OERI Corner
Employment Recognitions
KALEEN LAWSURE
SALINAS
VIRGINIA ZAMPONI
Employment Recognitions
Employment Recognitions
OERI New Hires
Seth Huthmaker Project Scientist for CSICS
Monthly Awards & Proposals
Across OERI
VDMC Game Entry Wins People’s Choice Award at I/ITSEC
December 4, 2026
VDMC’s Senior Project Scientist
Gul Ayaz won the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge (SGS&C) People's Choice Award for her game entry - Cyber Hâ‚‚O at Interservice / Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference!
We are so proud of Gul and all her accomplishments!
This water simulation game began as an initiative supported by Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Experiential Learning Program, which funds projects that prepare Virginia students for successful careers in cybersecurity. It reflects the creativity and dedication of the core team, Gul, Katherine Smith, and Rafael Diaz.
It's wonderful to see collaboration, innovation, and research being turned into real-world learning experiences!
Gul Ayaz
Across OERI
VDMC’s Elementary Outreach at Green
December 12, 2025
VDMC visited Ms. Hawthorne’s first-grade class at Greenbrier Primary School in Chesapeake for an engaging, hands-on learning experience. Students listened to the story Who Sank the Boat? while learning about different types of boats and basic engineering concepts. They then applied their knowledge by designing and building their own boats, testing how many animals they could keep afloat. The visit provided an interactive opportunity for students to explore problem-solving and creativity through fun, experiential learning, as well as being introduced to the maritime world at a young age.
Across OERI
Karen Prado Retirement Celebration
January 8, 2026
OERI celebrated Business Operations Generalist Karen Prado’s retirement after 22 years of dedicated service. We can’t thank Karen enough for her service after all these years and are wishing her joy in the next chapter of her life, where she plans to travel in her fifth wheel with husband Roger and their rambunctious Dachsund, Jackson.
Across OERI
ICAR co-hosts Hampton Roads Adaptation Forum
January 9, 2026
ICAR co-hosted the first Hampton Roads Adaptation Forum of 2026 and it was a great success!
With 70 attendees, including stakeholders from the private sector, all levels of government, and non-governmental organizations, the event featured valuable information exchange and networking to enhance regional resilience coordination. Speakers covered diverse topics including:
the beneficial use of dredge material in resilience projects marsh restoration in both urban and rural areas evaluating local and regional resilience plans in Virginia assessing the effectiveness of resilience solutions by combining hydrodynamic modeling and drone verification of aerial flooding update on resilience-related legislation.
The Forum is organized by ODU’s Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience, ODU School of Public Service, and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. A special thank you to the VMASC for providing the meeting space for the event!
Across OERI
CSICS Presents at 2026 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting
January 14, 2026
CSICS Lead Project Scientist Peter Foytik was in Washington D.C. to present at the 2026 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting.
Peter presented the poster, “Scenario Discovery to Identify Critical Scenarios Within a Vehicle Fire Evacuation,” in collaboration with Bowen Kyle of Ladris Technologies, Inc. This work represents a strong interdisciplinary effort and was developed with significant contributions from Dr. Sachin Shetty, Neda Moghim, and Dr. Ross Gore.
We're proud to see this research shared with the broader transportation and safety community.
Across OERI
VDMC Participates in GENEDGE Panel
January 21, 2026
GENEDGE was pleased to be joined by Cliff Edwards of Newport News Shipbuilding, Ben Lawhorn of Global Metal Finishings, Sam Marcom of CN - Seamless, and Dr. Krzysztof Rechowicz of Old Dominion University, at GENEDGE's Partner Panel Discussion in Norfolk.
The panel shared candid perspectives on current market conditions, supply chain pressures, workforce challenges, and the increasing need for operational resilience and technical capability across Virginia’s manufacturing base. Their insights reinforced the importance of collaboration between industry, academia, and organizations like GENEDGE to help manufacturers strengthen performance today while preparing for future demand.
