Scholarly Community

A world leader in modeling and simulation (M&S), Old Dominion University (ODU) created the first M&S degree programs through the Department of Modeling, Simulation, and Engineering Visualization and establishing the Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC). The University facilitates a university-wide, interdisciplinary M&S movement where faculty and students from every academic college use M&S approaches to address the challenges of their discipline.

 

OUR ACADEMIC HISTORY

We progress digital innovation and thought leadership through revolutionary model and design thinking in the simulation science field.

VMASC was created in 1997 at the request of the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish a wargaming center in Hampton Roads that needed both workforce research and development (R&D) and development support in the modeling and simulation (M&S) field. At the time, ODU's Director of Military Activities, Captain Dick Whalen, USN-Ret., and Old Dominion University President, James Koch, were already eager to seek military partnership opportunities due to tight budgets of higher education. In response, ODU President Koch front-ended the first $500,000 when Old Dominion University did not have much money, taking a tremendous risk.

In February of 1997, President Koch approved a strategic plan, outlining goals and establishing milestones, discussing the use of their simulation technologies to be expanded into the private sector, and developing a graduate studies program to teach the new technologies. Only several months later, VMASC received the largest contract award in ODU's history up to that time, totaling $12.2 million over five years from USACOM, proving President Koch's tremendous risk successful. The following year, ODU's newly instituted M&S Master's program admitted nine students, fulfilling another piece of President Koch's strategic plan.

A primary mission, since VMASC's founding, has always been the pursuit of academic success. The Center was among the first in the world to offer post-graduate and graduate degrees in modeling and simulation (M&S) and dedicated much of the growth and advancement of scholarly work in the field. Today, VMASC scholars and students engage with cutting-edge technologies and methods to advance knowledge and define the future of scholarship in M&S.

 



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STUDENT CAPSTONE CONFERENCE

Student presentations afford them the opportunity to impart their innovative research to members of the M&S community from academic, industry, and government backgrounds.

VMASC has hosted the Student Capstone Conference since 2007 as an initiative for students from the ODU M&S graduate program and other U.S. universities to present their work in a number of concentration areas. Students present their research to an audience of fellow students, faculty, judges, and other distinguished guests. For the students, these presentations allow them to impart their innovative research to members of the M&S community from academic, industry, and government backgrounds.

The MSV Student Capstone Conference offers six presentation tracks this year of 2021: Business & Industry, Virtual Environments, General Sciences & Engineering, Infrastructure Security/Military Application, Medical Simulation, and Transportation, Education & Training. Each track has two awards: the best paper and the best presentation. The overall winner of the conference will be honored with the Gene Newman award.

The award was established by previous VMASC Executive Director, Mike McGinnis, in 2007; the award is given for overall best presentation, best paper, and research contribution. The Gene Newman Award for Excellence in M&S Research is an award that honors Mr. Eugene Newman for his pioneering effort in supporting and advancing modeling and simulation. Mr. Newman played a significant role in the creation of VMASC by realizing the need for credentialed experts in the M&S workforce, both military and industry. His foresight has affected both the economic development and the high level of expertise in the M&S community of Hampton Roads. The Students receiving this award will have proven themselves to be outstanding researchers and practitioners of modeling and simulation.

Scholarly Community

OUR ACADEMIC HISTORY

We progress digital innovation and thought leadership through revolutionary model and design thinking in the simulation science field.

VMASC was created in 1997 at the request of the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish a wargaming center in Hampton Roads that needed both workforce research and development (R&D) and development support in the modeling and simulation (M&S) field. At the time, ODU's Director of Military Activities, Captain Dick Whalen, USN-Ret., and Old Dominion University President, James Koch, were already eager to seek military partnership opportunities due to tight budgets of higher education. In response, ODU President Koch front-ended the first $500,000 when Old Dominion University did not have much money, taking a tremendous risk.

In February of 1997, President Koch approved a strategic plan, outlining goals and establishing milestones, discussing the use of their simulation technologies to be expanded into the private sector, and developing a graduate studies program to teach the new technologies. Only several months later, VMASC received the largest contract award in ODU's history up to that time, totaling $12.2 million over five years from USACOM, proving President Koch's tremendous risk successful. The following year, ODU's newly instituted M&S Master's program admitted nine students, fulfilling another piece of President Koch's strategic plan.

A primary mission, since VMASC's founding, has always been the pursuit of academic success. The Center was among the first in the world to offer post-graduate and graduate degrees in modeling and simulation (M&S) and dedicated much of the growth and advancement of scholarly work in the field. Today, VMASC scholars and students engage with cutting-edge technologies and methods to advance knowledge and define the future of scholarship in M&S.

More of VMASC History


STUDENT CAPSTONE CONFERENCE

Student presentations afford them the opportunity to impart their innovative research to members of the M&S community from academic, industry, and government backgrounds.

VMASC has hosted the Student Capstone Conference since 2007 as an initiative for students from the ODU M&S graduate program and other U.S. universities to present their work in a number of concentration areas. Students present their research to an audience of fellow students, faculty, judges, and other distinguished guests. For the students, these presentations allow them to impart their innovative research to members of the M&S community from academic, industry, and government backgrounds.

The MSV Student Capstone Conference offers six presentation tracks this year of 2021: Business & Industry, Virtual Environments, General Sciences & Engineering, Infrastructure Security/Military Application, Medical Simulation, and Transportation, Education & Training. Each track has two awards: the best paper and the best presentation. The overall winner of the conference will be honored with the Gene Newman award.

The award was established by previous VMASC Executive Director, Mike McGinnis, in 2007; the award is given for overall best presentation, best paper, and research contribution. The Gene Newman Award for Excellence in M&S Research is an award that honors Mr. Eugene Newman for his pioneering effort in supporting and advancing modeling and simulation. Mr. Newman played a significant role in the creation of VMASC by realizing the need for credentialed experts in the M&S workforce, both military and industry. His foresight has affected both the economic development and the high level of expertise in the M&S community of Hampton Roads. The Students receiving this award will have proven themselves to be outstanding researchers and practitioners of modeling and simulation.

Conference Website

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