Established in 2014, the Modeling & Simulation Hall of Fame recognizes accomplishments and contributions of individuals who have pioneered the development of modeling and simulation
The National Center for Simulation (NCS) inducted its 2024 honorees for the Modeling & Simulation (MS&T) Hall of Fame: UCF Professor and augmented and virtual reality pioneer Carolina Cruz-Neira; former UCF leader and late Navy Capt. Daniel Holsenbeck; and Vice President and Group General Manager for EA Tiburon Studios and American Football Daryl Holt. The induction ceremony will take place at Orange County Convention Center’s (OCCC) South Concourse, bringing the total number of NCS MS&T Hall of Fame honorees to 42.
The NCS is a nonprofit trade association that operates as an open consortium with government, academic and industry members. Its goals include facilitating MS&T innovation, supporting public policies that promote the development and growth of MS&T, developing/growing the MS&T workforce, and increasing the MS&T industrial base.
“I really look forward to this time of year when we get to recognize our colleagues and pioneers in the MS&T industry who have contributed so much,” says George Cheros, NCS president and CEO. “Their leadership and accomplishments in their different areas contribute to the growth of the modeling and simulation field and impact every industry sector. Our inductees’ work has impacted products the public consumes, influenced the entertainment industry it enjoys, and ensured the national security that makes our way of life possible.”
Cruz-Neira is a professor at the Agere Chair Professor in UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. Her NCS Hall of Fame inclusion recognizes her pioneering work grounded in modeling and simulation, which has a strong emphasis on visual and interactive tools, as well as hardware and software technologies. Cruz-Neira’s work has been instrumental in facilitating data analysis, decision-making, design reviews, and training and education. Earlier this year, she was also inducted to the inaugural Augmented World Expo (AWE) XR Hall of Fame.
She has earned global acclaim in the MS&T community for creating the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment virtual reality system, and her efforts have become standard tools recognized by professionals in government, industry and academia. Cruz-Neira has also made significant contributions to the fields of virtual reality, interactive visualization, high-performance computing, and digital twins.
She has received praise from major companies as varied as Raytheon, Proctor & Gamble Co., and Ford Motors for increasing product safety, and improving design and production processes that have saved time and millions of dollars. Cruz-Neira’s innovations have influenced training and research for NASA, the U.S. military, and U. S. National Laboratories. Her leadership in addressing large problems by forming interdisciplinary teams have become a key to innovation and considered standard practice in driving American competitiveness in the global economy.