Dean s Weekly Significant Activities Report. 18 December Picture of the Week

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1 Page1 Dean s Weekly Significant Activities Report 18 December 2013 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 Picture of the Week On 16 Dec 13 the semi-annual C&ME Sea-to-Summit run to honor fallen graduates from the civil and mechanical engineering programs took place.

2 Page2 Defense & Strategic Studies Program DSS Faculty Alumni Newsletter. Maj Kelli Moon, USAF and President of the DSS Faculty Alumni Association published our 2 nd Annual DSS Alumni Newsletter to our former faculty members. This is a major outreach activity for the program as we work to build a usable network of former MA&S and DSS officers to support activities such as AIADs, Capstone Projects, etc. We will look to send this report to former students in the program as well. Exciting DSS Capstone Clients Arranged for AY The DS498 Colloquium in Military Affairs, which is the DSS Capstone, will have nine teams of 4-5 cadets working for strategic clients across DoD and hopefully beyond. DSS executed Term End Exams daily from Tuesday to Saturday, completed course end requirements and developed next term s courses. Our clients for next term are: Office of Net Assessment (OSD) Strategic Landpower Task Force Joint Staff (J-5, Western Europe and Balkans Division) US Agency for International Development (Tentative) US Army South (G-2) US Army Cyber (NSA LNO) US Army Pacific Command (G-5) Strategic Studies Group (Office of the CSA) Maneuver Center of Excellence Department of Chemistry and Life Science 1. Los Alamos National Laboratory Visit to Chemistry & Life Science The Department welcomed Dr. Nancy Nan Sauer, Director of the Chemistry, Life, and Earth Sciences Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), as she met with faculty and staff members in an effort to deepen the ties between the Academy and LANL. She gave a presentation detailing the current suite of instrumentation and infrastructure at the laboratory and she outlined major research projects to encourage cadet and USMA faculty participation in the scientific and engineering design processes. The projects range from the development of novel materials for use in military hardware to the genetic engineering of algae for improved biofuel production. Cadets and faculty at West Point are eligible for summer travel support through the Service Academy Research Assistant (SARA, managed by Dr. Dan Schultz D/PANE) and several other Department of Energy (DOE) programs.

3 Page3 2. Dr. Ken Wickiser is Serving on a National Science Foundation Review Panel Faculty member J. Kenneth Wickiser, Ph.D. (C&LS) is currently serving on the National Science Foundation s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP) Molecular and Developmental Biology review panel. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) awards Fellowships for graduate study leading to research-based master's and doctoral degrees in the fields of science and engineering within the mission of the National Science Foundation. As part of the department s effort in leveraging intellectual capital toward National-level service and research endeavors, Dr. Wickiser is part of the team of senior faculty members from across the US responsible for vetting academic research proposals from the Nation s top biology and biochemistry students seeking funding for graduate school. The panel members assess the proposals based on the intellectual merit of the applicant and the broader impact of the proposed scientific work. Here at West Point, Dr. Wickiser works with LTC Mike Benson, Ph.D. (C&ME) and LTC John Burp, Sc.D. (C&LS) to publicize and mentor cadets to apply for these NSF scholarships to support scientific and engineering graduate studies as newly commissioned officers. Good luck to the cadets competing for this prestigious fellowship! 3. LTC John Burpo Participated in the Army Science Planning & Strategy Meeting Biological Sciences

4 Page4 Life Science program director LTC John Burpo participated inthe Army Science Planning and Strategy Meeting for Biological Sciences, hosted by Army Research Labs in Fairfax, VA. The topic areas included biomaterials and interfaces, systems biology, synthetic biology, and emerging areas in biosciences looking at where the fields will be 10 to 30 years in the future. The session outcomes provide a basis for extra- and intra-mural research funding efforts in the future. As the only active duty military officer present, LTC Burpo provided expertise across the topic areas and biomaterials in particular. Department of Foreign Languages Current Week HIGHLIGHTS: 1. Hosting Visitors: a. The Portuguese Section is currently hosting Brazilian Military Academy Superintendent Major General (MG) Tomás. MG Tomás visited with DFL, BG Trainor, and LTG Caslen. He was joined for lunch in the mess hall by Portuguese-language Cadets as well as the four Brazilian exchange Cadets here at USMA. Photo: USMA Superintendent LTG Caslen greets MG Tomás, the Brazilian Military Academy Superintendent, during his recent visit to West Point.

