The Virginia Tech Modeling and Simulation Initiative (Initiative) is a partnership between Virginia Tech and corporate partners that provides modeling, simulation, and visualization capabilities. The Initiative aims to advance economic development in Virginia by creating technology jobs and opportunities in modeling and simulation. It provides applied research, education and training programs to students and local institutions. The Initiative utilizes various modeling capabilities and software tools to solve complex problems for clients in areas like environmental modeling, risk assessment, and education technology.

1. Modeling And Simulation As A Education, Training and
Economic Development Tool
Carole Cameron Inge, Ed.D, Executive Director
Virginia Tech Modeling and Simulation Initiative
cinge@vt.edu
James C. Turner, Jr., Ph.D, Professor of Mathematics
Virginia Tech Professor and President & CEO i3 Tech LLC
turnerj@vt.edu
Brian Caldwell, Senior Hydrogeologist
Tetra Tech, Inc.
brian.caldwell@tetratech.com
Abstract. In 2007 the Southside Business Technology Center located in Martinsville, Virginia conducted a Market
Feasibility Study validating the rapidly growing field of Modeling and Simulation (M&S), specifically in the areas of
energy and the environment. The target location for this modeling and simulation focus was southern Virginia. M&S
has been named a critical technology by the state and federal governments, and many statewide and federal stakeholders
are involved in developing this industry, specifically in Virginia’s more affluent urban communities. In order to bridge
the gaps between urban and less affluent rural communities, our university-corporate team created the Virginia Tech
Modeling and Simulation Initiative in Halifax County, Virginia. This project is also an attempt to unify Virginia Tech
expertise in M&S. The Mission of the Virginia Tech Modeling and Simulation Initiative is to provide advanced
modeling, simulation and visualization technology services to business and public clients to advance their decision and
support analyses of complex problems, contribute to the creation of new M&S technologies, increase technology-based
jobs, and promote economic development in Virginia. The Virginia Tech Modeling and Simulation Initiative offers
supercomputing capabilities, secure data storage, and Geographic Information System interface capabilities for pre-
processing, computational stage simulation capabilities, and 3-D post-processing visualization and animation. The
Virginia Tech Modeling and Simulation Initiative represents a multi-disciplined partnership between Virginia Tech and
corporate partners involved in computer modeling, simulation, visualization, and analysis primarily focused on energy
and the environment. The Virginia Tech Modeling and Simulation Initiative combines academic development and
research with real-world experience. Students gain exposure to corporate project management practices through direct
work with the our corporate partners. The team utilizes M&S technology to help students become adaptable, globally
educated, technologically competent, and to prepare them to compete in the Information Age. Internships and post
doctoral opportunities are provided where area students gain valuable work experience. The program features paid
internships on projects, support with publishing their work and presenting their work nationally.
1. VIRGINIA TECH MODELING AND
SIMULATION INITIATIVE
The Virginia Tech Modeling and Simulation Initiative
(Initiative), representing a multi-disciplined partnership
between Virginia Tech and corporate partners, is a new
organization consisting of entities involved in the
critical technology of computer modeling, simulation,
visualization and analysis. The Initiative provides a
medium where academic research and development can
combine with real-world experience and needs to form
a synergistic environment to create opportunities within
the modeling, simulation and visualization field.
Unique to this type of work is the ability to “see”
elements of complex engineering and scientific
problems that might otherwise be difficult to
understand.
While our pubic/private partnership continues to grow,
the following are our key public and private partners:
Virginia Tech, Tetra Tech, Inc., Frontline Test Services
Corporation, NASA, VMASC, i3 Tech, LLC,
Environmental Ingenuity, LLC, Conservation
Management Institute, Ward Burton Wildlife
Foundation, Casenex, Northrop Grumman, Thomas
Technical Consulting, Inc., Glerin Business Resources,
and Class of One.
1.1 Capabilities
The Initiative maintains state-of-the-art hardware
interfaces and software libraries, developing unique,
project-specific software solutions. Our team offers
expertise from some of the most advanced technology
scientists and engineers in the World (through Virginia
Tech and corporate partners) to solve complex
problems with practical solutions in an efficient
timeframe for your organization. We offer
supercomputing capabilities, secure data storage and
Geographic Information System interface capabilities
for pre-processing, of computational stage simulation
capabilities, and 3-D post-processing visualization and
animation. Some of the Initiative capabilities specific to
environmental modeling include:
Surface Water - The Initiative has the knowledge and
experience to provide support for all aspects of the

2. Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program. We
understand the complex web of technical, legal,
administrative, and social issues that influence the
TMDL development process, and this understanding is
reflected in our full range of services —water quality
monitoring, data analysis and assessment, watershed
and receiving water modeling, pollutant allocations and
trading options, analysis of BMP options, and
development of TMDL implementation plans, as well
as facilitation and public outreach.
Groundwater - One of the cornerstone’s of the
Initiative is the capability to perform numerical
simulations of groundwater. Our software library is
extensive, and our computational capability is state-of-
the-art, integrating Windows, Linux and OCX
platforms. The centerpiece of the Initiative is the FLEX
system, a 3-dimensional visualization/immersion
system manufactured by Mechdyne that seamlessly
incorporates direct data feeds from the industry
standards ArcGIS and Google Earth without format
modification. The Initiative is also capable of direct
node communication with System X, the
supercomputer at Virginia Tech.
Air - Our air quality staff of engineers, meteorologists,
chemists, economists, and policy experts provides air
quality services for an array of clients, both domestic
and international. We have extensive experience
applying air dispersion modeling techniques to evaluate
potential and existing impacts from air pollutions
sources. The Initiative routinely develops and applies
atmospheric dispersion models for Clean Air Act
permitting, risk assessments, feasibility studies (FS),
siting of monitoring equipment, and special air quality
impact analyses.
Risk Assessment - One of the Initiative’s fundamental
capabilities is the assessment of risk posed to humans
and ecosystems by contaminants in the ambient
environment. The risk assessment process utilizes
outputs from media-specific (and inter-media)
geochemical, fate and transport, and other models
which are Initiative staples. This information is then
combined with anthropomorphic, land use, receptor
characteristic / habit and toxicological data to estimate
the nature and magnitude the threat posed to exposed
populations.
In addition to environmental media modeling, the
Initiative also provides capabilities related to the
following:
Information Technology (IT) Services – IT Services
are an integral part of environmental modeling.
Integration of computational resources with geographic
information systems (GIS) is critical, as this links the
quantifiable aspects of the environmental media with
spatial data. Computational platforms can then be
streamlined to minimize pre-processing of data to
maximize computing efficiency, and to directly import
to any post-processing software for maximizing
visualization and analysis. Some of the key IT features
of the Initiative include: Systems Integration; Data
Analysis and Visualization; Web Services
Development; Database and Interface Development;
Model and Interface Development; and Geographic
Information Systems.
Modeling and Simulation in the Education
Technology, Human Factors, Cognitive Science and
Biomechanical Engineering Segments – Initiative
staff have conducted cognitive research in the areas of
synchronous and asynchronous technology education
This includes working with educational clients on the
cognitive and human physical facets of using advanced
technology for instructional purposes, designing
research studies and analyzing the effect of video-based
materials on student achievement.
1.2 Projects and Applications
A sampling of our resident modeling projects and
applications include:
Groundwater Modeling and Soil Risk Assessment
Modeling at Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant,
Chattanooga Tennessee – Numerical Finite Difference
modeling of flow and the fate and transport of
contamination is being performed to evaluate the
remedial alternatives for groundwater, and to actively
direct on-going source soil remediation.
Groundwater Modeling at Iowa Army Ammunition
Plant, Middletown Iowa – Numerical Finite
Difference and analytical modeling of groundwater is
being conducted in off-post areas that have the potential
to impact surface water; this modeling is also being
used to design and execute the active remediation of the
groundwater.
Modeling of the Equilibrium Geochemical
Relationships Between Inorganics in Soil, Sediment,
and Groundwater at Naval Air Station, Pensacola
Florida – Geostatistical modeling using linear
regression and correlation modeling and population
statistical modeling is being conducted to define areas
of soil and groundwater that are in equilibrium and
those that are impacted by anthropogenic activities and
require remediation.
2. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
The Initiative capitalizes on its capabilities through
developing applied research projects and programs both
within the Virginia Tech system as well as local
colleges and learning institutes. The Initiative seeks
collaborative synergy by identifying project and
program opportunities and working to bring the talent
and the applied research together through marketing the
technical capabilities described above.
2.1 Virginia Tech Programs
Over time, the Initiative hopes to build graduate and
post doctoral research programs that are operated
directly from the Riverstone facility. The current focus
has been to partner on applied research projects that can
benefit from the Initiative’s capabilities along with the
strengths of Virginia Tech researchers and programs.

3. One such example is the Initiative’s recent partnership
with the Virginia Tech Locomotion Research
Laboratory, managed by nationally-recognized vision
researcher Dr. Thurmon Lockhart, as well as Dr. Tonya
Smith-Jackson, Director of the Human Factors
Engineering and Ergonomics Center at Virginia Tech.
This research team performs many facets of human gait
research including slips and falls research to provide
new scientific knowledge on the causes of and
prevention of accidents involving human locomotion.
The application of this research includes industrial
safety, environmental design, rehabilitation and
military performance. The laboratory combines both
human subject testing and computational modeling to
investigate relationships between age-related
biomechanical, physiological, and psychological
changes and their ultimate effect on the processes of
these accidents.
The Initiative’s collaboration in this area includes an
ongoing project to create a research design for military
contractors interested in developing the next generation
of night vision technology. Through the combined
talents of the existing Virginia locomotion and human
factors researchers and the modeling and simulation
capabilities of the Initiative, the project team’s research
provides opportunities for the project client to better
understand how soldiers can perceive visual
information while moving and wearing night vision
goggles on their helmets.
2.2 Local Educational Planned Programs and
Projects
The Initiative hopes to develop additional educational
partnerships in the upcoming years that are focused on
the Initiative acting as a resource to the local
community. Specifically, the Initiative is coordinating
with area community colleges and advanced learning
centers to help build and develop their curriculum in
the areas of modeling and simulation.
The Initiative’s target groups include:
• Local Community Colleges
o Southside Virginia Community
College (SVCC)
o Danville Community College (DCC)
• Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
(IALR)
• Southern Virginia Higher Education Center
• Halifax County and City of Danville Public
Schools
In addition to serving as a physical community resource
to these educational entities, the Initiative is working
cooperatively with these and other educational interest
groups to provide partnering opportunities to seek grant
and research opportunities to help build capabilities
among the institutions as well as their staff and
students.
The Initiative will continue to seek these and other
opportunities as a key mission focus. Other
community-based educational opportunities include
providing specialized training opportunities to special
interested groups such as disabled veterans and their
families.
3. NEW TRAINING APPROACHES &
SIMULATION TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Today the field of computer simulation is on the
threshold of a new era. Advances in mathematical
modeling, computational algorithms, computational
speed, and the science and technology of data-intensive
computing are driving progress in engineering, science,
technology, and education. Whereas a decade ago many
science and engineering educators were content to have
their students view simulations as “black boxes” with
no need to learn what is inside the boxes, our increasing
reliance on computers makes this view less prevalent
today, and much less prevalent in the future.
Consequently, there is a need for more vigorous
training in computation-based simulation.
However, the challenges of meeting the growing
demands for computationally trained students while
simultaneously adapting science and engineering
curricula to the rapid advances in computer technology
are difficult to conquer with traditional educational
methods. The Initiative employs new formats for
training the next generation of modeling and simulation
professionals and specialists. In particular, new types of
interactive courseware, reusable simulation packages,
new learning and training environments and new
business models for educational infrastructure will be
presented.
3.1 Interactive Courseware
Traditional courseware consists of educational material
intended as kits for teachers or trainers or as tutorials
for students, usually packaged for use with a computer.
Traditional courseware is typically more instructionally
than interactive. The Initiative is focusing on
developing and promoting interactive courseware that
takes a more blended approach to learning through
online simulation training modules that teach a
particular area of simulation based upon science and
engineering.
