{"id":350,"date":"2026-03-22T20:09:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T00:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/?page_id=350"},"modified":"2026-07-23T09:59:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T13:59:47","slug":"news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/news\/","title":{"rendered":"News"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-layout-flow wp-container-core-group-is-layout-10302017 wp-block-group-is-layout-flow has-background\" style=\"min-height:340px;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-3-2026-03_33_22-PM.png&apos;);background-position:52% 55%;background-size:cover;\">\n\t\n\t<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-cc07c125 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#fcb900cc;padding-top:28px;padding-right:20px;padding-bottom:28px;padding-left:20px\">\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" style=\"color:#10214a;font-size:64px;line-height:1.1;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\"><strong>News<\/strong><\/h1>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8c5044e4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:16px\">\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b192c3d7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2e188746 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#111111;padding-top:14px;padding-right:24px;padding-bottom:14px;padding-left:24px\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:28px;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\"><strong>The School of Modeling, Simulation &amp; Training<\/strong><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<div style=\"height:34px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-cedadb69 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:60px;padding-right:24px;padding-bottom:35px;padding-left:24px\">\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-d5ff150a wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66%\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#10214a;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:52px\">Latest News<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#334155;font-size:21px;line-height:1.85\">Updates, publications, recognitions, conference participation, and research stories from the OptiSim Lab.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:34%\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-71818893 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:20px;border-top-color:#fcb900;border-top-width:8px;background-color:#f8fafc;padding-top:28px;padding-right:28px;padding-bottom:28px;padding-left:28px\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"color:#10214a;font-size:28px\">News Highlights<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" style=\"color:#334155;font-size:18px;line-height:1.9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>Research publications<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>Conference participation<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>Lab milestones<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>Faculty and student recognition<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-593faf99 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#f8fafc;padding-top:70px;padding-right:24px;padding-bottom:70px;padding-left:24px\">\n\n\t\n\t<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#10214a;margin-bottom:24px;font-size:46px\">Featured Story<\/h2>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fb4958b9 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:22px;border-left-color:#fcb900;border-left-width:8px;background-color:#ffffff;padding-top:34px;padding-right:34px;padding-bottom:34px;padding-left:34px\">\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-ab6fc0e8 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:30%\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image0-247x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Mariana Ramirez Velasco\" style=\"border-radius:20px\"\/><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#64748b;margin-bottom:8px;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:1px;text-transform:uppercase\">Student Success \u2022 July 2026<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#10214a;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:36px\">Undergraduate Honors Student and OptiSim Lab Member Joins NASA\u2019s Artemis Mission<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#334155;font-size:19px;line-height:1.9\">Mariana Ramirez, an undergraduate Honors student in Computer Engineering with a minor in Digital Media (Game Design), participated in the Optimization and Simulation Laboratory at UCF\u2019s School of Modeling, Simulation and Training. Under the supervision of Dr. Muradha and Dr. Ghaith Rabadi, she contributed to research on decision-making and safety in robotic simulation environments while gaining valuable experience in simulation, programming, and technical writing.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#334155;font-size:19px;line-height:1.9\">Mariana will begin the next chapter of her career as an Orion Test Operations Engineer with Lockheed Martin, supporting NASA\u2019s Artemis missions at Kennedy Space Center. The OptiSim Lab congratulates Mariana on this outstanding achievement and wishes her continued success as she helps advance the effort to return astronauts to the Moon.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:22px\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/\" style=\"border-radius:999px;color:#ffffff;background-color:#10214a\">Learn More About OptiSim<\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#10214a;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:40px\">More News<\/h2>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fb4958b9 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:22px;border-left-color:#fcb900;border-left-width:8px;background-color:#ffffff;padding-top:34px;padding-right:34px;padding-bottom:34px;padding-left:34px\">\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#64748b;margin-bottom:8px;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:1px;text-transform:uppercase\">Faculty \u2022 March 9, 2026<\/p>\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#10214a;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:34px\">UCF Researchers Author Guide on Digital Twin Technology for Supply Chains<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#334155;font-size:18px;line-height:1.85\">UCF researchers developed a new resource that explains how digital twin technology can improve supply chain processes, decision-making, and operational performance. The book was co-authored by Ghaith Rabadi and Bulent Soykan and highlights practical implementation strategies for industry and academia.<\/p>\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:22px\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/ucf-researchers-author-guide-on-digital-twins-for-supply-chains\/\" style=\"border-radius:999px;color:#ffffff;background-color:#10214a\">Read Article<\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fb4958b9 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:22px;border-left-color:#fcb900;border-left-width:8px;background-color:#ffffff;padding-top:34px;padding-right:34px;padding-bottom:34px;padding-left:34px\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-ab6fc0e8 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:42%\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778126126653.jpg\" alt=\"ANNSIM conference group photo at UCF\" style=\"border-radius:20px\"\/><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:58%\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#64748b;margin-bottom:8px;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:1px;text-transform:uppercase\">Conference \u2022 ANNSIM 2026<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#10214a;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:34px\">OptiSim Lab Participates in the Annual Modeling and Simulation Conference<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#334155;font-size:18px;line-height:1.85\">The OptiSim Lab participated in the Annual Modeling and Simulation Conference (ANNSIM), held May 4\u20137, 2026 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The conference brings together researchers and professionals working across modeling, simulation, digital twins, artificial intelligence, and related areas.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#334155;font-size:18px;line-height:1.85\">ANNSIM 2026 featured keynote speeches, technical sessions, tutorials, and opportunities for the modeling and simulation community to exchange research ideas and emerging applications. The organizing committee includes Prof. Ghaith Rabadi as General Chair and Ahmad Bany Abdelnabi as a Proceedings Chair.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:22px\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/annsim.org\/\" style=\"border-radius:999px;color:#ffffff;background-color:#10214a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Visit ANNSIM Website<\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8f4aebf1 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#10214a;padding-top:72px;padding-right:24px;padding-bottom:72px;padding-left:24px\">\n\t\n\t<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color\" style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:42px\">UPCOMING EVENTS<\/h2>\n\t\n\n\t\n\t<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#e2e8f0;font-size:20px;line-height:1.85\"><strong>No events found.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>News The School of Modeling, Simulation &amp; Training Latest News Updates, publications, recognitions, conference participation, and research stories from the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-350","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=350"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":396,"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/350\/revisions\/396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/OptiSim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}