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

Pag

e1

Dean’s Weekly Significant Activities Report

18 February 2015

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

A packed Firstie Club during the highly successful inaugural History

Trivia Night event.

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

Pag

e2

Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Catholic Choir Travels to Easton, PA, 2015

From 31 JAN-2 FEB 2015, LTC Robertson and CPT Blane traveled to Easton, PA with the

Catholic Choir, directed by Meredith Baker. The trip was an excellent developmental experience for the

Cadets, especially our CIC and Vice-President of the choir. This trip is the 10th Consecutive year the

Catholic Choir has traveled to the Easton area and another success for West Point outreach.

Housed with the generous families of the host parish, St. Rocco's in Martins Creek, PA, cadets

sang in the musical liturgy of one service on Saturday and two Sunday with a total congregation of

approximately 1,000.

Competitive Cyber Team Travels to CMU for CyberStakes Live

The Cadet Competitive Cyber Team (C3T) recently competed head to head with the

other service academies at CyberStakes Live. The DARPA sponsored event took place at the

Soldier and Sailors Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh, PA from 29 January to 1 February 2015. Cadets

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

Pag

e3

and Midshipmen from the Military, Naval, Air Force, and Coast Guard academies participated as

teams and individuals in a variety of security challenges.

Highlights from this year’s competition were the new Joint Capture the Flag (CTF) event

in which mixed participants from each of the academies into new groups on the 2nd day of

competition. This year also introduced a complex and challenging Cold Boot challenge. A fully

encrypted storage device provides a high level of confidentiality while a system is off, but when

it is powered on encryption keys may be stored directly in a protected area of the computer’s

memory. This event gave participants the task of extracting these keys directly from memory by

chilling the memory to help preserve its state and then transferring it to another system in order

to bypass memory protections.

The competition was organized and hosted by For All Secure, a company founded by a

team of computer security researchers from Carnegie Mellon University. CyberStakes is an

Olympic style event with awards for each event, but no overall ranking. Members of C3T won

awards in the Cold Boot, Live CTF, Joint CTF, and Lock picking events and performed

admirably throughout the competition.

This event was designed to give students from each of the academies an opportunity to

network, engage in friendly competition, learn new skills, and sow the seeds for future joint

cyber operations. The DARPA program funding CyberStakes will conclude this year, but

DARPA is working within the DoD community to find continued sponsorship for future

iterations of the competition. Before the end of the program, a version of the competition’s

online platform will be released to each of the academies for potential use in courses and Cyber

team practices.

The Pittsburgh Tribune released an article covering the event that includes a short video:

http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/7669450-74/military-computer-academy#axzz3QylxbiKt

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

Pag

e4

Clockwise from Top Left: CDT Woodruff chilling RAM during the Cold Boot event, The top three teams

from the Joint CTF event during the awards ceremony, CDT Maixner during the final round of lock picking,

CDT St. Amour searching for exploits during the timed Head-to-Head Challenge

Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership

Completed Events

Follow BS&L on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Point-NY/Department-of-

Behavioral-Sciences-Leadership/44253274507

On 10 February, Dr. Michael Matthews gave an invited address entitled "Human Performance

Optimization: Improving Soldier Performance," at the 2015 Human Systems Conference,

Alexandria, Virginia. POC: Dr. Matthews, email: michael.d.matthews.civ@mail.mil

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

Pag

e5

Department of English and Philosophy

1. Dr. Stephanie Pell Addresses Philosophy Forum

On Tuesday, 10 February, Dr. Stephanie Pell, Cyber Ethics Fellow at the Army Cyber Institute,

gave a talk at the Philosophy Forum titled “Spying in Bulk: The Course and Consequences of

Secrecy in the NSA’s Metadata Collection Program.” Dr. Pell discussed the history of the NSA’s

metadata collection program, focusing on the secret interpretation of the Patriot Act, which the

program was predicated on. She argued that the secrecy of this program as well as the

controversial reading of the law it relies on has had negative consequences on the democratic

process as well as the ability of the government to carry out valuable surveillance. Dr. Pell

provided valuable insights into the NSA, the law, and seminal court cases. This event is an

example of the department’s efforts to bring specialists in various disciplines together to address

the importance of philosophy to military policy.

2. Bard’s Seminar

On 10 February, seventeen cadets and five faculty members from EP395 Special Topics in

Philosophy attended the first of four joint sessions with their colleagues and counterparts at Bard

College. This multidisciplinary course examines the complex nature of human intolerance

through the diverse perspectives held by faculty and cadets from four West Point departments

(English and Philosophy, History, Law, and Social Sciences) and their counterparts at Bard, who

are drawn from a comparably wide range. The Bard students graciously hosted the cadets for

lunch and an informal “meet and greet,” which was followed by a two-hour seminar at which

Bard students presented commentaries in response to essays in the course reader written by West

Point faculty. Each commentary generated excellent discussion by both students and faculty.

