Yongseok Jeon, a Ph.D. student in the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, earned major recognition at the 2025 Winter Simulation Conference. The Winter Simulation Conference ranks among the world’s leading international events for simulation and modeling research. In a rare achievement, Jeon won two major awards for the same research paper. He received top honors in both the PhD Colloquium and the overall conference competitions.

Jeon earned the Best Ph.D. Colloquium Student Paper Award, which recognizes the strongest paper among doctoral finalists. Only 12 students advanced to the highly competitive PhD Colloquium. He also won the Best Contributed Applied Paper Award, the highest applied-paper honor at WSC 2025. Reviewers selected this award from nearly 200 applied research papers. Jeon’s paper ranked first among a large and international group of submissions.

The Research

Jeon’s award-winning paper, “Dynamic Calibration of Digital Twins via Stochastic Simulation: A Wind Energy Case Study,” focuses on improving digital twins. Digital twins are virtual models that replicate real-world systems, including wind farms and buildings. Keeping these models aligned with real-world conditions presents a major challenge. Jeon’s research addresses this challenge by enabling faster and more accurate updates. He explains that this approach allows for “more responsive and proactive decision making in systems that impact our daily lives.”

In wind energy applications, Jeon says his approach supports “more robust operating strategies under changing wind conditions.” This helps maintain a reliable power supply while improving efficiency. The method also reduces unnecessary stress on equipment. Jeon notes that similar benefits apply to building energy systems. More accurate models can reduce unnecessary heating and cooling by reflecting real-time conditions.

Looking Ahead

Jeon hopes his work will improve decision-making in large-scale systems, including city-level energy infrastructure and traffic control. At this scale, even small improvements can produce meaningful results. Jeon notes that better decisions can reduce congestion, shorten travel times, and lower fuel consumption for thousands of commuters.

Beyond his two major awards, Jeon was named a finalist for Best Contributed Theoretical Paper. He also received a Student Travel Award from ACM SIGSIM. Advised by Sara Shashaani, Jeon’s achievements highlight the impact of simulation research. His work also reflects NC State ISE’s contributions to advancing technology with real-world benefits.