Yunke Mai, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Clark Materials Fellow

Education

• Ph.D., Duke University, 2019
• B.S., Pennsylvania State University, 2013

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Yunke Mai is the Clark Materials Fellow and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics. Prior to joining Gatton College, Yunke earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business. He also holds a B.S. degree in mathematics from Pennsylvania State University.

Yunke's research primarily focuses on strategic considerations, operational challenges and long-term system dynamics in complex managerial problems related to innovations, emerging business models and societal concerns. In his research, Yunke draws analytical tools and brings ways of thinking from classical/evolutionary game theory, dynamic modeling and optimal control theory. His work has been published in Management Science and Production and Operations Management and has been recognized with Gatton College's 2023 Junior Faculty Research Productivity Award and the 2018 INFORMS IBM Best Student Paper Award for Service Science.

Teaching Expertise:

• Sourcing and Purchasing
• Contract Management

Research Expertise:

• Supply Chain Management
• Innovative Marketplace and Business Models
• Sustainable Operations
• Evolutionary Game Theory
• Dynamic Modeling
• Optimal Control

Selected Publications:

• Y. Mai, B. Hu. From Growth to Monetization: Managing Freemium Services. Production and Operations Management, 2026
• R. Ma, Y. Mai, B. Hu. User-Generated Content Platforms: Managing the Relationship Triangle. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 2025
• Y. Mai, B. Hu. Optimizing Free-to-Play Multiplayer Games with Premium Subscription. Management Science, 2023
• Y. Mai, B. Hu, S. Pekec. Courteous or Crude? Managing User Conduct to Improve On-Demand Service Platform Performance. Management Science, 2023
• B. Hu, Y. Mai, S. Pekec. 2020. Managing Innovation Spillover in Outsourcing. Production and Operations Management, 2020