Trang Nguyen

My full name is "Thi Dai Trang Nguyen", I am a Tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at South Dakota State University.
Research interest:
  • Optimization, Optimal Control and Applications, Nonlinear and Variational Analysis
  • AI & Machine Learning, Statistics

I am seeking motivated graduate students (Master’s and Ph.D.) to join my research group at South Dakota State University (SDSU). Research focuses on optimization, optimal control and machine learning. Teaching Assistant (TA) positions are available, and fully-funded. Please email a brief CV and statement of interest to trang.nguyen@sdstate.edu. Due to the high volume of applications, I might not be able to reply to all; If your interests closely align with my research areas, you will receive an email to schedule a meeting or potential next steps.

Experience

  • 2025 - current
    South Dakota State University, USA.
    Tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
  • 2020 - 2025
    Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics at Wayne State University, USA.
    Advisor: Distinguished University Professor Boris Mordukhovich.
  • 2020 - 2022
    Wayne State University, USA.
    Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics.
  • 2018 - 2019
    Sorbonne Paris Nord University, France.
    International Master Program in Mathematics.
  • 2017 - 2018
    Limoges University, France.
    Master 1 Mathematics and Applications- ACSYON- Collaboration Program.
  • 2014 - 2018
    Quy Nhon University, Vietnam.
    Bachelor Degree in Mathematics and Education- Advisor: Professor Dang Ky Luong.

Publications

  • Optimal Control of Nonconvex Sweeping Processes with Variable Time via Finite-Difference Approximations. Nonlinear Analysis: Hybrid Systems, vol. 61, 101755 (2026)
    T. H. Cao, B. S. Mordukhovich, D. Nguyen, Trang Nguyen, N. T. Nguyen.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nahs.2026.101755
  • Optimal control of perturbed sweeping process with applications to general robotic models. Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, vol. 208, 114 (2026)
    G. Colombo, B. S. Mordukhovich, D. Nguyen, Trang Nguyen, N. Ortiz-Robinson.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10957-025-02923-x
  • Well-posedness and stability of discrete approximations for controlled sweeping processes with time delay. Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, vol. 206, 70 (2025)
    B. S. Mordukhovich, D. Nguyen, Trang Nguyen, N. Ortiz-Robinson, V. Rí os.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10957-025-02746-w
  • Optimal control of sweeping processes in unmanned surface vehicle and nanoparticle modeling. Optimization, pp. 1-33 (2024)
    B. S. Mordukhovich, D. Nguyen, Trang Nguyen.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02331934.2024.2366832
  • Discrete approximations and optimality conditions for controlled free-time sweeping processes. Applied Mathematics and Optimization, vol. 89, 40 (2024)
    G. Colombo, B. S. Mordukhovich, D. Nguyen, Trang Nguyen.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00245-024-10108-7
  • Poster: Optimization of controlled free-time sweeping processes and applications. AWM Workshop Poster Session, Seattle, US (2023)
    G. Colombo, B. S. Mordukhovich, D. Nguyen, Trang Nguyen.
    https://bit.ly/AWM23poster
  • Applications of controlled sweeping processes to nonlinear crowd motion models with obstacles. IEEE Control Systems Letters, vol. 6, pp. 740-745, 2022
    T. H. Cao, B. S. Mordukhovich, D. Nguyen, Trang Nguyen.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/LCSYS.2021.3085953
  • Optimization of controlled free-time sweeping processes with applications to marine surface vehicle modeling. IEEE Control Systems Letters, vol. 6, pp. 782-787, 2022
    T. H. Cao, N. T. Khalil, B. S. Mordukhovich, D. Nguyen, Trang Nguyen, F. L. Pereira.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/LCSYS.2021.3085900
  • Clustering of the periodic orbits of a hyperbolic automorphism on the torus $T^2$. Quy Nhon University Journal of Science, 2021, 15(1), 51-60
    M. H. Huynh, V. N. Vo, T. Le, Trang Nguyen.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.52111/qnjs.2021.15106

Services / Extracurricular Activies

  • Reviewer for Journal of Set-Valued and Variational Analysis.

  • Reviewer for Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications.

  • Reviewer for Applicable Analysis, Taylor & Francis.

  • Member of Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), American Mathematical Society (AMS).

  • Organizer of The 2026 Midwest Optimization Meeting (MOM26), Brookings, SD, USA.

  • Volunteer in organizing the 2023 Annual Midwest Optimization Meeting (MOM23), Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

  • Tutor in Mathematics Computer Lab

    This computer lab is for students currently enrolled in MAT 0993, MAT 1000, MAT 1070 and STA 1020.

  • Tutor in Mathematics Resource Center

    This lab is a free tutoring service provided to Wayne State math students. See more.

  • Student Scientific Research Project, Quy Nhon University

    Project: Picard method, Newton method and applications into approximate calculation the solutions of equation.

  • Student Scientific Research Project, Quy Nhon University

    Project: Markov partition for the hyperbolic automorphism of the torus.

