Wei Li

Dr. Wei Li is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning at Texas A&M University and founder of the ENDEAVR Institute, a 501c3 nonprofit focused on smart-city technologies for underserved communities. His research focuses on small-town mobility solutions using autonomous vehicles, sustainable transportation, and environmental economics. He holds 40+ peer-reviewed articles and $3.9M in grants from NSF, NIH, Google, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Education:

• PhD in Planning, Policy & Design (University of California, Irvine)
• MA in Planning (University of Waterloo)
• BA in Business Administration (Renmin University of China)

Research Interests:

• Smart and connected communities
• Autonomous vehicles for social equity
• Sustainable transportation systems
• Environmental economic policies

His work bridges academic rigor with practical solutions, emphasizing community engagement and equity in urban planning.

Awards:

• 2021 W.K. Kellogg Award for Community Engagement
• 2021 Smart 50 International Award
• 2019 Texas A&M Distinguished Achievement Award

Teaching & Mentorship:

• Developed 3 smart-cities courses using ENDEAVR pedagogy
• Mentored 44 committees (7 PhD, 37 MS) and 66 additional students
• Trained 300+ students across 10+ majors in service-learning projects

ENDEAVR Institute: A nonprofit advancing smart-city technologies for small towns and marginalized populations through partnerships with communities, governments, and private sectors.