Fourteen Women Promoted to Full Professor at the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign has promoted 47 faculty members to the rank of full professor. Of these, 14 are women.

Top row (L to R): Kelly Korinne Bost, Carla E. Caceres, Elvira de Mejia, Kara D. Federmeier, Lisa Hinchliffe, Cris Susan Mayo, and M. Megan McLaughlin. Second row (L to R): Mariselle Melendez, Faranak Miraftab, Cynthia Oliver, Katherine E. Ryan, Monika Stodolska, Michelle M. Wander, and Ann Marie Yeung.

Kelly Korinne Bost was named full professor of child development. She has been on the faculty at Illinois since 1996. Dr. Bost holds bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degree in human development and family studies, all from Auburn University in Alabama.

Carla E. Caceres was appointed full professor of animal biology. She began teaching at the university in 1997 and joined the tenure-track faculty in 2001. Dr. Caceres is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Cornell University.

Elvira de Mejia was promoted to professor of food science and human nutrition. She holds bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City and a master’s degree from the University of California at Irvine.

Kara D. Federmeier was appointed professor of psychology. She also serves as a faculty member at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego.

Lisa Hinchliffe was promoted to full professor of library administration. She is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas. She holds a master of library science degree and a doctoral degree in educational psychology from the University of Illinois.

Cris Susan Mayo was named full professor of education policy, organization, and leadership. She has taught at the university since 2003. Dr. Mayo is a graduate of SUNY Albany and holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois with a graduate minor in women’s studies. She is the author of Disputing the Subject of Sex: Sexuality and Public School Controversies (Rowman and Littlefield, 2004).

M. Megan McLaughlin was promoted to professor of history. She will also teach in the women’s and gender studies program and the medieval studies program. Dr. McLaughlin is a graduate of Vassar College and holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. She is the author of Sex, Gender and Episcopal Authority in an Age of Reform, 1000-1122 (Cambridge University Press, 2010) and Consorting with Saints: Prayer for the Dead in Early Medieval France (Cornell University Press, 1994).

Mariselle Melendez is a new full professor of Spanish at the university. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Melendez also holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Spanish literature from the University of Wisconsin.

Faranak Miraftab was named full professor of urban and regional planning and professor of gender and women’s studies. She has taught at the University of Illinois since 1999. Dr. Miraftab holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.

Cynthia Oliver was appointed professor of dance at the university. She will also teach African American studies and gender and women’s studies classes. Dr. Oliver is the author of Queen of the Virgins: Pageantry and Black Womanhood in the Caribbean (University Press of Mississippi, 2009). She holds a Ph.D. in performance studies from New York University.

Katherine E. Ryan was promoted to full professor of educational psychology. She holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois.

Monika Stodolska was named full professor of recreation, sport, and tourism. She holds a master’s degree from Warsaw University in Poland and a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. She has been on the faculty at the University of Illinois since 1999.

Michelle M. Wander was promoted to professor of soil fertility and mineral nutrition in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences.

Ann Marie Yeung was named full professor of music in the College of Fine and Applied Arts. She holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in harp performance from Indiana University.