Teaching

  • 2026 - 2027
    • MATH 773- Numerical Optimization, 3 credits
      Winter 2027 — Main instructor
    • MATH 415&515- Advanced Linear Algebra, 3 credits
      Fall 2026 — Main instructor
  • 2025 - 2026
    • MATH 374- Scientific Computing, 3 credits
      Winter 2026 — Main instructor
    • MATH 792- Topic in Numerial PDEs, 3 credits
      Fall 2025 — Main instructor
  • 2024 - 2025
    • MAT 2010- Calculus I, 4 credits
      Winter 2025 — Main instructor
    • MAT 2010- Calculus I, 4 credits
      Fall 2024 — Main instructor
  • 2023 - 2024
    • MAT 2030- Calculus III, 4 credits
      Spring/Summer 2024 — Main instructor
    • STA 2210- Probability and Statistics, 4 credits
      Winter 2024 — Main instructor
    • STA 1020- Elementary Statistics, 3 credits
      Fall 2023 — Main instructor
  • 2022 - 2023
    • MAT 2030- Calculus III, 4 credits
      Spring/Summer 2023 — Main instructor
    • MAT 2020- Calculus II, 4 credits
      Winter 2023 — Main instructor
    • MAT 1070- College Algebra, 5 credits
      Fall 2022 — Main instructor
  • 2021 - 2022
    • MAT 2030- Calculus III, 4 credits
      Spring/Summer 2022 — Main instructor
    • MAT 2010- Calculus I, 4 credits
      Winter 2022 — Teaching Assistant
    • MAT 1070- College Algebra, 5 credits
      Fall 2021 — Main instructor
  • 2017 - 2018
    • Algebra & Geometry
      Winter 2018 — Teaching internship at Nguyen Thai Hoc high school and Nguyen Hue high school, Vietnam

Talks

  • Talks
    • SIAM Texas-Louisiana Sectional Meeting, Texas, USA. (Sep 2025)
    • The 2025 Annual Midwest Optimization Meeting (MOM25), North Dakota, USA. (Oct 2025)
    • SIAM Great Lakes Sectional Meeting, Indiana, USA. (Oct 2024)
    • San Diego State University, California, USA. (May 2024)
    • The 2023 Annual Midwest Optimization Meeting (MOM25), Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. (Oct 2023)
    • SIAM Conference on Optimization (OP23), Seattle, Washington, USA. (Jun 2023)
    • AWM Workshop and Poster Session at SIAM OP23, Seattle, Washington, USA. (May 2023)
    • 24th Midwest Optimization Meeting and Workshop on Large Scale Optimization and Applications, Waterloo, Canada. (Oct 2022)
    • SIAM Great Lakes Section Annual Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, USA. (Sep 2022 )
    • The 60th IEEE conference on Decision and Control, Austin, Texas. USA. (Dec 2021)
    • The 23rd Midwest Optimization Meeting, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, USA. (Oct 2021)
  • Attended
    • Summer Meeting 2021, USA. (July 2021)
    • AMS Special Sessions at the JMM (Joint Mathematics Meetings) : A special session on “Variational Analysis and Optimization”, Washington Convention Center, USA. (Jan 2021)
    • Conference on Analysis and Applied Mathematics (CAAM). (Dec 2020 )

Media Coverage

Honors and Awards

  • 2024 - 2025
    • The M.F. Janowitz Scholarship in Recognition of Outstanding Achievement, Department of Mathematics, Wayne State University.
  • 2023 - 2024
    • The Outstanding Graduate Award, Department of Mathematics, Wayne State University.
    • The William Martin Borgman Endowed Scholarship in Recognition of Outstanding Achievement, Department of Mathematics, Wayne State University.
    • Travel Award by University of Michigan and sponsors (NSF and MCAIM), to present at MOM 2023, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
  • 2022 - 2023
    • SIAM Student Travel Award, to present at 2023 SIAM Conference on Optimization (OP23), Seattle, Washington, USA.
    • The AWM's Travel Award, by the NSF-DMS Grant No. 2113506.
    • SIAM Student Travel Award, 2023 SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering (CSE23), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
    • Graduate Student Professional Travel Awards, Wayne State University, Winter 2023.
    • Graduate Student Professional Travel Awards, Wayne State University, Fall 2022.
    • Student Grant, The Latin American Workshop on Optimization and Control, Rancagua, Chile.
    • The William Martin Borgman Endowed Scholarship in Recognition of Outstanding Achievement, Department of Mathematics, Wayne State University.
    • The M.F. Janowitz Scholarship in Recognition of Outstanding Achievement, Department of Mathematics, Wayne State University.
  • 2021 - 2022
    • The M.F. Janowitz Scholarship in Recognition of Outstanding Achievement, Department of Mathematics, Wayne State University.
  • 2017 - 2018
    • Award for excellent mathematical students, National Program for the Development of Mathematics, VIASM.
    • Government's Scholarships for outstanding undergraduate student, Vietnam.
  • 2016 - 2017
    • Award for excellent mathematical students, National Program for the Development of Mathematics, VIASM.
    • Government's Scholarships for outstanding undergraduate student, Vietnam.
    • Certificate for the National Mathematical Olympiads in Analysis, for Undergraduate Students, Vietnam.
  • 2015 - 2016
    • Award for excellent mathematical students, National Program for the Development of Mathematics, VIASM.
    • Third prize in Analysis in the National Mathematical Olympiads for Undergraduate Students, Vietnam.
    • Government's Scholarships for outstanding undergraduate student, Vietnam.
  • 2014 - 2015
    • Incentive prize in Analysis in the National Mathematical Olympiads, for Undergraduate Students, Vietnam.
    • Government's Scholarships for outstanding undergraduate student, Vietnam.

Contact

Office 256, Chicoine Architecture, Mathematics and Engineering Hall
905 Campanile Ave., Brookings, SD 57007, USA.
Disclamer: This website is not an official website of South Dakota State University. The views and opinions expressed on this site are solely those of the author(s) and do not represent the official positions, policies, or views of South Dakota State University.
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