On Wednesday, the National Center for Simulation (NCS) will induct its 2024 honorees for the Modeling & Simulation (MS&T) Hall of Fame, who are UCF Professor, and augmented and virtual reality pioneer Carolina Cruz-Neira; former UCF leader and late Navy Capt. Daniel Holsenbeck; and Vice President and Group General Manager for EA Tiburon Studios and American Football Daryl Holt. The induction ceremony will take place at Orange County Convention Center’s (OCCC) South Concourse, bringing the total number of NCS MS&T Hall of Fame honorees to 42.

The NCS is a nonprofit trade association that operates as an open consortium with government, academic and industry members. Its goals include facilitating MS&T innovation, supporting public policies that promote the development and growth of MS&T, developing/growing the MS&T workforce, and increasing the MS&T industrial base.

“I really look forward to this time of year when we get to recognize our colleagues and pioneers in the MS&T industry who have contributed so much,” says George Cheros, NCS president and CEO. “Their leadership and accomplishments in their different areas contribute to the growth of the modeling and simulation field and impact every industry sector. Our inductees’ work has impacted products the public consumes, influenced the entertainment industry it enjoys, and ensured the national security that makes our way of life possible.”

Carolina Cruz-Neira

Cruz-Neira is a professor at the Agere Chair Professor in UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. Her NCS Hall of Fame inclusion recognizes her pioneering work grounded in modeling and simulation, which has a strong emphasis on visual and interactive tools, as well as hardware and software technologies. Cruz-Neira’s work has been instrumental in facilitating data analysis, decision-making, design reviews, and training and education. Earlier this year, she was also inducted to the inaugural Augmented World Expo (AWE) XR Hall of Fame.

She has earned global acclaim in the MS&T community for creating the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment virtual reality system, and her efforts have become standard tools recognized by professionals in government, industry and academia. Cruz-Neira has also made significant contributions to the fields of virtual reality, interactive visualization, high-performance computing, and digital twins.

She has received praise from major companies as varied as Raytheon, Proctor & Gamble Co., and Ford Motors for increasing product safety, and improving design and production processes that have saved time and millions of dollars. Cruz-Neira’s innovations have influenced training and research for NASA, the U.S. military, and U. S. National Laboratories. Her leadership in addressing large problems by forming interdisciplinary teams have become a key to innovation and considered standard practice in driving American competitiveness in the global economy.

The Late Dan Holsenbeck

Holsenbeck, who died Dec. 5, 2023, served in the Navy on active duty and in reserve status for over 30 years and retired as a captain. He joined UCF in 1985 and eventually became vice president of university relations and director of government relations before retiring in December 2019. During his tenure, Holsenbeck played a significant role in securing support for several facility-related projects that were critical in protecting and further developing Central Florida’s MS&T community.

During his 34 years at UCF, he was a key leader who secured community support and state funding to address infrastructure threats to the military’s MS&T presence in the Orlando area and establishing conditions for future growth. Holsenback also assembled groups throughout the region (with unrelated interests) to support initiatives such as perimeter security upgrades and the facilities that eventually became the Partnership Complex. These efforts solidified the collaborative spirit that is a defining trait of the “Team Orlando” ecosystem and has helped make Central Florida the MS&T epicenter.

Daryl Holt

Holt is vice president and group chief operating officer at Electronic Arts (EA) in Orlando. He has led the development of award-winning sports simulations for 20 years and has become a widely respected leader in Central Florida’s technology industry. As an EA senior vice president, he is responsible for a popular collection of games that have influenced pop culture and gaming culture, such as the Madden NFL franchise, EA Sports GPA Tour, the EA Sports College Football game series, as well as intellectual property in the development of high-definition, mobile and emerging platforms. EA Orlando, which is located near UCF Downton, has held a strong partnership with UCF since 2005.

Adhering to his philosophy of “move forward together,” Holt serves on the Orlando Economic Partnership’s executive board of directors as well as the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, and he chairs the Innovate Orlando board. A variety of business publications have recognized his leadership multiple times over the years, and his contributions to the MS&T industry have helped establish Central Florida as a tech hub with unlimited potential. Holt’s work has set him apart as a local and industry leader, which has allowed EA to cement its legacy in interactive entertainment and inspired the world to play.

NCS, in partnership with Orange County government, including the Office of the Mayor of Orange County and the OCCC, established the NCS Modeling & Simulation Hall of Fame in 2014.