poor air quality
in Hayes Gym that causes "Hayes lung" during the IOCT and are using the scientific method to
test these hypotheses. CDTs Emily Speziale, Alaura Walz, Matt Day, and Tiara Hansen tested
for particulate matter in the air and CDT Nicole Zajimovic tested carbon dioxide levels. Their
results will be detailed in term project reports and the cadets have invited members of DPE to
attend their oral presentations at the end of the semester.
Cadets sample air in Hayes Gym during last week’s IOCT
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Cadets Attend 2014 Grace Hopper Conference
Nine cadets, along with faculty CPT Marisol Torres and Dr. Suzanne J. Matthews
attended the 2014 Grace Hopper Conference, held on October 7-11 in Phoenix Arizona. The
EECS cadets who attended the conference were CDTs Lisa Jones, Angie Ketcham, Mary Liu,
Alissah McGill, Jennifer Niemann, Anna Rapp, Holly Rodeo and Jinny Yan. CDT Audra
Morrow from CME also attended this year.
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The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is the largest consortium of
women in computing in the world. It is named in honor of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper,
inventor of the compiler, and an early pioneer in many aspects of computing. At the conference,
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CDT Lisa Jones presented a poster accepted at the conference: “Using MapReduce to
Compare Large Collections of Evolutionary Trees”, a project advised by Dr. Suzanne J.
Matthews. Dr. Matthews was also the scholarship committee co-chair of the conference, and
received a token of appreciation from the Anita Borg Institute for her contributions.
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students get to learn about (and often demo) the newest technologies, and attend talks given by
famous academics, researchers and CEOs. Dr. Shafi Goldwasser, winner of the 2012 Turing
Award for her work in cryptography and two-time winner of the Gödel Prize in theoretical
computer science, gave the opening keynote at this year’s conference. Presentations were also
given by Satya Natya (CEO of Microsoft), Dr. Arati Prabhakar (Director of DARPA), and Dr.
Maria Klawe (president of Harvey Mudd College). The conference is produced by the
Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Anita Borg Institute, and is sponsored by
many of the giants of the tech world, including Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Cisco,
DropBox, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Yahoo! and LinkedIn.
POC/OIC: CPT Marisol Torres and Dr. Suzanne J. Matthews
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CPT Donald E Sedivy attended the Frontier in Optics/Laser Science Conference in
Tucson, AZ from 19-23 OCT 14. During the conference, he gave a 15 minute presentation
entitled “Simulation of Multiple-Optical-Axis Pattern-Integrated Interference Lithography (PIIL)
Systems” based on this recent work at Georgia Tech. While in attendance, CPT Sedivy listened
to 49 different lectures on a wide variety of developing technologies in the optics field to include
a lecture from 2014 Nobel Laureate W. E. Moerner who spoke about his award-winning research
on super-resolution microscopy.
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EECS Faculty Member Presents at Frontier in Optics/Laser Science Conference
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EECS Faculty Member Attends the ACM SIGITE Conference to Aid Curriculum
Improvement at West Point
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COL Edward Sobiesk recently attended the Association for Computing Machinery Special
Interest Group for Information Technology Education (SIGITE) Conference in Atlanta. This
conference is the premier international gathering of Information Technology educators. COL
Sobiesk presented a full paper on academic assessment (the paper was authored with Dr. Jean
Blair and LTC Geoff Stoker). COL Sobiesk also chaired a conference session on innovations in
teaching computer networking, and he led a 25-person formal discussion at the IT chair’s
meeting on the topic of ABET Cyber Program Criteria. Attendance to this conference provided
ideas for curriculum improvement at West Point, highlighted West Point’s ongoing research into
academic assessment, further explored the potential ABET accreditation of cyber programs, and
strengthened West Point’s professional standing among international Information Technology
educators.
Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development
www.westpoint.edu/innovation
Department of Foreign Languages
Current Week HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Hosting Visitors:
a. NSTR
2. Semester Abroad Program (SAP) / Academic trip sections:
a. French:
1. Arabic: 11 Arabic students continue their studies in Morocco, Jordan, and Oman. Cadets
in Oman report they have been invited to the US Embassy to sit in on daily meetings;
possibly as a result of the reputation they have been building, representing West Point in
Oman with spirit and professionalism. Cadets from Morocco continue their studies, have
completed mid-terms, and are participating in a language program teaching English to
Moroccans, where they are learning a great deal. They are looking forward to an excursion
to Fes this weekend.
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Cadet Anthony Ross 16 visits a Mosque in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during Eid al Adha.
Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development
www.westpoint.edu/innovation
Cadet Ross, on right, touring the hinterlands of Oman; the highlands just inshore of the capital
of Muscat mark the tribal boundary between two warring factions who fought to establish the
modern Omani state.
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b. French: Some of the cadets attending semester abroad at St Cyr, the French Military
Academy, spent the weekend visiting Verdun, a famous WWI battle between the Germans
and the French. Our SAP Cadets witnessed an annual ceremony there to commemorate all
the French soldiers who died in battle there in 1916. As could be expected, it was quite an
emotional event for the French cadets.
Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development
www.westpoint.edu/innovation
3. Faculty participation in immersion trips, AIADs, and semester abroad maintenance
requirements / trips: NSTR.
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a. Arabic: 16 Cadets from the Model Arab League travel to Washington, DC this week
to attend the National Council on US-Arab Relations Policymakers’ Conference.
The conference will run all day Tuesday and Wednesday, 28 and 29 October, and
features presentations and discussion by some of the greatest academic, diplomatic,
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4. Language or International Club key events:
Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development
www.westpoint.edu/innovation
and corporate minds working in the region. This annual event highlights key
challenges facing the League of Arab States and kicks off the annual parliamentary
procedure competition season for this West Point debate team run under the auspices
of the Arabic desk of the Department of Foreign Languages
5. Major milestones in research or scholarly work:
a. NSTR
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6. Upcoming HIGHLIGHTS Next Two Weeks: NSTR