2026 Best 40-Under-40 Business Professors: Yichen Zhang, Daniels School of Business, Purdue University

 

Yichen Zhang
Purdue University
Daniels School of Business 

“I was a student in his Machine Learning class at Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business. Professor Zhang does not just teach algorithms; he fundamentally changes how his students approach complex business problems under uncertainty. He pushed us past the textbook applications of AI and challenged us to tackle the actual bottlenecks faced by Wall Street quant funds. Because of his mentorship, my project partner and I were able to build, backtest, and publicly open-source a highly sophisticated financial machine-learning framework that gained immediate traction in our professional networks.” – MSBAIM Student

Yichen Zhang is an Associate Professor (effective August 2026) of Quantitative Methods at the Daniels School of Business, Purdue University.

His research lies at the intersection of statistical learning and optimization, focusing on data-driven decision-making and supply chain applications. His work has been published in leading academic journals such as the Annals of Statistics, Journal of the American Statistical Association, Operations Research, and Mathematics of Operations Research. 

Zhang is the recipient of the 2025 Daniels School of Business Young Faculty Scholar Award, the 2021 IMS Lawrence D. Brown Award, and the 2020 Herman E. Krooss Prize for outstanding doctoral dissertation, along with several academic travel awards. He has earned multiple DSB Distinguished Instructor recognitions for his graduate teaching, and contributes his expertise in AI and deep learning to industry leaders through Purdue’s Executive Education programs.

He recently began serving as Co-director of the Online MS Business Analytics Program at the Daniels School of Business, and serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics. 

BACKGROUND 

At current institution since what year?  2020 

Education:  

• Ph.D., Statistics, Stern School of Business, New York University (2020) 
• B.S. in Mathematics and B.A. in Economics, Peking University (2015) 

List of MBA/graduate business courses you currently teach:  Machine Learning; Deep Learning 

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR 

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when …  I stepped into the NYU Stern for my PhD. It’s the exact place where elegant mathematical theories could be applied to solve complex, high-stakes, real-world problems. It’s where theoretical rigor meets practical impact. 

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? My primary research explores statistical learning and optimization, with applications in supply chain management and data-driven decision-making. A major breakthrough in my recent work has been developing online statistical inference techniques for contextual bandits and stochastic optimization, essentially creating algorithms that allow systems to learn and make optimal decisions on the fly in highly dynamic environments. 

If I weren’t a business school professor…  I would be a global nomad, wandering without a fixed set of coordinates to view the world from entirely new perspectives. 

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I bridge the gap between rigorous mathematical theory and the practical, fast-moving needs of the business world. Whether I am guiding PhD students through complex statistical proofs or teaching executives how to integrate AI, my goal is to translate highly theoretical architectures into actionable insights for the modern enterprise. 

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor:  That teaching an AI course is essentially a real-life newsvendor problem with highly perishable inventory. The syllabus practically has the shelf life of fresh produce. Teaching in this space means you are constantly racing alongside industry innovation, teaching students how to adapt to the next algorithmic breakthrough, and helping them translate those technical milestones into tangible business value.  

Professor I most admire and why:  I must name two who shaped my understanding of academia from completely distinct angles: Xi Chen and Clifford Hurvich, both at NYU Stern. Prof. Xi Chen operates like a true entrepreneur—he excels in every single dimension of being a professor, from driving innovative research to managing resources and building connections. Prof. Clifford Hurvich, embodies the pure researcher, driven by a profound and uncompromising thirst for knowledge. Together, they demonstrated the full spectrum of what a professor can achieve. 

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? Witnessing that “aha” moment when they realize a dense deep learning architecture isn’t just an academic exercise, but a strategic weapon they can immediately deploy to revolutionize their company’s operations and untangle their most stubborn business bottlenecks. 

What is most challenging? Striking the perfect equilibrium between rigorous mathematical foundations and high-level business intuition without diluting either. 

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as…  A facilitator of real-world standards. My courses are heavily project-driven and rely on peer review. Instead of just chasing a letter grade, students must learn to defend their models and critique their peers’ work with the analytical rigor they would need in a top-tier corporate environment. 

LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM 

What are your hobbies? I am an avid international traveler. My travels are often a literal ‘random walk’. I love the stochastic process of wandering through an unfamiliar city without a set destination, embracing the beauty of pure, unscripted exploration. 

How will you spend your summer? I will be navigating between academic conferences and spontaneous wanderings across new coordinates in five continents. 

Favorite place(s) to vacation:  Anywhere I haven’t been yet. I consider myself a global nomad, so the true thrill for me is always in exploring a brand new set of coordinates. 

Favorite book(s):  Unrequited Love (A Chinese novel published in 2011). “Two strangers fell in love. Only one knows it wasn’t by chance”. 

If I must mention an academic book, my favorite one will be Hardy Spaces by Nikolaï Nikolski.  

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much?   Flipped. “Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss. But every once in a while you find someone who’s iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare.” 

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? My playlist is mostly eclectic and shifts to match the energy of the environment I’m in. But I do have two special mentions when it comes to artists I admire: Professor Clifford Hurvich, whom I mentioned earlier, happens to be a very talented musician; and my wife is a brilliant artist specializing in manga. I am incredibly lucky to have world-class artistry right in my inner circle. 

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS 

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this…  A curriculum that teaches students to embrace the beauty of uncertainty. By rooting their education in principled probabilistic reasoning, we equip them with the ultimate compass to navigate a highly stochastic business world. 

In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at…  Mastering the mechanics behind the AI tools they deploy. Strategic value is unlocked not just by adopting AI, but by comprehending its underlying architecture to ensure it is leveraged with absolute precision. 

I’m grateful for…  The unwavering support from my colleagues in our Quantitative Methods department, the dedication of my incredible PhD collaborators, the esteemed coauthors who elevate our research, the brilliant students whose sharp curiosity fuels my passion in the classroom, and the academic advisors who paved the way for every stage of my career. 

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE 2026 ROSTER OF THE WORLD’S BEST 40-UNDER-40 GRADUATE BUSINESS PROFESSORS 

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