Li teaches academic English and interdisciplinary communication courses at Duke Kunshan University, including EAP 101 Writing about Language Learning, EAP 102 Writing about Culture Learning, WOC 106 Introducing Suzhou to the World: Oral Communication Across Cultural Boundaries, and WOC 224 AI for Intercultural Communication: Applied Natural Language Processing. Her teaching interests center on student engagement and motivation in language learning, intercultural communication, and the pedagogical integration of artificial intelligence. She is committed to designing inclusive, research informed learning experiences that connect academic communication with real world contexts. In her classroom, she integrates community based learning and project based learning, supported by a DKU Community Based Learning Grant and a DKU CTL Teaching Grant.

As a teacher scholar, Li bridges empirical research with pedagogical practice. She is a member of the Pedagogical Research and Practice Lab at DKU’s Institute for Global Higher Education, where she contributes to a metacognition focused project aimed at identifying exemplary teaching and learning practices in higher education and advancing innovative research. Her broader scholarly work examines AI enhanced teaching and learning, and in collaboration with national organizations and technology firms to create accessible, future ready learning ecosystems. Her commitment to pedagogical innovation has been recognized through awards from the Jiangsu Province Higher Education Teachers’ Teaching Innovation Competition, the Jiangsu Province Foreign Language Teaching Competition for Sino Foreign Higher Education Programs, the Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching, and the 2024 DKU Undergraduate Studies Faculty Teaching Award. She has served as chair of the Teaching and Advising Committee at DKU and as an Alumni Admission Ambassador for Harvard University. She is also the Interim Assistant Dean for Academic Strategy & Learning Innovation at DKU.

Li holds a B.A. in Economics from Boston University, an M.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Harvard University, and an M.Eng. in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from George Washington University. She is additionally certified as a Positive Psychology Instructor, Life Coach, and Global Career Development Facilitator through programs at Tsinghua University, Stanford University, and the National Board for Certified Counselors.