Reviving a neglected Caribbean archive
Over the last year, Honors College student Daniella Ferrero worked alongside a faculty member to transcribe a Methodist missionary’s account of life in 1820s Jamaica. Her work doesn’t just shed light on the complexities of 19th-century slavery, colonialism and religion. It also reinforces a timeless lesson that’s important for every scholar and citizen to remember: History is rarely straightforward because people aren’t one-dimensional.
Building Arizona’s rural healthcare workforce
More than $6.35 million in funding will help NAU students pursue careers in healthcare while addressing a critical shortage of health workers in rural, tribal and medically vulnerable areas of Arizona. The two awards to the College of Health and Human Services will provide more than $1.27 million in scholarships each year for the next five years.
How did a curse transform into a cure?
A toxin once known mainly for making people dangerously ill is now used to treat migraines, muscle disorders and even wrinkles. By studying more than 1,000 strains of the bacterium that produces it, NAU Regents’ professor Paul Keim is shedding new light on the science behind Botox.
From painting Flagstaff blue and gold to packed open houses, a community BBQ, the ASNAU carnival, an exciting Homecoming football game and more, campus was full of energy this weekend. Check out some pictures on Instagram.
Grand Canyon Semester students lend a helping hand on the North Rim
As the 2026-27 year kicked off, students in the unique Honors College program Grand Canyon Semester spent two full days at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon clearing barbed wire that had been burned by the Dragon Bravo Fire. Their work didn’t just benefit public lands and wildlife—it also gave them crucial hands-on experience that could serve them well in their outdoor-focused careers.
Homecoming festivities start in two days, Jacks! Don your school colors and get ready for a weekend packed with pride, tradition and celebration, both on campus and throughout Flagstaff. There’s something for everyone, and new this year—campus open houses to learn more about campus spaces.
Building a desert bestiary
Bobby Long, an associate teaching professor of visual communication, recently created more than 65 detailed illustrations for “Sonoran Desert Bestiary: A More-than-Natural History,” a book that explores small and underrepresented species through folklore and natural history. We asked Long a few quick Qs about the experience.
Preserving the past for the future
From site to screen, a team from the Department of Anthropology is working to preserve history at Wukoki Pueblo, an ancient Indigenous dwelling 30 miles north of Flagstaff. Their work will not only create a detailed digital record of the site but will also create a three-dimensional model that’s accessible to people anywhere in the world
Rethinking history
An anthropology professor at NAU is helping rewrite history. Corina Kellner’s research into ancient sites and mummies in Peru could challenge what historians thought they knew about the Nasca civilization, the Wari Empire and how they interacted with each other.
A trail to healthier communities
A trail that will connect Arizona from the border town of Douglas to Bullhead City will open the door to outdoor recreation, better health, stronger communities and potentially higher property values. With the help of NAU faculty and both undergraduate and graduate students, the Sun Corridor Trail is closer to becoming a reality.
Create, repair and upcycle at the MakerLab
Need a quick fix? The MakerLab at Cline Library and the Office of Sustainability are partnering to offer RepairLabs, where people can get clothing and jewelry (and more!) repaired, keeping items out of the landfill for longer. Got repair skills? Sign up to volunteer for an upcoming RepairLab.
Is a nearby advanced alien civilization out there waiting to pounce on Earth?
Unlikely, according to a new study led by Chris Doughty. (But … maybe?) The study proposes that potential evolution on exoplanets isn’t based only on time, but also on how much cumulative photosynthesis happens, so even if planets outside our solar system had life billions of years before Earth, life likely evolved so slowly that it’s still in the microbial stage.
Igniting a love of STEM in Tuba City
They say success is nothing without someone to share it with. That’s certainly true in Tuba City, a small community on the Navajo Nation: Whenever any of its citizens score a big win, the town always shows up to celebrate. That’s why, armed with $50,000 from the National Science Foundation, researchers at NAU’s Center for STEM Teaching and Learning aren’t just partnering with Tuba City educators to improve STEM learning opportunities. They’re also working with town leaders to brainstorm ways to celebrate the kids’ success, from public robotics challenges to parades.
ew year, healthier you
Campus Health Services isn’t just for students—it’s also for faculty and staff! Now is a great time to establish care at CHS, whether you’re looking to schedule annual physicals and immunizations, renew your prescriptions, explore preventive health resources or even access urgent care.
