James E. Coolahan, Ph.D., is the Chief Technology Officer of Coolahan Associates, LLC, having retired from full-time employment at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) in December 2012 after 40 years of service. Dr. Coolahan chaired the M&S Committee of the Systems Engineering Division of the National Defense Industrial Association from 2010 through 2016, and chaired the Conference Committee of the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization in 2016-17. He teaches short courses on M&S in Systems Engineering, and also teaches semester-long courses in M&S in Systems Engineering in the JHU Engineering for Professionals M.S. degree program. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame and the Catholic University of America, respectively, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from JHU and the University of Maryland, respectively.
Education History
- B.S., Aerospace Engineering, University of Notre Dame
- M.S., Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University
- M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Catholic University of America
- Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Maryland
Work Experience
Partnership Development and Outreach Manager, Systems Engineering Program, JHU Whiting School of Engineering
Publications
Coolahan, J. E., The Specification of Timing Requirements for Real-Time Systems Using Timed Petri Nets, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Maryland, 1984.
Coolahan, J. E., and Roussopolous, N., “Timing Requirements for Time-Driven Systems Using Augmented Petri Nets,” IEEE Trans. Software Eng. SE-9, pp. 603-616, 1983; also in Tutorial: Hard Real-Time Systems, IEEE Computer Society Press, pp. 78-91, 1988.
Coolahan, J. E., Case, F. T., and Hartnett, R. J., “The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Strike Warfare Collaborative Environment (SWCE),” in Proc., 2000 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop, CD-ROM, Orlando, FL (Sep 2000).
Castro, P. E., Antonsson, E., Clements, D. T., Coolahan, J. E., Ho, Y., Horter, M. A., Khosla, P. K., Lee, J., Mitchiner, J. L., Petty, M. D., Starr, S., Wu, C. L., and Zeigler, B. P., Modeling and Simulation in Manufacturing and Defense Systems Acquisition: Pathways to Success, Report of the Committee on Modeling and Simulation Enhancements for 21st Century Manufacturing and Acquisition, National Research Council, Washington, DC (2002).
Coolahan, J. E., Feldman, A. B., and Murphy, S. P., “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Integrated Modeling of Human Systems for Spaceflight,” in Proc., Second Joint Meeting of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society and the Biomedical Engineering Society (EMBS/BMES), CD-ROM, Houston, TX (Oct 2002).
Coolahan, J. E., “Modeling and Simulation at APL,” Johns Hopkins APL Tech. Dig. 24(1), 63-74 (2003).
Coolahan, J. E., Feldman, A. B., and Murphy, S. P., “Integrated Physiological Simulation of an Astronaut Exercise Protocol,” in Proc., 55th International Astronautical Conference, Vancouver, Canada (Oct 2004).
Coolahan, J. E., Feldman, A. B., and Murphy, S. P., “Simulation of Integrated Physiology Based on an Astronaut Exercise Protocol,” Johns Hopkins APL Tech. Dig. 25(3), 201-213 (2004).
Coolahan, J. E., “A Vision for Modeling and Simulation at APL,” Johns Hopkins APL Tech. Dig. 26(4), 414-420 (2005).
Coolahan, J. E., “Planning for an Integrated M&S Framework for Catastrophic Event Response,” in Proc., 2007 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Norfolk, VA (Mar 2007).
Coolahan, J. E., Kane, M. T, Schloman, J. F. (and six non-APL authors), “Design of an Urban Chemical Disaster Simulation Federation for Preparedness and Response,” in Proc., 2007 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Orlando, FL (Sep 2007).
Coolahan, J. E., Kane, M. T., Koomullil, R. P., Kaisar, E. I., and Walsh, K. K., “Results of a Federated Simulation of Urban Chemical Disaster Response,” in Proc., 2008 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference, Orlando, FL (Dec 2008).
Coolahan, J. E., Kane, M. T., Morse, K. L., Schloman, J. F., Koomullil, R. P., Shih, A. M., Kaisar, E. I., and Walsh, K. K., “Design of a Bioterrorism Crisis Management Simulation for Preparedness and Response,” in Proc., 2009 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop, San Diego, CA (Mar 2009).
Coolahan, J. E., Morse, K. L., and Kaisar, E. I., “Modeling the Relationships Between Hospital Surge Capacity and Dynamic Traffic Conditions,” in Proc., 2009 European Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Istanbul, Turkey (Jul 2009).
