Lifei Sheng, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Lifei Sheng is an assistant professor of decision sciences who teaches statistics and management science. Before joining UHCL, she received her Ph.D. in Management Science from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia in 2017 and a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2012.

Sheng's primary research focuses on the applications of operations management in video game industry. Her other research is driven by real-world issues in various industries including, but not limit to, car-sharing industry, hospitality industry, e-commerce industry and retail industry. Her works have been published in top journals in operations management, such as "Management Science, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management." 

Curriculum Vitae

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Publications

• Yifu Li, Christopher Thomas Ryan, Lifei Sheng (2022). “Optimal Sequencing in Single-player Games”. Forthcoming at Management Science
• Lifei Sheng, Christopher Thomas Ryan, Mahesh Nagarajan, Yuan Cheng, Chunyang Tong (2020). “Incentivized Actions in Freemium Games”. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 24(1), 275-284
• Lifei Sheng, Daniel Granot, Woonghee Tim Huh‬, Mahesh Nagarajan (2017). “A Dynamic Price-Only Contract: Exact and Asymptotic Results”. Operations Research Letters, 45(6), 620-624
• Lifei Sheng, Huan Zheng, Ying Rong, Woonghee Tim Huh‬ (2015). “Flexible System Design: A Perspective from Service Levels”. Operations Research Letters, 43(3), 219–225

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Courses (Current Academic Year)

• DSCI 3321 Statistics I 
• DSCI 3331 Quantitative Methods for Management 

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Research Projects

PAPERS UNDER REVIEW

• Lifei Sheng, Christopher Thomas Ryan, Xuying Zhao (2022). “Strategic Timing and Pricing for Selling Bonus Actions in Video Games”. Under review for invited resubmission at Management Science
• Guang Li, Lifei Sheng, Dongyuan Zhan (2022). “Designing Shipping Policies with Top-up Options to Qualify for Free Delivery”. Major revision at Production and Operations Management 

WORKING PAPERS

• Ashutosh Prasad, Lifei Sheng, Xuying Zhao (2022). “Retailer-Driven Blind Boxes in a Decentralized Supply Chain”. (Soon to be submitted to Production and Operations Management)
• Lifei Sheng, Qiong Jia, Yue Guo, Hao Zhang (2022). “Win-Win Ecology: Optimal Alliance Strategies for Car Manufacturer and Car-sharing Platform” (Soon to be submitted to Management Science)
• Lifei Sheng, Woonghee Tim Huh‬ (2022). “Pricing under Horizontal Product Differentiation”. (Soon to be submitted to Production and Operations Management)  
• Lifei Sheng, Mahesh Nagarajan, Hao Zhang (2022). “Dynamic Short-term Supply Contracts under Private Stocking and Backlogging”. (Soon to be submitted to Operations Research) 
• Xing Hu, Lifei Sheng, Hao Zhang, Xuying Zhao. “Cancellation Policy on Rental Sharing Platforms” (Soon to be submitted to Management Science) 

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

• Benny Wong, Christopher Thomas Ryan, Lifei Sheng, Yifu Li. “Journey Planning in Virtual Experiences” (Preparing manuscript)
• Guang Li, Zahra Khanalizadeh, Mikhail Nediak, Shweta Singh, Lifei Sheng. “Oblivious Equilibrium on Online Small Seller Platforms” (Preparing manuscript)
• Ashutosh Prasad, Lifei Sheng, Xuying Zhao. “Selling Blind Boxes in a Competitive Market”. (Analyzing model)
• Lifei Sheng, Lai Wei. “Assortment Planning with Variety Seeker”. (Analyzing model)
• Yifu Li, Christopher Thomas Ryan, Lifei Sheng. “The Design of Competitive Balanced Game”. (Preliminary stage)

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Awards and Accomplishments

• Killam Graduate Teaching Award, 2017
• Dean Earle D. MacPhee Memorial Fellowship, 2012-2015
• Edward and Miriam Silber Memorial Graduate Scholarship, 2012
• Sauder School of Business Graduate Award, 2012
• China National Scholarship (one of two winners among 78 students), 2010-2012
• China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling, first prize in Shanghai (19,490 teams participated), 2011
• Shanghai Educational Development Foundation’s Suntory Corporation Scholarship (only winner among 100 students), 2009

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