Wei Chen

I am an Associate Professor of Operations and Information Management (OPIM) at the School of Business, University of Connecticut. My research studies platforms, crowds, and financial technologies (FinTech). Combining theoretical models and granular data, I seek to provide rigorous evidence that informs the system and market design in these areas. My current research projects focus on platforms, real estate markets, and crypto markets.


My work has been published in leading academic journals, such as Management Science, Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly, and Production and Operations Management. I have received several best paper nominations and awards in information systems conferences and workshops, and the Gordon B. Davis Young Scholar Award from the INFORMS Information Systems Society.


I am also co-leading the UConn Digital Frontiers Initiative, as the academic director of the Connecticut Information Technology Institute. The initiative aims to facilitate collaborations between industry and academia, focusing on cutting edge technology developments (e.g., generative AI). My role encompasses facilitating the translation of complex research into accessible and actionable insights for both industry professionals and policymakers, while also designing innovative training to upskill the workforce in a rapidly evolving digital world.


Prior to join UConn in 2023, I was a tenured faculty member at the MIS department, Eller College of Management, University of Arizona. I received my PhD in Innovation, Technology and Operations from the Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego.


Email: weichen@uconn.edu

Research

Research Interests

  • Platforms & Crowds: Platform Economics, Open Source Software, User Engagement.
  • FinTech: Crypto Economics, Prop Tech, Crowdfunding.
  • Business Analytics: Causal Machine Learning.
My papers are organized below by their status, topics, and methods. Please find a chronological list in my CV or Google Scholar.

Selected Publications

Working Papers

  • Release Strategy of Open Source Software: Balancing User Adoption and Community Co-Creation (with Xiaofeng Liu, Vish Krishnan and Kevin Zhu) [SSRN]
  • Best Paper Award, CSWIM 2016
  • Engaging Physicians with Introductory Incentives: The Role of Online and Offline References (with Xiaofei Zhang, Bin Gu, Karen Xie, and Xitong Guo) [SSRN]
  • Best Paper Award, IT and Healthcare Track, ICIS 2017
  • Token Incentives and Platform Competition: A Tale of Two Swaps (with Xiaofeng Liu and Kevin Zhu) [SSRN]
  • Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Illicit Drugs: Mortality, Usage, and Darknet Transactions (with Louis Liu and Karen Xie)
  • When Ads Meet Incentives: Impact on Mobile User Engagement (with Buomsoo Kim, Seokjun Youn, and Sudha Ram) [SSRN]
  • Governance of Decentralized Autonomous Organization on Blockchains: Examining the Roles of Pre-voting Discussion in On-Chain Voting (with Jing Tian, Ling Xue, and Fujie Jin)
  • Governing Application Development of Crypto Ventures (with Weifeng Li and Karen Xie) [SSRN]
  • Best Paper Award, Blockchain, DLT and FinTech Track, ICIS 2020
  • Should Digital Platforms Share Data with Governments? Evidence from Airbnb (with Hongchang Wang, Zaiyan Wei, and Karen Xie) [SSRN]
  • Best Paper Runner-up, CIST 2022
  • Enhancing Customer Experiences through Home Sharing: Evidence from Local Attractions (with Karen Xie, Jianwei Liu, and Yong Liu) [SSRN]
  • Dance with Algorithms: Impact of Algorithmic Buyers on Housing Affordability (with Cheng Nie, Karen Xie, and Xinxin Li) [SSRN]
  • Impacts of Short-term Rentals on Real Estate Investment: Evidence from Airbnb and Zillow (with Sung Joo Kim, Karen Xie, and Zaiyan Wei) [SSRN]
  • Student Loan Forbearance and Consumer Financial Decision-Making: Evidence from COVID-19 CARES Act (with Anastasiya Pocheptsova Ghosh, Bikram Ghosh, and Karen Xie) [SSRN]

Platforms & Crowds

Platform Economics

Open-Source Software

User Engagement

FinTech

Crypto Economics

PropTech

Crowdfunding

Teaching

University of Connecticut

  • OPIM 3505: Business Database Management
  • OPIM 5272: Data Management and Business Process Modeling

University of Arizona

  • MIS 611C: Economics of Information Systems
    • Fall 2020 & 2022: avg. 4.96/5, 21 PhD students
  • MIS 543 Online: Business Data Communications & Networking
    • Fall 2019 - Spring 2023: avg. 4.7/5, 263 MS students (online, Cybersecurity and MIS)
  • MIS 543: Business Data Communications & Networking
    • Fall 2016 - Fall 2022: avg. 4.6/5, 464 MS students
  • MIS 307: Business Data Communications
    • Fall 2015 - Fall 2018: avg. 4.5/5, 286 undergraduate students

UC San Diego

  • MGT 103: Product Marketing and Management (Summer 2013), 4.2/5, 32 undergraduate students