Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"June 7, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
June
7, 2002
Four former U.S. Military Academy firsties -- 2nd Lts. Matthew Chase, Jonathan Johnson, Brandon McRay and Christopher Staab -- received the annual Hollis Award for excellence May 30 for their work in research and analysis.
Col. William B. Carlton, the Systems Engineering program director, advised these former cadets in their research.
The four had to address the space problem in the West Point Cemetery. If current trends continue and no changes are made, the cemetery will have no burial plots remaining by 2010. These students examined ways to provide burial space for a longer period of time while satisfying all legal, religious, historical and public relations issues, as well as fiscal constraints. The results of this research will benefit the West Point community and can also be used at other national cemeteries.
The Hollis Award is presented annually to recognize cadets who make the greatest contribution to Army operations research by meeting three criteria that directly support the goals of the USMA academic program:
n Think and act creatively.
n Understand and apply mathematical, physical and computer sciences to reason scientifically, to solve quantitative problems.
n Use technology, and communicate, especially in writing, in precise language, correct sentences and concise and coherent paragraphs -- evincing clear, critical thinking.
Three groups competed for the award. Then-Cadet 1st Class Dominik Nogic developed a simulation model for analyzing Reception Day operations; then-Cadets 1st Class Karl Hoempler, Bradley Lowery, Nathan Riedel and Joseph Torres developed a method for conducting global threat analysis using mission clustering.
Walter W. Hollis, the Deputy Undersecretary of the Army for Operation Research since 1980, visited West Point May 16 and received briefings by all three groups of finalists. Hollis then selected the overall winners.
The winners each received a plaque recognizing them as Hollis Award recipients, a $50 Series EE U.S. savings bond and a letter of commendation from Lt. Gen. William J. Lennox Jr., the USMA superintendent.
The winning group also earned the right to present their research at the annual Military Operations Research Society Symposium. Johnson will present his group’s work as part of the 70th MORSS, June 18 to 20, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.