Research

Publications

1. Split Liver Transplantation: An Analytical Decision Support Model. Yanhan (Savannah) Tang, Alan Scheller-Wolf, Sridhar Tayur, Emily Perito, John Roberts (2025). Operations Research 73(4):1785-1804.
   • First place - 2022 INFORMS DEI Best Student Paper Award
   • Winner - 2022 INFORMS Public Sector Operations Research Best Paper Award
   • Finalist - 2022 INFORMS IBM Best Student Paper Award Competition. (Link to talk.)
   • Presented at MSOM Healthcare SIG 2022
   • Media coverage: Tepper Stories, Health Care Initiative, DEIC Blog
2. Multi-Armed Bandits with Endogenous Learning Curves: An Application to Split Liver Transplantation. Yanhan (Savannah) Tang, Andrew Li, Alan Scheller-Wolf, Sridhar Tayur (2025). Manufacturing and Service Operations Management 27(2):640-658.
   • Finalist - 2022 INFORMS Service Science Best Cluster Paper Award. (Link to talk.)
   • Second place - POMS-HK 2023 Best Student Paper Competition
   • Runner up - POMS College of Service Operations Management (CSOM) Best Student Paper Competition
   • Runner up - 2023 Decision Analysis Society Student Paper Award
   • Presented at MSOM Healthcare SIG 2023
   • Media coverage: Tepper Stories, Ph.D. Health Care Research Showcase, Tepper Newsletter, SMU Research Excellence

Working Papers

1. When AI Listens First: Crisis Triage and Emotional Support in Mental Health Helplines, 2026. Xiaoquan Gao^†, Yanhan (Savannah) Tang^† (co-first). Major revision at Manufacturing and Service Operations Management.
   • Finalist - 2026 INFORMS Service Science Best Paper Award (Socially Responsible Research Track).
2. Optimizing Wearable Devices in Personalized Opioid Use Disorder Treatments Under Budget Constraint, 2026. Kyra Gan, Yanhan (Savannah) Tang, Alan Scheller-Wolf, Sridhar Taylor. Major revision at Production and Operations Management.
3. A Causal Attention Neural Network-Based Approach for Responsive Intervention in Social Media, 2026. Yanhan (Savannah) Tang, Amit Basu. Under revision.
   • Preliminary version accepted for HICSS 2026.
4. Glass Half Full: Strategic Packaging Decisions and Environmental Outcomes, 2026. Neda Mirzaeian^†, Yanhan (Savannah) Tang^† (co-first). Under revision.
   • Finalist - 2025 INFORMS Service Science Best Paper Award (Socially Responsible Research Track).
5. Who Receives Prompt Help? Ideal Persona and Narrative Fit in Digital Help-Oriented Communities, 2026. Yanhan (Savannah) Tang. Under review.
   • Preliminary version accepted for HICSS 2027.

Work-In-Progress

1. Lifecycles of Topics and Social Networks on User-Generated Content Platforms, 2026. Yanhan (Savannah) Tang.

Publicly Available Projects (Not Peer-Reviewed)

1. When is it permissible for artificial intelligence to lie? A trust-based approach. Tae Wan Kim, Tong (Joy) Lu, Kyusong Lee, Zhaoqi Cheng, Yanhan (Savannah) Tang, John Hooker (2024).
2. Efficiency, Fairness, and Stability in Peer-to-Peer Ridesharing. Hoon Oh^†, Yanhan (Savannah) Tang^†, Zong Zhang, Alexandre Jacquillat, Fei Fang (2021). Technical report for Mobility21.
3. Human-Artificial Intelligence Teaming and Effects of System Load on Child Welfare Screening. Yanhan (Savannah) Tang, Zoey Jiang, Alan Scheller-Wolf, Justine Galbraith, Lindsey Lacey (2024). (Link to extended abstract.)

^†: co-first author