Team Superstrand Wins DEVCOM WISE Challenge

Team Superstrand, a West Point multidisciplinary cadet team, won the 2021 WISE Challenge hosted by the DEVCOM Soldier Center on April 27th by beating eleven other teams from the U.S. Service Academies. Over the last academic year, cadets and midshipmen researched, designed, and implemented solutions to service specific or joint mission challenges. In the WISE Finals, teams were judged for innovation, technical approach, and analysis, operational impact to the Warfighter, and how well the idea was communicated to the audience. Team Superstrand brought home the top spot with their state-of-the-art design of a biosensing, conductive textile material for military uniforms using synthesized carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanofiber composites. Cadets Felita Zhang, Edward Tang, Paul Trackey, Danielle Lynch, Hunter Beauchamp, and Jeff Tantow were advised by Colonel John Burpo and Dr. Enoch Nagelli from the Department of Chemistry and Life Science. Furthermore, Team Defenders, another West Point multidisciplinary cadet, tied for second place in the WISE Challenge. Their project designed and tested an innovative armor structure system to protect military vehicles against blasts while optimizing weight. Cadets Jarrett Justice, Courtney Loomis, Tyler Kim, and Jesus Carrillo, were advised by Dr. Kevin McMullen from the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering.