College of Education & Human Services

Rashmi Sharma

Rashmi Sharma, Ed.D.

Educational Leadership
Assistant Professor

Phone: 309-298-1183
Email: R-Sharma@wiu.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Rashmi Sharma, is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Western Illinois University in the School of Education. She currently serves as Co-Coordinator of the Ed.D. program in Organizational Justice, Equity, and Inclusion, supporting doctoral students through mentoring, teaching, and scholarly engagement.

Dr. Sharma also provides educational technology and AI service for the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS). In this role, she manages and oversees the College’s Instructional Multimedia (IMM) Lab, supports faculty and students in integrating instructional technologies and artificial intelligence tools into teaching, learning, and research. Her work in AI for higher education emphasizes ethical, inclusive, and pedagogically sound uses of AI to enhance teaching effectiveness, student learning, and professional preparation.

She earned her doctrate in Educational Studies–Educational Administration (2016) and a Master’s degree in International Affairs, with a concentration in Communication and Development (2012), from Ohio University.

Dr. Sharma is a recipient of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP) award and the American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowship, recognizing her scholarship and research contributions. She has held multiple leadership roles with the Mid-Western Educational Research Association (MWERA), including serving as President (2023–2024) and Program Chair (2021–2022). A lifelong member, she served on the MWERA Board from 2019 to 2025. Beyond higher education, she served on the Board of Directors of the Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council from 2020 to 2023, contributing to community and global engagement initiatives.

Prior to her academic career, Dr. Sharma worked for over eight years with national and international organizations supporting marginalized rural mountain communities in the western Himalayan region of India, an experience that continues to inform her scholarship, leadership practice, and commitment to education.