Reported by Dean s Institute of Innovation and Development. jk Dean s Weekly Significant Activities Report. 25 January 2017

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1 jk Dean s Weekly Significant Activities Report 25 January 2017 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 Follow WP_Scientist on Twitter Picture of the Week CME: Members of the Boeing Capstone Team pose for a photo after a technical demonstration. 1

2 Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science USMA Ranks Third in 2016 NSA Codebreaker Challenge USMA Cadets and faculty ranked third at the conclusion of the 2016 NSA Codebreaker Challenge which ran from 10 September 2016 to 31 December The challenge as stated by the NSA, offers college undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to see the kinds of problems NSA faces on a daily basis and then replicate the process NSA uses to devise a solution. Current cyber security students are able to mimic a common problem that NSA addresses regularly and determine if they have what it takes to work at the agency. This year, the scenario will revolve around finding an improvised explosive device (IED) and having the students figure out how to reverse engineer and then disarm the IED. The 2016 scenario differs from previous challenges in that it provides insight into both offensive and defensive missions of the agency. USMA placed ahead of NPS (4th), USAFA (127th), AFIT (138th), and USNA (163rd). Challenge rankings are based upon time to complete tasks and total number of participants from a school to complete as many tasks as possible. Cadet Andrew Parker, Cadet Christopher Maixner, and Cadet Gun Woo Kim made the greatest contributions in USMA s ranking for this challenge. LTC Clay Moody, MAJ(P) Joshua Bundt, and CPT Matthew Sherburne participated as faculty. 2

3 EECS Cadets and Faculty Attend ShmooCon 2017 On JAN2017, 30 USMA cadets, 5 EECS faculty, and 5 ACI officers attended the annual Shmoocon security conference in Washington DC. Attendees participated in various conferences involving Cyber security related issues, software and hardware innovations, and technology exploitation. Various hands-on workshops provided cadets and faculty an opportunity to refine and demonstrate their skills including a Wireless Capture-the-Flag (CTF), lock-picking lab, Radio-Frequency software-defined radio lab, and a team hackathon contest called "HackFortress". Additionally, cadets and faculty attended various social events associated with the conference, affording them the ability to mingle with key individuals in the security industry as well as interact with their civilian peers within the Computer Science/Cyber disciplines. Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering 1. Engineering Capstone Team Travels to Redstone Arsenal: Five Cadets and two Advisors representing the Departments of Civil and Mechanical Engineering and Systems Engineering traveled to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, 8-10 January 2017, to work with technical experts and to conduct research in support of their Capstone project. The project team, named team FEAR (Functional Engagement Area Reconnaissance) and sponsored by the Boeing Company, seeks to conceptualize, design, and prototype a system that will autonomously survey, identify, and classify enemy targets in the region of a city block to support the intelligence needs of small tactical units such as Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas. The trip to Redstone Arsenal provided the cadets a unique and valuable opportunity to engage with leading experts in their respective technical field of engineering and provide professional development through interactions and coordination with external agencies. COL(Ret) Jody Creekmore, USMA 86, generously coordinated and hosted the trip, and he provided an overview of acquisition programs for the cadet team. The team visited the Unmanned Aerial Systems Project Office where Mr. Stephen Mallette and Mr. Kevin Bush discussed challenges associated with the incorporation of payloads and sensors on Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) platform. The team met with the Apache Project Office to discuss the product manager s interests in manned and unmanned control and its implication on the modern battlefield. The trip culminated with a technical demonstration and presentation by Mr. J.P. Creekmore and Ms. Emily Jones of the Lockheed Martin Company addressing their efforts to design a portable and autonomous UAS. During this research trip, Team FEAR gained significant knowledge and made valuable contacts that will benefit their Capstone Project. The Point of Contact is Colonel Bret Van Poppel at Bret.Vanpoppel@usma.edu. 3

