Sharmini Nair

Sharmini Nair is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Lindenwood University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Humanities. She teaches courses on American Government, International Relations, Global Environmental Policy, and Comparative Analysis. Her research focuses on postcolonial critiques of environmental and labor policies, particularly through ecofeminist and decolonial lenses. She has published on topics such as postcolonial responses to the ILO’s Just Transition framework, South African environmental advocacy groups, and comparative postcolonial labor discourses in India and South Africa. Her work bridges political theory, environmental studies, and postcolonial scholarship.

Dr. Nair’s academic contributions emphasize global sustainability frameworks and their intersection with historical colonial legacies. She critiques how international policies often perpetuate inequities through orientalist narratives, advocating for grassroots environmental initiatives like Khuthala’s re-imagining of climate-smart mining. Her recent work (2025) explores ecofeminist perspectives on labor rights within global just transition agendas.

While no awards or grants are explicitly listed, her research demonstrates a commitment to interdisciplinary analysis of power structures in environmental and labor governance. She advises no listed students but actively contributes to curricula in political science and global studies.