Joanne Li has been appointed dean of FIU’s College of Business. She comes to FIU with a distinguished record in academia, most recently serving as dean and professor of finance at the Raj Soin School of Business at Wright State University, a position she has held since 2012.
Li will take the reins of the College of Business in May 2017.
At the Raj Soin College of Business, Li, an accomplished fundraiser, spearheaded the engagement of the business community in support of a wide array of initiatives benefitting the college and its students, including the creation of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as programs that enhanced academic excellence, faculty research and student services at the college.
“Under Dean Li’s leadership, entrepreneurship and international education and engagement will be at the center of our College of Business as we prepare our students with the skills they need to take and create jobs,” said FIU Provost and Executive Vice President Kenneth G. Furton. “We also look forward to continued, extensive, problem-solving research and close ties with our business community. We’re excited to welcome Dr. Li to the FIU family.”
Li came to the U.S. as an international student from Hong Kong and earned her bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from Florida State University. She began her career at Loyola University Maryland and later served as the chair of the Department of Finance in Towson University. A chartered financial analyst since 2001, Li was a retained and preferred speaker for the CFA Institute for many years and has given talks around the world on the value of corporate governance, her research focus. She also worked as an editor-in-chief for the Stalla CFA program, and was the associate editor and a past editorial board member for the Financial Analysts Journal.
“I am very privileged to have the opportunity to serve a world-class faculty, dedicated staff, and talented student body in the FIU College of Business,” Li said. “The college already has many outstanding programs and the faculty has consistently produced quality and relevant scholarly work. I believe the College of Business is impactful not only in its local business community, but in bringing prosperity and economic development to many parts of the world. These are the bridges we will continue to build.”
Li is the vice president for the Council of Chinese American Deans and Presidents and treasurer for the MidAmerican Business Deans Association. She was the American Association of State Colleges and Universities 2016 Millennium Leadership Institute protégé and a graduate from the Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE).
Jose M. Aldrich, who has served as acting dean at the FIU College of Business since May 2015, will remain with the college as vice dean. Aldrich joined the college in November 2013 after a 35-year career at KPMG LLP, where he last served as managing partner of the firm’s tax practice in Latin America.