4 Members of the Boeing Capstone Team pose for a photo after a technical demonstration. Mr. Stephen Mallette discusses challenges with payload and sensors integration in Unmanned Aerial Systems. 2. Civil Engineering Club Officers attend ASCE Workshop for Student Chapter Leaders: During January 2017, the Civil and Military Engineering Club participated in the Workshop for Student Chapter Leaders hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in Newark, NJ. Cadets spent Friday and Saturday in conferences discussing professional ethics in engineering, leadership, and networking strategies. The cadets and their advisor made several contacts with students, professional engineers, and retired Army Corps of Engineers officers from throughout the east coast and New York City. The group returned on Saturday afternoon with several ideas for the future of the club and ways to add more value to their education via new construction tours and to the community via service and outreach programs. Five cadets and one faculty member attended this event. POC is CPT Todd Mainwaring at todd.mainwaring@usma.edu. 4

5 Future leaders of the Civil Engineering Club developed relationships with other student chapters and learned about how to run an ASCE student club. CDT Ethan Press laughs with members of the Metropolitan Section during a team building event. 3. DARPA Agreements/Contracting Officer Representative Support: On 12 January 2017, Liquid Piston Inc. (LPI) conducted a Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) Phase II Detailed Design Review (DDR) of their X4 engine concept at their lab in Bloomfield, CT. LPI is the developer of novel, rotary engine designs that are designed to be: Lightweight and Compact, High power density up to 2 HP/lb (3.3 kw/kg), 30% smaller and lighter for spark-ignition (SI) gasoline engines, and up to 75% smaller and lighter for compression-ignition (CI) diesel engines DARPA is funding a $2.5 Million Phase II successor program to further develop their high efficiency internal combustion engine. LTC Joshua Keena attended the review as part of his service as an Agreements/Contracting Officer Representative (A/COR). POC is LTC Joshua Keena at joshua.keena@usma.edu or

6 (left) LPI X-mini engine concept (right) DARPA and LPI logo 4. Improved ME491 Engines Lab: On 13 January 2017, cadets enrolled in the ME491 Mechanical Powerplants or Engines course participated in an improved lab known as the teardown lab. Small groups disassembled, performed technical measurements, and later reassembled the 283 cubic inch, internal combustion automobile engines. 2LT Stanley Scott Diddams, an Armor Officer completing a tour of duty at the Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP), was responsible for several improvements to the lab. In addition to establishing an upgraded lab space for the event, Scott worked to enhance the functionality and serviceability of all lab equipment. He was also incredibly helpful during AY 17-1 with developing and implementing a new Design of Experiments (DOE) lab exercise for ME492 Mechanical Powertrains and Vehicle Dynamics. Finally, he also served as primary instructor for a lecture on automotive clutches and brakes. The Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering is grateful for Scott s technical support and volunteer service to improving the Automotive Engineering curriculum. POC is LTC Joshua Keena at joshua.keena@usma.edu or

7 (left) 2LT Diddams points down on the ME491 teardown engine as he instructs cadets on the function and placement of an engine component. (right) Cadets from ME491 obtain technical measurements and reassemble some of the heavier engine components in the ME491 engine teardown lab. 5. Rapid Prototyping Capability Development: On 19 January 2017, Mr. Frank Blackmon, Mr. Jeff Butler, Dr. Chris Conley, MAJ Dan Fox, and LTC Joshua Keena visited with Mr. Adam Demchak (P.E.), General Manager of Pollich Tallix. Located in Rock Tavern, NY, Pollich Tallix is a fine art foundry world renowned for their work in sculpture production, artwork restoration, and cosmetic repair. Adam hosted the group of instructors and technicians from the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering so they could gain a better understanding of the advanced prototyping and manufacturing techniques that the fine art industry uses to produce works of art. The scale of some sculptures and the tolerances required are appreciable and often demand sophisticated scientific and engineering consideration. Mr. Demchak took the group through the 100,000 square foot production facility and gave an overview of the various technologies and techniques used to include 3D scanning, Additive Manufacturing (3D printing), sand casting, mold making, lost wax casting, and enlargement/reduction. As the General Manager, Mr. Demchak had commanding knowledge of the 100+ projects Pollich Tallix is currently supporting. Notably, a team was completing finishing touches on the Oscar statues to be presented at the 88th Academy Awards in March POC is LTC Joshua Keena at joshua.keena@usma.edu or

