Southern Illinois University Carbondale Has Promoted Four Women to Full Professor

Southern Illinois University in Carbondale has announced the promotion of 15 faculty members to the rank of full professor. The appointments are effective for the 2014-15 academic year. Four of the new full professors are women.

Sara Baer was named a full professor of plant biology. Her research centers on bridging ecological theory with restoration ecology to improve the structure and function of degraded ecosystems. Professor Baer is a graduate of the University of North Texas in Denton. She earned a master’s degree in entomology from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in biology from Kansas State University.

Dubravka Ban was appointed professor of mathematics at the university. She has been on the faculty at Southern Illinois University since 2005. Professor Ban is a graduate of the University of Split in Croatia. She hold master’s and doctoral degrees in mathematics from the University of Zagreb.

Nilanjana R. Bardhan was promoted to professor of communication studies. She is a graduate of the Lady Shriram College for Women at Delhi University in India, where she majored in English literature and philosophy. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in journalism from Ohio University in Athens. Professor Bardhan is the co-author of Cultivating Cosmopolitanism for Intercultural Communication: Communicating as a Global Citizen (Routledge, 2013).

Meera Komarrajau was named professor of applied psychology. She has served on the faculty at Southern Illinois University since 1986. Professor Komarrajau holds a Ph.D. in organizational/industrial psychology from Osmania University in India and a Ph.D. in applied social psychology from the University of Cincinnati.