Jonathan Searle, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Modelling and Simulation Group in the Centre for Simulation and Analytics at Cranfield University, has been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the annual Defence Simulation Education and Training (DSET) event.
Jonathan received the recognition for his outstanding contribution to military simulation, education and training and was presented with the award by Heather Goldstraw, Director, Defence College for Military Capability Integration at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, where he is based.
Jonathan said: “Defence can sometimes be a challenging working environment, as indeed academia can also be. So being a defence academic can sometimes feel like a double whammy. Hence I’m very grateful to receive this recognition from the professional community we work both with and for.”
Jonathan has over 40 years’ experience in the defence modelling and simulation sector. His interests include military simulation and training, wargaming, computer generated forces, real-time interactive 3D graphics, terrain generation, and distributed simulation.
Jonathan is the Course Director responsible for delivery of modelling and simulation courses and also heads up the Simulation and Synthetic Environment Laboratory (SSEL), now in its 27th year of operation supporting educational activity at the Defence Academy.
Jonathan has led and contributed to numerous UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) activities and projects and in 2013 received a UK MoD Chief Scientific Adviser’s Team Commendation for contributions to defence modelling and simulation education.
Jonathan is a regular speaker at the DSET conference, opening the Workshop Day of the event this year and last year with an overview of modelling and simulation in defence and also chairing the academic panel session of the conference proper.
DSET conference organiser, Tess Butler said: “We are genuinely happy to provide this award for Jonathan's lifetime of dedication, knowledge and innovation in military simulation, modelling and education. Jonathan has always been at the heart of our community, and is someone that continues to go above and beyond to support, provide advice and share his knowledge with his students, colleagues and the wider industry. We hope that this award, our very first, goes a small way in providing the recognition that Jonathan so deserves."
DSET was set up in 2016 to facilitate military to military engagement and to give military the opportunity to educate industry in a challenge lead approach. International military and government drive the DSET agenda and deliver the majority of presentations.
About Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management.
