06-APR-A-7

 

AN INTRIGUING INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE FOR A MONTH-LONG SUMMER INSTITUTE IN “HARD PROBLEMS”

AT WEST POINT THROUGH MITRE,

REQUIRING A SECURITY CLEARANCE

 

 

From:      "Brandon, Susan" <SBRANDON@mitre.org>

To:        "Glenn Geelhoed" <msdgwg@gwumc.edu>

Date:      4/20/2006 1:19:30 PM

Subject:   RE: Invitation to a Summer Institute

 

Glenn, this might be divine intervention, because when do calendars

ever behave this way?  (Not capitalizing "divine intervention" is meant

only to indicate ambivalence about that issue here.)

 

Good news in any case.  We welcome you ‑‑ this is the first meeting of

what is hoped will be an annual event, so participants will have the

opportunity to help shape the future.  (Speaking of divine.)

 

Susan

 

 

‑‑‑‑‑Original Message‑‑‑‑‑

From: Glenn Geelhoed [mailto:msdgwg@gwumc.edu]

Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 1:09 PM

To: Brandon, Susan

Subject: RE: Invitation to a Summer Institute

 

I cannot believe it!

 

I looked at my postponed Eritrea mission, and the dates are‑‑‑July

10‑‑August 4!

 

So, yes, this smay be the vacuum nature abhors, so let's block at least

most of it, and I will know later as I push a few other "abhorers" to

the edges.

 

Pleae do not seem too enthusiastic, since i added a couple of random

"hits" as I worked my way toward the phone and address contact list.

If

it is REAL reading you would like, there is altogether too much more

where that came from!

 

Cheers!

 

GWG

 

>>> "Brandon, Susan" <SBRANDON@mitre.org> 4/20/2006 12:46 PM >>>

Dear Glenn,

 

What a welcome response ‑‑ thanks so much.  Part of our planning

discussions have been on the topic of how to provide sufficient on

site

resources that people can actually make real progress towards

addressing/"answering" some of the problems that will be posed.  It

sounds as if you could help a lot in that regard, by sharing your data

(of various sorts).  When we talk more, let me know how MITRE's

considerable information services and library services can help

supplement.

 

We are actually looking for people who are willing to commit to the

full 4 weeks, but for obvious reasons, are not finding many people who

have such an open calendar.  Our fall‑back position has been to ask

for

at least a few days: it might be a case of 'pick your week' at this

point.  But how good if you were available for 2 or 3 or 4 weeks. . .

.

. We have a good group of people who are willing to offer several

days,

at least.

 

Guess I have some weekend reading: looking forward.  Please ponder

your

calendar and let me know.

 

Best,

 

Susan

 

 

 

 

‑‑‑‑‑Original Message‑‑‑‑‑

From: Glenn Geelhoed [mailto:msdgwg@gwumc.edu]

Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 12:29 PM

To: Brandon, Susan

Subject: Re: Invitation to a Summer Institute

 

Thank you, Susan!

 

Yes, you certainly have piqued my interest and I would be intrigued to

learn more!

 

I have just canceled a medical mission into one part of the world that

is of interest to many of the others attending such a meeting and some

of those data might even be discussable in the closed sessions.

 

I once had but have not kept current my Secret clearance, and would be

amenable to renewing that, and would also be happy to correspond in

any

way that can be done to help you.

 

My very "open" life is visible in part on one Home Page which can be

found at http://home.gwu.edu/~gwg and I have had recent "coffee

conversations" with "representatives of the government" upon return

from

geographic areas of interest to them. I have some very much

unclassified

"Hard Problems" I can project in Power Point or other kinds of media

to

get started on discussion of the intended effects, unanticipated

consequences, and the price of both failure and the more intriguing,

but

seldom considered, impact of success on some global health and human

development programs.

 

Yes, I would be delighted to learn more and participate with you.

Please suggest time blocs that I might begin now to guard, since there

are many "natures" around me that abhor a vacuum!

 

GWG 

 

>>> "Brandon, Susan" <SBRANDON@mitre.org> 4/20/2006 11:40 AM >>>

Professor Geelhoed,

 

We would like you to consider participating in the 4‑week summer study

session described in the note below.  Would you mind letting us know

whether the note piques your interest?  We understand that the summer

is approaching quickly ‑‑ but you were highly recommended by our MITRE

colleague, Karen Detweiler.

