About+Us

Allow me to tell you a bit more about the Hampton Roads Modeling and Simulation Initiative and what we're attempting to do. Members of the initiative are from the business, K-20 + education, government, industry, and training communities of Hampton Roads (VA), and are united by their common, collective interest in using and/or promoting the application of modeling, simulation, visualization, game-based learning, and systems dynamics as tools for "enhancing and enriching" STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education , train ing and creat ing a 21st Century workforce , and for bolster ing the economic competitiveness of Hampton Roads and Virginia. (The se are also "must have" skills for the engineers and scientists graduating in 2015 - 2020.)

The NASA Langley Research Center (Dr. Thom Pinelli) and Old Dominion University's (ODU), Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center (VMASC) (Dr. Ginger Watson), in cooperation with the National Institute of Aerospace (Virginia Potocki) are leading the education, training, and workforce development component s of the initiative. Our implementation plan calls for introducing modeling, simulation, visualization, game-based learning, and systems dynamics beginning first with high schools followed by the middle schools. We're working directly with the 19 Region II school divisions and various professional/ education groups. Our plan includes sponsoring a number of discipline-specific workshops (mathematics, physics, biology, engineering) for high school teachers, a week-long summer "interdisciplinary/integration" workshop, and MODSIM World 2008 Conference and Expo (September 16-18, 2008) at the Convention Center in Virginia Beach. To help accomplish our goals, we created the MODSIM Education and Training Advisory Group in late 2007. Membership is strictly voluntary and open to individuals from the business, K-20 education, government, industry, and training communities. The panel’s purpose is to (1) identify needs, propose solutions, promote discussion, and act as a forum for the education and training component of the Hampton Roads MODSIM Initiative; (2) spearhead and support activities that advance the role of education and training within that mission; and (3) conduct workshops designed to introduce and integrate modeling, simulation, visualization, game-based learning, and systems dynamics into the K-20 curriculum. ( MODSIM is broadly defined to include all aspects and elements of modeling, simulation, visualization, game-based learning, and systems dynamics. ) Members of the group are united by their common, collective interest in using and/or promoting MODSIM applications in education and training that ultimately foster the economic competitiveness of Hampton Roads and Virginia. Fundamental to the panel’s mission is the belief that education and training are: (1) indispensable to 21st century workforce development; (2) essential to developing technological literacy; (3) critical to future success in K-20 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education; and (4) fundamental to the growth of MODSIM in Hampton Roads and Virginia. Dr. Thomas E. Pinelli Mail Stop 400 NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA 23681-2199 Email: Thomas.E.Pinelli@NASA.GOV Phone: 757-864-2491 FAX: 757-864-6521

A wiki [|http://modsim.wikispaces.com/] serves as a communications link and hub for the group. Sheila M. Teri __ Sheila.Teri@VBSchools.com __ is the wikimaster.