Publicatio
VMASC Presen ce
December 7-10
VMASC had a strong p mier global venue for modeling and simulati nels, and community leadership
Dr. Philippe J. Giabba arded to only 7 out of more than 700 review reviews across four program tracks.
Rafi Soule presented t g Problem Definition: Integrating AI-driven with Dr. Barry Ezell. Their work introduces takeholder co-design, and model-based engin older alignment, and supporting faster validation.
Jhon G. Botello presented “Toward Automating System Dynamics Modeling: Evaluating LLMs in the Transition from Narratives to Formal Structures,” co-authored with Brian Llinas, Dr. Jose Padilla, and Dr. Erika Frydenlund. The paper evaluates how LLMs can guide system dynamics model creation by translating narrative descriptions into archetype-based structures and discusses next steps toward fine-tuning for improved automation
Dr. Giabbanelli also presented a paper led in collaboration with Dr. John Beverley (University at Buffalo), Dr. Istvan David (McMaster University), and Andreas Tolk (The MITRE Corporation). Titled “From Over-reliance to Smart Integration: Using Large-Language Models as Translators between Specialized Modeling and Simulation Tools,” the paper argues for leveraging LLMs as middleware ensuring responsible use of AI by connecting, rather than replacing, specialized simulation tools.
In addition, Dr. Giabbanelli facilitated the panel “From Submission to Publication: Meet the Editors of Simulation Journals,” where editors from multiple leading journals shared best practices and insights on navigating the publication process
VMASC is proud of our team’s impactful contributions to WSC 2025 and our continued leadership in advancing the science and practice of modeling and simulation.
Following the successful 2025 Virginia Tornado & Straight-Line Wind Summit, a summit report was published, along with presenter slides. You can find that HERE.
Title: Improving Understanding and Connections for Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery for Tornado and Straight-line Wind Events in Virginia: Summary of the Inaugural Virginia Tornado and Straight-line Wind Summit
Abstract Background: The Virginia Tornado and Straight-Line Wind Summit, the first of its kind in the Commonwealth, was held on October 15, 2025 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The Summit had several goals, including:
Understanding Virginia’s wind risk and learning the science behind it. Hearing lessons learned from emergency managers who have experienced extreme wind events.
Learning about practical steps to prepare, mitigate, and respond to severe wind events.
Learning best practices for timely and actionable communication with the public before and after events.
Strengthening interagency coordination and connecting with others to share resources, align priorities, and coordinate resilience planning.
The idea for the Summit emerged from discussions during a state-wide meeting about the state’s hazard mitigation plan update. The discussion identified the need for an awareness program on the impact of tornadoes and straight-line wind. Dr. Monica Arul and Dr. Joshua Behr took the idea for the Summit and created an organizing team that would do the heavy lifting for planning and executing the Summit. They also created a Planning Committee to provide input into the Summit agenda, speakers, and other aspects.
New CSICS Publications Publications
CSICS Research Assistant Professor Dr. Sandip Roy, along with several colleagues, has had three papers accepted for the ICC 2026 - IEEE International Conference on Communications, 24–28 May 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Congratulations!
Here are the three paper titles:
Title: FedSplitKAN: A Federated Split Temporal KAN Framework for BandwidthLatency Optimization over Edge-IoT Networks
EDAS#, Track: 1571225073, Mobile & Wireless Networks
Authors: S.S.Gonthina, S.Roy, P.Bhattacharya, S.Shetty, T.R.Gadekallu
Title: QuantOnion: Quantum assisted Onion Routing for Trusted Data Sharing underlying 6G networks
EDAS#, Track: 1571212308, Mobile & Wireless Networks
Authors: P.Bhattacharya, N. M.Khan, S.Roy, S.Shetty, T.R.Gadekallu
Title: Q-SAFe: Quantum-Safe Agentic Federated Learning Scheme for Telemedicine Edge Networks
EDAS#, Track: 1571208015, SAC - eHealth
Authors: N.M.Khan, P.Bhattacharya, S.Roy, S.Shetty, T.R.Gadekallu, S.Bvmuma, R.H.Jhaveri
Column:HowHamptonRoadscanbetheworld’scoastalresiliencecapital
pilotonline.com
December 27, 2025
Hampton Roads has always lived with water. The tides shape our economy, our culture and our very identity. Yet today, that same water defines one of our greatest challenges rising seas, sinking land and the growing pressure of climate change affecting every shoreline community. But this region is on the cusp of something extraordinary. The very geography that makes Hampton Roads vulnerable also positions it to become the global proving ground for coastal resilience and subsurface water regeneration. With its mix of scientific institutions, entrepreneurial networks, academic partners and public infrastructure leadership, Hampton Roads can move from being the nation’s second most flood-vulnerable region to being the world’s living laboratory for resilience innovation.
