Hi, I’m Zikun Ye. I am an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Michael G. Foster School of Business, University of Washington.

My research focuses on fundamental questions under the emerging trends in technology, marketplaces, and society. I am particularly enthusiastic about developing data-driven causal inference, field experiments, machine learning, and optimization methodologies to evaluate and optimize the strategies in the contexts of digital platforms and marketplaces.

Before joining the Foster School of Business, I received my Ph.D. in Operations Research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, advised by Prof. Xin Chen and Prof. Dennis Zhang. I earned my Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Engineering with Zhiyuan honors from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2018.

I am looking for motivated students with either a strong mathematics/engineering background or research experience in the business area. If you plan to pursue a PhD starting in Fall 2025, and are interested in working with me, please contact me and apply to the Marketing Department at Foster.