President's Corner

by Fred Lewis

For NTSA Members

It's becoming clear that 2010 will be a very significant year for modeling and simulation and for NTSA, on a number of fronts. It is a large part of my job to keep NTSA at the forefront of these rapid-fire developments, and I believe we are not only there, but are in many ways leading the charge.

I have previously mentioned the 2010 modeling and simulation Leadership Summit, the best attended most substantive of these events to date. At the Summit, which focused on development and promulgation of a national plan for M&S, we enjoyed the active and enthusiastic support, as ever, of the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus. The Summit resulted in the formation of a number of working groups which will shortly produce a series of concrete, attainable recommendations to move along a path leading to enhanced recognition at the national level of modeling and simulation technology and the integral role it plays today across the spectrum of human learning. I am becoming increasingly convinced that, because the technology has been so successful in seamlessly infusing itself into such a number and variety of human experiences, its pervasiveness in today's world has either gone unnoticed or is largely taken for granted. While this in itself is not a bad thing, it is also important to raise awareness not only of the role it plays today, but of its limitless future potential. Among other results, this Leadership Summit effort should enhance awareness among young people of the dynamism of the technology and the promise it holds for future career paths.

On another front, NTSA, in cooperation with the National Science Foundation and a number of other public and private organizations, has recently held a cyber teaching/learning conference which focuses on the challenge of leveraging M&S technology to enhance K12 education on a national level. This first meeting mandated a larger assembly, which will move into an action phase, resulting in a specific set of recommendations for embedding modeling and simulation into the educational process, in order to enhance the level of STEM education nationally. As I have said several times previously, but I believe bears repeating: the U.S. must move, and briskly, to improve the level of science, technology, engineering and math instruction, and the number of students pursuing and graduating in the sciences, if we are to remain at the technological forefront in a ruthlessly competitive world. How ruthlessly competitive? Recently I saw a television clip about a high tech entrepreneur in India, owner of a software development company. who had established a private company school to teach hundreds of young people advanced computer programming and other related skills, to fulfill his future employment needs. Enough said.

Finally, I would like to refer to remarks given by Vice Admiral John (Mike) McConnell, USN (Ret), the keynote speaker for the industry side at I/ITSEC 2009. In his speech, McConnell dramatically and forcefully pointed to the urgency of developing a national-level defense against cyber terrorism, citing the cataclysmic damage a sophisticated, coordinated and massive cyber attack could inflict on our national economic and defense infrastructures. The Admiral correctly pointed out that simulation technology could play a vital role in preparing for such an onslaught, through its ability to replicate complex theoretical events and train for optimum outcomes. I am in complete agreement with the Admiral that this is a challenge of utmost national concern. One only need see what disruption natural and human actors have already achieved in a limited context to imagine the level of chaos and paralysis a major effort would produce.

As a start to addressing this challenge through modeling and simulation, we are in the process of developing a cyber Special Event at I/ITSEC 2010. This is envisioned as a panel, comprised of diverse participants with industry, government and academic backgrounds, who will examine and hopefully define the role M&S can and should play in this critical area.

As a last note, it's by now obvious that I/ITSEC 2010 promises to be the largest and perhaps the most exciting I/ITSEC yet. The diversity and importance of the planned Special Events testify to the spread of our technology in many new and critical areas. It is personally and professionally exciting for me and for our entire membership to be a part of this growth and expansion, which is making a lasting and ongoing contribution to our national security and well-being.

Upcoming Events

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