Shelly C. Lowe Appointed Chair of NEH

The United States Senate has voted to confirm Shelly C. Lowe as the twelfth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The White House is expected to make the official appointment in the coming days and Lowe will begin her appointment shortly thereafter.

In a statement following her confirmation, Lowe said, "Having grown up in a small rural Navajo community in Northeast Arizona, I have personally seen how the humanities can help sustain and strengthen individuals, communities, and institutions, yet I am alert to the fact that access to humanities resources remains unevenly distributed across our country. I look forward to working with NEH staff and the network of state and jurisdictional humanities councils to expand opportunities for all Americans to participate in and benefit from humanities-centered research, education, and public programs.”

Lowe is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and grew up on the Navajo Reservation in Ganado, Arizona. From 2015 to 2021 she served as a member of the National Council on the Humanities, the 26-member advisory body to NEH, an appointment she received from President Obama.

Lowe’s confirmation follows the confirmation of Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson as the 13th chair of NEH’s sister agency, the National Endowment for the Arts.