THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 5, 1997 TAG: 9701040481
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Interview
LENGTH: 65 lines
Thomas W. Mastaglio was hired by Old Dominion University about two months ago to run the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center. It will work closely with the Joint Training and Analysis Center, where the military uses computers, models and simulators for training. The ODU center will help businesses, educators and students tap the military's computing and modeling resources. The center will move into rooms at Tidewater Community College's Portsmouth Campus.
Mastaglio, 49, served in the United States Army for 22 years. He worked as a senior engineer for IBM, a senior program manager for Loral and a senior program manager for Lockheed-Martin before coming to Suffolk. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy in 1969, has a master's degree in computer science from the University of Colorado in 1978 and a doctorate from the University of Colorado in 1990. In a recent interview, Mastaglio spoke with staff writer Katrice Franklin.
Q: Why were you interested in the Suffolk job?
A: I believe the technology that's been developed by the Department of Defense is really at a crucial time, where it's able to improve the way commercial enterprises operate. It's very difficult for defense industries to do it. The center meets that need . . . . Academia, business and research development all come together. It was the right opportunity for me at the right time. The job also gives me the opportunity to shape an industry and influence economic development in the area.
Q: Why is this center important?
A: Because no one else is attempting to do this in this form. Here, there's the military's presence and a lot of good understanding of simulators, and there's a need in the area to develop high technology.
Q: What projects would you like to see the center conduct?
A: There are about 20 suggested projects already. But some of the things we might do is look at transportation and model the flow to determine how we could make it better. We could work on a medical management project. How can the health industry become more efficient? We could run models of what would happen if hospital size were increased. What would happen if it hired more doctors? How could they cut patient waiting time and reduce costs? Another one is building a model of a city and using it to help manage growth. How could a city better serve the area when it comes to fire and police coverage? If a particular area is rezoned, what impact will that have on schools five years down the road?
Q: What else can the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center bring to the region?
A: I envision putting together a series of demonstration teams - faculty, Old Dominion University students and industry partners, along with people from the Joint Training and Analysis Center as advisors. The team will go build a demonstration in a given industry. We're working with Norfolk International Terminals. We're modeling the port and the traffic flow into the terminal and the movement of cargo out on the rail lines and roadways to determine the impact if the port activity triples.
Q: Do you have other goals?
A: I'd like to make Old Dominion University a national center of excellence. There are only five places in the world that offer a modeling and simulation curriculum, and three are military institutes.
Q: Will raising funds be part of your job? How do you propose to do that?
A: We are looking for support. We will take help from everywhere. We hope to go to municipal governments and different businesses.
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