Document 6566154
Transcription
Document 6566154
Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Dean’s Weekly Significant Activities Report 15 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 Page 1 On 8 and 9 October, Lieutenant Colonel Jason Musteen, Major David Musick, and Major Stuart Peebles conducted a West Point fortifications staff ride with more than 60 cadets from HI301X History of the Military Art. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation West Point’s Center for the Advancement of Leader Development & Organizational Learning (CALDOL) On 09 October, 20 members of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) gathered at CALDOL for a Leader Challenge workshop. The YPO members were visiting West Point as guests of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. The session was designed to introduce the CEOs to the Leader Challenge method and how it supports the current leader- development curriculum at West Point. The energy in the room was incredible as these executives wrestled with the real-life challenges faced by an Army officer—What should he do? What should be done next? How could leadership have prevented the crisis? What can we learn from the experience? These business leaders left with a leader-levelopment approach they could incorporate into their respective organizations. COL Bernie Banks and LTC Eric McCoy coordinated with CALDOL to plan the session, and McCoy, MAJ Laura Weimer, and MAJ Casey Holler from BS&L participated as table facilitators. Leadership counts! POC: MAJ Jon Silk, CALDOL, x7959 Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Completed Events Page 2 Follow BS&L on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Point-NY/Department-of-BehavioralSciences-Leadership/44253274507 Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation West Point Negotiations Project holds negotiations workshop for IESE-NYC Campus Global Executive MBAs On Saturday, 13 September, MAJ Christina Fanitzi from BS&L's West Point Negotiation Project offered a negotiations workshop for 24 international business and governmental sector leaders enrolled in the Global Executive MBA program at the University of Navarro-Spain’s IESE Business School. The participants represented 13 countries, convene for classes quarterly in NYC. As part of their program, they planned a day trip to West Point to show aspects of the moral-ethical leadership education and unique West Point experience. Leaders learned the importance of negotiation as a leader competency, how to analyze negotiation situations, and practiced managing difficult negotiation counterparts. Discussions included managing competitive-collaborative tensions, one-on-one cooperation, and competition in negotiations. The West Point Negotiation Project is a USMA faculty effort to improve the ability of military leaders to negotiate and is an activity within BS&L's West Point Leadership Center. POC: MAJ Christina Fanitzi, x3295 Page 3 Mr. Mark Lueking, Class of 1996, and Cargill employee, meets with BS&L Management majors On 1 October, Mr. Mark Lueking, USMA Class of 1996, now with Cargill Incorporated, gave a lecture to 100 BS&L management majors in MG 381 Introduction to Management and MG420 Operations Management. Mr. Lueking described Cargill’s management of their global supply chains in the agriculture, food, industrial, and financial industries. Cargill, ranked by Forbe’s Magazine as America’s largest private company, hosted two cadets at their Minnesota headquarters this past summer during a Management AIAD. During the two day visit to West Point, which included Cargill executives observing and participating in management and PL 300 classes, Cargill learned more about West Point, the core curriculum, and the management program in order to design greater developmental experiences for cadets in future AIADs. POC: LTC Patrick Downes x 1008. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Wounded Warrior CPT Edward “Flip” Klein Engages Cadets about Leadership in PL300 On 29 September 2014, BS&L Alumnus CPT Edward “Flip” Klein visited the department, engaged with faculty from BS&L and the Simon Center, and taught cadets in PL300 (Military Leadership). The topic was power and influence. CPT Klein discussed his experiences as a platoon leader, leadership instructor at the Infantry School, combat commander in Afghanistan, and wounded warrior. Cadets learned that one’s use of power and influence reveals one’s character, and that they should strive to use various types of power in ways that make them increasingly trusted and influential. Too often, leaders use power in ways which get short term results, but only undermine their long-term influence. POC: daniel.smith@usma.edu, x 5024. Page 4 Pictured above and beside– CPT and his wife, Jessica, engage faculty and friends from both BS&L and the Simon Center. CPT Klein teaches PL300. