Alys Liang 梁佳欣

I am an Assistant Professor of Retail and Operations Management at McGill University. Before joining McGill, I obtained my PhD in Technology and Operations from the University of Michigan in 2024. Prior to my PhD, I earned a B.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics from Peking University.

My research focuses on improving operational decision-making in complex, large-scale systems. My work began with algorithmic problems in retail operations and has gradually expanded to settings with broader environmental and societal objectives. My current areas of interest include sustainable retail operations, humanitarian supply chains, and emerging operational challenges associated with AI. Methodologically, I draw on optimization, probability, and stochastic analysis to uncover useful structure in high-dimensional decision problems and develop implementable policies.

My doctoral research on product return management was inspired by hands-on work across flagship stores, fulfillment centers, warehouses, and data science teams. This experience continues to shape my approach to research, motivating me to work closely with domain experts, learn from their experience, and identify operational problems grounded in practice.