The primary research objective of this Grant for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) award is to document the emergence of the field of computer simulation since World War II. The approach will be to capture the early history of the field by producing digital videos of interviews with the pioneers of the field whose seminal contributions have had long-lasting impacts on theory and practice, not only in computer simulation but also in the following disciplines: computer science; industrial, manufacturing, and systems engineering; and operations research and the management sciences. This project requires swift action to do the following: (a) identify those pioneers whose health enables them to participate in the project; (b) make the logistical arrangements necessary to produce high-quality digital-video recordings of structured interviews with those pioneers; and (c) carry out the interviews, edit the recordings, and post those recordings in a universally accessible permanent digital repository. Another key project objective is to provide a template that can be used as an effective guide to performing similar projects for other disciplines, and then documenting the lessons learned from those projects.
The digital videos produced by this project will be made freely available on the Web site of the Simulation Archive hosted by the North Carolina State University Libraries; and the availability of the videos will be widely publicized in the international simulation community and in the broader professional communities that sponsor and participate in the Winter Simulation Conference, including relevant professional societies for women and underrepresented minorities. Faculty members who teach simulation will be encouraged to disseminate these videos to their students and to use the videos in their courses. These videos can also be used effectively in courses on the history of science and technology and in courses on ethnic and gender studies.
