Jiarui (Gary) Wei

photo.jpg

Richardson, TX

[email protected]

CV

Hello! Welcome to my page!

About Me

My name is Jiarui (Gary) Wei, and I am a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Operations Management at the The University of Texas at Dallas. I am fortunate to be advised by Professor Metin Cakanyildirim. I’m on the 2025–2026 academic job market!

Download CV here.

My research focuses on sustainable operations, energy management, and platform operations. Specifically, my work addresses the critical sustainability challenges that arise from technology-driven operations, specifically focusing on the massive energy demands of data centers spurred by the growth of AI, and the complex fulfillment trade-offs on e-commerce platforms. I use analytical modeling, empirical, and machine learning techniques to develop practical solutions that help manage the operational efficiency and environmental impacts of these AI-powered systems, offering guidance for stakeholders ranging from microgrid operators to online platform sellers.

Prior to UTD, I worked as a junior research assistant at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, where I was fortunate to be supervised by Prof. Xiting Gong. I obtained my B.Eng. in Systems Engineering and Engineering Management at CUHK as well.

Research

  • Dismissal of Demand Dependence Disappoints and Deceives: The Case of Microgrid Generation and Storage Investments, with F. F. Mamaghani and M. Cakanyildirim. Submitted
  • The Price of Choice: Causal Effects of Retail Electricity Contracts on Consumer Bills: Double Machine Learning from Individual Consumption, with F. F. Mamaghani and M. Cakanyildirim. Work in Progress
  • Fair Pricing in the Age of AI: Designing Electricity Market Mechanisms for Data Center Demand Shocks, with F. F. Mamaghani and M. Cakanyildirim. Work in Progress
  • Who Should Fulfill? The Role of Return Policies in E-Commerce Fulfillment Strategy, with A. S. Simsek, O. Ozer. Work in Progress

Teaching

Instructor

  • Managerial Methods in Decision Making Under Uncertainty (Undergraduate Core), UT Dallas, Spring 2025, Enrollment: 68, Evaluation: 4.81/5, Response Rate: 37 out of 68.
    Click to see the official course evaluation report and anonymous student feedback
    • Download official course evaluation report here
    • "Instructor really cares about student success and is very passionate about the content of the course. He emphasized office hours and was very quick in responding to emails. I am horrible at math and it is always my least favorite course, but this semester I didn't do too bad."
    • "I believe Professor Jiarui Wei has laid out this course well. It's easy to learn, follow, and understand the course material with the current organization of the class and schedule. I believe the course should remain this way and firmly keep: the easily followable lectures, assignments (3 each per exam for better practice/preparations), practice exams for each exam, and going through the assignments and practices during class. If Professor Jiarui Wei had the classes later in the morning or throughout the afternoon, the students would be more lively than in the early morning at 8:30 AM. (The last sentence is also a personal preference since so many students like this professor, and I even picked Jiarui Wei when I was not a morning person, as I trust the commentaries of many of my peers. I believe many students miss out on his teachings due to not wanting 8 AMs.)"
    • "The preparation for exams was awesome! The instructor would take a week of class to review for the exam and would post many helpful items on eLearning such as practice exams, study guides, and past HW assignments. This really helps prepare for the exams, so that part of the course should remain the same."

Teaching Assistant

  • Operations Management
  • Spreadsheet Modeling and Analytics
  • Global Logistics and Transportation
  • Optimal Control Theory and Applications
  • Purchasing Sourcing and Contract Management
  • Probability and Stochastic Processes
  • Prescriptive Analytics
  • Product Lifecycle Management
  • Lean and Six Sigma Processes

Updates

  • Oct 2025 I will present “Dismissal of Demand Dependence Disappoints and Deceives: The Case of Microgrid Generation and Storage Investments” at the 2025 INFORMS Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia. (Monday, October 27, 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Building B, Level 2, B206)