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NATCHEZ — Alcorn State University celebrated the historical inauguration of its first female president Felecia M. Nave by launching a lecture series at their Natchez campus.

Nave accepted the charge to lead Alcorn during the Investiture of the 20th President ceremony Friday, April 16, in the Oakland Memorial Chapel.

Nave’s inauguration was initially scheduled for 2020 but was rescheduled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Nave delivered the first of many educational speeches on Thursday, April 15, at the Carol S. Balmat School of Nursing in the MBA Building Auditorium on Alcorn’s Natchez campus as part of a future series of lectures at the University.

In her lecture, Nave outlined three points that will lead the University into an even more prominent future, with the first one focusing on innovation, exceeding expectations, and being a leader amongst the best schools.

“We can solidify Alcorn as a leader in academic excellence by keeping innovation at the forefront,” said Nave. “We never rest on doing things the same way just because we’ve always done it that way. Instead, we constantly reassess our curriculum, program offerings, and systems to ensure that we are a leader among leaders. We will bring in the best and most passionate educators and raise our bar to exceed the expectation of the global marketplace. Most importantly, we will develop well-rounded professionals who understand the gravity of their contribution as part of the collective.”

Nave then shifted to the enhancement of women in their professional endeavors. She said that the University would provide even more opportunities for women to succeed.

“We will enhance professional pathways for women by relentlessly breaking down barriers. We stay ahead of where we see gender gaps and develop programs that position women to be the best in their fields. At our Natchez campus, 94 percent of our graduates are women. We want to ensure women have female mentors who can lead them down the right path for their career aspirations, and we will, through our actions and outcomes. Every woman deserves a place at the top of every industry.”

The president concluded her lecture with her final point, where she turned her attention to leadership becoming more student-focused.

“We will become even more student-centered by involving our student body from all three Alcorn campuses in our decision making, beginning with our strategic plan. We will continue to hold student focus groups to gather input and prioritize feedback when bringing details to fruition. Our leadership team, I included, will be active participants in student activities and programming, keeping our finger on this University’s pulse. We will lean into student organizations to stay tuned in with student needs. This student focus will be as synonymous with Alcorn as our purple and gold.”