Qingxia Li
Professor of Mathematics
Chair, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Associate Provost for Research
Director, Quality Enhancement Plan
Fisk University · Nashville, Tennessee
About
Dr. Qingxia Li is Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Fisk University,
where he provides leadership in academic programs, faculty
development, curriculum innovation, and student success initiatives.
He is committed to expanding access to high-quality STEM education
and preparing students for careers in mathematics, computer science,
data science, and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Li earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Louisiana State
University. His research spans applied mathematics, computational
science, artificial intelligence in STEM education, and evidence-based
teaching and learning. His current work focuses on developing
innovative instructional models that integrate data science, AI,
and project-based learning into undergraduate STEM curricula to
enhance student engagement, persistence, and workforce readiness.
In addition to serving as Chair of the Department of Mathematics and
Computer Science, Dr. Li serves as Associate Provost for Research at
Fisk University, where he supports institutional research development,
faculty scholarship, and interdisciplinary collaboration. He also
serves as Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan.
As Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator on multiple
federally funded projects, Dr. Li has led initiatives supported by
the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute (HHMI), the Mathematical Association of America (MAA),
the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the U.S. Department
of Education.
Dr. Li is also an active mentor to undergraduate and graduate
students, supporting their academic development, research experiences,
graduate school preparation, and career advancement. His scholarship
has contributed to interdisciplinary STEM programs, faculty
professional development, undergraduate research opportunities,
and institutional initiatives that broaden participation in
computing and quantitative disciplines.
Research Interests
Dynamical Systems
Optimal Control
Mathematical Modeling
Computational Science
Artificial Intelligence in STEM Education
Data Science and Computational Biology
Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning
STEM Education
Education
Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
2010
M.S. in Financial Mathematics
University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
2005
B.S. in Mathematics
Shandong University, Jinan, China
2002
Selected Publications
1.
Ray, A., Kasrija, L., Hayat, F., Thapa, F., Yang, X., Tian, H.,
Li, Q., & Hui, D. (2026).
Effects of enhanced efficiency fertilizers on soil nitrous oxide
emissions and corn yield: Integrating machine learning and
meta-analysis.
Scientific Reports.
DOI
2.
Yang, X., Yang, X., Guo, Z., Li, Q., Mi, C., & Sun, Z. (2026).
Topology-guided multidimensional mechanics-transport-bioactivity
mapping and physiological matching of porous bone scaffolds.
Thin-Walled Structures, 228, 115111.
3.
Fahim, M., Yang, X., Li, Q., & Mi, C. (2026).
Magnetohydrodynamic thermo-solutal blood flow in a porous
multi-stenosed artery with cross fluid rheology.
International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer,
176, 111289.
DOI
4.
Ban, Y., Yang, X., Li, Q., & Mi, C. (2025).
Coupled effects of surface elasticity, couple stresses, and
adhesion in nanocontact mechanics.
Journal of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 46(7),
1237–1260.
5.
Li, Q., Zwickl, B., Ololade, A., & McGee, O. (2025).
Impacts of an industrial partnership with a historically Black
university on the computing career decisions of Black undergraduate
students.
ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 25(4),
Article 57, 1–22.
DOI
6.
Li, Y., Li, Q., Su, J., et al. (2025).
Rhythm of opinion: A Hawkes-graph framework for dynamic propagation
analysis.
In Proceedings of the 25th IEEE International Conference on
Data Mining (ICDM 2025).
7.
Li, Q. & Yang, X. (2022).
Stability of a steady state in reaction diffusion systems arising
in combustion theory in one dimensional case.
Energies, 15, 8010–8031.
8.
Gross, T., Li, Q., & McCarroll, P. (2021).
Preliminary outcomes from a learning community to increase biology
course knowledge.
Journal of Biological Education.
DOI
9.
Li, Q., Gross, T., & McCarroll, P. (2021).
Applying performance pyramid in STEM education.
Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research,
22(1), 75–83.
10.
Gross, T., Li, Q., & Lockwood, A. (2020).
Pilot study to develop an augmented student support needs scale.
The Journal of Negro Education, 88(3), 213–228.
View complete list of publications →
Selected Research Funding
PI,
Tensor SUMMA, Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
“Fostering Success in Mathematics: Undergraduate Research in
a Mathematics Learning Community (MLC)”
.
July 2026–June 2027.
$8,000.
Senior Personnel,
Presidential AI Challenge.
“Tennessee Collaborative Partnership for the Presidential
AI Challenge”
.
November 2025–May 2026.
$85,000.
PI,
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
“Rapid Response Bridge Project: Continued Data Analysis of
the BCSER Project”
.
August 2025–July 2026.
$25,000.
PI,
National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“All of Us Researcher Program Institutional Champions”
.
July 2023–June 2024.
$75,000.
Project Director and Lead Applicant for Fisk University
,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
“Increase Students' Sense of Belonging in STEM”
.
September 2022–August 2028.
Total award: $8.05 million;
Fisk portion: $577,800.
PI,
National Science Foundation (NSF).
“BCSER: An IID to Determine Factors that Influence
African American Students’ Selection of Computational
Internships and Careers”
.
August 2021–July 2023.
$308,667.
PI,
National Science Foundation (NSF).
“IUSE: Integrating Innovative Biological Research Data into
Biostatistics – Fostering STEM Interest and Retention”
.
August 2021–July 2024.
$288,718.
PI,
National Science Foundation (NSF).
“Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Capacity Building Proposal:
Exploring a Fisk STEM-to-Vanderbilt STEM Ed. Partnership with
Metro Nashville Public Schools”
.
July 2020–June 2021.
$74,938.
PI,
United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
“Undergraduate Student Training and Research in Mathematics”
.
June 2020–May 2021.
$18,000.
PI,
Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
“Fisk University Math Club”
.
April 2016–May 2017.
$6,000.
Co-PI,
National Science Foundation (NSF).
“Implementation Project: Achieving Greater Confidence and
Competence in Quantitative and Computational Skills in STEM
Disciplines at Fisk University”
.
June 2018–May 2023.
$2.214 million.
PI,
National Science Foundation (NSF).
“Applying the Performance Pyramid to STEM Education (APPS)”
.
September 2012–August 2015.
$349,970.
View complete list of funded projects →
Selected Awards and Recognition
-
LASER Scholar, LASER Institute, North Carolina State University,
2025.
-
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Scholarship, 2025.
-
IDEAS Fellow, BIOME, 2023.
-
IDEAS Fellow, BioQuest, 2022.
-
Honorary Member of Phi Beta Kappa, Delta Chapter of Tennessee,
2021.
-
DEMARC Fellow, NSF SIMIODE Developer Workshop, 2021.
-
Emerging Scholar, Diverse Issues in Higher Education,
2019.
-
CASE Fellow, Science Case Network, 2016.
-
Faculty of the Year, Women of Perfection, Fisk University,
2015.
-
Elogan Teaching Award, University of Wyoming.
-
Excellent Master's Thesis, University of Wyoming.
-
Meritorious Winner, Mathematical Contest in Modeling,
Shandong University.
View complete list of awards and recognition →
Student Mentoring
Dr. Li actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students in
mathematics, computer science, computational science, and
interdisciplinary STEM research. His mentoring supports students'
academic development, research experiences, graduate school
preparation, and career advancement.
His mentoring activities include undergraduate research,
computational projects, conference presentations, scholarly
publications, graduate school preparation, and professional
development. He has supported students pursuing advanced degrees
and careers in mathematics, computer science, engineering,
data science, and related fields.