UNIVERSITY TO ESTABLISH CENTER FOR COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE

Old Dominion University recently received approval from the Board of Visitors to establish a Center for Computational Science (CCS) within the College of Sciences, one of only 40 such programs nationwide.

At its September meeting, the board's Academic Affairs Committee heard a presentation by Tom Isenhour, dean of the college, and David Keyes, chair of the mathematics and statistics department and director of the new center, about their plans for a 550-square-foot office in the Education Building, which will house the center.

The CCS will serve as gathering point for computational science activity on campus and for contractors outside the university. Using powerful computers to perform simulation tasks that would either be impossible or too costly by traditional means, such as the design of Boeing's new 777 aircraft, computational science has been defined as the cutting edge of scientific endeavors.

"Theoretical headway is difficult" in traditional science, Isenhour said. "Much of the low-hanging fruit has been picked."

The CCS will also offer the first graduate certification in computational science in Hampton Roads. It already has proven to a powerful magnet for talented academics in the science field, Isenhour said. "The opportunities here are unprecedented," he noted.