The multidisciplinary Writing Fellows Program, under the Office of the Dean, is a rigorous, nationally-recognized effort to develop thoughtful and effective communicators in every domain—academic, technical, and military.

Established in 2012, this proven, growing program supports cadets and faculty through innovative courses in writing scholarship and teaching, peer-to-peer consultations, presentations at juried conferences, AIADs, and partnerships with outside experts.

Cadet Fellows receive intensive support for their own personal, professional, and civic writing projects; likewise, faculty across departments develop as both writers and teachers of writing through the opportunities the Program offers.

Donor Profile: COL (R) John H. Stokes III ’57 and Mary Beth Ziegler-Stokes

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To recognize and pay tribute to his father’s lifetime of service and achievement, COL (R) John H. Stokes III ’57 and his wife, Mary Beth Ziegler-Stokes, have endowed the Writing Fellows Program, a component of the West Point Writing Program, which will now be named the MG John H. Stokes, Jr. (1918) Fellows Program in honor of his father.

COL Stokes chose to support the writing fellows program because he was impressed by the Academy’s vision for the program and how it fit into the overall cadet academic experience. He also expressed his conviction in the importance of the program’s core mission, commenting, “I personally believe the ability to write well and incisively is a skill that enhances all facets of life, but most assuredly in the profession of arms.”

“I am very pleased to be able to endow this program,” he said, ”and it is my honor to be given the opportunity to make it even better than it already is.”

The Stokes’ legacy of service and professional excellence will be carried forward and have a lasting impact, developing future-oriented leaders equipped to meet the full spectrum of today’s and tomorrow’s communications challenges.

West Point’s primary vehicle for influencing leadership development is the West Point Leadership Center, an academic center responsible for leadership development, practice, and research.

The center strengthens the leadership development provided to all West Point cadets through a range of initiatives, instilling new knowledge that expands leaders’ understanding of the world and human and organizational behavior and facilitating coaching, mentoring, and reflection.

The Leadership Center concentrates on Character, Leadership Development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and aims to advance and nurture responsible leadership development within West Point, the Army, government entities, educational institutions, and corporations.

“My experience with the West Point Negotiation Project has been phenomenal. Through my involvement with the program, I have gained valuable knowledge and skills that are equally applicable to both military and civilian life. The opportunity to represent West Point at the 2021 National Undergraduate Negotiation Competition and take home a Top Negotiator award was very rewarding and a great way to practice what I’ve learned from West Point’s negotiation program.”
William “Bill” Porter, Class of 2022

The Center supports the increasing connections to the space domain within multi-domain operations, and offers cadets exposure to unique experiences future leaders will be required to understand as the nation’s reliance on space operations continues to expand.

The Robotics Research Center (RRC) at West Point, established in 2017, focuses on educating cadets and advancing Department of Defense (DoD) research in robotics for warfighting applications. Its core competencies include robot development, multi-agent teaming, AI, machine learning, and human-machine interfaces. Cadets engage in hands-on research, supported by advanced equipment and funding, and participate in annual robotics competitions like NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge. The curriculum includes specialized robotics courses, minors, and capstone design projects.

Cyber initiatives, led by the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS), prepare cadets for technical and policy roles in cybersecurity. The Cyber Operations Team focuses on technical expertise through competitions, while the Cyber Policy Team addresses strategic and legal aspects of cyber crises. These programs equip cadets with leadership, technical, and policy skills essential for national defense.

West Point’s initiatives are supported by substantial endowments for research, equipment, travel, and competitions, ensuring cadets gain experience vital to addressing future military challenges.

The Photonics Research Center in the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering conducts cutting-edge high energy laser and photonics research and provides experiential opportunities for cadets and faculty in the study of photonics (the physical science of light waves).

The results of the research will be used by the Army and the Department of Defense in developing directed energy systems, not only developing technical solutions to Army problems but educating officers with knowledge of laser technologies and capabilities for the defense of the nation.

West Point’s Model UN Team ranks as one of the top North American college teams. By participating on the team, cadets challenge themselves and one another to clearly and compellingly discuss complex topics and further their understanding of pressing national and international issues.

Furthermore, cadets act as Academy ambassadors, helping to educate their civilian peers on the West Point experience.

The Lieber Institute for Law & Land Warfare, established in 2016 under the West Point Center for the Rule of Law, is a global leader in Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) scholarship and dialogue. It fosters understanding of the evolving relationship between law and warfare through cutting-edge research, publications, and collaborations with organizations like Harvard Law School and NATO.

The Institute enhances cadets’ education with courses on LOAC, Cyber Law, and National Security Law, and offers experiential learning opportunities like war crimes staff rides and international competitions.

By leveraging academic and military expertise, it examines the role of LOAC in emerging conflicts, advancing the understanding and primacy of law in contemporary warfare.

The new West Point Humanities Center will serve as a hub for humanities scholarship and research programs, creative arts, performances, and public engagement, fostering interdisciplinary intellectual development and innovation.

As the only military academy humanities center, the West Point Humanities Center will be a unique and vital nexus of the humanities, engaged citizenship, and service to the nation.

Housed within the Department of History, and taking seeded beginnings from the former Cartographic Center for Excellence, the Digital History Center (DHC) at West Point will be a 21st-century public-facing digital makerspace that not only preserves—but also makes interactive—a critical corpus of primary source materials and cutting-edge publications, instilling “wisdom through history” for the next generation of U.S. Army Officers and beyond.

The DHC will serve as a content-generating digital laboratory, create opportunities for cadets to experience history through interactive augmented and virtual reality products, and widen the scope of historical inquiry by building customized, codable databases of historical information.

As the world of information gathering, analysis, and dissemination rapidly changes, it is imperative that West Point engage tomorrow’s officers in the robust lessons of yesterday and equip them with full proficiency of cutting-edge technology so they can succeed in leading the Army of the future anywhere in the world.

The Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies (CHGS) is an academic center aimed at educating the country’s current and future leaders on how past genocides have occurred and what can be done to prevent them in the future.

Through a range of innovative offerings, travel, and collaborative research, CHGS has broadened the cadet curriculum, significantly influenced the other U.S. service academies, and partnered with multiple government agencies to advance the comprehension of atrocity.

It offers a range of programming designed to teach the causes, contexts, and consequences of the Holocaust and other instances of genocide while instilling within cadets a deep sense of history, ethics, and responsibility. Beyond West Point, the CHGS serves as a vital resource on atrocity prevention and response issues across the globe.

“The more I try to come to terms with this hideous history, the more fortified my morals and resolution become. With each memory my resolve to combat hatred, racism, and injustice strengthens. Furthermore, I have a deeper grasp on the meaning of my responsibility as a future officer.” — Cadet Regina Woronowicz ’11