Cadets Tackle World Issues Through Project-Based Learning

WEST POINT, N.Y. – On May 4, more than 400 capstone projects will be featured at the 24th annual Projects Day Research Symposium highlighting innovative designs linked to prevention, sustainability, readiness, and modernization at multiple locations at West Point.

“The research symposium is a culmination of our cadets’ intellectual acumen that directly addresses many pressing issues facing our Army and the nation,” said Dean of the Academic Board Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves. “These projects highlight the need for an inter- and multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving that encourages cadets to think about solutions, rather than just focusing on problems.”

Real world problem solving requires flexibility, resilience, resourcefulness, and creativity in a fast-changing operational environment. Many of the projects are representative of collaborative efforts with the Army, Department of Defense, and corporate sector. 

Several projects include:

• Stratospheric Balloon explores the development of a high-altitude balloon to remain at a consistent altitude for a prolonged period utilizing a closed-loop system.
• Energy Resilience of Army Infrastructure addresses the challenges and opportunities of the Army’s transition to electric vehicles and investigates using different energy sources to charge electrified tactical vehicles.
• Space Engineering and Research Rocket aspires to be the first undergraduate rocket team to send a hypersonic rocker past the Karman Line (100 km altitude) after achieving Mach 5.2 last year with an altitude of 96 km. The research will eventually lead to a tactical-level rocket capable of emplacing low earth orbit satellites. 

The Army requires leaders who can innovate and adapt concepts, equipment, and training to be ready for the next war. West Point provides the Army with the intellectual capital needed to drive these efforts.

Cadets will compete for the Scott R. Clark, Class of 1985, Innovation for Soldiers Award to be presented to a cadet project that demonstrates an innovative approach to solving a problem of direct application to the Army. Also, cadets will compete for the Walter W. Hollis Award that recognizes excellence in operations research or systems analysis.

For more information, visit Projects Day 2023 - Showcasing Cadet Research | United States Military Academy West Point.

For a schedule of events, go to https://projectsday.westpoint.edu/.

About West Point

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant— to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.