These specialized education modules (SEMs) combine
to form online modeling and simulation education
courseware targeted for researchers, professors, staff or
students. Each module provides comfortable learning
environments, with access to databases, online
resources, utilities, and hot links to related material via
the internet. These modules all apply standardized
terminology which is based upon the particular field of
simulation it is intended for–science or engineering.
They contain a series of lectures, along with examples
and assigned projects. Modules are designed so that
students can learn through hands-on experiences with
projects that bring together different aspects of real-
world simulation development: physics/mechanics,
mathematics, numerics, and software. Built-in quizzes

4. are available to assess a student’s progress. Step-by-
step each student becomes acquainted with the
specialized module.
To see Module 1 (shown in Figure 1) – “Introduction to
Computational Science” in action, please visit our
partner’s website:
http:www.icubedtech.com
Figure 1: Computational Science Learning Module
Application
These modules can be used to complement in-class
lectures or in support of distance education. Also, the
materials contained in these modules can be customized
to fit a specific curriculum need.
3.2 Reusable Simulation Packages
The modeling and simulation industry for many
years has focused on site- and project-specific
applications. Most simulations are monolithic,
massive undertakings intended to satisfy one
specific set of objectives without regard for
possible reuse by future efforts. This includes
lacking foresight into future endeavors within the
undertaking or by outside researchers or project
teams working on technology advancements or
add-ons. This approach has led to redundancy of
effort and inconsistency in the modeling industry
in simulation analyses.
The Initiative, through its partnership with i3 Tech
LLC, seeks to improve upon this aspect of
computation modeling through development and
use of reusable simulation tools and techniques.
To date, the Initiative’s efforts in this area have
been evaluating and using an object oriented
development framework for the solution of partial
differential equations called Diffpack. Diffpack,
developed and marketed by inuTech, is an object-
oriented problem solving environment for the
numerical modeling and solution of partial
differential equations (PDEs). Since most
computational modeling makes use of PDEs, the
Initiative believes its application is boundless.
By its design, Diffpack provides a very high
degree of modeling flexibility, while still
maintaining the computational efficiency needed
for the most demanding simulation problems in
science and engineering. Due to its modular and
object-oriented design, Diffpack also grants high
efficiency with respect to human resources.
An example application of Diffpack (courtesy of
Simula Research Laboratory AS) is in an
application to the solution to a model of the
electrical activity in the human heart. The
mathematical model consists of 3 coupled PDE:
one is modeling the propagation of the electrical
signal in the heart chambers (shown in Figure 2),
the second one in the heart tissue, and the third
models the transport from the heart surface to
throughout the body. In addition to the PDEs there
is a set of 12 coupled ordinary differential
equations modeling the chemical reactions defined
locally for each node.

5. Figure 2: Diffpack Solution for Heart Chamber
Simulation
The Initiative hopes to utilize Diffpack to develop
custom solutions to many of the canned modeling and
simulation products for future projects.
4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A primary function of the Initiative is to attract new
technology companies to southern Virginia that have
modeling, simulation and visualization needs and/or
provides tools to make existing technology companies
more successful. Through public and private
partnerships, the Initiative serves to promote job growth
in high-paying technology fields; thus providing a
unique economic development tool for the area.
Specifically, the Initiative creates research and
consulting opportunities locally, throughout the U.S.
and internationally by way of academic research,
grants, and contracts. The Initiative also supports the
Governor’s goal of making the Commonwealth of
Virginia a national leader in modeling, simulation and
visualization technology.

6. Figure 2: Diffpack Solution for Heart Chamber
Simulation
The Initiative hopes to utilize Diffpack to develop
custom solutions to many of the canned modeling and
simulation products for future projects.
4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A primary function of the Initiative is to attract new
technology companies to southern Virginia that have
modeling, simulation and visualization needs and/or
provides tools to make existing technology companies
more successful. Through public and private
partnerships, the Initiative serves to promote job growth
in high-paying technology fields; thus providing a
unique economic development tool for the area.
Specifically, the Initiative creates research and
consulting opportunities locally, throughout the U.S.
and internationally by way of academic research,
grants, and contracts. The Initiative also supports the
Governor’s goal of making the Commonwealth of
Virginia a national leader in modeling, simulation and
visualization technology.