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Leaders from NYC Google Campus met with BS&L Management majors Leaders from Google’s NYC campus joined Cadets in the Management program’s Human Resource Management course on 3 October 2014. The Google leaders discussed how their firm selects and manages talent and develops organizational culture to support its strategy and create an enduring competitive advantage. Cadets have been discussing recruitment, selection, training and development in class. They were able to discuss how these processes occur in an organization that receives 2 million resumes per year and has doubled in personnel each of the last 10 years. POC: LTC (P) Todd Woodruff, x1788. Department of History Page 5 On Thursday 25 September History majors and faculty (past and present) participated in the conflict resolution seminar sponsored by the USMA Center for the Study of Civil Military Operations. Colonel (Retired) Mike Hess, History Faculty Alumni and former Civil Affairs officer, participated, along with Major Dan Horst and Lieutenant Colonel Jason Musteen. The conference highlighted the challenges and accomplishments of joint, interagency, civil military operations in Kosovo and featured the Kosovar President Atifete Jahjaga, the Kosovar ambassador to the US Akan Ismaili, and Lieutenant General (Retired) Michael Maples. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation From left to right, History majors and faculty Cadet Dominic Gatti '16, Cadet Joshua Johnstone '16, Colonel (Retired) Hess '71 , Cadet Francis Ambrogio '15, and Major Horst '02 at the Conflict Resolution Seminar on Kosovo _________________________________________ Professor Rob McDonald was recently named to the Academic Advisory Committee of the David Library of the American Revolution. Located in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, the David Library specializes in materials related to American history from 1750 to 1800. _________________________________________ Page 6 Major Andy Forney and his HI398 Society and Culture in U.S. History conducted a class via Skype with Dr. Rebecca Sharpless, historian and author of Cooking In Other Women’s Kitchen’s : Domestic Workers in the South, 1865-1960. Cadets asked Dr. Sharpless numerous questions about race, gender, and the craft of history. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation _________________________________________ On Sunday 5 October, Colonel Greg Daddis published an article in the opinion-editorial section of the Los Angeles Times. Daddis questions the utility of warfare to combat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, and he challenges American to debate the efficacy of military force to achieve lasting political gain. Read this thought-provoking article at http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1005-daddis-utility-of-war-20141005-story.html. _________________________________________ Page 7 On Tuesday 7 October, cadets enrolled in HI358 Strategy, Policy, and Generalship culminated their study of the First World War, Inter-war Period, and Second World War with a trip section to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Home, Museum, and Presidential Library in Hyde Park. Museum staff helped the cadets analyze a number of primary documents from the library and provided a tour of the home, while Major Jonathan Heist led a colloquium on US generalship during World War II. Having focused on American strategic decision-making throughout this period, this visit deepened the cadets’ understanding of both the challenges faced by America’s political and military leaders during the Second World War and their responses to those challenges. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Major Heist and the cadets of HI 358 in front of Hyde Park _________________________________________ Page 8 On 8 October Major Dan Horst and Captain Nathan Jennings led eleven cadets on a historical tour of the West Point Cemetery. The event began with lunch and a discussion of the rich individual and institutional histories represented in the cemetery by Colonel Ty Seidule in the Clausewitz Room. Cadets then travelled to the cemetery where they learned the history of the Old Cadet Chapel, along with the fascinating stories of the significant persons buried on the premises. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Cadets in front of the Old Cadet Chapel in the West Point cemetery _________________________________________ On Wednesday 8 October, Captain Jon Romaneski led a West Point historical tour for the Florida Panthers players, staff, and co-owner Mr. Vincent Viola (USMA ’77, pictured below with Captain Romaneski). Page On 1 October, Captain Nathan Jennings led a campus and historical tour for U.S. Representative Aaron Schock of the 18th Congressional District of Illinois. Captain Jennings led Rep. Schock and his staff on a historical tour of the Plain and Washington Hall, hosted a walk-through of Arvin Gymnasium where DPE instructors facilitated the Congressman’s desire 9 _________________________________________ Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation to execute the Combat Water Survival Test, and conducted a historical tour of Trophy Point. Particular points of interest for the Congressman and his staff included the mural in the cadet dining facility, the lore surrounding General MacArthur’s monument, Battle Monument, the Great Chain, and academy collegiate athletics. On 8 and 9 October, Lieutenant Colonel Jason Musteen, Major David Musick, and Major Stuart Peebles conducted a West Point fortifications staff ride with more than 60 cadets from HI301X History of the Military Art _________________________________________ . Cadets played the roles of key figures from the American Revolutionary War, while they toured Constitution Island, Fort Putnam, and other important redoubts and batteries around West Point. Page 10 Cadets imagine facing the British on Constitution Island, while Lieutenant Colonel Musteen points out the range of the cannon. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Cadets discuss the defense plan of Fort Putnam and the attempted betrayal by Benedict Arnold. _________________________________________ Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering Completed Events Page 11 Achievement: On 8 October, at the PNE Department Meeting, Dr. Brian Moretti received his 10 years of civilian service pin and certificate and Dr. Lee Harrell received his 15 years of civilian service pin and certificate. Additionally, Mr. Keith Schevling and Mrs. Kim Lee received the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service for exceeding standard requirements. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development Mrs. Lee & Prof. Lainis Colloquium: On 9 October, Mr. Terry Bauer will present a colloquium discussing "Recent Test Results of the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) and its Future Applications”. The presentation will be an update on the Army's high energy laser efforts at the US Army Space 12 Mr. Schevling & Prof. Lainis Dr. Harrell & COL Naessens Page Dr. Moretti & COL Naessens www.westpoint.edu/innovation Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation and Missile Defense Command. The primary focus of the talk will be 10 kW High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) efforts over the last 18 months. Results of the High Power Demonstration at WSMR and the Propagation Data Collection at Eglin AFB as well as future plans will be discussed. Colloquium: On 10 October, Dr. Tom Downar will present a colloquium discussing "Transuranic Transmutation Techniques in Advanced Nuclear Reactors”. His research interests include computational nuclear reactor physics and the development of coupled neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, and fuel performance analysis methods for power reactor safety analysis. Applications include the transient analysis of a wide range of reactor types, including Light Water, Heavy Water, High Temperature Gas, and Sodium cooled reactors. TDY: During 14-15 October, LTC Ken Allen and Dr. Brian Moretti traveled to Ft. Belvoir, VA to meet with DTRA and USACE representative to identify training aid material in the decommissioned reactor facility to be transported back to West Point for use in the nuclear engineering program. Future Events Page Trip Section: On 22 October, MAJ Nestor Echeverria and cadets enrolled in NE350 (Radiological Engineering Design) will travel to STERIS Isomedix in Chester, NY to see a realworld application of radiation technology that applies their required design project. Additionally, cadets will gain 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 will be reloading new Colbalt-60 sources into their irradiation facilities, thus providing the cadets a unique opportunity 13 Colloquium: On 20 October, Dr. William Russ will present a colloquium discussing "The Nuts and Bolts of Gamma Spectroscopy”. The basics of radiation detection will be covered, including source terms, detectors, interactions and signal processing. Spectroscopy analysis will be reviewed starting with an understanding of system response including energy, peak shape, efficiency calibrations and background. Typical analysis approaches such as peak search and template matching will be introduced in light of the goals and applications of radiation measurement systems. Dr. Russ studied physics at the U.S. Naval Academy ('90) and served as a submarine officer before getting his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He did postdoctoral research at the Georgia Institute of Technology before becoming a staff member at Argonne National Laboratory – West. He joined Canberra Industries in 2002 where he is currently the Director of Fundamental Research. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation to observe the inner workings of the machines and the process of transporting and handling radioactive materials. Department of Foreign Languages Current Week HIGHLIGHTS: 1. Hosting Visitors: a. German: On 10 OCT, A group of twenty-five German Youth Information officers visited West Point. Youth information officers fulfill a role in Germany similar to U.S. Public Affairs officers. Established in 1958 in response to protests over the re-establishment of the Bundeswehr, Youth Information officers visit schools, organize security seminars and mock security councils, and arrange trips to visit troops in their barracks. Their goal is to tell the German army’s story and emphasize the need for a military. The German officers briefed two sections of LG371 in German and in turn answered question posed to them in German. Following the briefing, they enjoyed lunch with the cadets in the Cadet Mess and received a tour of West Point. 2. Semester Abroad Program (SAP) / Academic trip sections: Page 14 a. Spanish: Cadet Valerie Kutsch completed the final ruck march with third-class cadets during the Spanish Military Academy cadet summer training program. USMA Cadets participated with third year cadets of the Spanish Military Academy to experience a portion of their summer training. Cadet Kutsch found the experience of working closely with her counterparts in Spain rewarding, and she is excited for the academic semester to begin. The experience has greatly increased her confidence in her language proficiency. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation b. French: Cadets attending SAP at the French Military Academy, Saint-Cyr, joined French cadets for a ceremony in Paris at Les Invalides recently where Saint-Cyrien “bazars” (Plebes) meet their “binomes” (Team Leaders) for the first time. The following is a brief description of the event: Page 15 The ceremony began in the Tomb of Napoleon, with the bazars on the lower level – standing quietly with their heads lowered, reflecting on the significance of the tomb and their commitment to being in the French army. The second class cadets (the class we are with) all gathered around the upper level that looked down upon Napolean’s coffin and the level of the bazars. The bazars were called to attention, did an about face to face the center, and the second class began singing. It was very moving and impressive, especially with the acoustics of the tomb. The singing of the cadets is incredible, especially because they all sing beautifully and in harmony. The second part of the ceremony was conducted in the square of the Musee de l’Armee, and this is when the second class marched forward in front of the formation of bazars, stood in front of their respective bazars, and both the 2nd class and 3rd class (bazars) sang a song together. 16 www.westpoint.edu/innovation Page Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation c. German: The West Point Cadets abroad in Austria finished their field training exercise in late September. During the graduation ceremony, they met the Austrian Chief of Defense, General Othmar Commenda. General Commenda assumed his current post in July of 2013. Left: From left to right, Cadet Darien Vaughan, General Othmar Commenda, Cadet Kiley Schreurs, Cadet Charlene Coutteau. Above: Cadet Schreurs shakes hands with General Commenda. 3. Faculty participation in immersion trips, AIADs, and semester abroad maintenance requirements / trips: NSTR. 4. Language or International Club key events: a. NSTR 5. Major milestones in research or scholarly work: a. NSTR 6. Upcoming HIGHLIGHTS Next Two Weeks: Page 17 a. French Club annual language and culture trip to Québec from 16-19 OCT 2014. b. A few SAP cadets at St Cyr are currently attending French Airborne School. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Department of English and Philosophy Past Events 1. Cadets Deliver Presentations at Mid-Hudson Philosophical Society Meeting On Tuesday (7 October), faculty from four departments at USMA collaborated to enrich cadet’s perspectives on the use of drones in war. MAJ Matthew Cavanaugh, from the Department of Page 2. Philosophy Forum presents Interdisciplinary Panel on Drone Warfare. 