FIPSE Funds European/United States Joint Collaboration in Computer Modeling and Simulation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2000
Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
FIPSE Funds European/United States Joint Collaboration in Computer Modeling and Simulation
The College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology, under the project direction of Roy Crosbie, is part of a consortium that has received a three-year Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant. The prestigious grant matches three U.S. and three European universities in the development of a graduate degree in computer modeling and simulation.
The $202,200 FIPSE grant funds the University of Nebraska, Old Dominion in Virginia, and CSU, Chico (the lead U.S. university). The University of Glasgow, Scotland, the University of Hamburg, Germany (the lead European university), and Technical University of Vienna, Austria are funded by the European Commission.
The collaborative computer modeling and simulation graduate degree will be Internet based. The grant also supports an international student exchange. Computer modeling and simulation is a multi-disciplinary field founded in computer science, engineering, and mathematics. A recent White House report identified it as one of the key enabling technologies of the 21st century. Its application is universal. However, because of the depth and complexity of the field, it is difficult for any single institution to offer a comprehensive program.
At the same time, there is a high demand in industry for graduates trained in modeling and simulation programs. CSU, Chico has offered a small interdisciplinary graduate program that will become more viable through the international collaboration.
Roy Crosbie, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the director of Academic Development for the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology, said that this is one of only 13 (out of over 100) applications to be funded. This is the second FIPSE grant in the last year that Crosbie and the College of ECT have received. The first one funded a consortium of universities in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. which will develop programs to prepare engineers for the international business community.
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