5 Page5 Photo: MG Tomás stands at the steps to the USMA Mess Hall with DFL Faculty members LTC Baker, MAJ Diogenese, and both USMA and Brazilian Military Academy Cadets. 2. Semester Abroad Program (SAP) / Academic trip sections: a. The Center for Languages, Cultures and Regional Studies (CLCRS) will be conducting reintegration training from 16 to 20 December for the Cadets returning from their respective semesters abroad. Events include language surveys, Prochievement testing, culturaldiscussion breakout sessions, and SAP reflection presentations. b. Arabic SAP: Nine Arabic-language Cadets are completing final exams in Morocco, and four are wrapping up studies in Jordan. All will return on Thursday, 19 December or Friday, 20 December. c. German SAP: Study-Abroad Cadets in Hamburg, Germany and Wiener Neustadt, Austria returned without incident to USMA on Friday, 13 December. Cadets are participating in reintegration and post-sap evaluation with the Center for Language, Culture, and Regional Studies from 16 to 20 December. d. Spanish SAP: Spanish-language Cadets in Chile and Spain are completing final exams and preparing for the return to West Point on 19 and 20 December. e. The Portuguese section purchased and received 25 tickets to the Antonio Zambrano Fado concert scheduled for 8 Feb in Carnegie Hall for an academic trip section. The trip section aims to introduce Portuguese-language Cadets to the musical side of the culture. 3. Language Section or International Club key events: The Portuguese-language Forum showed the movie "O Homem que Copiava" on Tues 10 December at 1930 in Robinson Auditorium to present various aspects of the Brazilian culture in cinema. 4. Major milestones in research or scholarly work: Books and articles recently published

6 Page6 Huang, Hongyu, Retelling A Storyteller's Life: Wu Weiye's 'Profile of Liu Jingting' and Its Literary Afterlife, in A Sourcebook on Liu Jingting (Nanjing: Phoenix Publishing House, September 2013, ISBN: ), pp Photo: A Sourcebook on Liu Jingting. Nanjing: Phoenix Publishing House, September Upcoming Events. Dr. Huang's article Retelling A Storyteller's Life traces how the image of the seventeenthcentury storyteller Liu Jingting was circulated among early-qing literati. She argues that today we view Liu as a legendary master of the popular performing art of storytelling and a cultural symbol of the Ming-Qing dynastic change ethos; this iconic image came into being through a textual history of constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing the storyteller's life, which involved stimulating dialogues, disputes and revisionism among eminent literary voices. The four Military Institute for Engineering (IME) exchange cadets from Brazil will depart on 22 December after their enriching semester here at USMA. Completed Events Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering 1. C&ME Builds Boat for Bonfire. On 12 December, the USS Conflagration was burned to a cinder in the annual Beat Navy Bonfire. This modern stealth frigate was authorized on 10 Dec and built in the Mahan Dry Dock by a variety of CME Cadets with the able support of LTC Steve Hart, Dr. Led Klosky, and COL Joe Hanus. The boat s movement to contact with the bonfire initiated on 12 Dec at 1155hrs from Mahan Hall and processed through the cadet area during lunch formation. The term Beat Navy! was prominently displayed on the hull. POC for this action is COL Daisie Boettner, Daisie.Boettner@usma.edu.