18 In the Haig Room on Saturday, 27 September, DEP’s philosophers (both faculty and cadets) hosted the inaugural meeting of the Mid-Hudson Philosophy Society (MHPS). The Society brings together philosophy faculty and undergraduate majors from West Point and four regional institutions: Bard College, SUNY New Paltz, Marist College, and Vassar College. The morning session began with a welcome to the 45 attendees from acting Dean, COL Eugene Ressler, and West Point MHPS sponsor, Professor Robert Tully, followed by a lecture on David Hume’s concept of probability, given by Professor Don Garrett, Chair of NYU’s Department of Philosophy. At the afternoon session, four APL cadets gave original and lively presentations: CDTs Nick Cale, Brad Hodgkins, Zach Hoffman and Sam Kolling (pictured). In between presentations, the visitors dined in the Mess Hall and enjoyed cadet-guided tours. The Society will meet annually in rotation. Next year’s gathering will be at Vassar. POC is Dr Robert Tully, DEP, Robert.tully@usma.edu. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Defense and Strategic Studies, MAJ Sean Dansberger, from the Department of English and Philosophy, CPT Brian Drohan, from the Department of History, and LTC Matthew Kemkes, from the Department of Law discussed drone use from the perspectives of their respective disciplines. The event showcases the Department of English and Philosophy’s continuing efforts to foster cadets’ abilities to engage in critical inquiry on war and US military policy. POC is Dr Graham Parsons, DEP, graham.parsons@usma.edu. The Philosophy Forum's panel on drone warfare. From left to right, MAJ Sean Dansberger, Department of English and Philosophy, LTC Matthew Kemkes, Department of Law, CPT Brian Drohan, Department of History, and MAJ Matthew Cavanaugh, Department of Defense and Strategic Studies. Page On Tuesday, 7 October, bestselling author Andrew Carroll lectured to more than 1,200 cadets enrolled in EN101 (Composition) and EN302 (Advanced Composition through Cultural Studies). Carroll’s work has taken him around the nation and to more than 40 countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan, in search of wartime letters. He has collected more than 100,000 unpublished letters from all wars in United States history, and is the head of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University, in California. Carroll’s 2002 book War Letters inspired a critically-acclaimed PBS documentary by the same name. His 2006 book Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families also inspired a film by the same name, which was nominated for an Oscar and won an Emmy for best documentary. Carroll’s efforts have been profiled on NBC, ABC, CNN, FOX, PBS, and The History Channel, and he is a regular columnist for American History magazine. He spent approximately three hours with cadets, to include taking informal questions 19 3. Author Andrew Carroll Delivers Lecture to Cadets Enrolled in EN101 and EN302 Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation and signing his books. Signed copies of Carroll’s books may be purchased at the USMA Cadet Book Store. POC is LTC Tom Veale, DEP, Thomas.veale@usma.edu. Page 20 On October 7, Andrew Carroll lectured to more than 1,200 West Point cadets on his “Legacy Project,” which collects and edits wartime letters from around the world. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Andrew Carroll takes informal questions following his 7 October lecture at West Point. Carroll also signed books at the Cadet Book Store. 4. West Point Writing Center Provides Writing Assistance to Cadets Enrolled in Eleven Core Courses Page 21 In its third year of operation, the West Point Writing Center (WPWC) has conducted over 200 peer consultations since opening last month, with 156 individual cadets requesting appointments. The 24 Writing Fellows who conduct the consultations are enrolled in EP490 (Writing Process, Argument, and Pedagogy), an independent-study elective offered by the Department of English and Philosophy, the gateway seminar for its Writing Fellows Program. The WPWC provides service to all interested Cadets enrolled in all core courses; thus far this semester, Cadets have sought assistance for assignments in 11 separate core courses. The WPWC will remain open for the duration of the academic year. POCs are Professor Jason Hoppe, DEP, jason.hoppe@usma.edu, and COL John Nelson, DEP, john.nelson@usma.edu Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Cadets enrolled in EP490 conduct peer consultation in the West Point Writing Center, which is in its second year of operation. The Writing Fellows pictured above are Cadet James Trollan (’16), Cadet Nick Mendenhall (’16), Cadet Cory Lesser (’16), Cadet Julen Totorica (’17), Cadet Jarrett Guyer (’17), and Cadet Matthew D. Williams (’15), who is also the Writing Center’s CIC. Page 22 Department of Law Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation The New York