FAMU has added another name to its growing roster of Fulbright scholars.
Psychology professor Huijun Li, Ph.D. has been named a 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Scholar, one of the nation's most prestigious academic honors and a distinction awarded to only a select group of faculty members each year.
The appointment makes Dr. Li the second FAMU faculty member this year to receive a Fulbright award, underscoring the university's expanding presence in global research and academic exchange. Earlier this year, Dr. Sang Park, a research associate in the School of Architecture and Engineering Technology, received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to investigate how sound influences human well-being.
Administered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program sends American faculty members, researchers and professionals abroad to teach and conduct research at institutions in more than 130 countries.
For Dr. Li, the award will take her to the Czech Republic, where she will spend seven months beginning in January 2027 at Palacký University, one of Central Europe's oldest universities. There, she will teach and pursue research exploring how artificial intelligence can be integrated into psychological education and mental health research.
"I was very excited, and it's unbelievable because I know it is very competitive," Li said in an interview. "I'm looking forward to the cultural exchange, and I will be happy to share what I will learn with my students and colleagues."
At the center of her Fulbright project is the development and evaluation of an artificial intelligence-powered application designed to help users identify and manage stress through mindfulness exercises and behavioral activities.
Li said the project aligns closely with the Czech Republic's national strategy to harness artificial intelligence to improve quality of life through 2030.
"I recognized that this country is prioritizing AI in improving people's lives," she said.
A professor in FAMU's College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities and assistant director of the university's Center for Ethnic Psychological Research and Application, Li has built a scholarly career focused on some of the most pressing challenges in public mental health: disparities in youth mental health care, stigma surrounding mental illness, and barriers that underserved communities face in accessing treatment.
Since arriving at FAMU, Li has secured more than $7 million in grants from federal agencies and private foundations, helping establish the university as an emerging center for behavioral health research. She has authored or co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, books, book chapters and translated works.
Li attributes much of that productivity to collaboration.
"It's not only me doing all of these things," she said. "There are different research teams who work together, and we have become very productive."
Among her most significant scholarly contributions is the 2019 volume "Handbook of Attenuated Psychosis Syndromes Across Cultures: International Perspectives on Early Identification and Intervention," published by Springer. The book brought together research from clinical programs around the world to advance early detection and intervention strategies for young people at risk for psychotic disorders.
Her research portfolio continues to expand. In September 2025, Li launched Boldly RISE, a three-year initiative supported by a $399,971 grant from the National Science Foundation. The project examines how social connectedness and behavioral health affect the academic success of first-year college students and seeks to identify retention strategies that could be replicated at colleges and universities nationwide.
Before joining FAMU, Li served as director of multicultural research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
Born and educated initially in China, Li earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and applied linguistics before receiving her doctorate in school psychology from the University of Arizona in 2003. She has also served on the editorial boards of Asian Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology in the Schools.
Her latest honor adds to a growing list of recognitions at FAMU. She was named the university's Emerging Researcher of the Year in 2014 and Distinguished Researcher in the non-STEM category in 2024.
The dual Fulbright appointments represent another marker in the university's effort to broaden its global academic footprint while deepening its research ambitions.