Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus


	Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Founder and Co-Chairman Congressman Solomon Ortiz, Co-Chairman
	May 2009 Save the Date! Fourth Annual Capitol Hill Modeling & Simulation Expo July 15, 2008 This summer, top-notch M&S demonstrations from around the country will be brought to the nation’s capital July 15, 2009 at the Capitol Hill Modeling & Simulation Expo. The National Training & Simulation Association in conjunction with the members of the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus invite you to join them to take part in cutting-edge hands-on demonstrations such as: - Taking control of an entire city during a natural disaster. - Playing a round of virtual golf. - Flying state of the art aircraft. - Learning a foreign language and/or learn to use sign language. - Performing virtual surgery using state of the art robotics. The Exhibition hours will be 10:00 AM to 3:00PM. Members of the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus, as well as representatives from the exhibiting corporations, will be on hand during the event. The Congressional Caucus is headed by Rep. Randy Forbes (VA-04) and Rep. Solomon Ortiz (TX-24). The Exhibition is sponsored by the National Training and Simulation Association, the national representative of the modeling and simulation community of practice. For further information or to be considered as a presenter at this event, please contact Debbie Dyson of NTSA via ddyson@ndia.org or 703-247-9480. Simulation Technology Helps to Control Spreading the Flu Researchers worldwide are using modeling and simulation technology to help isolate the spread of the H1N1 virus. Purdue University Regional Visualization and Analytics Center, in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, created a program that simulates the pandemic spread of the flu to determine how best to reduce its spread. The program, called PanViz uses published epidemiology literature and data from the 1918 flu pandemic in its simulation study. Purdue University Professor David Ebert, who led the research, states that actually visualizing how specific actions affect the spread of a flu pandemic is very valuable to public health officials. The simulation helps to demonstrate how certain actions affect the availability of hospital beds, the percentage of ill people and the percentage of deaths. It also helps public health officials make a more educated decision in when to administer drugs, when to close schools, and when to issue media alerts for social-distancing measures. Another simulation model, developed by the University of Western Australia's School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, creates a community to simulate the affects of the flu virus. The model, which is believed to be the most accurate representation of a community, includes individual schools, employers and the exact make-up of households. The more similarities that the model shares with the communities, the more accurately it can predict the impact of the epidemic and the precautions that can prevent it from spreading. The University of Western Australia's simulation was able to show that “social distancing” measures could potentially hold the illness rate at 16 percent, which is a substantial difference to the illness rate of 73 percent if the measures are not used. “Social distancing” measures are precautions such as home isolation and school closures. Scholars to Examine Future in Medicine This summer, young scholars will have the opportunity to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine. The forums will take place in eight different cities around the U.S. and each forum will last for ten days. Students that participate will be introduced to a variety of issues in public health, medical ethics, research and general practice. They will even visit medical facilities and clinics. Students will use simulation-based learning methods that allow them to review a fictional patient’s case history and diagnose and develop a treatment plan for the patient. In addition to site visits, participants will have the opportunity to hear from and interact with leaders within the medical field. They will be able to engage with surgeons, physicians, researchers, scientists and medical educators. “Each student may very well be the face of the future of medicine,” said NYLF Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Marguerite C. Regan. “The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine creates a virtual classroom with hospitals, clinical facilities and healthcare professionals. By shadowing key personnel, these students will have a great opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes perspective on a medical career. Timing is critical as young people explore their career paths, just prior to immersing themselves in college coursework.” For more information on the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, click here. U.Va.'s New 'Bay Game' Launch The University of Virginia (U.Va) has released a new simulation game that helps students experience the role of farmers, policymakers, land developers, and concerned citizens. The software, called U.Va. Bay Game, is based around the Chesapeake Watershed and allows students to model environmental impact. The simulation tool is composed of 43,000 mathematical equations, including the statistics on real variables such as crab population and pollution. The main goal for the program is to increase students’ knowledge about their role in protecting the environment and to create solutions that would lead to enhanced sustainability in the bay. For now, the tool is going to be a learning experience for university students, but the school hopes to release it to a wider audience in the near future. The developers think that it will help shape public policy and investment trends. The benefits of the simulation software could eventually help make predictions that could reshape the nation’s weakened financial system. