Publications

Chen, Q., & Al Kontar, R. (2025+) “The Traveling Bandit: A Framework for Bayesian Optimization with Movement Costs,” Accepted at Technometrics [Preprint]
Chen, Q., Jiang, L., Qin, H., & Al Kontar, R. (2024). Multi-agent collaborative Bayesian optimization via constrained Gaussian Processes. Technometrics, 67(1), 32–45. [DOI]
Chen, Q., Al Kontar, R., Nouiehed, M., Yang, X. J., & Lester, C. (2024). Rethinking cost-sensitive classification in deep learning via adversarial data augmentation. INFORMS Journal on Data Science, 4(1), 1–19. [DOI]
Tsai, C.-C., Kim, J. Y., Chen, Q., Rowell, B., Yang, X. J., Al Kontar, R., Whitaker, M., & Lester, C. (2025). Effect of artificial intelligence helpfulness and uncertainty on cognitive interactions with pharmacists: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27. [DOI]
Kim, J. Y., Marshall, V. D., Rowell, B., Chen, Q., Zheng, Y., Lee, J. D., Al Kontar, R., Lester, C., & Yang, X. J. (2025). The effects of presenting AI uncertainty information on Pharmacists’ trust in Automated Pill Recognition Technology: Exploratory mixed subjects study. JMIR Human Factors, 12. [DOI]
Lester, C., Rowell, B., Zheng, Y., Co, Z., Marshall, V., Kim, J. Y., Chen, Q., Al Kontar, R., & Yang, X. J. (2025). Effect of uncertainty-aware AI models on pharmacists’ reaction time and decision-making in a web-based mock medication verification task: Randomized controlled trial. JMIR Medical Informatics, 13. [DOI]
Zheng, Y., Rowell, B., Chen, Q., Kim, J. Y., Al Kontar, R., Yang, X. J., & Lester, C. A. (2023). Designing human-centered AI to prevent medication dispensing errors: Focus group study with Pharmacists. JMIR Formative Research, 7. [DOI]

Preprints

Chen, Q., & Al Kontar, R. (2025+) “Online Learning of Optimal Sequential Testing Policies,” Under Review at Operations Research [Preprint]

Proposal Contributions

  • NSF CDS&E: Collaborative Research: Digital Twin-Enabled Closed-Loop Discovery of Enhanced Interfacial Superconductivity. Budget: $975,000; Period: 03/26-02/29; Under Submission.

Teaching

Instructor of Record, University of Michigan

  • IOE 570: Experimental Design (Evaluation: 4.4/5)

Graduate Student Instructor, University of Michigan

  • IOE 265: Probability and Statistics for Engineers (Evaluation: 4.4/5)

Services

  • IOE Graduate student coordinator (Term 2024-2026)
  • Board Member of the IOE Student Leadership Board (SLB)
  • Organizing Committee for MSSISS 2024
  • Social Committee Chair of the INFORMS student chapter at UM
  • IOE Graduate Application Mentoring Program (GAMP) mentor
  • Journal Referee for:
    • Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Transactions
    • IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering (TKDE)

Education

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

  • Ph.D. Candidate in Operations Research (expected graduation: 2027)
  • M.S.E. in Industrial & Operations Engineering
  • M.A. in Applied Economics

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

  • B.S. in Industrial Engineering, minor in Economics

Sichuan University

  • B.E. in Industrial Engineering

Awards & Fellowships

  • 2023 IOE Bonder fellowship for dissertation research in applied OR