Steven Nelson is the dean of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (CASVA) at the National Gallery, responsible for its fellowships, meetings, research, and publications. Nelson has published widely on the arts, architecture, and urbanism of Africa and its diasporas as well as on queer studies. Nelson is professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he served as director of the African Studies Center and advised the university on diversity and inclusion strategic planning. Before becoming dean, he was the Andrew W. Mellon Professor at CASVA.