A. Louis Medin, a former director of UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training (IST), made the university a leader and innovator in one of the region’s high-tech, high-wage industries.
Medin, who died this week, is credited as one of the driving forces behind an industry that now provides nearly 17,000 jobs in the region and boasts a regional economic impact of nearly $3 billion.
When Medin arrived in 1987, IST had only about 12 employees. The institute grew to more than 100 scientists, engineers and other staff members during his tenure. He hired many first-class researchers and established strong partnerships with the military’s modeling and simulation agencies. UCF also benefitted from the many partnerships Medin had formed during his previous 22-year career at IBM.
“He knew what it would take to get a business up and running, and he was a good man,” said Ernie Smart, an IST deputy director who worked closely with Medin.
IST’s seminar series, which features experts from the university, government and industry, is named in Medin’s honor. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 at the nation’s largest modeling and simulation conference. At the time, the Interservice/Industry Simulation, Training and Education Conference had only given three such awards in its 21-year history.
Medin and his wife, Julia, moved to Washington, D.C., after he retired.