Meet Our Staff
Felica Ahasteen-Bryant (Diné)
Director
Pronouns: she/her/asdzáá
Email: felica@purdue.edu
Ya’at’ééh, shí éí Felica Ahasteen-Bryant yinishyé. Naashashí nishlíigo, Kinyaa’ánii báshíshchíín, Tódích’íi’nii dashicheigo, Nat’oh Dine’e Tachii’nii dashinálí. Ákót’éego Diné asdzání nishlí.
As the NAECC Director since July 2009, Felica Ahasteen-Bryant has worked in the field of education for over 25 years with emphasis in student leadership and community engagement, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and recruitment and retention of students. Ahasteen-Bryant provides leadership for university-wide Native American initiatives at Purdue University which includes fostering an inclusive, learning environment for Purdue students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. Under the Office of the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the Office of the Provost, the NAECC serves as a "second home" for the Purdue community including Indigenous, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, an Pacific Islanders from West Lafayette and Lafayette community. Ahasteen-Bryant as co-Principal Investigator (PI) for the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP) program and mentors Indigenous graduate students pursuing an advance degree in STEM disciplines. Additionally, she created the Tribal Immersion Program which provides cross-cultural learning experiences for Purdue students and she is co-PI for the Indigenous Womens Talking Circle, an initiative to provide academic, mental, physical, and spiritual support for Indigenous women as they navigate through their higher education journey.
Ahasteen-Bryant has elevated the visibility of Native American perspectives through her community advocacy and engagement. She was appointed by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to serve as a Commissioner with the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission (INAIAC), which is part of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, and currently chairs the INAIAC Education Committee. In July 2023, she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Eiteljorg Museum and has an active role on the Indian Market and Festival Planning, Governance Council, and Strategic Planning committees. Lastly, she has taken her love of plants and gardening to a new level, currently she is an Advance Master Gardener and actively involved with the Hamiton County Master Gardeners Association where she is the newsletter editor and serves on the Community Outreach committee.
Ahasteen-Bryant is member of the Navajo (Diné) Nation, she was born and raised in New Mexico, and from the Bear Enemies People, Towering House People, Bitter Water People, and Tobacco of the Red Running into the Water People clans. She received her bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University and master’s degree from Indiana University. She resides in Westfield, Indiana with her family.
Tiffany Lechuga is the Administrative Assistant and has served in the position since November 2022. She provides administrative support, connects with students and vistiors on a daily basis, and is the NAECC Building Deputy. Prior to joining the NAECC, Tiffany worked in the Finance Department with the College of Pharmacy and has been with Purdue since 2021.
Lechuga received her bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision with Purdue Polytechnic. She is a life-long resident of Lafayette and enjoys spending free time with her family.
Alyssa Nez (Diné)
Graduate Assistant
Pronouns: she/her
Ya’at’ééh, shí éí Alyssa Nez yinishyé. Tábąąhí nishlíigo, Táchiiʼnii báshíshchíín, Naakai dineʼé dashicheigo, dóó Tábąąhí dashinálí. Ákót’éego Diné asdzání nishlí.
Alyssa Nez is the Graduate Assistant and joined the NAECC team in July 2024. She started working with the NAECC in the spring of 2022 while pursuing her undergraduate degree and served as the Student Outreach Assistant. In this role, she assisted with recruitment and campus outreach events and planning and coordination of NAECC progams and events, hosted visitors at the NAECC, and worked with Purdue student organizations.
Nez is currenlty pursuing a master’s degree in Linguistics with the College of Liberal Arts and has transitioned into the Graduate Assistant position. She is a Bilsland Strategic Initiative Fellow, serves on an advisory council with the Office of Graduate Diversity Initiatives, and works with key graduate student organizations. Her role at the NAECC includes assisting undergraduate students with Native American research, projects, and course work and works alongside the NAECC Director with outreach events to promote awareness surrounding Indigenous culture.
Nez is a member of the Navajo (Diné) Nation and was born and raised in New Mexico. She is from the Water Edge clan, born for Red Running into the Water clan, her maternal and paternal grandfathers are from the Mexican People clan and Water Edge clan. She received her bachelor's degree in English in a Global Context with a minor in Linguistics from Purdue's College of Liberal Arts in May 2024. When school is not in session, she returns to her family in New Mexico.