Near the end of the course a second joint session at Bard will take place at the Bard campus in

preparation for Projects Day at West Point. In between, there will be two joint sessions hosted

by West Point. The first of these takes place on Tuesday, 17 February, in the Haig Room, during

which COL Ty Seidule (Head of the Department of History) and Professor Jonathan Becker

(Vice President and Dean of International Affairs at Bard) will speak. POC is MAJ Tim Leone,

DEP, timothy.leone@usma.edu.

Dr. Courtney Morris of the Department of English and

Philosophy raises a question for Dr. Pell.

Dr. Pell listens to a question from the audience.

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

Pag

e6

3. The Poetry of T.S. Eliot, Art, and Architecture: EN102 Cadets visit NYC

In order to understand and contextualize both the adherence and deviation from poetic

conventions in the work of T.S. Eliot and his contemporaries, twenty Cadets from EN102 spent

the day analyzing various forms of art and architecture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the

Modern Museum of Art, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. The visit enabled them to

see how traditional focuses upon form in representing ideas in poetry as well as classical, gothic,

and Renaissance art were not abandoned but heightened in modernist works. At the same time,

students explored concepts identifiable in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale that relate

to the ethics of art forms subservient to a state or ideology through study of futurist paintings,

sculptures, and writings.

4. Ethics in War Class for ILE AOC

LTC Todd Burkhardt (Department of English and Philosophy) in conjunction with CPT

Jonathan Romaneski (Department of History), and Professor Wendell Stevens (Department of

Distance Education, Fort Leavenworth) hosted the L207 Ethics in War block for the USMA staff

& faculty field grade officers who are currently enrolled in the ILE AOC (Advanced Operations

Course). LTC Burkhardt taught a block on the moral philosophy and ethical foundation

regarding the duties and rights of combatants, noncombatants, and insurgents as well as the

concepts of military necessity, discrimination, and proportionality. CPT Romaneski facilitated a

command climate discussion using relevant articles and personal vignettes as an Apache

Cadets enrolled in EP395 (Special Topics in Philosophy) discuss critical topics in the

conversation on toleration with their Bard College counterparts

(l) Cadets read a plaque affixed to a display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (c) Cadets Amber Withrow and

Garrett Sexton (’18) stop to view Vincent van Gogh’s painting The Starry Night at the Modern Museum of Art.(r) A

tour guide gives historical background and some insights into gothic architecture at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

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

Pag

e7

helicopter pilot. CPT Romaneski also elaborated on key items in garrison that are critical to

mission success once deployed. The point of contact is LTC Todd Burkhardt, DEP,

todd.burkhardt@usma.edu.

Department of History

The History Department hosted another successful “Night at the Movies” event on 4 February 2015. It featured the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven, which depicts the events of the Second Crusade in the 12th Century. Cadets enjoyed not only the film itself, but also the valuable insights and analysis provided by a lively panel that included Professor Rasheed Hosein, Professor Dan Franke, Cadet Bryan Houp, Cadet Troy Szwaczkowski, Cadet Jacob Sanborn, and Cadet Francis Ambrogio. The panel provided a far-reaching and fascinating discussion of the depiction of the Crusades in the film, and also an incisive analysis of how leaders and states have motivated soldiers throughout history to sacrifice their lives for causes that move beyond individual interest. The History Department’s next “Night at the Movies” event will take place on 18 February and will feature a screening and discussion of Stanley Kubrick’s 1957 World War I drama Paths of Glory.

Professors Dan Franke and Rasheed Hosein, joined by Cadets Bryan Houp, Troy Szwaczkowski, Jacob Sanborn, and Francis Ambrogio begin a panel discussion after the conclusion of the film

Kingdom of Heaven.

_________________________________________

On 10 February 2015, the History Department hosted its inaugural edition of History Trivia Night at the Firstie Club. The event was a phenomenal success. Over one hundred cadets filled the club and competed in 26 teams for the top prize of $100 in DCA gift certificates. An additional prize was also presented to the team that came up with most creative team name,

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

Pag

e8

which went to "Kosciuszko’s Garden Gnomes." Teams of four competed in three rounds of history trivia, and the team with the most points from all three rounds were awarded the top prize. A team of history majors, creatively named "Chicago Style," scored the highest and won the DCA gift certificates. The History Department and DCA plan to host another History Trivia Night in March.

A packed Firstie Club during the highly successful inaugural History Trivia Night event.

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

Pag

e9

A team of cadets celebrates a successful round during the first-ever History Trivia Night at the Firstie Club.

_________________________________________

Also on 10 February 2015, CPT Jonathan Romaneski took the time to share his experiences in Iraq to facilitate a discussion of ethics for the ongoing ILE Advanced Operations Course pilot program at West Point. CPT Romaneski contributed vignettes about his experiences of two very different command climates in two attack aviation battalions during deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. This led to a fruitful discussion of discipline, scenario-based pre-deployment training, open communication throughout the chain of command, and the responsibilities of junior and mid-level leaders in shaping an ethical command climate.

_________________________________________

COL Gail Yoshitani was hosted by the Purdue Institute of Civic Communication (PICC) on 10 and 11 February 2015. In addition to meeting with students, who are members of PICC, COL

Yoshitani presented a lecture and led a discussion for a large audience of members of the extended Purdue community. The topic of COL Yoshitani’s well-received lecture was President

Ronald Reagan’s 1987 speech, given in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, where he uttered the iconic words: “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!”

