Passion for teaching leads doctoral student to prestigious national award

Auburn University doctoral candidate Li Zhou has been named one of only six recipients nationwide of the 2026 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award, a top honor recognizing emerging leaders in higher education.

Nominated by her faculty advisor, Dr. Elvan Ceyhan, Zhou was recently honored at the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ annual meeting in Washington, DC in late January. This prestigious award recognizes graduate students who show promise as future leaders of higher education, demonstrate commitment to academic and civic responsibility, and whose work focuses on teaching and learning. The award honors K. Patricia Cross, professor emerita of higher education at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Nedret Billor, interim chair of the Auburn University Department of Mathematics and Statistics, was eager to share the news of Zhou’s award with the College of Sciences and Mathematics and the greater Auburn community.

“This well-deserved recognition reflects Li’s strong commitment to teaching and learning, equity, and community engagement. We’re very proud of Li and excited to see her continued impact,” she praised.

For Zhou, this recognition reflects more than academic excellence. It affirms a passion for classroom teaching that she discovered through mentorship at Auburn University.

“The award isn’t just about your research or your publications,” Zhou said. “It’s about who you are as a member of the academic community — how you support students, how you collaborate with faculty and the broader impact you have.”

Initially resisting her parents’ suggestion to pursue education, Zhou chose statistics instead because of her aptitude for math. But after four years in corporate marketing, she wanted a change. It was Auburn’s welcoming faculty and the unique combination of mathematics and statistics in one department that convinced her to pursue her PhD on the Plains.

“Everyone was so willing to talk with me and give suggestions,” she said. “I felt very supported, even though I wasn’t a student yet.”

When Zhou arrived at Auburn University in 2021, she brought with her an impressive background in mathematics and statistics but an uncertainty about her future career.

From her first days at Auburn, Zhou began to discover a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose. A departmental seminar for new PhD students offered hands-on teaching practice and guidance from faculty, helping her build confidence in the classroom.

“We practiced teaching in front of our peers, and faculty members helped us see potential issues and prepared us for the classroom,” she said. That foundation was pivotal in shaping her confidence and identity as an instructor.

Mathematics professor and former department chair, Dr. Ash Abebe, became a key mentor for Zhou, answering questions, offering advice and modeling the collaborative spirit Auburn strives to cultivate.

Abebe expressed pride in Zhou’s national recognition, as it reflects her dedication and brings attention to his home academic department and the Graduate School, where he now serves as interim dean.

“This award reflects the values we champion in graduate education at Auburn,” he said. “Li’s work exemplifies the kind of engaged scholarship we hope to see shaping academia in the years ahead. Being selected among only six recipients is a tremendous honor. It speaks volumes about both her outstanding accomplishments and her promise as a future leader in higher education.”

Hands-on teaching experience and such encouragement proved transformative for Zhou.

“Auburn gave me the opportunity to see what teaching would really be like, and that experience changed everything,” she said.

Zhou’s turning point came when she stepped in front of a precalculus class filled with nervous first‑year students. That experience ignited a passion for inspiring students and shaping the future of mathematics education.

“My main goal is to work with students, not lecture to them,” she said. “We’re in this classroom together with the same academic goal. I want them to feel comfortable and to know that I am there to support them.”

Teaching has become just as meaningful to her as research, something she now hopes to balance in a faculty career after graduation. Zhou’s research focuses on decision making in complex network settings, including path-planning problems relevant to particularly in path planning problems where choices must be made with incomplete or changing information, such as navigating city traffic, coordinating rescue teams or modeling strategic interactions.

“Auburn helped me realize not only what I want to do, but why I want to do it,” she said. “I want to teach. I want to do research. And I want to make an impact.”