Dawnelle Prince, founding director of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) Career Center at the University of Houston, has been named one of the Houston Business Journal’s 2025 Women Who Mean Business honorees. The annual awards recognize women across industries who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, professional excellence, and community impact.
Prince’s recognition highlights more than 20 years of leadership in higher education, including roles at Blinn College, Texas A&M University, the University of Kansas, Texas Chiropractic College, and the University of Houston. Throughout her career, she has been a driving force in connecting students to meaningful academic and professional opportunities while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM fields.
At UH, Prince established the NSM Career Center and launched several initiatives that have become high-impact programs for student development and employer engagement. Among them are the high school science challenges sponsored by BP, which included a physics competition culminating in a Cardboard Boat Regatta, and Weather U, a meteorology competition featuring local weathermen as guest judges and offering scholarships for top participants to attend the University of Houston.
She also created the First-Generation College Student Career Access and Scholarship Program, which supports students navigating college and career pathways for the first time in their families, and the Industrial Scholar Interns Program, sponsored by Houston industry leaders. This initiative provides engineering students with four-year scholarships, two-year internship experiences, and ensures participants graduate on time.
Building on this foundation, Prince developed NSM Premed Emergency Preparedness Day, a first-of-its-kind partnership between UH and the U.S. Army Medical Department that gives students immersive training in crisis response and emergency medicine. She is also credited with creating the NSM Internship Bootcamp and other innovative outreach efforts that inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Prince’s impact extends beyond the university. Her ability to build relationships with employers, alumni, and faculty has created a lasting network that connects students with mentors, internships, and job opportunities across Houston and beyond.
Prince was honored alongside other distinguished women at the Women Who Mean Business Awards luncheon on Oct. 23 at the Marriott Marquis Houston, following a VIP reception on Oct. 22 at the Sicardi Ayers Bacino Gallery.
Her recognition reflects her lifelong dedication to empowering students and creating equitable access to opportunity. As she continues to guide the NSM Career Center, Prince remains committed to shaping the next generation of leaders who will define Houston’s innovation economy.