Paul Nicholas

Dr. Paul J. Nicholas is a Principal Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU APL), where he is the Program Manager for Prevention, Preparedness, and Response in the Lab’s Global Health Mission Area. He is an adjunct instructor at JHU, teaching graduate courses on optimization, and is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer.

Paul’s research focuses on the use of advanced analytic techniques to examine problems in healthcare and national security, including resource allocation, public health applications, communications systems, and cyberspace operations. He is interested in large-scale combinatorial optimization and simulation.

Paul received his B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy, his M.S. from the Naval Postgraduate School, and his Ph.D. from George Mason University. On active duty, he deployed several times to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of combat operations as a communications officer and operations research analyst. He was a visiting fellow to the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, and an MIT Seminar XXI Fellow. He is a member of MORS, INFORMS, and IEEE, and previously served on the MORS Board of Directors and as the MORS Vice President for Meeting Operations. 

Education History

• B.S., Systems Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy
• MS, Operations Research, Naval Postgraduate School
• PhD, Systems Engineering and Operations Research, George Mason University

Work Experience

Principal Professional Staff, JHU Applied Physics Laboratory

Publications

Panaggio et al. (2022). Gecko: A time-series model for COVID-19 hospital admission forecasting. Epidemics, Vol 39, pp. 1-8.

Nicholas, P.J., Hoffman, K.L. (2019). “Efficient solution methods for the cumulative-interference channel assignment problem using integer optimization and constraint programming.” Proceedings of the International Conference on the Integration of Constraint Programming, Artificial Intelligence, and Operations Research (CPAIOR), pp. 443-460.

Nicholas, P.J., Alderson, D.L. (2018). “Fast design of wireless mesh networks to defend against worst-case jamming.” Military Operations Research, Vol 23, No 3, pp. 5-20.

Nicholas, P.J., Hoffman, K.L. (2018). “Analysis of Spectrum Allocation to Support Mobile Ad-hoc Networks in Contested Environments.” Proceedings of the IEEE Military Communications Conference (MILCOM), pp. 145-150.

Nicholas, P.J., Alderson, D.L. (2017). “Method for interference-robust transmitter placement in wireless mesh networks.” U.S. patent 9,788,213.

Nicholas, P.J., Hoffman, K.L. (2016). “Optimal channel assignment for military MANET using integer optimization and constraint programming.” Proceedings of the IEEE Military Communications Conference (MILCOM), pp. 1114-1120.

Nicholas, P.J., Tkacheff, J., Kuhns, C.M. (2016). “Measuring the operational impact of military SATCOM degradation.” Proceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 3087-3097.

Nicholas, P.J. (2016). “Optimal allocation of electromagnetic spectrum to support tactical wideband communications.” Military Operations Research, Vol 21, No 1, pp. 21-39.

Nicholas, P.J. (2016). “Optimal spectrum allocation to support tactical mobile ad-hoc networks.” PhD dissertation, George Mason University.

Nicholas, P.J., Hoffman, K.L. (2015). “Computational challenges of dynamic channel assignment for military MANET.” Proceedings of the IEEE Military Communications Conference (MILCOM), pp. 1171-1178.

Nicholas, P.J., Alderson, D.L. (2015). “Designing interference-robust wireless mesh networks using a defender-attacker-defender model.” Naval Postgraduate School, technical report NPS-OR-15-002.

Nicholas, P.J. (2015). “A dividing rectangles algorithm for stochastic simulation optimization.” Proceedings of the 14th INFORMS Computing Society Conference (ICS), pp. 47-61.

Nicholas, P.J., Tkacheff, J., Kuhns, M., Maddux, J. (2015). “GPS and SATCOM Denial Study.” Marine Corps Combat Development Command, technical report.

Nicholas, P.J., Alderson, D.L. (2014). “Method for optimal transmitter placement in wireless mesh networks.” U.S. patent 8,654,672.

Nicholas, P.J., Tkacheff, J., Kuhns, C.M. (2014). “Analysis of throughput-constrained tactical wireless networks.” IEEE Military Communications Conference, pp. 916-912.

Nicholas, P.J., Tkacheff, J., Hipsher, M., Bancroft, J.J. (2014). “Analytic framework for tactical cyberspace / electronic warfare operations.” MCCDC, technical report.

Nicholas, P.J., Pepper, J., Hipsher, M., Bulanow, P. (2013). “Marine Air-Ground Task Force wideband spectrum requirement and allocation study.” MCCDC, technical report.

Nicholas, P.J., Pepper, J. Muratore, M., Gibbons, D., Weaver, C. (2013). “Simulation and analysis of mobile ad-hoc network technology in the U.S. Marine Corps infantry battalion.” Military Operations Research, Vol 18, No 4, pp. 19-35.

Nicholas, P.J., Alderson, D.L. (2012). “Fast, efficient transmitter placement in wireless mesh networks.” Military Operations Research, Vol 17, No 4, pp. 69-84.

Reber, D., Weaver, C., Nicholas, P.J., Gibbons, D. (2010). “Marine Air-Ground Task Force electronic warfare study.” MCCDC, technical report.

Nicholas, P.J. (2009). “Optimal transmitter placement in wireless mesh networks.” M.S. thesis, Naval Postgraduate School.

Professional Organizations

Military Operations Research Society
INFORMS