Pengfei Li wins 2020 Faculty of Mathematics Golden Jubilee Research Excellence Award

Statistics and Actuarial Science Professor Pengfei Li has received a 2020 Faculty of Mathematics Golden Jubilee Research Excellence Award.

During the last five years, Li has published many remarkable research results in several distinct areas, including density ratio models and empirical likelihood methods, finite mixture models, nonparametric smoothing techniques and experimental designs. Li’s work on empirical likelihood uses a unique combination of deep theory and application for biology, ecology and reliability, while his contributions to the development of nonparametric smoothing techniques have been applied to the analysis of imaging and medical data.

“Pengfei is a rising star in the statistics community. He has made significant research contributions,” said Changbao Wu, Associate Chair, Research in the department of statistics and actuarial science. “The department is fortunate to have recruited Pengfei back in 2012. He is not only a top researcher but also an excellent teacher.”

Li has received the “Top Teacher” honour every term he has taught and has won the Faculty of Mathematics’ Distinguished Teaching Award. The Faculty has also awarded him the Outstanding Performance Award in 2015 and 2018.

The $2,500 award, conferred to early or mid-career faculty members who have made outstanding research contributions, was established in 2017 to mark the 50^th anniversary of the Faculty of Mathematics. 

The award is based on the quality of a candidate’s research over the past five years or for an influential paper published within the past five years as assessed through its quality and impact.