 

Please feel welcome to call me if you have questions.  Kind regards,

 

Susan

 

 

 

Susan E. Brandon, Ph.D.

 

MITRE Corp.

 

7515 Colshire Drive

 

McLean, VA 22102‑7508

 

703‑983‑1675 (phone)

 

SBrandon@mitre.org

<blocked::BLOCKED::BLOCKED::mailto:SBrandon@mitre.org>

 

 

 

 

 

April 18, 2006

 

 

 

The Office of the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for

Analysis

will host an inaugural four‑week long Summer Hard Problem Program

(SHARP) from July 10 to August 4, 2006, at the U.S. Military Academy,

West Point, New York.  The general topic of the meeting will be "the

factors that cause individuals and communities of interest to coalesce

into pro‑social or terrorist / extra‑legal movements." 

 

 

 

The Office of the Deputy Director of National Intelligence recognizes

that many recent U.S. policy failures have been predicated by reliance

on faulty, missing or misunderstood intelligence.  We hope this

meeting

will provide a way for the intelligence community to become smarter

and

even, wiser.  There is real recognition that this will not happen

unless people help.  The study session will also create an opportunity

for the intelligence community to convey information that often is not

available to the academic community, in the spirit of sharing

knowledge

as broadly as possible so that each participant acquires something ‑ a

new idea, access to interesting data, another way to look at old ideas

‑ that is useful within their own domain.  This first meeting also is

an opportunity to think longer‑term about meetings in the future: what

are the hardest challenges?  What capabilities need to be addressed so

that subsequent meetings are as fruitful as possible?

 

 

 

We are looking for 20 individuals from the domains of science,

religion, history, journalism, marketing, communications technology,

and also other creative, thoughtful individuals who can be in

residence

for the full 4‑week program.  If there is room and resources to

accommodate additional people who would like to participate but can do

so only for a shorter time period, there is some possibility of making

such arrangements. There will be approximately 20 U.S. Government

personnel from various intelligence agencies also in residence.

Travel

and lodging expenses will be covered, as well as compensation for your

time. We encourage you to consider bringing your family for all or

part

of the study period; a travel allowance for dependents will be

provided.

 

 

 

At least some portion of the study sessions will take place in a

SECRET

level secure facility. If you do not currently possess a SECRET level

or higher security clearance, you must be willing to apply for such.

If you are interested or able to participate only without such

clearances, please let us know this.  It is our intention to enact

such

security requirements only to the extent that they facilitate, rather

than debilitate, the useful exchange of information.

 

 

CC:        "Carroll, Tom" <tcarroll@mitre.org>, "Detweiler, Karen R." kdetweil@mitre.org

 

With respect to the "divination" referred to in the latter email exchange, there might be a higher level involved which Susan Brandon acknowledged only in dismissing it!

 

I am delighted to hear about your State Department week and the experience of the "Collaborative Croskery Team" in the broadcast component parts that led to it.  I envy that kind of conjoined experience of yours and it is one of the thrills for at least two of us in the missions to Ladakh, Malawi, Rwanda, or, for that matter, Chattauqua, Simpson, Derwood and other attempted team cooperation efforts in common cause.

 

Yes, in a heartbeat, I said "Go for it" (for one not very coincidental reason, it may get us near Chattauqua for an anniversary of a significant meeting) and I am already started in on the Security Clearance.  If this moves swiftly enough, perhaps I may even be able to talk with Rob about things other than the weather when we meet next month!

 

Cheers!

 

GWG

 

 

>>> "robert" <rwcroskery@fuse.net> 4/20/2006 6:58 PM >>>

Thank you for sending me the email correspondence with Susan Brandon, PhD.    The seminar sounds fascinating.    Years ago, when I was doing a program on WCPO-TV (modeling techniques of psychotherapy [done in conjunction with the Psychiatry dept at UC, with Bev writing the scripts]), my Yale classmate Gene Preston who was in charge of PR for the State Department, invited me to a similar conference for editors and broadcasters.    I spent a week at the State Department with a lot of famous journalists and broadcasters.    I even got to be one of six people to share in interviewing the President of the United States.

 

 

This sounds even more interesting!   I hope you go for it.\

 

Bob Croskery