Zhenchang (Charlie) Li was born in Qiaobei Village, Rong County, Guangxi, China, in 1954. He received his BS in Agronomy in 1982 from Guangxi University in China, and his MS in Biology in 1985 from...view moreZhenchang (Charlie) Li was born in Qiaobei Village, Rong County, Guangxi, China, in 1954. He received his BS in Agronomy in 1982 from Guangxi University in China, and his MS in Biology in 1985 from Western Michigan University and his PhD in Botany in 1989 from Miami University, Ohio. He received his postdoctoral training from 1989 to 1993 from both University of Illinois and Penn State Universities. He is a successful entrepreneur and a small business owner. He lives with his family at Champaign, Illinois, USA.view less