OUR PEOPLE
Academic Credentials
- Ph.D., Chemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ, 2012
- M.S., Chemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ, 2009
- B.S., Chemistry, Hunan University, 2006
Professional Honors
- “Excellence in Innovation” Award, Celanese, 2013
- The Outstanding Mentor Award of Summer Undergraduate Research Program, Virginia Tech, 2011
- The Chevron-Phillips Chemical Professional Excellence Travel Award, 2010
Professional Affiliations
- American Chemical Society — ACS (Member since 2000)
Dr. Li consults on a wide variety of polymer science matters including those related to formulation-structure-property relationship, material specifications for end-use applications, polymer conversion processes and failure analysis. She has extensive industrial experience in all stages of product development from formulation and compounding to manufacturing and commercialization.
Dr. Li has also taken many newly formulated materials from lab-scale concept to full-scale production. Throughout her career she has worked on numerous polymer-related projects that span multiple industries including automotive/electric vehicles (EV), consumer electronics, carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP), water management, coatings, and additive manufacturing. At Exponent, she leverages her years of industry experience to assist clients with investigations related to complex structures, components, and devices, often in the building and construction arena.
Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Li spent over 9 years in the chemical industry at SABIC and Celanese where she held several research and development positions among various business units. During her industrial career, Dr. Li led and executed complex global projects. Particularly, she led teams to commercialize polyphenylene ether (PPE) and polyamides-based engineering materials used in automotive/EV energy management and carbon fiber composites.
Dr. Li's academic achievements include synthesis and characterization of a novel family of stilbene-based polyelectrolytes with tunable charge densities, quantification of stilbene-based copolymer chain rigidity using SAXS and SEC, as well as designing carboxylated alternating copolymers used as Anti-HIV microbicides. Dr. Li is proficient in a variety of analytical techniques including chemical, thermal, mechanical, and rheological characterization of polymers.