To share the “spirit that can ne’er be told” that they encountered with the next generation of engineers, two married Aggie engineers, Dr. Zhuo Li ’05 and Dr. Nancy Zhou ’07, created a scholarship to support cross-disciplinary students in the College of Engineering.
“The education and time I spent at A&M was a big part of my life and built who I am now,” Li said.
Choosing College Station
Wanting to further his already extensive academic resume, Li chose Texas A&M University to pursue his Ph.D. in computer engineering after receiving both his bachelor’s and master’s from Xi’an Jiaotong University. Li focused his studies on electronic design automation, which was a relatively new topic of discussion in engineering at the time.
First in his family to pursue a doctorate and a degree in the United States, Li embraced the classes and relationships built with fellow Aggies and professors.
“The classes I took, research I performed, and so many interactions with professors and students at A&M built the foundation for my career,” Li said.
Li’s connection to the Aggie spirit ran deep, and he became involved in student organizations and stood proud with the 12th Man. In addition to immersing himself in A&M traditions, Li also embraced his culture by getting involved in the Chinese Scholar Student Association.
“I remember the moment I received my Aggie Ring and studied all the history and stories around it,” Li said.
While living in College Station, Li married Nancy Zhou, who was also pursuing a Ph.D. in computer engineering and electrical engineering. They have two children, Sophia and Bryan — an ode to their collegiate stomping grounds.
Computing a Career and Enhancing Education
After graduating, Li applied the research he conducted while pursuing his degree to co-found Pextra Corp., which focused on parasitic extractions in software. Not long after, Li joined IBM as a postdoctoral researcher and later a research staff member at Watson Research Lab. He then became part of the software engineering team at Cadence Design Systems, where he has risen through the ranks over the past decade. While at Cadence, Li benefits from learning in cross-disciplinary educational and career environments. Throughout his career, Li has published more than 70 academic papers and holds more than 120 patents.
I firmly believe in the principle of giving back, and that's why Nancy and I established this scholarship. It is open to all students and encourages them to pursue cross-disciplinary interests, an attribute I consider vital for modern engineering and research.
“The work we are doing is critical to mankind as we provide computational software for designing today's electronic systems,” Li said.
In light of a successful career, Li and Nancy established the Sophia and Bryan Li Endowed Scholarship in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “I firmly believe in the principle of giving back, and that's why Nancy and I established this scholarship,” Li said. “It is open to all students and encourages them to pursue cross-disciplinary interests, an attribute I consider vital for modern engineering and research.”
As a fellowship recipient himself, Li cherished the value in financially supporting students. “My hope is that through the scholarship, we can nurture the engineers and innovators of tomorrow, capable of bridging the gaps between various fields to address the complex challenges that lie ahead,” Li said.