On May 1, 2021, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents unanimously confirmed Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, as the 16th chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
A first-generation college student who went on to graduate summa cum laude, Li brings 15 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education, with a demonstrated record of advancing student access and success, diversity and inclusion, academic excellence, and community and donor engagement.
Since officially becoming Chancellor in July 2021, Li’s accomplishments and priorities for UNO have included:
- Committing UNO as an institution to improving student performance by focusing on key metrics including completion of degree, time to degree, retention rates, and strategic recruitment.
- Committing UNO as an institution to workforce development through the strategic deployment of resources in key areas, emphasizing our people to build up regional stability, economic prosperity, and the future of Nebraska’s workforce.
- Key recruitment in leadership across the university including Adrian Dowell as vice chancellor for athletics, Rich Klein as vice chancellor of institutional effectiveness and student success, A.T. Miller as chief diversity officer, Steve Kerrigan, J.D., as assistant vice chancellor for human resources, Deborah Smith-Howell, Ph.D., as interim senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, Juan Casas, Ph.D., as acting dean for graduate studies, and Carol Kirchner, MBA, CFA as vice chancellor of business & finance.
- Leading UNO to become a member of the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU), joining a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities.
- Engaging with the campus community through numerous listening sessions, town halls, Cups with Jo events, and other events. These outreach efforts provided opportunities for UNO students, faculty, and staff to speak directly with the Chancellor to shape the future of UNO.
- Engaging with the community through monthly op-ed articles and newsletters, sharing her vision for the future of the university and Nebraska’s workforce with the broader Omaha community and the state.
- Collaborating with community partners and campus academic and career development staff to launch UNO Career Connect, a new collaborative program pairing UNO with area companies and organizations to guarantee paid internship positions for many UNO students. The program creates a college-to-career pipeline for UNO students, particularly in fields designated by the state as high demand, high skill, and high wage occupations.
- Launching the Lifelong Learning program to offer micro-credentials and learning opportunities to seniors and adult learners in the community.
- Getting elected to join the Board of Trustees for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the accreditation organization dedicated to advancing the common good through quality assurance of higher education.*
*The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) can be contacted at 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604; Phone:800.621.7440/312.263.0456; Fax 312.263.7462; Email: info@hlcommission.org