County District Attorney (Manhattan), Cyrus Vance, third from left, visited West Point on 15 October. Mr. Vance visited the Department of Law and led class discussions in the courses Criminal Law and Introduction to Legal Studies. He and his chief of staff, Jeff Schlanger, briefed faculty members on the work of prosecutors in New York. Mr. Vance's presentations to cadets concerned how he decides to prosecute cases and how, in some instances, he agrees to release from prison innocent people that he believes were wrongly convicted. (Also pictured are NYPD Detective Ray Winslow, second from left, and DA Vance’s Chief of Staff Jeff Schlanger, third from right). Page 23 Mr. Charley Davidson and Ms. Luci Davidson, former criminal prosecutors in the Office of the District Attorney, Harris County, Texas, spoke to CPT Trent Powell’s LW 403 Constitutional and Military Law classes on 10 October 2014. The Davidsons discussed the challenges of prosecuting capital murder cases and highlighted a recent high profile attempted murder trial where they represented the victim, a physician poisoned by his paramour. The Davidsons are the parents of CDT Brock Davidson ’16. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering Page 24 EV471 - Ecology Students Visit the Wolf Conservation Center On Tuesday, 7 Oct 14 Environmental Science majors of the Class of 2015 visited the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) in New Salem, NY as part of their EV471 Ecology field trip. The WCC was established to promote wolf conservation by teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment, and the human role in protecting their future. The WCC accomplishes its mission through onsite and offsite education programs emphasizing wolf biology, the ecological benefits of wolves and other large predators, and the current status of wolf recovery in the United States. Environmental Science majors were exposed to all sides of the issue to include wolf biology, habitat requirements, and issues for and against the reintroduction of wolves. POC is LTC Mark Smith at x3136, mark.smith@usma.edu, photos by LTC Mindy Kimball at x5421, mindy.kimball@usma.edu. Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation USDA Forest Service outreach to West Point On Tuesday, 7 Oct 14 LTC Mark Smith (D/G&EnE) and LTC Mindy Kimball (D/G&EnE) travelled to Grey Towers, Milford, PA to meet with representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Grey Towers, considered the birthplace of conservation, was the home of Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the US Forest Service and Pennsylvania Governor for two terms. The meeting was part of a US Forest Service leadership and professional development initiative, and the group discussed concepts that might be helpful to USMA education and leader development related to conservation and the wise use of natural resources. Potential opportunities include Forest Service Guest speakers, cadet AIADs, and New York City “urban forestry” outreach. “Worldwide practice of conservation and the fair and continued access by all nations to the resources they need are the two indispensable foundations of continuous plenty and of permanent peace” – Gifford Pinchot. POC is LTC Mark Smith at x3136, mark.smith@usma.edu. Page Domestic Affairs Forum to CFR: On 10 October 2014, a group of ten cadets from the Domestic Affairs Forum ventured to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City to attend a panel discussion titled, "The SunniShia Divide" featuring NPR foreign correspondent Deborah Amos and dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Dr. Vali Nasr. Cadets joined an 25 Department of Social Sciences Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation interdisciplinary audience of undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty from all over the tristate area. Not only did the panelists contextualize the long and contentious religious history between Sunni and Shia Muslims, Amos and Nasr also offered astute observations on the current state of affairs in the Middle East, particularly Iraq, Syria, and ISIS. Following the discussion, Cadets had time to mingle with their civilian counterparts from nearby universities and interact with CRF staff and fellows. Trip sections like this allow cadets to share their insights and perspectives with civilians, meet the Superintendent's intent for continued engagement with institutions and organizations in New York City, and enrich their academic experience. The cadets absolutely enjoyed themselves and appreciated the opportunity to visit the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations. Page 26 DAF at CFR Reported by Dean’s Institute of Innovation and Development www.westpoint.edu/innovation Page 27 Cadets before the lecture.