2025 ACG Nebraska March Breakfast Meeting | Dr. Joanne Li, Chancellor - UNO

Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, became the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s 16th Chancellor in July 2021. In 2023, Li became the first and only endowed Chancellor in the University of Nebraska System, carrying the title of the Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education.

Dr. Li is an internationally recognized leader committed to transforming communities and empowering students through enhancing access to higher education, developing strategic workforce programs, and inspiring lifelong learning.

As a first-generation student and native of Hong Kong, she has a passion for serving learners of all ages and all social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Dr. Li ensures UNO Mavericks have the resources and support they need to be successful in their journey and strengthen their economic and social mobility.

Since joining UNO, she has focused on positioning the university - and Omaha - as the state’s workforce development engine through innovative approaches to teaching, learning, working, research, affordability, and partnerships, as well as student retention and support.

Dr. Li holds a bachelor (summa cum laude) and doctoral degree in finance from Florida State University and became a CFA Charterholder in 2002. As a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Dr. Li’s areas of expertise include corporate governance, executive compensation, investments, and international finance. In addition, Dr. Li is a highly engaged leader and scholar who lends her expertise and experience to a wide array of causes and organizations.

Currently, she is a member of CNBC’s Global Financial Wellness Advisory Board; a member of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD); Global Network Americas Advisory Board; and a founding member of the International Advisory Council of the Lisbon School of Economics and Management in Portugal. She also serves as a member of the Opera Omaha Board of Directors; a member of the Omaha Symphony Board of Directors; and a member of the Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) Board of Trustees. Dr. Li has been appointed to the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Omaha Branch Board of Directors, the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Board of Directors, and to the United States Strategic Command Consultation Committee. In 2024, she has become an American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Council of State Representative, and was appointed to the Nebraska Commission on Asian American Affairs by Governor Pillen. She is also the current chair of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and has been selected as Inspire’s 2024 Woman of the Year.

As part of the University of Nebraska Foundation’s Only in Nebraska Campaign, Dr. Li has led UNO to record setting fundraising results, exceeding the $300 million fundraising goal more than 2.5 years ahead of schedule. In fiscal year 2024, Dr. Li positioned UNO to set a record in annual private philanthropic support, securing more than $57 million without a capital project.