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8 Page8 2. C&ME Sea-to-Summit Run Honors Fallen Heroes. On 16 Dec 13 the semi-annual C&ME Sea-to- Summit run to honor fallen graduates from the civil and mechanical engineering programs took place. Forty-nine faculty, staff, and cadets (including the Superintendent, LTG Robert Caslen) braved the 23 o F temperature, departed Mahan Hall, ran down to and dipped their toes in the Hudson River, and then ran to the top of the snow-laden ski slope completing the 3.3-mile route with an elevation change of 700 feet. Once all arrived at the mountain top, the group read the names of the 17 fallen heroes and observed a moment of silence. POC is COL Daisie Boettner, daisie.boettner@usma.edu.

9 Page9 Group Photo at the Ski Slope Summit Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering Dirt Skit. On 11 and 12 December, the EV203 (a.k.a. Dirt) cadets that believed they were attending a lecture by a very grumpy guest speaker played by LTC (R) Jim Dalton, were surprised to watch a fired up Army-Navy spirit video instead. This year s video was shot in the theme of Harry Potter and the cadets were entertained by a variety of their own daily activities produced and directed by their instructors in costume. In the end, Coriolis Potter, Karst Weasley, and Hadley Granger were able to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort in front of the cadets eyes. After the video, extremely talented members of the USMA faculty/staff Dirt Band provided the cadets with a spirited performance of the live action rock music. The POC is CPT Jay Ireland at jay.ireland@usma.edu.

10 Page10 Picture: Hadley Granger played by MAJ Rich Knox, Karst Weasley played by MAJ Patrick Miller and Coriolis Potter played by CPT (P) Jay Ireland receive a belt buckle inspection in their math class by MAJ Tom Nelson during the annual Dirt Skit. EV450 Guest Lecture. On 11 December, LTC Pete Herbert, CPT Lisa Hubbard, CPT Vinh Le, of the 92 nd Civil Affairs Battalion, and COL Jose Madera, 353 rd Civil Affairs Command were guest speakers for the Civil Affairs lecture and panel for EV450 Environmental Engineering for Community Development. Their lecture focused on the role of Civil Affairs and first-hand accounts of community interaction between civil and military authorities involved in decision making, a major performance objective of EV450. Members of the Cadet Community on Civil- Military Operation, C3MO, also attended the lecture. Dr. Victoria Phillips, Columbia University, was another visiting guest. Her work focuses on diplomacy and foreign policy; she met with the Civil Affairs officers and Mr. John Melkon, Outreach Coordinator for the Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations (CSCMO) to discuss future AIAD opportunities for cadets. During the past summer, Cadets Lawrence Cavins, Mitchell Platman, and Ashley Mohr served with CPT Hubbard and CPT Le during their deployments to Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. In addition to the lecture, the CA officers also sat in on an HI108 Regional Studies in World History (Russia) class with MAJ Dan Horst, sharing their own experiences in the region. Travel for the attendees was provided with gifts funds from the CSCMO. The POC is CPT Matty Haith at matty.haith@usma.edu.

11 Page11 Picture: From left to right. CPT Lisa Hubbard, Dr. Victoria Phillips, LTC Pete Herbert, COL Jose Madera, and CPT Vinh Le pose with mementoes from the CSCMO following the panel. G&EnE Holiday Party. On 16 December, family and friends of the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering celebrated the holiday season at Painter s Restaurant in Cornwall, NY. The event included an extremely competitive ugly sweater contest with first place going to Dr. Adam Kalkstein and the ugliest sweater couple award going to the Thomas Family. The POC is MAJ Jim Metz at jim.metz@usma.edu. Pictures: (L) MAJ Russell Thomas and wife Erin (ugliest sweater couple), (R) Dr. Adam Kalkstein (ugliest sweater) and wife Yasmine.

