Hi!

My full name is Nicholas Ruiyuan Wu. Most people just call me Nick. Sometimes they call me Nick Wu.

I am a third-year PhD student at the University of Maryland’s Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation (AMSC) program. Before that, I did my bachelor’s at the University of Virginia. There, I was very fortunate to be mentored by Prasanna Balachandran and Anil Vullikanti.

As of now (Fall 2025), my interests are broadly in stochastic modeling, simulation and optimization. I am trying to learn about things like:

• applied probability: queues, epidemic models
• stochastic optimization: stochastic gradient estimation, gradient-based search, Bayesian optimization
• simulation calibration: Bayesian calibration of computer models
• sequential decision-making: MDPs, stochastic games, reinforcement learning

Some other things that I enjoy include

• Music (especially jazz and jazz-adjacent things). I played the saxophone in UVA’s Jazz Ensemble. I also used to upload music videos on YouTube.
• Going to coffee shops (here is my own list of cafes that I’ve visited)
• Bike commuting and public transit.

gmail: [first letter of first name][last name]123@umd.edu