Koç University, Operations Management, 2024

Istanbul Technical University, Big Data and Business Analytics, 2018

The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business, Columbus, OH, 2003

Ayse Cetinel earned her Ph.D. in Operations Management and Information Systems from Koç University. Her research addresses challenges at the marketing–operations interface, with a focus on how retailers and online platforms transform through omnichannel strategies, digitalization, AI, and sustainability initiatives. Her research employs  data-driven methods, including big data analytics, econometrics, quasi-experimental and field experimental designs, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, to generate insights that inform strategic decision-making. She has taught core courses on business analytics and operations management at both the undergraduate and MBA levels.

 Her research has been published in Production and Operations Management and received recognition and support from prestigious institutions, including The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBİTAK) and the Marketing Science Institute.

 Bringing deep practical insight to her academic work, Ayşe spent over a decade in the U.S. retail and e-commerce sectors, holding key strategic roles at Fortune 500 retailers and digital platforms. She obtained her B.Sc. in Finance from The Ohio State University, her M.Sc. in Big Data and Business Analytics from Istanbul Technical University and her Ph.D. in Operations Management and Information Systems from Koç University. She has held a visiting position at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.

Sustainable Development Goals

Empirical Operations Management, Marketing-Operations Interface, Retail Operations, Omnichannel Retailing, Ecommerce, Digital Platforms, Platform Operations, Data-Driven Decision Making, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, Sustainable Operations.

Publications

• Çetinel, A, Kök A G, Roorderkerk R P (2026) What Physical Retail Stores Deliver in a Digital Economy. Harvard Business Review (digital).
• Çetinel, A, Kök A G, Roorderkerk R P (2026)  The Value of Experience-Centric Stores in Omnichannel Retail: A Multi-Method Approach at the Category Level. Production and Operations Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10591478261454766
• Çetinel, A., Kök A G, Roorderkerk R P (2023) The Value of Experience-Centric Stores in Omnichannel Retail: A Multi-Method Approach at the Category Level. Marketing Science Institute Working Paper Series. Report No. 23-144.

Work in Progress

Çetinel, A., S. Kesavan, A.G. Kök, R.P. Roorderkerk. Right Sizing Store Labor: A Field Experiment. Target Journal: Management Science.

Awards, Fellowships, Grants

Özyeğin University Seed Research Grant, 2025 Research Competition. $2500.

The Association of European Operational Research Societies, Working Group on Retail Operations, 2025 Doctoral Dissertation Prize.

Koç University Graduate School of Business, 2024 Graduate Studies Excellence Award.

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), 2023 International Research Fellowship Programme for PhD Students. EUR 20,400.

Marketing Science Institute Grant, 2021 Research Competition. $9,000.

Institut National de la Jeuness et de l’Education Populair, 1999 International Research Fellowship Programme

OPM 502 Operations Management (2026, 2024)
OPER 202 Operations Management (2025)
BUS 301 Business Analytics (2025/2026, 2024/2025)