Dr. Can Li

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Can Li is an Assistant Professor in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University. He received his Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2016 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2021. His research interests focus on developing theory, algorithms, models, and software for large-scale optimization and machine learning applications in energy, chemical, and biological systems. He is particularly interested in creating optimization-inspired neural networks that enforce physical and logical constraints, and building large language model-powered interfaces for optimization machine learning models. Can Li has received multiple awards, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2025 and the Ralph W. Grace M. Showalter Research Trust Grant in 2024. He is dedicated to advancing the field of chemical engineering through innovative approaches that enhance collaboration and trust among stakeholders in industrial decision problems.

Research Interests

Awards

#2025

NSF CAREER Award

#2024

Ralph W. Grace M. Showalter Research Trust Grant

#2024

ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator Award

#

FOCAPD 2024 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award

#

Amazon Research Award

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Air Liquide Scientific Challenge

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CAST Division Student Presentation Award

Requirements for Purdue University

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:22
Writing
Required:22
Speaking
Required:22
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:135
Overall
Required:135
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in CS or related field Foundational concepts of computer science Data structures Computer architecture Operating systems Mathematics through differential equations Linear and matrix algebra
Application Checklist
  • Official Transcripts
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Resume
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • CS Supplementary Form
Specialization Notes

GRE is not required.