Yao Chen

Yao Chen is a Professor in the Department of Operations and Information Systems at the Manning School of Business, University of Massachusetts Lowell. She holds a PhD in Operations Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2000) and has established herself as a leading researcher in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and its applications across various domains including business operations, healthcare, and sustainability.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Operations Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2000)
• MS in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, School of Economics and Management, Southeast University, Nanjing, China (1992)
• BS in Industrial Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China (1988)

Professor Chen's research focuses on efficiency and productivity issues in information systems operations, the impact of information technology on operational performance, and methodological developments in Data Envelopment Analysis. Her work bridges theoretical advancements in operations research with practical applications in business decision-making, healthcare analytics, and environmental sustainability. She has made significant contributions to network DEA, two-stage systems, and super-efficiency models, developing innovative approaches to measure and improve organizational performance across complex systems.

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on advancing DEA methodology while expanding its applications to new domains. While maintaining a strong theoretical foundation in operations research, her work increasingly addresses interdisciplinary challenges in healthcare analytics, environmental sustainability, and financial performance measurement. The integration of DEA with other analytical techniques like artificial neural networks (DEANN) represents a cutting-edge direction in her research program.

Among her professional recognitions:

• Best Reviewer Award from OMEGA journal

Professor Chen has secured research funding for projects including "Improving Organ Transplantation with Advanced Analytics" (2012) and has received summer research support and international travel funding from the University of Science & Technology of China (2008, 2011) and National Ocean University in Taiwan (2014). Her collaborative research extends across international boundaries, with co-authors from institutions worldwide. She is an active member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences (INFORMS), contributing to the advancement of operations research methodology and applications.