This volume contains thirteen articles on advances in applied mathematics and computing methods for engineering problems. Six papers are on optimization methods and algorithms with emphasis on problems with multiple criteria; four articles are on numerical methods for applied problems modeled with nonlinear PDEs; two contributions are on abstract estimates for error analysis; finally one paper deals with rare events in the context of uncertainty quantification. Applications include aerospace, glaciology and nonlinear elasticity. Herein is a selection of contributions from speakers at two conferences on applied mathematics held in June 2012 at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The first conference, “Optimization and PDEs with Industrial Applications” celebrated the seventieth birthday of Professor Jacques Périaux of the University of Jyväskylä and Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona Tech) and the second conference, “Optimization and PDEs with Applications” celebrated the seventy-fifth birthday of Professor Roland Glowinski of the University of Houston. This work should be of interest to researchers and practitioners as well as advanced students or engineers in computational and applied mathematics or mechanics.