12 Page12 Department of English and Philosophy Past Events 1. Award-winning war photojournalist Michael Kamber meets with EN101 cadets On 11 December, award-winning war photojournalist Michael Kamber met with the EN101 cadets in the course s "Future of Democracy" module. Kamber is the author of the recently published Iraq War photograph anthology Photojournalists on War: The Untold Stories from Iraq. Kamber's presentation helped cadets understand how the power of images and media can affect both public opinion and important decision makers. Michael Kamber fields a question from a cadet. Kamber is the author of the recently published Iraq War photograph anthology Photojournalists on War:. 2. PY201 cadets participate in video conference on moral dilemmas in war On 11 December, four sections of Philosophy 201 hosted a video conference talk with Mr. Justin Watt in Lincoln Hall s Holt Room. In 2006, Watt was a Private First Class serving in Iraq with the 101 st Airborne Division. He reported a war crime committed by members of his platoon. Using free internet video conferencing software, a total of 71 cadets discussed the moral complexities and challenges of war with

13 Page13 Mr. Watt. The cadets applied logical and ethical reasoning to deliberate on moral dilemmas related to war and tensions between military service and concepts of personal autonomy. Cadets enrolled in PY201 and former soldier Justin Watt discuss the moral dilemma he faced during his combat experience in Iraq.

14 Page14 PY 201Cadet Matthew McCormack, Class of 2016, asks Justin Watt about his moral considerations as Watt deliberated on whether to report the war crimes of his fellow soldiers. Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering Completed Events Trip Sections: CPT(P) Heider took 50 cadets over three days (26 November, 2 & 3 December 2013) to tour the Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC) nuclear power station. During the tour, cadets learned about the history of IPEC, some of the concerns of operation the station in New York and the procedures for educating, training, and licensing personnel at the plant. Cadets were given to opportunity to ask questions of Patrick Falciano, the education and outreach coordinator to Entergy, the owner of IPEC. Cadets had on opportunity to view the plant facility, including the conventional side of the power station, the cooling canals and the control room simulator for IPEC Unit 2. Cadets had an opportunity to observe a control room shift in training responding to an other-than-normal condition in a simulation exercise. The cadets were given a chance to reinforce classroom learning on nuclear power stations and gained an appreciation for some of the economic and political concerns with owning and operating a nuclear power station. The cadets were also able to see firsthand the precision engineering in a power station.

15 Page15 Table Top Exercise: On 5 December, Cadets enrolled in NE450 Nuclear Weapons Effects & SS483 National Security Seminar, conducted a Tabletop Exercise hosted by National Defense University s (NDU) Center for Study of WMD to examine Iran s nuclear ambitions and US strategic options. National Defense University facilitators were Dr. John Mattox and Mr. Nima Gerami. CPT Trevor McLaughlin and LTC Dave Williams (P&NE) organized the event in coordination with COL Suzanne Nielsen (SOSH) and her staff. Examine the strategic objectives of the U.S. and its partners vis-à-vis Iran Explore how to counter or mitigate Iranian efforts with regard to its nuclear program and potential proliferation by: 1. Considering the implication of Iran s geopolitical influence on U.S. interests in the Middle East 2. Formulating policy options intended to counter Iranian attempts to undermine U.S. regional and global security interests 3. Assessing the status of U.S. nonproliferation policy with regard to Iran and recommend alternatives to prevent or slow progress in Iran s nuclear program Provide a multi-disciplinary forum that bridges social, political, economic, and environmental considerations with the technical understanding of a complex issue. Expose cadets to an educational extension of course material in a simulated real world case study hosted by experts in the field. Provide an opportunity for academic enrichment.

16 Page16 Dr. Mattox from NDU providing information to cadets during TTX prior to open discussion Mr. Gerami from NDU engaging cadets during TTX CDT Dan Murphy, 13, readies to make a

17 Page17 contribution to discussion during the TTX Dr. Mattox from the NDU explains the Ways/Means/Ends approach to cadets Future Events Children s Holiday Party: On 19 December, Santa and his elf will visit the residence of COL and Mrs. Ed Naessens to present holiday gifts to the children of the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering.