Sherice Janaye Nelson, PhD

A native of Oakland, California, Dr. Nelson is proudly and exclusively HBCU-educated, having earned all four of her academic degrees by the age of twenty-seven. Her educational journey reflects an enduring commitment to the intellectual traditions, institutional legacy, and transformative power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. That commitment continues to shape her scholarship, leadership philosophy, and work developing the next generation of scholars and institutional leaders.

Throughout her career, Dr. Nelson has demonstrated a distinctive ability to build and strengthen institutions. As the inaugural Director of the Jewel Limar Prestage Public Policy, Polling & Research Center at Southern University and A&M College, she established a research enterprise dedicated to public policy, civic engagement, public opinion research, and applied scholarship. Under her leadership, the center secured $250,000 in funding and in-kind contributions to develop research infrastructure. At Alabama A&M University, Dr. Nelson served as Director of the online Master of Public Administration Program, where she led curriculum innovation, faculty coordination, recruitment, assessment, and student progression. During her leadership, the program experienced a 200 percent increase in enrollment in one academic year and produced its first graduates following a period without program completions. Her academic appointments have also included Southern University, Harris-Stowe State University, Santa Clara University, Saint Mary's College of California, Occidental College, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Nelson's scholarship examines the racial architecture of American democracy, Black political leadership, congressional behavior, gender and political authority, international relations, and the institutional conditions that shape political and economic opportunity. Her peer-reviewed scholarship has appeared in the Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, The Review of Black Political Economy, PS: Political Science & Politics, and Politics, Groups, and Identities.

Dr. Nelson's scholarly contributions have been recognized through competitive fellowships, national awards, and externally funded research initiatives. She was selected as a 2022–2024 HBCU Project Fellow, an initiative supported by a $1.5 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to expand access to major research fellowships and grants for HBCU scholars. In 2023, she received the Anna Julia Cooper Teacher of the Year Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, recognizing her contributions to teaching and the development of scholars.

In 2025, Dr. Nelson served as Co-Principal Investigator on a $250,000 U.S. Department of State grant supporting the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders at Alabama A&M University. The fellowship, part of the Young African Leaders Initiative, brings emerging leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for executive-style leadership development in business, civic engagement, and public management.

Her additional honors and professional development distinctions include: 2026 Inaugural Serve Louisiana Boards & Commissions Fellow, preparing civic leaders for public governance and institutional service; 2023 Higher Education Leadership Foundation Fellow, Wiley University Xi Cohort; 2022 Top 50 Women Leaders of Louisiana, recognized by Women We Admire; 2019 Student-Faculty Diversity Pipeline Award, American Association for Public Opinion Research; 2017 Dr. Hanes Walton Jr. Fellow, National Conference of Black Political Scientists and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan.

Beyond her academic appointments, Dr. Nelson is an active contributor to national and international intellectual and civic institutions. She serves on the Executive Council of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and on the executive boards of the Institute for New Global Politics at Stanford University and Dillard University's Center for Racial Justice. She is also a board member of Defense of Democracy, Inc. Her civic engagement includes leadership within the Baton Rouge Branch of the NAACP, where she serves as Political Action Chair.

Her international engagement includes participation in the Council on Foreign Relations' Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop and scholarly presentations in Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. Her work reflects a sustained interest in the relationship between political institutions, global leadership, the African diaspora, and the production of knowledge across national boundaries.

As a public intellectual, Dr. Nelson is a sought-after political commentator whose analysis has appeared across television, radio, podcasts, and national public forums. Her commentary addresses American democracy, congressional politics, voting rights, redistricting, race and gender, international affairs, and the evolving role of Black political leadership. She has appeared on WHUR's The Daily Drum, WURD Radio, WAFB, WBRZ, and LiveNOW from FOX, among other platforms. Her public scholarship reflects a commitment to making complex political and institutional questions accessible beyond the academy.

Dr. Nelson is also the founder and principal consultant of Dr. Janaye Executes, a boutique institutional strategy and consulting firm operating at the intersection of research, institutional development, leadership, and organizational execution. The firm draws upon her experience as a scholar, administrator, researcher, and strategist to help mission-driven organizations understand their environments, strengthen institutional capacity, develop leaders, and translate vision into measurable outcomes.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Dr. Nelson is a devoted wife and mother. She is married to the Rev. Dr. John K. Coar III and is the proud mother of Jamiya and Carter. Her family remains central to her life, grounding her commitment to faith, leadership, service, and building a legacy that extends beyond her professional achievements.