Interim Director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Simulation & Training Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira traveled in late May to Madrid, Spain to deliver a Keynote Address at the Annual Modeling and Simulation Conference hosted by The Society for Modeling & Simulations International. Cruz-Neira discussed “Unlocking the Future: 30 Years of Innovation at the Crossroads of Visualization, Immersion, and Digital Twins.” Cruz-Neira is also the Agere Chair Professor in Computer Science with UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. In 2026, the Conference will be hosted by UCF and presided over by Dr. Ghaith Rabadi, Professor and Graduate Program Director at the School of Modeling, Simulation, and Training (SMST) at UCF’s College of Engineering and Computers Science.

Dr. David Metcalf, Director of the IST’s Mixed Emerging Technology Integration Lab, served as a panelist recently at the Navigating Uncertainty: Simulation as a Tool for Policy Innovation webinar hosted by the National Training & Simulation Association at NDIA. Metcalf discussed how simulation advancements in emerging technologies like AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity (ABC) are relevant to smart, trusted and secure models that can drive policy.