I am seeking motivated students interested in research in optimization and variational analysis. Prospective graduate students who wish to work under my supervision and have me serve as their thesis advisor are encouraged to contact me and apply through our graduate program (see the link). Undergraduate students at the University of North Dakota (UND) interested in research projects, theses, or independent studies are also welcome to reach out by email.
The M.S. programs in Mathematics and Statistics at UND offer graduate teaching assistantships that typically provide full funding for two academic years, including a nine-month stipend of approximately $18,000 and a full tuition waiver. International applicants must have an IELTS score of 6.5 or an equivalent qualification.
I am also recruiting UND graduate students for funded research assistant positions: two positions in Summer 2026 with a $6,000 stipend each, and one position in Fall 2026 with a $9,000 stipend.
Founded in 1883, UND is North Dakota’s flagship university and an R1 institution. Its M.S. programs prepare students for doctoral study or careers in academia, industry, and the public sector.
II - Student Supervision and Mentorship
I serve as an advisor or co-advisor for undergraduate and graduate student research. Below is a selection of students supervised under my research projects, together with their research topics and achievements.
Jimmy Lee Hicks, University of North Dakota, USA (01/2026 – present)
Research Project: Globalized Newton Methods and Applications to Fermat–Weber Location Problems
Le Nguyen Ngoc Tram (Co-supervised), Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (08/2022 – 05/2023)
Thesis Topic: Maximal Monotone Operators and Applications, Thesis, Slide.
Dang Ngoc Do Quyen (Co-supervised), Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (08/2022 - 05/2023)
Thesis Topic: Newton Methods and Their Applications in Optimization, Thesis, Slide.
Nguyen Minh Hieu (Co-supervised), Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (08/2022 - 05/2023)
Thesis Topic: Optimality Conditions in Nonlinear Programming, Thesis, Slide.
Quach Tan Phat (Co-supervised), Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (08/2023 - 05/2024)
Thesis Topic: DC Algorithms and Applications, Thesis, Slide.
Nguyen Thi Hoang Trang (Co-supervised), Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (08/2023 - 05/2024)
Thesis Topic: Augmented Lagrangian Methods and Applications, Thesis, Slide.
Luong Minh Tuan, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (08/2024 - 05/2025)
Thesis Topic: Quasi-Newton Methods for Optimization Problems, Thesis, Slide.
Le Nguyen Ngoc Tram, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (2021/6 - 2022/4)
Research Project: Subdifferential Calculus and Applications. Report, Slide.
Award: Third Prize, Department Level
Dang Ngoc Do Quyen, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (2021/8 - 2023/4)
Academic Seminar Project (08/2021 - 06/2022): Proximal Gradient Methods for Quasiconvex and Pseudoconvex Functions.
Research Project (06/2022 - 04/2023): Global Convergence of Newton Methods in Optimization, Report, Slide.
Award: Second Prize, Department Level
Quach Tan Phat, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam (2023/6 - 2024/4)
Research Project: Semi-Newton Methods in Difference Programming and Applications, Report, Slide.
Award: Consolation Prize, Department Level
Le Nguyen Ngoc Tram:
- PhD Fellowship in the School of Engineering, the University of Southern California, United States (accepted offer in 02/2024).
Dang Ngoc Do Quyen:
- Master Internship in the University of Tours, France (accepted offer in 02/2024).
- Published 1 paper in HCMC University of Education Journal of Science:
D. N. D. Quyen, Convergence and convergence rates of damped Newton methods. HCMUE Journal of Science. ISSN: 2734-9918, DOI: 10.54607
- PhD Fellowship in IFPEN/Paris-Saclay, France (accepted offer in 04/2024).
III - Visiting Scholars
Pham Duy Khanh, Associate Professor, Group of Analysis and Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematics, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (I hosted his visit to the University of North Dakota from December 2024 to January 2025)