Shuai Li is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a joint faculty of mechanical, aerospace, and biomedical engineering, and an affiliated faculty at the Institute for a Secure & Sustainable Environment, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He graduated from Purdue University with a PhD degree in civil engineering, and three master's degrees in construction engineering and management, industrial engineering, and economics. He also holds two bachelor’s degrees in hydroelectric engineering and project management from Tianjin University.