8 (left) Mr. Adam Demchak explains some of the technical details on casting and patina finishes on fine art sculpture. (right) Fine art specialists and casting technicians work on various steps in producing the 2017 Oscar statues (photos from Pollich Tallix). Department of English and Philosophy The Speech and Parliamentary Debate Team Defeats Royal Military Academy of Canada On 21 January, 2017, the senior team on West Point s Speech and Parliamentary Debate Team, CDTs Nathan Hernandez 17 and Dillon Burke 17, defeated the senior team from the Royal Military Academy of Canada (RMC). The debate is annual tradition in conjunction with Academy-wide friendly competitions between West Point and RMC; the debates alternate in location each year between RMC in Kingston, Ontario, and West Point, and the winning team gains control of the shared trophy and has their team name etched into the plaque. This year s judging panel included BG Cindy Jebb, Dean of the Academic Board at USMA, BG (R) Dr. Harry Kowal, Principal of the Royal Military College, and COL Dave Harper, Head of the Department of English and Philosophy at USMA. Also in attendance were BG Holland, Commandant of the United States Corps of Cadets; BG Sean Friday, Commandant of RMC; and Chief Warrant Officer Garth Hoegi, the Chief Warrant Officer of RMC. The trophy will reside in the Faulkner Library in Lincoln Hall until the team defends it next year in Kingston. POC is MAJ Adam Karr, DEP (Adam.Karr@usma.edu). 8

9 The judging panel considers each team s arguments. CDT Mac Sims, class of 2017, performed the role of moderator fr the debate. The teams pose with the panel of judges in front of the trophy after the debate. Faculty Publication: Dr. Graham Parsons Dr. Graham Parsons s article, The Dualism of Modern Just War Theory, was published in the journal Philosophia on 05 DEC In it, Dr. Parsons argues that modern conventional just war theory is fundamentally incoherent. On the one hand, the theory contains a theory of public war wherein ethical responsibility for the justice of war belongs uniquely to political sovereigns while subjects, including soldiers, are obligated to serve in war upon the sovereign s command. On the other hand, the theory contains a theory of discrimination which presupposes that participants in war, including soldiers, are responsible for the justice of the wars they fight. Moreover, these two components are derived from two inconsistent visions of political justice. The theory of public war, it turns out, is derived from a theory of justice that places the value of political society conceived of as a supra-individual communal entity above the value of the private individual. The theory of discrimination, however, is derived from a theory of justice that places the value of the private individual above that of political society. Appreciating this problem helps us identify inconsistencies in many debates in military ethics, and enables us to make wiser decisions. POC for this event is Dr. Graham Parsons, DEP (graham.parsons@usma.edu). 9

10 Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership On 17 JAN, COL Spain and COL Burpo (C&LS) led a USMA S&F recruiting brief for interested CPTs and NCOs at Fort Lewis. Fifty interested officers and NCOs came, and the 7th ID DCG and Chief of Staff were appreciative and asked for the recruiting presentation so they could send it out to their division (we passed it along). POC: COL Everett Spain BS&L; Everett.Spain@usma.edu POC: Krista Hennen 10

11 Current Week HIGHLIGHTS: Department of Foreign Languages German: The German section Sap 17-2 Cadets have settled into their classes and are fully immersed in the German language and culture. In addition to taking classes at the University during the morning and traveling to the language school in the afternoon, the three Cadets in Munich were able to purchase tickets to see the world famous Football Club Bayern Munich play soccer in February. This excursion, along with recent visits to the Marienplatz and the modern history museum, will provide our cadets with valuable cultural exposure and immersion that cannot be replicated in a classroom. Center for Language, Culture, and Regional Studies (CLCRS) CLCRS and UVA held a telephonic meeting to discuss using Digital Storytelling and Virtual Avatars to assess and train Cross-Cultural Competence on 20 January Preliminary planning for extensive coordination between CLCRS, UVA, and an LN490 group will use this opportunity for project-based learning for this and future groups of Cadets in work that directly improves DOD s ability to assess and develop Cross- Cultural Competence (CCC.) On 20 January, CLCRS also met with a representative of Box an online storage company to discuss using Box for CLCRS online storage. This capability would allow CLCRS to share and collaborate on research with entities that cannot access the USMA DREN. Upcoming HIGHLIGHTS Next two weeks: CLCRS On 02FEB, CLCRS will host its first monthly forum to showcase research it helps fund as well as better communicate its mission and function to USMA faculty. On 07FEB, Dr. Wolfel will participate in the academic week of D Co, 92 nd Civil Affairs before their deployment to the Balkans/Caucasus. Dr. Wolfel will give a brief presentation and answer any questions presented by the team. CLCRS hopes these interactions will help the Army improve its Cross-Cultural Competence (CCC), especially in areas of high CCC use (e.g. CA, MISO, etc.) 11

