Grand Challenge Case Studies in a Simulation Curriculum

Students wishing to become experts in modeling and simulation (M&S) need to appreciate limitations of the technology. Our goal is to expose students to the current boundaries of simulation technology. To achieve this, we propose the incorporation of grand challenge case studies into a modeling and simulation curriculum. Grand challenge problems are defined as problems for which there does not exist a universally accepted solution (at present). We argue that grand challenge case studies are an excellent vehicle for discovering and appreciating current boundaries of M&S technology. We present three candidate case studies, one in detail - the ongoing U.S. Department of Energy analysis of Yucca Mountain as a location for nuclear waste storage with supporting discussion about how these cases can enhance exploration of the challenges in M&S technology. We discuss the proposed Yucca Mountain storage facility, along with two other case studies, and examine their integration into M&S curricula