معرفی
Rui Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Operations division at Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder. He currently serves as the Faculty Director of the Master's Program in Business Analytics and previously directed the Ph.D. Program in Operations. He is also an Associate Editor for INFORMS Journal on Computing and Networks.
Dr. Zhang's research focuses on quantitative methods, particularly prescriptive analytics techniques. His work spans three main application areas: revenue management problems, last-mile delivery optimization, and influence maximization on social networks. Methodologically, he employs integer programming, network optimization, and approximate dynamic programming to develop innovative solutions to complex operational challenges.
His research portfolio shows a clear progression from fundamental network optimization problems to increasingly complex applications in business analytics. Recent work emphasizes autonomous vehicle-assisted delivery systems and sophisticated influence maximization models with practical constraints like latency requirements. His publications consistently appear in top-tier operations research journals including Operations Research, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, and multiple INFORMS publications.
- Runner-up for the 2022 INFORMS Computing Society (ICS) Prize
- Multiple Best Paper awards
As Faculty Director of the MS in Business Analytics program, Dr. Zhang oversees curriculum development and student mentorship in this rapidly growing field. His Erdős number is 3 (Paul Erdős → Daniel J. Kleitman → Bruce L. Golden → Rui Zhang), reflecting connections to foundational mathematical research. His work bridges theoretical optimization with practical business applications across multiple domains including e-commerce logistics, social media marketing, and revenue management systems.
