Professor Bo Li of the Department of Statistics has been named a recipient of the Marjorie Roberts Professorship. This distinguished honor from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recognizes Professor Li's contributions to scholarship, her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and dedication to public engagement. The professorship is named after Marjorie Roberts, an alumna of the University of Illinois Class of 1923. Upon her passing, Marjorie Roberts gifted the College of LAS part of her estate. The professorship was established to commemorate the legacy of Marjorie Roberts as it honors current faculty members who embody the values of academic excellence, community, and inclusivity.

Professor Li’s work spans various areas of research, including significant contributions to paleoclimate reconstruction, which looks at understanding historical climate changes to better inform current understanding of global climate changes. In addition to her contributions to paleoclimate research, Professor Li’s work includes multiple areas of environmental health including investigating childhood cancers related to pesticide exposure, heatwave morbidity, HIV diagnosis prediction, and modeling the spread of West Nile Virus. Through her scholarly work, Professor Li has demonstrated her commitment to address real-world challenges that affect a growing number of communities on a global scale.

As Chair of the Department of Statistics, Professor Li’s commitment to excellence in research, education, and service has positioned the department to thrive through intellectual inquiry that welcomes an inclusive community of scholars. The Marjorie Roberts Professorship acknowledges Professor Li’s accomplishments and reinforces her research and scholarly pursuits. Professor Li’s work will continue to inspire her colleagues and students as she continues her academic journey.

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