West Point Physics and Nuclear Engineering

04/24/2025

Intellectual curiosity and a desire to test assumptions are keys to innovation. The research being conducted by our Physics, Nuclear Engineering, and Space Science majors do just that. These cadets are pushing the boundary of the known, and simultaneously developing themselves as critical thinkers. Once they enter the Army as officers, they will serve to improve the lethality of our Armed Forces not only because of their technical and tactical knowledge, but also because of the way they approach problem-solving. Great work, cadets! Keep it up!!

04/24/2025

03/10/2025

Hey Physics Fans! Join us in congratulating our very own Dana Tritone on her promotion to Major this past Friday! MAJ Tritone is an absolute workhorse for the department and has been a staple of the Core Physics Program for years. We’re proud to count her amongst the PaNE Team’s ranks.

Dana’s promotion ceremony was a special event and we’re happy that Dana’s husband, Nick, her daughter, Anna, and her parents were able to attend. Well done, Dana!

West Point - The U.S. Military Academy | Dean of the Academic Board-West Point | West Point Parents

01/22/2025

The House of PaNE is absolutely ⚡amped⚡ for all of the exciting events happening in the life of our very own PH201 Course Director and resident computer science guru, Kevin Filip! First, Kevin was promoted to MAJ this month! Second, and most importantly, Kevin and his wife, Julia, just had their first child, Liam Anthony, born last week at 7lb, 5oz. Both mother and child are happy and healthy! Liam is already halfway through his first 2-D kinematics problem set, so Kevin is taking some well-deserved paternity leave to generate some harder problems. Congratulations to Kevin and Julia and welcome to the House of PaNE, Liam!
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12/25/2024

Looks like Santa came early this year and he brought this semester's PaNE Meme Competition results with him! This semester saw unprecedented competition with over 400 submissions! It was tough, but thanks to our advanced humor filtration algorithms (patent pending), we were able to scientifically isolate the best three memes for each of our four categories. Congratulations to all of the finalists, and especially to the 1st place finishers, each of whom will have their memes printed out as posters and placed in the hallways of Bartlett Hall!

12/22/2024

Santa's sleigh has a lot of advanced physics packed into it, so he needs to make an annual trip to the House of PaNE to get it calibrated. We love these visits because it guarantees that we get put on the "nice" list! His 2024 visit was full of fun including cookie decorating and ornament artwork!

Thanks for visiting, Santa, and thanks to MAJ Billy Schmidt for coordinating with the North Pole to ensure his trip went smoothy.

Did anyone get a picture of Rudolph on top of Bartlett Hall? I'd love to take a quick measurement of his nose with a Geiger-Mueller counter.
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12/09/2024

Another year, another superb ❄❄PaNE Winter Semi-Formal❄❄ in the books! The night was filled with great food (thank you, Riverside Cafe!), fun holiday trivia, and, most importantly, excellent company. Many thanks to CPT Charlie Starke and MAJ Dave Pert for coordinating the evening and again to Charlie for emceeing!

We're looking forward to doing it again next year! ❄❄

11/28/2024

This year, there are so many things to be thankful for across all marches of life, from novel work in physics to exciting progress in the nuclear enterprise to historic Army football success. When one sits back and reflects on all the good works occurring around us, it is truly staggering to behold.

In the House of PaNE, we have something extra special to be thankful for this year: a career of selfless service from a phenomenal officer and person. On November 30th, 2024, BG(R) John Hartke officially retires from the United States Army after 36 years of inspiring service. Within those years, BG(R) Hartke has a full career's worth of service within the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering alone, where his devotion for developing future leader of character brought him to become the Department Head, the highest departmental position. BG(R) Hartke left an indelible mark on the history of both the House of PaNE and on West Point as an institution. Although his contributions to USMA are too numerous to list here, he deserves special credit for his efforts. He was essential to the transformation of Bartlett Hall into the academic center it is today, he amplified the department's advanced physics capabilities by establishing the High Energy Laser laboratory, and he elevated the department's influence and releveant in our dynamic Army by establishing the Space Science major of study.

Above all of these and many other achievements, however, sits BG(R) Hartke's most profound contribution: his unrivaled dedication and passion for contributing to the development of cadets into leaders of character--leaders our great nation expects and deserves. Anyone who has spent more than five minutes with BG(R) Hartke understands that this was his focus, and thus the focus of the department.

We could not be more thankful to have had such fantastic Department Head. We wish the Hartke's continued success and happiness in South Dakota, where they currently reside!

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11/14/2024

This Veterans Day, four members of the PaNE Department and three cadets volunteered to support the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh in the development of an open lot that, through the hard work of many amazing volunteers and Habitat for Humanity workers, will eventually become a new house for a Newburgh family! The work was fun and rewarding, and the PaNE Dept. looks forward to volunteering again soon and hopefully working on the house that will be built in the very same lot!

📸 from left to right: CDT Jack Causing, CDT Aba Quainoo, CDT Seamus Brennan, Ms. Kriste Shea, Mr. Cortlin Austin (behind the fence), MAJ Josh Mashl, CPT Kevin Filip.
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11/03/2024

We'd like to offer a big, warm welcome to the newest member of the House of PaNE family, Anastasia Elizabeth Schmidt, born to Megan and Billy Schmidt on October 29th, weighing 7lb, 14 oz (3.57 kg) and measuring at 18" (45.7 cm). Anastasia is somehow more adorable than we could have ever imagined! We are thrilled to report that baby and mom are doing well! Congratulations to the Schmidts!

West Point Parents | West Point Association of Graduates