First-year PhD student makes business and society better through data

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Mehmet Altug

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Xinyi Li, a first-year PhD student at George Mason University's Costello College of Business, joins the program with a co-authored peer-reviewed paper already published in the United States on African American youth suicidality, alongside a similar publication history in China. Her work reflects a commitment to using data analytics to improve societal and business outcomes.

Li's academic career spans multiple disciplines. She began in China, earning a bachelor of economics with a concentration in finance from Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics. One of her notable projects during her undergraduate studies involved the planning and risk assessment of insurance for assisted reproductive technologies. She then pursued a master's in finance at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, where her thesis examined the relationship between IPO underpricing and the reputation and location of underwriters.

Xinyi Li

In 2023, Li earned a second master's degree in business analytics from George Washington University (GWU), where her passion for data analysis led her to a meaningful social science research project. "Last summer, Dr. Saijun Zhang, the first author of the paper, asked me if I would like to join a project studying the factors influencing suicidal behavior in African American teenagers," Li explained. The study examined how factors such as parenting styles and exposure to violence affect suicidal tendencies.

Li contributed to the project by applying her data analysis expertise, using methods like logistic regression models and correlation analysis to identify key social factors affecting suicidal behavior.

"We found that neglectful parenting was significantly associated with an increase in suicidal ideation," Xinyi noted. "It was fascinating to see how the analytical techniques I learned in business analytics could be applied to such a critical social issue."

Li is now pursuing a PhD in operations management (OM) at Costello, a shift motivated by her growing interest in areas like supply chain management and game theory. "When I took a course in supply chain management during my master's, I realized how exciting it was to apply data models to solve real business problems. That's what inspired me to move into operations management," she shared.

During the first year of her PhD program, Li will be focusing on coursework and exploring various research directions under the guidance of Mehmet Altug, associate professor of information systems and operations management.

Looking forward, Li is eager to contribute to both academia and industry. "In the short term, my goal is to become deeply familiar with the literature in operations management and start identifying key research areas," Li said. "Long term, I hope to publish in top academic journals and find a position where I can continue applying my skills to solve practical problems."