Research Interests
Jessica Li’s research focuses on human resource development and the future of work, with particular attention to how artificial intelligence and other technological changes shape learning, leadership, and workforce development. She examines how individuals, organizations, and educational institutions respond to changing demands and how these responses shape opportunities for people to develop their potential throughout their careers.
A central focus of her current research is the implications of AI for education and work. Her projects examine institutional responses to AI use in higher education, including university AI policies, and the implications of generative AI for leadership competencies and leadership development. This work builds on her longstanding research into technology-supported learning, communication, and collaboration in organizational and virtual environments.
Li also studies how organizations develop and sustain talent through workplace learning, corporate universities, mentoring and coaching, career development, and work design. Her interests connect education and training with continuing professional development, including how employees and leaders navigate technological and organizational change.
Another strand of her research examines institutional conditions that shape career opportunities and participation in academic and scientific workplaces. Recent projects address institutional support for women faculty in STEM and minoritized university staff members’ career trajectories and leadership aspirations. These studies examine how organizational practices and institutional contexts shape opportunities for development and advancement.
International and comparative perspectives inform her research across these areas. Her scholarship examines how cultural, economic, and institutional conditions shape work-related values, learning, and talent development across national contexts.
Research Description
Jessica Li is a Professor of Human Resource Development in the Department of Educational Policy, Organization and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her career spans higher education and multinational corporations, with experience in workforce development, organizational learning, talent management, and leadership development. Her academic preparation in engineering and workforce education informs her work across education, industry, and technology.
From 2021 to 2025, Li served as Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Bureau of Educational Research in the College of Education. She previously directed the Human Resource Development program and served as the dean’s fellow for faculty development and diversity initiatives. Within the University of Illinois System, she was the inaugural chair of the Discovery Partners Institute’s Education and Workforce Development Taskforce and subsequently served on its executive committee. She also serves on the Illinois Innovation Network’s Workforce Development Working Group.
Li chaired the Board of Directors of Human Resource Development International from 2022 to 2026, served as editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021, and as associate editor from 2012 to 2018. She was the regional editor for the Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management and serves on the editorial boards of Human Resource Development Review, Human Resource Development International, and Human Resource Development Quarterly, as well as the editorial advisory board of Educational Theory. Her professional service also includes membership on the Academy of Human Resource Development’s board of directors and leadership roles as vice president of research and journals and vice president of special interest groups.
Before joining Illinois, Li held faculty appointments at the University of North Texas, Texas A&M University, and North China University of Technology. Her corporate experience includes management roles at Motorola, Nokia, Raytheon, and The Antioch Company. She also served as a senior researcher and consultant at The Conference Board. She brings extensive experience working across cultural and organizational contexts. She earned her Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development from Pennsylvania State University.
Additional Campus Affiliations
Professor, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership
Professor, Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity
Affiliate, Siebel Center for Design
Professor, Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies
Recent Publications
Li, J., & Yeo, R. K. (2024). Artificial intelligence and human integration: a conceptual exploration of its influence on work processes and workplace learning. Human Resource Development International, 27(3), 367-387. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2024.2348987
Negishi, Y., & Li, J. (2024). Human resource development strategies for effectively developing middle managers at global conglomerates to create synergies through cross-business collaboration. International Journal of Human Resource Development: Practice, Policy and Research, 8(2), 114-127. https://doi.org/10.2478/ijhrd-2024-0011
Xu, X., & Li, J. (2024). A profile of college students’ mobile learning readiness: An integrative literature review of studies from 2007 to 2021. International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 18(1), 49-73. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMLO.2024.135120
Yeo, R. K., Vollum-Dix, K., & Li, J. (2024). Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the Changing Landscape of Work. In T. S. Rocco, M. L. Morris, & R. F. Poell (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Human Resource Development (pp. 629-642). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529674088.n49
Li, J. (2022). More than a phone call away: Sustaining positive work behaviour. Strategic HR Review, 21(4). https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-05-2022-0025