Welcome to my personal website! My name is Zihan Zhao, and I am a PhD candidate in Supply Chain, Operations, and Technology at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis. I am advised by Prof. Dennis Zhang and Prof. Renyu (Philip) Zhang.

I am interested in data-driven problems of online platforms. I am deeply fascinated by the potential impact that ML/AI techniques can have on the development and optimization of these platforms.

Research Interests

Online Platforms, algorithm regulation

Papers

1. “Self-preference on E-Commerce Platforms: Evidence from JD.COM,” with Dennis J. Zhang and Renyu (Philip) Zhang, Work in Progress.

Conference Presentations

1. Self-preference on E-Commerce Platforms: Evidence from JD.COM.
   o Workshop on AI & Analytics for Social Good, College Park, MD, 2023
   o POMS Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, 2023 (scheduled).
   o INFORMS Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, AZ, 2023 (scheduled).
   

Education

PhD (expected) 2026, Washington University in St.Louis
MS 2019, Tsinghua University
MS 2018, Columbia University
BA 2016, Beijing Foreign Studies University