Research in Pikine, Senegal: 
A D/G&EnE research team including four cadets conducted the field phase of a group project in Pikine, Senegal. The project titled “Adapting to the Human Infrastructure in the Urban Fringe: Considerations for Civil Military Operations” focused on the informal influence of the urban fringe within the human terrain. Cadets spent extensive time conducting interviews and meetings with multiple stakeholders within selected areas in Pikine in order to get a full spectrum of stakeholder response. In addition to the immersive research experience, cadets were taken to the US Embassy for an overview of embassy operations given by various members of the ambassador’s staff. Cadets also visited important culture sites to include Gorée Island, a prominent slave embarkation site in the region during the pre-colonial era.
McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference Publication in New York Times: As part of the fall conference's activities, the student teams crafted six essays addressing the importance of values-based leadership in various contexts. The student teams, each mentored by a senior leader, explored leadership in the areas of disaster response, food security and sustainability, the global economy, education, media and health care. These essays are now published in the New York Times' new "...in Leadership" website.
The essays can be viewed at the following web link: http://nytimesinleadership.com/spotlight-on-leaders/
Mechanical Engineering Majors Awarded Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Scholarships:
COL Daisie Boettner presented Cadet Mitch Johnson (ME, 2013) the Maher Z. Labib Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) and Cadet Adam Leemans (ME, 2013) the Bud and Nancy Griffis Scholarship ($1,000). The SAME annually awards multiple scholarships to engineering students at colleges and universities throughout the United States in recognition for their outstanding performance. The scholarships traditionally are presented at a formal dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City; however, the dinner was canceled in November 2012 due to Super storm Sandy.
The Electrical Engineering Program’s Best-in-Course Awards and Society of American Military Engineers Award: The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science recognized the AY13-1 cadets with the “Best in Course” award. These cadets completed their course with the highest grade in the course. Awards were presented for EE480 (Optical Fiber Communication) to Cadet Justin Hyder; for EE377 (Electrical Power Engineering) to Cadet Stuart Baker; for EE401 (Electronic System Design I) to Cadet Stuart Baker; and EE450 (Military Electronic Systems) to Cadet Thomas Ankenbauer. The department also recognized Cadet David Covell with the Society of American Military Engineers award. This award is presented to the top four engineering cadets in the academy by GPA.
New Cadet Competitive Cyber Team (C3T) Try-Outs: 
The newly formed C3T hosted team tryouts in two computer labs in Thayer Hall. Twenty-four Cadets from all four classes demonstrated their cybersecurity skills in a 12-hour Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, solving a series of challenges to score points. Results from the challenge will be one of the primary criteria in selecting the team’s 12 principal members. The new C3T will represent West Point by participating in intercollegiate cybersecurity competitions such as the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC, http://www.nationalccdc.org/) held each spring.
Photonics Research Center and Hertz Fellowship Candidates: Photonics Research Center members conducted mock interviews preparing two cadets for their upcoming Hertz Fellowship interviews. USMA's two Hertz candidates are CDT Matthew Letarte ‘13, D2, Chemical Engineering major and CDT Brandon Clumpner ‘13, A1, Mechanical Engineering major. CDT Letarte has been conducting research in the Photonics Research Center over three semesters and has presented his research at a renowned national conference. CDT Clumpner is a multiple semester researcher within DPE's Center for Physical Development Excellence. The Hertz Foundation provides Fellowships to exceptionally talented individuals studying in the applied physical, biological and engineering sciences. Each year the Foundation conducts a national competition for new Hertz Fellows. Of those who apply, only about one quarter will be interviewed. Of those who are interviewed, approximately one in ten (15 to 20 annually) will be awarded a Hertz Fellowship. The research opportunities made available through USMA's research centers provided CDT Letarte and CDT Clumpner an interdisciplinary research experience which contributed to their Hertz interview selections.