12 Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering Completed Events Colloquium: On 18 January, LTC Stacy Godshall, Director of the Space and Missile Defense Program, hosted a colloquium featuring COL Richard Zellmann, Commander of the 1 st Space Brigade at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command. Topics included Space Threats, Space Vulnerability, Why Space is Important Across the Warfighting Functions, and How 1 st Space Brigade Fits into the Joint Force. Colloquium: On 20 January, the NSERC hosted the fifth event in its Colloquium Series for AY16/17. The guest speaker was MAJ Andrew Lerch from the DTRA J9-NTS (Nuclear Technologies - Survivability Division). The presentation covered ongoing research within the Survivability Division and FA52 assignments within the DTRA. Future Events Trip Section: On 31 January, NE350 will be conducting a trip section to the STERIS Irradiation Facility in Chester, NY. During their visit, the Cadets will learn about the irradiation facility/process and observe as a new Co-60 (~500,000 Ci) source is loaded into the facility. Colloquium: On 3 February, the NSERC will host the sixth event in its Colloquium Series for AY16/17. The guest speaker will be LTC Jeffrey Kyburz from 20 th CBRN Command. Colloquium: On 9 February, Dr. Roman Gomez from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will present information on space plasma instruments to include, but not limited to, those on the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. MMS is a Solar-Terrestrial Probe mission comprising four identically instrumented spacecraft that will use Earth's magnetosphere as a laboratory to study the microphysics of magnetic reconnection. 12

13 Department Of Social Sciences Inaugural Ball The American Politics program in the Department of Social Sciences hosted the first ever Sosh Inaugural Ball on January 19th 2017 to celebrate the peaceful transfer of power from President Barack Obama to President Donald Trump. Cadets from all classes and all majors enjoyed snacks, drinks, dancing, and civil political discourse. MAJ(P) Heidi Demarest, Director of the American Politics program, led a question and answer session with featured guest speaker, Mr. Jason Forrester, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and foreign policy advisor to several presidential campaigns. Cadets and Sosh Faculty listen to opening remarks before a night of dancing MAJ(P) Heidi Demarest facilitates a Q&A session with Mr. Jason Forrester 13

14 Surprise Class Visit by the Honorable Patrick J. Murphy Former Undersecretary of the Army and Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick J. Murphy made a surprise visit to CPT(P) Brandon Archuleta s SS473 American Foreign Policy course. Hon. Murphy is visiting West Point for the 2017 National Conference on Ethics in America. Cadets join Hon Patrick. Murphy for a group photo outside of Lincoln Hall Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering Examination Committee Meeting: MAJ Matt Baideme (D/GENE), Dr. Brock Barry (D/CME), COL Joe Hanus (D/CME), LTC (P) Rich Melnyk (D/CME), and COL Jeff Starke (D/GENE) attended the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering Examination Committee meeting in Clemson, SC, January Committee members focused on writing and reviewing items for the computer-based testing exams. Some highlights included COL Starke receiving the NCEES 5-Year Silver Service award; MAJ Baideme, a Doctoral candidate at Columbia University and returning faculty member, joined the Environmental Engineering sub-committee; and the group visited Death Valley the home of the 2017 National Football Champions. POC: Jeffrey.Starke@usma.edu. 14

15 Picture: The USMA FE Exam writers visited Death Valley home of the 2017 National Football Champions while at Clemson University. 15