Yifeng Cao

My research centers on operations in the public sector, with a particular focus on the trade-off between efficiency and fairness. Specifically, I am interested in:

1. Quantifying the efficiency loss that results from incorporating fairness considerations under various fairness notions (e.g., proportional fairness, max-min fairness);

2. Designing public service systems-such as public housing-that effectively balance the trade-off between efficiency and fairness.

Currently, I collaborate with BC Housing, the provincial housing authority in British Columbia, Canada, to design public housing allocation systems that explicitly address the efficiency–fairness trade-off. This work supports the agency’s mission to enhance equitable access to safe, quality, accessible, and affordable housing for underserved and vulnerable populations.

1. Tight bounds for the price of fairness. Yifeng Cao, Yichuan Ding and Daniel Granot. Minor revision in Operations Research.

   • Second Prize, Best Student Paper Award, 2025 POMS International Conference in China. 

   • Third prize, Best Paper Award Competition of the 17th International Conference of the Chinese Scholars Association for Management Science and Engineering (CSAMSE) 2025.

2. (Job market paper) Optimizing Mobility and Fairness in Public Housing Allocation. Yifeng Cao, Yichuan Ding, Daniel Granot, Hao Zhang, and Weihua Zhang. Manuscript in preparation.

   • Finalist,  "Queueing and Applied Probability SIG paper competition" of Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS) Conference 2025.

   • Third prize, Best Paper Award Competition of the 17th International Conference of the Chinese Scholars Association for Management Science and Engineering (CSAMSE) 2025.

• Optimizing Mobility and Fairness in Public Housing Allocation

  • INFORMS Annual Meeting, Atlanta, USA, October 2025. (Scheduled) 

  • Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS) Conference, Edmonton, Canada, June 2025.

  • MSOM Conference, London, United Kingdom, July 2025.

  • INFORMS Annual Meeting, Seattle, USA, October 2024.

• Tight bounds for the price of fairness

  • INFORMS Annual Meeting, Seattle, USA, October 2024.

  • MSOM Conference, Minneapolis, USA, June 2024.

  • INFORMS Annual Meeting, Phoenix, USA, October 2023.

• Instructor, UBC Sauder School of Business

  • COMM 204 - Logistics and Operations Management (Summer 2024)

    • Core course of Bachelor of Commerce program

    • Introductory course for undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Commerce program. The course introduce the philosophy of operations management and covers classical topics, including process analysis, project management, queueing theory, forecasting, inventory management and supply chain management. 

• Teaching assistant, Sauder School of Business

  • COMM 414 Data Visualization and Business Analytics (Winter 2024/2025)

    • Introductory course of AI and its application in business setting.

    • This course examines the role of artificial intelligence and data analytics in solving real-world business problems. It introduces fundamental machine learning techniques and explores how AI is applied in practice through case studies drawn from diverse business contexts. Students will gain hands-on experience with tools such as R, learn to build and interpret predictive and prescriptive models, and develop the skills to generate business insights from data. Two written exams assess students’ technical knowledge, while case discussions and assignments reinforce practical application. The course is ideal for students interested in the intersection of AI, analytics, and business decision-making.

• Teaching assistant, McGill Desautels Faculty of Management

  • MGSC 702 - Stochastic System (Ph.D.)