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

Pag

e10

COL Gail Yoshitani meets with student members of the Purdue Institute for Civic Communications at Purdue University on 10 February 2015.

Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering

Future Events

Modern Nuclear Weapons Briefings: During 2-3 March, Dr. Brian Lansrud-Lopez, a Nuclear

Weapon Design Physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), will be visiting the

Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering and presenting information about modern

nuclear weapons in several different forums. He will present briefings entitled “Modern Nuclear

Weapons, Current Stockpile, Safety” to NE450 students as well as all physics and nuclear

engineering majors; “Future Experimental Techniques” to students enrolled in NE400 Seminar;

“Modern Nuclear Weapons at a Higher Technical Level” and “Computational Capabilities at

LANL” to staff, faculty, and students. All of the presentations will be at the Secret-RD level.

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

Pag

e11

Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering

Guest Lecture – Dr. Kirk Goldsberry, ESPN Writer & Visiting Scholar at

Harvard. On February 11th

, Dr. Kirk Goldsberry presented “Analytics Illustrated: How Spatial

and Visual Analytics are Changing Everything from the NBA to Politics”. Dr. Goldsberry used

Geospatial technology to analyze the frequency and efficiency of NBA players based on their

location on the court. His research was recently published in Wired Magazine:

http://www.wired.com/2014/10/faster-higher-stronger/. POC for this event is LTC Chris

Oxendine, christopher.oxendine@usma.edu or 938-4354.

Spatial Analysis of the Dallas Mavericks’ shooting frequency and efficiency for the 2013-2014

season.

Geospatial Support to a 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101

st Airborne (Air

Assault) Division. The 1st BCT, 101

st Airborne (Air Assault) Division contacted the GIS

program recently to request geospatial products for their visit to West Point this summer in

support of Cadet Summer. LTC Chris Oxendine provided high resolution imagery of the West

Point reservation along with a geodatabase of important features to support their planning and

execution of summer training. POC for this event is LTC Chris Oxendine,

christopher.oxendine@usma.edu or 938-4354.

Attendance at the Esri Federal Users Conference. COL Steven Fleming and LTC

Chris Oxendine attended the Esri Federal Users Conference in Washington, DC on February 9th

and 10th

. The theme of the conference, “Building a more Resilient Nation,” focused on how

geospatial technology is being implemented to support federal response, with emphasis placed

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

Pag

e12

on the nation’s response to Ebola. The conference provided numerous opportunities to connect

with over 4,000 Federal Employees to discuss applications of GIS in Defense, Intelligence,

Public Safety, etc. They attended training sessions to learn how to implement new geospatial

technology advancements. POC for this is LTC Chris Oxendine,

christopher.oxendine@usma.edu or 938-4354.

Guest Lecture – Mr. Jeff Dawley, Esri. On February 12th

, Mr. Jeff Dawley presented

“Geospatial Support to Military Intelligence & Operations”. Mr. Dawley demonstrated the latest

applications of ArcGIS support through desktop, online, and mobile applications. POC for this

event is LTC Chris Oxendine, christopher.oxendine@usma.edu or 938-4354.

Department of Foreign Languages

Current Week HIGHLIGHTS:

Semester Abroad Program (SAP) / Academic trip sections:

1. Arabic: Eight Arabic students continue their studies in Morocco and Jordan. In

Morocco, cadets got a chance to escape the snowy weather in wintry Ifrane to visit the desert

city of Meknes, only an hour away. Meknes is an ancient city that is also home to the Moroccan

Military Academy. In Jordan, our five Cadets continue to pursue their studies and continue their

service-oriented outreach work with the orphanage.

A view over the ancient North African city of Meknes, Morocco.

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

Pag

e13

The majestic entrance gate to a mosque and tomb in Meknes displays the traditional characteristics of Moroccan

architecture: ceramic tile mosaic, marble, carved plaster, and intricately

2. Spanish: Cadets Benjamin Greif, Brian Fydenkevez, Nathan Swanson, Jeremy Tetro, and

Connor Wernecke are settling into Mexican university life. They are enjoying local food,

customs, and sports. Several of the cadets have joined club teams, such as water polo, at

the university and they are having no trouble meeting local friends as well as fellow

international students. The cadets are enjoying their classes and the slower pace of life in

Mexico, especially the slower pace of food preparation and eating! In Mexico City, they

have visited the Zócalo, the historic city center of Mexico City, which was the ceremonial

center of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. They have also visited local markets and are

enjoying the ease-of-use of the Mexico City metro system. They spent last weekend

visiting cultural sites, including the pyramids at Teotihuacan, the site of the Aztec Empire

during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Academic trip sections and AIADs:

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

Pag

e14

1. Arabic: The Model Arab League plans a team building event Friday, 20 Feb 15, at the

La’Ziza Lebanese Restaurant and Hookah Lounge. There the Cadets will build team esprit

while exploring the finer points of Lebanese cuisine and the traditional Arab art of argile,

or tobacco water pipe.