Dr. Li is the University of Florida Research Foundation Professor of Soil Science in the Department of Soil and Water Science at the Tropical Research and Education Center, IFAS, University of Florida. He was born and grew up in Shandong, China, and came to America in 1987. He received his B.S. (1982) in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry from the Shandong Agricultural University, China, his M.S. (1990) in Agronomy from the University of Georgia, and his Ph.D. (1993) in Environmental Science from the University of Maryland. He is also an Affiliated Professor at the University of Florida's Center for Tropical Agriculture, Hydrologic Sciences Academic Cluster, School of Natural Resources & Environment, and Water Institute, and a Courtesy Professor at the Shandong Agricultural University and Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture. He has received many awards and distinctions including Fellow of both the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America, Junior Faculty Research Award (Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering), Senior Faculty Award (Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture), Wachovia Extension Professional Award (Extension Association of Florida), and International Educator of the Year Award (University of Florida). His research and extension program focuses on water and soil quality monitoring, assessment and remediation, management practices to improve nutrient use efficiency, nutrient cycling in soils/sediments, and fertilizer technology. He has authored or co-authored over 150 research papers, 70 extension articles and 14 book chapters. He co-edited two books, Water Quality Concepts, Sampling, and Analyses (Taylor & Francis. 2010) and Handbook of Soil Sciences (2 volumes,Taylor & Francis. 2011). He serves as an associate editor for Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology and Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. Additionally, He has chaired or co-chaired 25 PhD and MS students, served as a committee member for 25 other graduate students, and supervised 16 postdoctoral fellows and many international visiting scientists.