Coolahan, J. E., Morse, K. L., Saunders, R., Kay, S. W., and Erdman, C. L., “Management Concepts for Broadly-Needed M&S Tools – An In-Progress Study,” in Proc., 2009 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Orlando, FL (Sep 2009).
Coolahan, J. E., Kane, M. T., Morse, K. L., Koomullil, R. P., Shih, A. M., Kaisar, E. I., and Walsh, K. K., “Results of a Simulation of Response to a Bioterrorism Crisis,” in Proc., Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, FL (Nov-Dec 2009).
Coolahan, J. E., Morse, K. L., Saunders, R., Kay, S. W., and Erdman, C. L., “Results of a Study on Management Concepts for Broadly-Needed M&S Tools,” in Proc., 2010 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Orlando, FL (Sep 2010).
Coolahan, J. E., Tutorial: “An Introduction to the Use of Modeling and Simulation Throughout the Systems Engineering Process,” 13th/14th/15th/20th Annual NDIA Systems Engineering Conference, San Diego, CA (Oct 2010/2011/2012), Springfield, VA (Oct 2017), Tampa, FL (Oct 2018/2019).
Coolahan, J. E., and Allen, G. W., “LVC Architecture Roadmap Implementation – Results of the First Two Years,” in Proc., 2011 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Orlando, FL (Sep 2011). [selected as best paper at conference]
Coolahan, J. E., Numrich, S. K., Richbourg, R. F., et al, Tutorial: “Fundamentals of Modeling and Simulation,” in Proc., 2011-2018 (annually), Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation & Education Conference, Orlando, FL (best tutorial nominee in 2017).
Coolahan, J. E., Tutorial: “An Introduction to the Use of Modeling and Simulation Throughout the System Life Cycle,” 80th Military Operations Research Society Symposium, Colorado Springs, CO (Jun 2012).
Coolahan, J. E., “Sustainment of Modeling and Simulation Tools in the Defense Environment,” in Proc., 2012 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, FL (Dec 2012).
Coolahan, J. E., “Toward a Taxonomy for Data Used in Acquisition-Related Models and Simulations,” in Proc., 2014 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Orlando, FL (Sep 2014).
Coolahan, J. E., Two-Day Short Course: “Modeling and Simulation in the Systems Engineering Process,” Coolahan Associates, LLC, Ellicott City, MD (May 2015, April 2016, June 2017, May 2018, May 2019, July 2019).
Coolahan, J. E., and Bergenthal, J. J., “A System-Model-Centric Collaborative Environment for the Acquisition Lifecycle,” in Proc., 2015 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, FL (Nov-Dec 2015).
Coolahan, J. E., “Realizing a Collaborative M&S Environment for System Acquisition from Five Key Components,” in Proc., 2016 Simulation Innovation Workshop, Orlando, FL (Sep 2016).
Coolahan, J. E., “Modeling and Simulation in the Systems Engineering Process — A Half-Day Tutorial,” No Magic World Symposium, Allen, TX (May 2017)
Coolahan, J.E., Oates, W.A., Gravitz, P. and Konwin, K., “Application of the M&S Community of Interest Discovery Metadata Specification to Standards Profiles for Acquisition and Air Force Training,” in Proc., 2019 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, FL (Dec 2019).
Coolahan, J.E., Oates, W.A., Gravitz, P. and Konwin, K., “Application of the M&S Community of Interest Discovery Metadata Specification to Standards Profiles for Acquisition and Air Force Training,” in Proc., 2019 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, FL (Dec 2019).
As Co-Author:
Daly, J., and Coolahan, J.E., “Introduction to Department of Defense Modeling and Simulation,” in Proc., 2019 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation & Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, FL (Dec 2019)
Morse, K.L., Coolahan, J.E., Oates, W.A., Konwin, K., Dillman, B., and Gravitz, P., “Enabling the Search for Relevant M&S Standards,” in Proc., 2020 Simulation Innovation Workshop, Orlando, FL (Feb 2020)
Honors and Awards
- Meritorious Service Award, Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (2014)
- Award of the Year, Notre Dame Alumni Club of Maryland (2003)
- Marquis Who’s Who in the East, 24th ed. (1992)
- Steiner Prize for Excellence in Engineering, University of Notre Dame (1971)
Professional Organizations
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
National Defense Industrial Association
Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization
International Council on Systems Engineering