KD Tocher Medal

The KD Tocher Medal is awarded in recognition of the most outstanding contribution to the philosophy, theory or practice of simulation published in the Journal of Simulation within the relevant two year period.

This award is named in memory of KD Tocher, who made a significant contribution to the field of discrete-event simulation by developing the basis on which much modern software is built via his General Simulation Program. He is the author of “The Art of Simulation” (1963), a formative book in the field.

Citation for the KD Tocher Medal 2025

Lucy E. Morgan, Barry L. Nelson, Andrew C. Titman, David J. Worthington 

A spline function method for modelling and generating a nonhomogeneous poisson process

Journal of Simulation, Volume 18 (4), 557-568

https://doi.org/10.1080/17477778.2023.2224928 

Morgan et al. addresses a significant challenge in simulation input modelling by developing methodological innovation, providing the first systematic spline-based approach for NHPP rate function estimation with penalised likelihood. The technical quality is exceptional, demonstrated through comprehensive comparative evaluation, systematic treatment of input modelling error propagation, and robust experimental design. The real-world impact could influence how the simulation community approaches NHPP input modelling with broad applicability. The writing is excellent, effectively bridging theoretical development with practical implementation concerns through clear mathematical exposition and appropriate experimental presentation.