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers 64,000 miles and over six states. This makes it a unique problem for a large number of stakeholders who can now benefit from the information that the simulation can provide. The U.Va. Bay Game was released on April 22, 2009 after it had been developed for only six months. For more information on U.V.A's simulation game, click here. If you would like to submit an article to be included in the M&S Caucus Newsletter, please email your article to the Caucus. M&S Caucus Member Spotlight Congressman Joe Wilson Hometown: Springdale, South Carolina Congressional District: 2^nd Congressional District of South Carolina Years in Congress: 7 years Committee Assignments: Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Education and Labor Government M&S in his district: University of South Carolina (VMEP), Marine Corps Air Station – Beaufort Rep. Wilson on M&S: “The modeling and simulation industry has proven to be an invaluable part of our nation’s efforts to build a 21^st century military. I know firsthand the benefits our military personnel have seen with the use of simulation and modeling tools at military installations in the Second Congressional District of South Carolina. Strong support for the M&S industry will ensure that the United States military remains the best trained, best equipped, and most capable fighting force in the world.” To visit Rep. Wilson's website, go to: http://www.joewilson.house.gov/. Upcoming Events Training & Simulation Industry Symposium (TSIS) June 10-11, 2009 Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld Orlando, FL Held in conjunction with the AUSA Army Ball (June 13) This is a Preeminent Training and Simulation opportunity to hear the latest requirements and learn about procurement opportunities from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Presentations will identify near term and mid term requirements and acquisition strategies. There will be numerous opportunities to network with key Government and other Industry Partners in the Training and Simulation business. For more information, click here. MODSIM World Conference & Expo October 14-16, 2009 Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia For 2009, the MODSIM World Conference & Expo will focus on 21st Century Decision-Making : The Art of Modeling & Simulation. Speakers, educational tracks, presentations, and product demonstrations will center on using modeling and simulation tools and practices in emerging & innovative operating environments. Attendees will learn about new applications and practices and have an opportunity to network with other industry professionals. For more information, click here. Interservice/Industry, Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) November 30 - December 3, 2009 Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL The Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) promotes cooperation among the Armed Services, Industry, Academia and various Government agencies in pursuit of improved training and education programs, identification of common training issues and development of multiservice programs. Initiated in 1966 as the Naval Training Device Center/Industry Conference, the conference has evolved and expanded through increased participation by the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Industry. In 1979 it became known as the Interservice/Industry Training Equipment Conference. For more information click here. M&S Must See Students Get Behind Wheel Of DUI Simulator For Prom Safety April 17, 2009 WPXI.com Drinking and driving on prom night has been a major concern for parents of teenagers for years. In Pennsylvania, new modeling and simulation technology allows teens to experience the loss of control and reflexes one would experience while under the influence of alcohol. Click the video below to watch more. To read the full article, click here. If you have a video on M&S that you would like to have featured in a future issue of the Modeling and Simulation Newsletter, please email them to the M&S Newsletter. M&S Must Reads Students, Local Officials Make Disaster Drill Work May 8, 2009 The Greeneville Sun Some 1,000 Greeneville and Greene County high school students took part on Thursday in the largest disaster exercise of its kind ever conducted here. The local exercise was part of TNCAT09 (for Tennessee Catastrophic Exercise 2009), a full-scale Tennessee Homeland Security exercise held at multiple sites across the state, according to Bill Brown, director of the Greeneville-Greene County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. To continue reading, click here. Virtual construction site to help build people management skills May 5, 2009 24dash.com in Housing The macho world of construction isn’t the most obvious place to look for a new approach to people skills training. Yet ‘soft skills’ such as the ability to communicate clearly and inspire a team are as critical to the success of any building project as technical expertise. To continue reading, click here. New COD nursing complex dedicated May 2, 2009 The Desert Sun The computerized human simulators at the new Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation Nursing Complex at College of the Desert are so lifelike, students say, they can even have full-on heart attacks.“In the hospital, we don't get to see every experience we'll (need),” said Elva Torres of Indio, who will graduate as a registered nurse later this month. “We don't get to see a ‘code blue' (cardiac arrest). We can see it here.” To continue reading, click here. ASU’s Decision Theater charts swine flu progress May 1, 2009 Phoenix Business Journal Maricopa County is getting help from Arizona State University’s Decision Theater in charting how the swine flu might spread across the Valley. The computer simulation center at ASU’s Tempe campus is tracking the virus and working with county and state officials to see whether they can spot any trends. To continue reading, click here. Influenza pandemic epicenter scenario simulated April 27, 2009 The Jakarta Post , Makassar To prepare for any possible outbreak of bird flu, the ministry of health launched a two-day simulation for the prevention of an influenza pandemic in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Saturday. The simulation was held in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta in three locations - Kassi-Kassi community health center (Puskesmas), Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital and Soekarno Hatta port. To continue reading, click here. Inside the War Games for U.S. Air Force Fighter Pilots April 2009 U.S. Air Force, AIMS Points No U.S. airplane—or any other in the world—can match the F-22 in a dogfight during combat training. To get experience in realistic battle conditions, Raptor pilots—always the Blue Team— are training with U.S. pilots who serve as adversaries, or "Red Teams." Last week, Raptor pilots finished training against Navy F-15s and F/A-18 Super Hornets in Japan. From February through April, Nellis hosts F-22s at the 2009 Red Flag war games, a six-week, multinational training exercise held at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska and at Nellis. To continue reading, click here. Computer Model Says UNC Will Win Tournament March 2009 CNN.com Here's a hot tip: The University of North Carolina is going to win the NCAA men's basketball tournament. A Georgia Tech professor's computer model suggests UNC will win this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament. 