NCS Announces 2020 Modeling & Simulation Hall of Fame Inductees

The National Center for Simulation (NCS) announced four new members for induction to the NCS Modeling and Simulation Hall of Fame. Dale P. Bennett, a retired Lockheed Martin executive who was a driving force for reinventing the way simulation was used; Dr. Pamela Boyers, associate vice chancellor for clinical simulation and assistant professor of surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center; and Dr. Charlie Hughes, University of Central Florida Pegasus Professor and founder/co-director for UCF’s Synthetic Reality Laboratory; and David L. Peters, co-founder of Diamond Visionics, LLC and visual systems pioneer, were selected.

The ceremony, which normally takes place annually at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, in front of the Wall of Fame, is postponed until 2021 due to current COVID-19 health risks.

“We’re disappointed that current conditions prohibit us from celebrating these three great individuals in person, but we look forward to combining and honoring this class with our 2021 class for the proper induction honor of these true modeling and simulation pioneers,” said George Cheros, NCS CEO and president.

The Hall of Fame, including this class, is made up of 32 distinguished individuals from varied disciplines and eras, all of whom have left a legacy in simulation for future generations.

Bennett retired from Lockheed Martin in December 2019 after 38 years, last serving in the role of executive vice president of Lockheed’s Rotary and Mission Systems business area. His career in industry and the military spans more than 40 years, and over that course, he led some of Lockheed’s most important simulation programs. His diverse background in simulation training includes experience in engineering, business development, strategic planning, independent research and development, program management, and general management.

He is credited for forging a global military paradigm shift to provide turnkey training solutions, an approach that delivered integrated, performance-based solutions focused on training outcomes to enhance warfighter readiness at reduced cost and risk.

With the escalating number of avoidable deaths due to medical error, Boyers has dedicated years to transforming the education of healthcare professionals through the adoption of modeling and simulation. She has provided national and global leadership in the concept of creating interprofessional simulation centers, which includes the design, staffing and operations of these centers as well as studying the return on investment.

Boyers is currently leading efforts at The University of Nebraska Medical Center and has created the Davis Global Center in Omaha, Nebraska. This facility houses an interprofessional simulation center that incorporates a replicated healthcare system – from home to hospital and back – where the transfer of patients and “hand-offs” can be practiced. The Davis Global Center also houses multiple modeling and simulation modalities including XReality holographic technologies, thereby embracing modeling, simulation and visualization to stimulate new methods of teaching, learning and conducting research and development.

Hughes’ accomplishments span greater than 50 years, and he has been recognized with teaching awards seven times between 1995 and 2015, making a profound difference in the lives and education of students. He has more than 80 grants and contracts, three patents, and nearly 250 publications, and his presence at the University of Central Florida (UCF), along with his mentorship of high school, undergraduate, and Ph.D. students, has made him an industry force multiplier.

He is noted for his work in virtual learning environments and has been a strong influence for the development of UCF’s position as a leader in simulation since joining UCF in 1980. He is founding director of the Synthetic Reality Laboratory, co-lead of the Learning Sciences Faculty Cluster at UCF, and founding and co-director of TeachLivE, a revolutionary simulation program that trains the teachers of America’s most at-risk students.

Peters dedicated his professional life to advancing modeling and simulation visual systems technologies. As a pioneer, he led a team that transformed visual systems for the MS&T industry and the aviation community. These advancements impacted and continue to be used today on planes such as the F-22, F-15, T-7A, and P-8A, among others.

He holds 18 patents, and perhaps the most impactful is for the 'Eye-Line of Sight Responsive Wide-Angle Visual System' that provided an optical dome system with eye-tracking, servo-driven projection system. It provided 360-degree coverage and tracked a pilot's view -- a leap forward for pilot training and MS&T.

Peters and his team also developed the first graphics processing unit (GPU) computing architecture to render native source data without the need for advanced compilation. This technology is still in use today by the Department of Defense and commercial simulators. His work changed the course for visual simulations and made a lasting impact on modeling, simulation and training.

The M&S Hall of Fame began in 2014 in partnership with Orange County Government, including the Office of Mayor Teresa Jacobs and the Orange County Convention Center. Each year, an induction ceremony is held at the Orange County Convention Center South Concourse in Orlando, Florida, the home of the NCS M&S Wall of Fame. The principal objective of the Hall of Fame is to honor and recognize individuals who have significantly contributed to advancements in M&S. A nominee’s field or area of achievement is not limited only to defense. Significant contributions in other areas (e.g. medical/healthcare, technology, entertainment, transportation, education, homeland security, gaming) are also considered.