Dr. Terza A. Silva Lima-Neves is a wife, mom, scholar, award-winning professor, African feminist and advocate for women and girls. She was born and raised in Cabo Verde, West Africa and immigrated to the United States with her parents and sisters as a teenager.

Terza is associate professor of political science and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Johnson C. Smith University. Her courses, research and published scholarship focus on international politics, global gender studies, and the modern African diaspora in the United States, particularly gender and the Cabo Verdean community. Lima-Neves prides herself in offering culturally competent advising and mentoring to her students and is an active advocate for policies that create a life-work balance as well as render visible women, parents, people of color and other historically marginalized groups at institutions of higher education.

Dr. Lima-Neves is the 2019-20 President of the North Carolina Political Science Association, the first Black person to serve in this role, co-founder of the International Conference on Cabo Verdean Women and founding President of the Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas Association. She is passionate about community work that empowers and inspires all people. She lives in Charlotte with husband Luis and their children. For more on Terza’s work visit her website, terzalimaneves.com. You can also connect with her on IG and Twitter at @Kriolamommyscholar