1 of 2 At least that's the prediction of Joel Sokol, a Georgia Tech professor whose statistical model correctly selected the Final Four, championship game and winner of last year's tournament. To continue reading, click here. Patient-Specific Simulation to Improve Understanding of Cerebral Aneurysms March 2, 2009 Business Wire ANSYS, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANSS), a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes, today announced that the @neurIST project has completed a major milestone toward its goal of helping clinicians understand and manage cerebral aneurysms. The project teamed with ANSYS to incorporate high-end engineering simulation, which is being increasingly used in the fields of biomedicine and healthcare. To continue reading, click here. Revealed: The Headset That Will Mimic All Five Senses and Make the Virtual World as Convincing as Real Life March 5, 2009 Science&Tech A virtual reality helmet that recreates the sights, smells, sounds and even tastes of far-flung destinations has been devised by British scientists. The device will allow users a life-like experience of places such as Kenya's Masai Mara while sitting on their sofa. They can also enjoy the smell of flowers. Scientists say the device will also enable users to greet friends and family on the other side of the world as though they were in the same room. To continue reading, click here. Modest Reduction in Salt Intake Could Reduce Heart-Related Deaths March 2009 Health News Using a computer simulation called the Coronary Heart Disease Policy Model, researchers estimated the impact of reducing salt by 0 to 6 grams on heart disease and deaths from disease. They found that for every gram of salt Americans cut from their diet, there would be 250,000 fewer new cases of heart disease and more than 200,000 fewer heart-related deaths in the next 10 years. A 3-gram per day reduction in salt, or 1,200 milligrams of sodium, among all Americans would result in 6 percent fewer new cases of heart disease, 8 percent fewer heart attacks, and 3 percent few deaths. To continue reading, click here. Sustainable Security in Afghanistan Requires Sweeping U.S. Policy Overhaul March 2009 Center for American Progress “To meet the complex challenges of our time we must use all the tools of our national power: defense, diplomacy and development… Military means alone will not work in Afghanistan, to move in a new direction we must forge a new strategy” said Rudy deLeon, Senior VP for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, in his opening remarks at “Swords and Ploughshares,” a CAP event hosted Thursday. The event featured a newly released CAP report, “Swords and Ploughshares: Sustainable Security in Afghanistan Requires Sweeping U.S. Policy Overhaul,” by Reuben Brigety, Director of CAP’s Sustainable Security Program. To continue reading, click here. Advanced Turbine Engine Materials Key to Higher Efficiency, Lower Emissions March 2009 Press Release Newswire Green and Furrer estimate that transportation as a sector contributes approximately 20 percent of global emissions. Therefore, turbine engine manufacturers are stepping up research on more efficient fuel combustion. A significant reduction of emissions may be possible by improved specific fuel consumption, which reduces the fuel requirements of the engine and will also ease the burden of extracting increasingly scarce natural resources. The European Union is working to implement an emissions trading scheme, which will include aviation, by 2012. To contend with this and foreseeable regulations, reductions in fuel consumption and emissions are required. To continue reading, click here. Colossal Computing Power, Itty Bitty Storage Space March 2009 Sci-Tech Today MNB Technologies is developing the wearable supercomputer as part of the Simulation Center in a Box Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, though before the company received that award, it already was working on the concept using its own capital. The supercomputers will have the raw computing performance of six to 12 normal desktop computers and are as powerful as what national laboratories had in place a decade ago. Each of these computers can facilitate applications that normally would run on a small cluster. To continue reading, click here. For the Women and Men Who Play It, This Game is No Game March 2009 PilotOnline They've never walked the dusty streets of an Iraqi town or laid eyes on Afghanistan's mountainous terrain. They've never manned the turret of a Humvee or scanned the horizon for a homemade bomb. They've never served in uniform at all. But Zach Phillips and Olen Bruce have expertise the military covets. They're computer programmers who create an ever-changing virtual world where soldiers and Marines can practice searching for improvised explosive devices before setting foot in a war zone. To continue reading, click here. If you have news articles on M&S that you would like to have featured in a future issue of the Modeling and Simulation Newsletter, please email them to the M&S Newsletter. Modeling & Simulation e-newsletter Join the Modeling and Simulation Caucus email newsletter list by signing up online at http://randyforbes.house.gov/mscaucus. In addition, you can stay informed by reading past issues online. If your organization would like to be featured in a future issue of the Modeling and Simulation Government Highlight section, please email background information and photos to the M&S Newsletter.
	Founded by Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia, the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus serves to showcase M&S contributions, to promote the M&S industry, and to be a forum for Members of Congress to understand the importance of M&S in a variety of fields. For more information on the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus, please visit http://randyforbes.house.gov/mscaucus. Please do not reply to this email. It has been sent from an unattended mailbox.