On the retirement of Warren L. J. Fox, former chair of the Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Technology Committee, it is with great pleasure and a sense of pride that I accept this new position. I believe that this particular Technology Committee is a crucial element in the future development of the OES during this time of pressing global ocean challenges. As the new chair, I hope to help our society in meeting these new challenges.
     In the current Statement of Technical Scope for this committee, the technology focus is on “computer oriented modeling, simulation and databases within ocean engineering and science.” The current mandate concerns three major issues:

1. Improved quality control in existing and developing databases and their user interfaces.
2. Expanded description of models, including a “sunset law” for associated computer codes.
3. Attainment of greater interdisciplinary interaction with workers in the other technical fields under OES cognizance.

     The activities of the committee are deemed to serve as a bridge – in an advisory capacity – between application needs and solution means. In this sense the committee interacts with all of the other technology committees. In some cases there may be an overlap, since modeling in a general sense is an activity of it’s own within the other technology committees. In a future issue of the OES Newsletter, I will address this point and describe a redirection of the committee to better fill the requirement for “many verified, validated, correct models of the ocean to meet not only our own needs as we design and analyze systems for the ocean, but also high quality models and simulations to support serious policy questions”, as stated by the technology committee’s founding chair in the Summer 1999 Issue of the OES Newsletter, “Modeling and Simulating the Influence of the Ocean: A Role for the Oceanic Engineering Society” by Edward C. Gough, Jr