NMU search for president continues: 3rd candidate fields questions on campus
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MARQUETTE -- Northern Michigan University continued its search for a new president Wednesday as Dr. Meera Komarraju, the current provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, fielded questions from NMU students and faculty.
Students asked a variety of questions of Komarraju, including queries regarding topics that ranged from diversity on campus to the climate to sustainability.
"I want to put out there, that for me, diversity comes in many forms. It's not just race, ethnicity and gender. It's socioeconomic status," Komarraju said. "To think of it that every student should feel included. There is other kinds of diversity that you can't see. Religion, national origin, sexual orientation, ability, ages -- there are so many sources that you can't see unless you are experiencing it and living it."
Komarraju is the third of the four potential candidates visiting NMU in a bid to be the replacement for Dr. Fritz Erickson, who was let go by the university last fall.
"The idea of sustainability is critical, when you think of future generations," Komarraju said. "Our ancestors have made it possible for us to have it available to us in national resources, but what is it that you are going to leave behind for future generations?"
Komarraju said that her upbringing in India has made sustainability an important part of her outlook on life.
"I grew up in a country that has been overpopulated for a long time. Grew up with lots of efforts that were sustainability-oriented," Komarraju said. "We grew up that way. We always switched off the lights. You can never leave the room with the lights on. That kind of thinking."
Komarraju, a professor of psychology, has spent 25 years at SIU-Carbondale. Throughout her quarter century at the school, she has held several administrative positions, including the director of the undergraduate psychology program, associate dean for student and curricular affairs and the dean at the College of Liberal Arts.
She received a doctoral degree in applied social psychology from the University of Cincinnati, as well as a master's degree in industrial-organizational psychology from Osmania University in India.
Today will see the final one of the four candidates, Dr. Mike Godard, visit the campus before all four candidates are interviewed by the NMU Board of Trustees on Monday.
Randy Crouch can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net.