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 access, community and cultural engagement, and recruitment and retention initiatives. Ahasteen-Bryant provides leadership for university-wide Native American initiatives at Purdue University which includes fostering a learning environment for Purdue students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. Ahasteen-Bryant is co-Principal Investigator (PI) for the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP) program and mentors undergraduate and graduate students pursuing an advance degree in STEM disciplines.
Under her leadership, the NAECC received the "2026 Outstanding Indigenous Student Support Program Award" from the Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community (IPKC) with NASPA, the national leading association for the advancement, helath, and sustainabilty of student affairs professionals.
Ahasteen-Bryant has elevated the visibility of Native Americans in Indiana and throughout the U.S. with her community advocacy and engagement. In 2023, she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Eiteljorg Museum and continues to actively participate on the Indian Market and Festival, Community Engagement Task Force, Governance Council, and Strategic Planning committees. She served as a Commissioner with the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission (INAIAC), an appointment by former Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, from 2019 to 2026 and provided recommendations and guidance on state and local initiatives for Native American citizens in Indiana. 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
Administrative Assistant
Pronouns: she/her
Email: tcusterl@purdue.edu
Tiffany 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
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 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.
Joniyah Alford
Student Outreach Assistant
Pronouns: she/her
Joniyah is a Student Outreach Assistant, she represents the NAECC at campus outreach events and assists with the planning and implementation of NAECC engagement programs and events. Joniyah is third year undergraduate student majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with a minor in Soil Sciences in the College of Agriculture.
