Kuang Xu
Associate Professor of Operations, Information & Technology
Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering (by courtesy), School of Engineering
Academic Area:
Bio
Professor Kuang Xu (Chinese: 许匡) is an Associate Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is an expert in Operations Research, AI and Data Science innovation, supply chains and logistics, and data-driven decision-making. He is the co-creator of AI Strategy, the first course at Stanford that focuses on the strategy, management and entrepreneurship principles of AI and Data Science.
The core of Professor Kuang Xu’s research focuses on decision-making under uncertainty, leveraging tools from operations research, statistics and machine learning. His work has been published in leading academic journals including ;Operations Research and Management Science, and has received a number of prestigious awards, including the George E. Nicholson Prize from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), the Best Paper Award as well as Outstanding Student Paper Award from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Special Interest Group on Measurement and Evaluation (SIGMETRICS), and an ACM SIGMETRICS Rising Star Research Award. He serves as an Associate Editor for Management Science and Operations Research in Data Science and Stochastic Modeling. His research and writing have been featured in a variety of media outlets including NPR, PBS, NBC and USA Today.
Professor Kuang Xu advises companies and investment funds on how to build up core AI and Data Science capabilities and strategic moats. He has served as the Chief Data Science Advisor for Shipt Inc., Senior Advisor to Uber Inc., and scientific advisors to a number of startups as well as venture capital and private equity funds.
Professor Kuang Xu received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT (2019), and the Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2009).
Research Interests
- Operations Research
- AI and Data Science Strategy
- Experimentation and Causal Inference
- AI Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chains
- Machine Learning
Stanford University Affiliations
- Faculty Affiliate Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)
Academic Degrees
- PhD, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014
- SM, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011
- BS, Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009
Awards and Honors
- R. Michael Shanahan Faculty Scholar, 2023–24
- Botha-Chan Faculty Scholar, 2022–23
- Botha-Chan Faculty Scholar, 2021–22
- Business School Trust Faculty Scholar, 2019–20
- Business School Trust Faculty Scholar, 2018–19
- Jin Au Kong Award for Best PhD Thesis in Electrical Engineering, MIT, 2014
- Dimitris N. Chorafas Foundation award for outstanding PhD research, 2014
- Best Paper Award, as well as a Kenneth C. Sevcik Outstanding Student Paper Award, from ACM SIGMETRICS, 2013
- First-place winner of the INFORMS George E. Nicholson Student Paper Competition, 2011
- Ernst A. Guillemin Thesis Award for Best SM Thesis in Electrical Engineering, MIT, 2011
Service to the Profession
Associate Editor
- Management Science, Operations Research
Research Statement
Professor Xu is an expert in operations research, data science, innovation, marketplace, and data-driven decision-making. His research focuses on fundamental design and managerial principles of decision-making under uncertainty, with wide-ranging applications in marketplace platforms, data science experimentation, transportation and supply chains. Professor Xu has received numerous prestigious academic awards for his research, including a First Place in the INFORMS George Nicholson Paper Competition, a Best Paper Award as well as Outstanding Student Paper Award at ACM Sigmetrics, the premier venue for data-driven performance evaluation and modeling, and the ACM Sigmetrics Rising Star Research Award. His research has been published in leading journals, including Management Science, Operations Research, and Manufacturing & Service Operations Management (MSOM). His research and op-eds have been featured in media outlets, including NPR, PBS, USA Today, NBC News, and Business Insider.
Journal Articles
Working Papers
Other Publications
Teaching Statement
Professor Xu teaches MBA, MSx, PhD, and executive education programs at the Stanford GSB. He developed the Business Analytics course for the GSB MSx program which enables students to use data science and optimization to structure next-generation data-powered businesses, improve operational efficiency, and drive growth. Professor Xu has also led workshops for executives on innovation, data science, and strategic decision-making in operations, supply chains and logistics.
Degree Courses
Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs
Drive and sustain innovation and operational excellence. Strengthen collaboration with C-suite leaders to translate strategies into actionable plans.
Discover business growth strategies and build a stronger company designed to sustain progress, scale management, and facilitate market expansion.
Insights by Stanford Business
School News
Faculty Voices