CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Nathan Stephens will become the director of the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center effective Jan. 9. He most recently was director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, a position he has held since October 2013.
“Nathan Stephens brings a wealth of experience with cultural centers to Illinois and will help us move BNAACC to the next level of excellence,” said Renee Romano, vice chancellor for student affairs. “With our students and their deep level of involvement and commitment, we feel poised to make BNAACC a pre-eminent black cultural center in the country.”
Prior to his role at SIU, Stephens served for several months as the assistant to the president for equity and diversity issues at Southeast Missouri State University, preceded by six years as a senior coordinator of the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
The center is named for Bruce D. Nesbitt, who led the U. of I.'s Afro-American Cultural Program for 22 years. A permanent location for the center, anticipated to cost $4.9 million, is included in the campus Master Plan. Slated to open in 2018, the new facility will be funded with a mix of donations, student fees and institutional funds.