NORFOLK, Va., July 26, 2021 – Norfolk State University president Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics. Her term will begin on Sept. 1 and run through Aug. 31, 2025.
 
“Dr. Adams-Gaston has decades of experience in higher education and is a proven leader,” MEAC Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas said. “She will be a tremendous asset to the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics, and we are appreciative to have a voice representing the MEAC on that body.”
 
“As President of Norfolk State University and a proud member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, it is an honor to serve on the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics,” Adams-Gaston said. “Academics, learning and scholarship are the bedrock on which NSU and other NCAA-member institutions were founded. As a member of the committee, I will ensure current and future student-athletes are positioned for success not only in competition, but also in the classroom. We want to provide support that guarantees our student-athletes successfully graduate. I look forward to working and collaborating with my fellow colleagues on the committee."  
 
Adams-Gaston has served as president at Norfolk State since June 2019, and she has more than 30 years of higher education experience. Prior to her appointment at Norfolk State, Adams-Gaston served as senior vice president at Ohio State University, and her tenure there also saw her serve as the university’s first African-American Vice President of Student Life.
 
As a member of the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics, Adams-Gaston will sustain and advance the Association’s mission, traditions, values and reputation.
 
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 51st year of intercollegiate competition with the 2021-22 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of eight outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.