RESEARCH TEAM
JOSE PADILLA, PH.D.
HDL Lead
VMASC Research Associate Professor, Dr. Padilla is the HDL lead scientist. He has degrees in industrial engineering, business management, and engineering management. From the development of frameworks to the creation of tools, Dr. Padilla explores new avenues for simulation innovation.
ERIKA FRYDENLUND, PH.D
HDL Co-Lead
VMASC Research Assistant Professor, Dr. Frydenlund is the HDL co-lead. She has degrees in mathematics, statistics, and international studies. Her primary research interest in is modeling forced migration-related issues.
ANTHONY BARRACO
HDL Software Engineer
Lead Project Scientist, Anthony Barraco works on developing simulation platforms an applications in diverse areas of research at VMASC. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science. His focus at VMASC has been the development of web-based, cloud-deployed applications, geospatial processing, system dynamics simulation modeling, and M&S interoperability.
STUDENT RESEARCHERS
Research Assistants and Interns
MACKENZIE CLARK
Graduate Research Assistant
Master's student in the Graduate Program in International Studies at Old Dominion University, Mackenzie is using her Spanish language skills to do a case study of Venezuelan forced migration into Colombia.
ELENA FREEMAN
Student Research Intern
Undergraduate Student studying International Affairs, Political Science, and French at the University of South Dakota, Elena is working with the team to characterize socio-political stressors on host communities in South Africa.
MADISON GONZALEZ
Graduate Research Intern
Master's student in the Graduate Program in International Studies at Old Dominion University. Madison is interested in climate change and displacement.
NIKITA LUMIJOE
Graduate Research Assistant
Doctoral Student in the Graduate Program in International Studies at Old Dominion University, Nikita is interested in researching how minority attitudes are reflected in regional and national politics and identities.
LYDIA SA
Graduate Research Assistant
Lydia is a Doctoral Student in the Graduate Program in International Studies at Old Dominion University and holds a Master of Public Health. She is interested in studying the intersections of health, migration, and absorptive capacity, and their relationship with the epidemiological, political, and social inequities in crisis settings.
KHADIJEH SALIMI
Graduate Research Assistant
Doctoral Student in the Graduate Program in International Studies at Old Dominion University, Khadijeh is using simulation to explore how grass-roots citizen initiatives emerge and evolve in humanitarian crises.
AFFILIATE RESEARCHERS
Multidisciplinarity at its Best
ZACHEOUS ABANG
Researcher, School of Government
University of Western Cape, South Africa
JOSHUA BEHR
Research Associate Professor, Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center, Old Dominion University, USA
FRED BIDANDI
Researcher, School of Government
University of Western Cape, South Africa
APOSTOLOS SPANOS
Professor, Institute for Religion, Philosophy, & History
University of Agder, Norway
IOANNIS SPILANIS
Professor, Social and Humanistic Environmental Sciences Sector
University of the Aegean, Greece