February 15, 2023
Dr. Jia Li, a professor in the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Oakland University, has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award.
The award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of individual faculty who serve as mentors to OU graduate students and their outstanding contributions to students’ academic, intellectual and professional development.
“This award means a great deal to me as it recognizes the effort and dedication I put into guiding and supporting my students,” said Li, a co-founding member of the interdisciplinary Department of Bioengineering and director of the Statistical Learning and Signal Processing Laboratory at OU.
“Mentoring is an incredibly rewarding experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of young scholars in Oakland University,” she added.
As this year’s recipient, Dr. Li joins a prestigious list of past award winners, including Professors Osamah Rawashdeh (2022), Albert Meehan (2021), Deborah Jane Doherty (2020), Jennifer Vonk (2019), Lisa Welling (2018), Ledong Li (2017), Julia Smith (2016), Virgil Zeigler-Hill (2015), and Jacqueline Wiggins (2014).
“In my opinion, a good mentor is someone who is knowledgeable, approachable, and supportive,” Li said. “A good mentor takes the time to understand the student’s needs and goals, and provides guidance and support to help them achieve their aspirations. Additionally, a good mentor is a good listener, and they provide constructive feedback that helps their mentees grow both personally and professionally.”
A prolific scholar with over 100 publications, Dr. Li’s laboratory is an active and vibrant community of undergraduate and graduate students participating in state-of-the-art research on statistical signal processing for biomedical imaging and communications, computer graphics, patter recognition and algorithms.
As one student nominee noted, “Dr. Li genuinely focuses on the best interests of the students who join her research group, ensuring that they grow in knowledge, experience, and publications. She supports her students with opportunities to participate in unique research and networking opportunities, including through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Every postdoctoral student of hers that I’ve met holds her in high esteem.”
Nominations for the Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award are submitted by graduate students and the recipient is then selected by an award selection committee consisting of OU faculty and administrative representatives.
Award winners receive a commemorative plaque, as well as a $1,000 award to the selected faculty member.
For more information, visit www.oakland.edu/grad/current-graduate-students/awards.