Nilanjana R. Bardhan

Nilanjana R. Bardhan is a Professor of Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, specializing in intercultural/international communication, public relations, and critical cultural communication. She holds a Ph.D. in international/intercultural communication, critical media studies, and public relations from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University (1998).

• Education:
  • B.A. (Honors) in English Literature and Philosophy, Lady Shriram College for Women, Delhi University (1991)
  • M.S.J. in Public Relations/Advertising, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University (1994)
  • Ph.D. in International/Intercultural Communication, Critical Media Studies, and Public Relations, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism (1998)

Her research focuses on identity, globalization, postcolonial theory, and diversity. She has published extensively in journals like the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication and International Journal of Strategic Communication, and co-authored award-winning books including Cultivating Cosmopolitanism for Intercultural Communication.

Dr. Bardhan has received multiple teaching awards and leads diversity initiatives at SIU through the Chancellor’s Task Force and Diversity Advisory Council. She co-chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Women of Distinction Award (SIUC, 2019)
  • Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award (2024, recurring)
  • College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Teacher Award (2020)
  • NCA Best Book Awards (for co-authored works)

She serves on editorial boards for Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, PR Inquiry, and International Journal of Strategic Communication, and has advised SIU’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter for a decade.