Dr. Felicia Nave
Nave, who assumed the role Oct. 1, brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher education to the position. She most recently served as division director for the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM within the Directorate for STEM Education at the National Science Foundation, where she oversaw a $212 million national investment focused on broadening participation and innovation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
She served as president of Alcorn State University in Mississippi, provost and vice chancellor at North Carolina Central University in Durham, and provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Prairie View A&M University in Texas.
As president and CEO, Nave will provide strategic direction for the foundation, which supports 19 land-grant universities in the 1890 system. Her responsibilities will include organizational growth, fundraising, federal and private-sector engagement, and program development.
"Dr. Nave is a proven leader who understands the vital role our 1890 universities play in shaping the future of education, research, and community impact," said Dr. Heidi M. Anderson, chair of the foundation's board of directors and president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The 1890 Universities Foundation, established in 2016, is a charitable organization that supports the teaching, research and extension missions of 1890 universities. The institutions in the system are land-grant universities originally established for Black students following the second Morrill Act of 1890.
Nave holds a background in chemistry and has focused on expanding educational access and securing philanthropic investments for HBCUs throughout her career.
