Shelly Lowe

Shelly C. Lowe is an American academic administrator who served as a member and then chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Shelly Lowe
Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities
In office February 14, 2022 – March 12, 2025
President	Joe Biden Donald Trump
Preceded by	Jon Parrish Peede
Succeeded by	Vacant
Personal details
Born	1974 or 1975 (age 50–51)
Education	University of Arizona (BA, MA)

Early life and education

Lowe is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and grew up on the central part of the reservation in Ganado, Arizona.^[1][2][3] Lowe graduated from Ganado High School and was awarded a full-ride four-year Flinn Scholarship.^[4] She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and Master of Arts in Native American studies from the University of Arizona.^[5]

Career

Lowe has worked as executive director of the Harvard University Native American Program, assistant dean of Yale College, director of the Yale University Native American Cultural Center, and graduate program facilitator of the American Indian Studies program at the University of Arizona.^[3] She was appointed to serve as a member of the National Endowment for the Humanities by President Barack Obama in 2015 and as chair of the NEH by President Joe Biden in 2021.^[6][7] She was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 2, 2022,^[8] and sworn into office on February 14.^[9] She is the first Native American to head the NEH.^[1]

On March 12, 2025, Lowe left her position on the NEH at the direction of the president.^[10]

Selected publications

• Waterman, Stephanie J.; Lowe, Shelly C.; Shotton, Heather J. (2018). Beyond Access: Indigenizing Programs for Native American Student Success. ISBN 9781620362884. OCLC 1036726367.
• Shotton, Heather J.; Lowe, Shelly C.; Waterman, Stephanie J. (2013). Beyond the Asterisk: Understanding Native Students in Higher Education. ISBN 9781579226244. OCLC 903293330.
• Serving Native American students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2005. ISBN 9780787979713. OCLC 58843943.