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Rick Mckenzie

  • Rick Mckenzie
  • Professor
  • Modeling, Simulation & Visualization Engineering
  • 231 Kaufman Hall
  • Norfolk, VA 23529
  • 757-683-5590
  • rdmckenz@odu.edu
  • Web Page
  • Frederic (Rick) D. McKenzie, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Old Dominion University where he currently serves as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI on projects involving software architectures for simulation, behavior representation in simulations, and medical modeling and simulation. To date, his projects in these areas have led to several publications relating research in modeling human-like intelligent agents including crowds, formal descriptions of distributed simulation architectures, objective measures of successful prostate surgery, and augmenting standardized patients. Many of these projects also involve virtual reality and scientific visualization. Dr. McKenzie received his Ph.D. in computer engineering from the University of Central Florida in 1994. Prior to joining ODU, he held a senior scientist position at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), serving as Principal Investigator for several distributed simulation projects. At SAIC he was a Team Lead on a large distributed simulation system. Before joining SAIC, Dr. McKenzie worked as a student researcher on research projects involving both NASA Kennedy Space Center and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. He has several years of research and development experience in the software and artificial intelligence fields, including object-oriented design and knowledge-based systems. Both his M.S. and Ph.D. work have been in artificial intelligence - focusing on knowledge representation and model-based diagnostic reasoning.

  • Education

    University of Central Florida, 1994
    Major: Computer Engineering
    Degree: Ph. D.
    University of Central Florida, 1990
    Major: Computer Engineering
    Degree: M.S.
    University of Central Florida, 1988
    Major: Engineering
    Degree: B.S.

  • Research Interests

    Dr. McKenzie’s research is focused on three topics: a) Medical modeling and simulation, b) Human Behavior representation, and c) Software architectures for simulation. To date, various projects in these areas have led to many publications relating research in augmenting standardized patients for medical training and assessment, modeling human-like intelligent agents especially crowds, and formal descriptions of distributed simulation architectures. Many of these projects also involve virtual reality and scientific visualization.

  • Licensures and Certifications

    Modeling & Simulation Professional Certification Commission
    Date Obtained: 2002-12-01
    Engineering Intern (EI) Certificate
    Date Obtained: 1987-01-01
  • 1996: DoD Secret Clearance
  • 1987: Engineering Intern (EI) certificate
  • 2009: Marquis Who’sWho , America 2009
  • 2002: Modeling & Simulation Professional Certification Commission (M&SPCC) Certified Modeling and Simulation Professional (CMSP)
  • 1996: ModSAF User / Developer Training
  • 2001: NIH Protection of Human Research Subjects Certificate, NIH
  • 1997: Operator Training, Global Command and Control System (GCCS)
  • 2003: Research Training Certificate, HIPAA
  • 2007: Researcher of the Year, ODU ECE Department
  • Senior Member, IEEE

  • Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research

  • Intellectual Property

    Subject Actuated System and Method for Simulating Normal and Abnormal Medical Conditions
    Patent/Copyright: Patent
    Patent Nationality: United States
    Surgical simulator to support wound debridement
    Patent/Copyright: Patent
    Type: Provisional
    Crowd Federate architecture and API design
    Patent/Copyright: Patent
    Type: Provisional
    System, method, and medium for simulating normal and abnormal medical conditions
    Patent/Copyright: Patent
    Type: Provisional
    Patent Nationality: United States

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