No regional economic ecosystem succeeds without a robust academic core. Through its Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (ICAR), Old Dominion University brings together faculty, students and community stakeholders to advance applied research and practical solutions. ICAR’s partnership with local governments, nonprofits and industry translates those solutions into tangible impact.
OERI In The News
Serious Games Winners Revealed at I/ITSEC
halldale.com
January 6, 2026
The Serious Games Showcase & Challenge (SGS&C) announced its 2025 winners on December 4 during the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, Florida. Marking its 20th year, the program recognized games developed for learning and training across government, industry, and academia.
The 2025 Best General Audience Game award went to Venture Valley Business Tycoon by Singleton Foundation. The Best Government Audience Game award was presented to the Serve to Lead Game Series by the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. MilExTS: Tactical Trauma Trainer by Exonicus, Inc. received the Best XR Game award. The Best Serious Game Innovation Award was given to Wayfinder, an independently developed title. Speak Your Heart by Carnegie Mellon University received the Best Student-Developed Game award. The Students’ Choice Award went to the Wildfire Resilience Minigame Collection by the University of California Santa Cruz.
The People’s Choice Award was shared by Cyber H2O from the Virginia Digital Maritime Center and the Surface Warfare Officer Reactive Decision Simulator (SWORDS) by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
OERI In The News
Keeping Birds Away from Oysters Could Help Farmers Balance Productivity and Ecology
odu.edu
January 16, 2026
The Commonwealth of Virginia is well known for its oysters. They are far more than a dining delicacy. Oysters play a vital role in marine health and the mariculture economy. Now, an industry longstanding challenge of managing bird interactions is receiving new help with Old Dominion University at the helm.
Old Dominion University’s Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA) is leading a new multi-institutional project that brings autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and environmental science together. The effort will tackle managing bird interactions while ensuring regulatory compliance, maintaining oyster farm productivity and protecting wildlife and ecosystem health.
This project aims to change that equation by introducing adaptive deterrent systems that activate only when needed. The team will integrate Sonic-Net acoustic technology, semiautonomous vessels, listening sensors and AI-driven cameras to monitor bird activity in real time, triggering minimal and varied responses when birds are detected.
“Our goal is to develop something that is smarter and more efficient than what farmers have had access to before,” said John Shull, principal investigator and lead project scientist at VISA, part of Old Dominion University’s Office of Enterprise Research and Innovation.
OERI In The News
Ladris Technologies and Old Dominion University Advance Evacuation Science with Research Presentation at Prestigious TRB Annual Meeting
markets.businessinsider.com
January 22, 2026
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ladris, a leader in evacuation modeling and disaster planning and response technologies, announced today that its collaborative research paper, "Scenario Discovery to Identify Critical Scenarios Within a Vehicle Fire Evacuation," was presented at this year’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The paper serves as a milestone in the underresearched field of evacuation modeling.
Primary author Peter Foytik of Old Dominion University and contributing author Bowen Kyle, Ladris CTO, represented Ladris at the event, presenting the paper’s findings on identifying critical scenarios within vehicle evacuations using scenario discovery techniques. This research addresses a persistent challenge in emergency planning: the risk of overlooking critical failure scenarios within vast combinatorial input spaces while working with limited testing resources.
Upcoming Events
The VDMC Digital Ship Challenge is just around the corner happening on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at the SEALab.