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Biography and expertise
My research focuses on advancing decision-making through analytics, operations management, and interdisciplinary methods, addressing challenges in healthcare, transportation, clean energy, and sustainability. I integrate mathematical modeling, simulation, queueing networks, machine learning, and data-driven approaches to create practical solutions that benefit policymakers, businesses, and communities. My teaching interests center on analytics, statistics, and technology-driven business education, with an emphasis on student-centered, experiential learning that bridges theory and practice.
I actively contribute to the academic community through journal reviewing, conference leadership, and graduate student supervision. I have organized and chaired sessions at international conferences such as INFORMS and DSI, and I serve as a reviewer for top journals, including Production and Operations Management (POMS),Transportation Research Part E (TRE), and Computers & Industry Engineering. I also collaborate with industry partners on data-driven projects that connect research to practice, while mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in both research and applied analytics initiatives. I earned my Ph.D. in Operations Management from McGill University, an M.Sc. in Mathematical and Computational Finance from the University of Oxford, and a B.Sc. in Computational Mathematics from Nanjing University. I have also passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program.
I actively contribute to the academic community through journal reviewing, conference leadership, and graduate student supervision. I have organized and chaired sessions at international conferences such as INFORMS and DSI, and I serve as a reviewer for top journals, including Production and Operations Management (POMS),Transportation Research Part E (TRE), and Computers & Industry Engineering. I also collaborate with industry partners on data-driven projects that connect research to practice, while mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in both research and applied analytics initiatives. I earned my Ph.D. in Operations Management from McGill University, an M.Sc. in Mathematical and Computational Finance from the University of Oxford, and a B.Sc. in Computational Mathematics from Nanjing University. I have also passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program.
Education
Doctorate Degree
PhD in Management
McGill University, 2018
Master's Degree
MS in Mathematical and Computational Finance
University of Oxford, 2011
Bachelor's Degree
BS in Information and Communication Science
Nanjing University, 2010
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Zhu, Cheng. PATHOS AI: A Secure, Institution- Specific AI Platform for Personalized Academic Advising, Office of Innovation, Commercialization, and Engagement, Texas State University, $11000. (Submitted: August 2025, Funded: July 2026 - Present). Grant.
- Zhu, Cheng. McCoy Faculty Development Fund, McCoy College of Business, Texas State University, $2200. (Funded: September 2025 - August 2026). Grant.
- Zhu, Cheng. McCoy Faculty Development Fund, McCoy College of Business, Texas State University, $2600. (Funded: September 2024 - August 2025). Grant.
- Zhu, Cheng. McCoy Faculty Development Fund, McCoy College of Business, Texas State University, $2450. (Funded: September 2023 - August 2024). Grant.
- Zhu, Cheng. McCoy College Summer Stipend, McCoy College of Business, Texas State University, $8000. (Funded: May 2023 - August 2023). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Zhu, E., Kucukyazici, B., & Maizi, Y. (2020). Designing Observation Units for Heart Failure Patients: Capacity and Patient Flow Considerations. Service Science, 12(1), 1–42.
- Sun, W., Hu, S., Li, J., Wu, T., & Zhu, C. (2025). Multi-type traffic sensor location problem for origin-destination estimation considering spatiotemporal correlation and sensor failure. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 179.
- Liu, P., Shao, F., Shao, H., Wu, T., & Zhu, C. (2025). Modeling the sparsity and density of measurement errors for origin–destination demand estimation. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 201.
- Liu, P., Shao, H., Zhu, C., Shao, F., Xu, S., & Tang, C. (2025). An inertia-infused ADMM-based splitting algorithm with parallel computing for traffic assignment. Transportation Letters.
- Najdawi, F. Z. H., Zhu, C., & Jin, T. (2025). Cost and Availability Optimization for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure via Redundancy-Spares-Repair Allocation. Quality and Reliability Engineering International.
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, McCoy College of Business. August 21, 2025
- Award / Honor Recipient: Robert J. Olney Early Career Research Award, McCoy College of Business. August 2023
- Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching, McCoy College of Business. 2022
- Award / Honor Recipient: Changemaker Awards, McCoy College of Business. 2022
- Award / Honor Recipient: Teaching Award of Honor, Texas State Alumni Association. July 2020
Featured service activities
- Other
INFOR: Information Systems and Operational Research
- Other
Transportation letters: The International Journal of Transportation Research
- Member
DBA Applications Review Committee
- Reviewer / Referee
Transportation Research Part E
- Reviewer / Referee
IIE Transaction
- Member
MBA Applications Review Committee