Ready for duty
A hands-on program is preparing the next generation of law enforcement officers and park protection rangers. By combining academic instruction, physical training and real-world experience, NAU’s Law Enforcement Training Academy is giving students what they need to serve their communities and preserve public lands right after graduation.
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The NAU Review. The official news source for Northern Arizona University.
Sept. 3, 2026
We deliver top headlines to the Lumberjack community every Tuesday and Thursday during the academic year. For more, visit in.nau.edu/news.
A Navajo man pumps water from a tank into a barrel. Red rock mesas are in the background.
Identifying safe drinking water on tribal lands
A group of NAU researchers, led by analytical chemist Jani Ingram, sampled water in wells throughout the Navajo Nation to identify which wells contained safe drinking water and which contained dangerous levels of uranium. The work doesn’t just protect Navajo Nation residents’ health; it also provides them with data they can use to advocate for safer community resources.
VIDEO: See the Class of 2030 run!
Between a 100-yard kickoff return TD, the football overcoming a 21-point deficit to win the first game of the season and the Running of the Freshmen at halftime, the Lumberjacks showed up at the Skydome on Saturday. In addition the video of the second-most exciting 100-yard run, see NAU Social’s photos from the game + the epic tailgate party .
Want to catch the next home game? Get your tickets to all NAU Athletics today!
Campus came alive with excitement, nerves and new beginnings last week as students moved into their residence halls, said goodbye to their loved ones and made new friends. See photos from move-in, the Welcome Week Festival, the Part-Time Job Fair and of course, NAU’s iconic Letters.
Grace Johnson hoped to get a job in the skilled trades after NAU. The recent construction management grad had no idea she’d also get on TV. We asked Johnson a few quick Qs about her recent appearance on the HBO Max docuseries “Building Back America’s Trades.”
¡Saludos desde Puerto Rico!
At NAU, a journey beyond the continental United States is more than a class; it’s a life-changing adventure. This summer, through the Global Citizens Project Scholars program, Lumberjacks explored cultures, met new people and experienced the world through fresh perspectives, all while discovering that understanding others is the first step toward understanding their own place in the world. ¡Vámonos!
Going underground to measure fire risk
This summer, NAU associate professor Salli Dymond is working with the Salt River Project and the startup company Growvera to install moisture sensors on plants and dead fuel on the forest floor and underground in parts of Tonto National Forest. Over the course of a year, she and her colleagues will monitor the sensors and analyze the data they generate. Dymond said if the sensors provide accurate enough moisture data, they could be a gamechanger in how Arizona officials communicate about and prepare for wildfire season.
NAU in Denmark: Learning by design
Can design change lives for the better? This summer, a group of students embarked on a journey to learn how Scandinavian design is shaping more equitable, sustainable and collaborative societies.
Rescuing the world’s coffee
The coffee berry borer is destroying about 30% of the world’s coffee crops annually, costing farmers more than $500 million a year and driving down the supply of everyone’s favorite caffeinated beverage. NAU Ph.D. candidate Lynn Bonomo is on a mission to find a safe, sustainable way to protect coffee farmers’ crops—and your morning jolt.
Making a difference on the job
Four NAU undergrads were selected for prestigious 10-week internships at the Barrow Neurological Institute, where they’ll work alongside neurological disorder, speech pathology and occupational therapy professionals in real-world medical settings. Learn more about how Mandi Bluth, Noah Verdugo, Stefan Muñoz and Wyatt Peterson landed their coveted spots at Barrow and what they’re up to at the institute this summer.
Can you find the paradine plains cactus in the above photo? Don’t feel bad if not—it’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but it plays an important role in the Four Corners region’s ecosystem. In the wake of the White Sage Fire, NAU ecologist Clare Aslan is measuring the succulent’s resilience over a three-year period. Her findings could help ecologists and policymakers everywhere understand when to do boots-on-the-ground restoration work and when to let nature recover on its own.
A new club housed at NAU’s Institute for Human Development provides stimulating activities for local residents with memory loss, a respite for caregivers, a living laboratory for NAU students and faculty and a space where volunteers can make a difference through art and music. Read the story and watch the video to learn how you can be part of it.
Now through spring 2027, visitors walking into Cline Library will step into a slice of mid-century America: A glowing motel “No Vacancy” sign, vintage furniture, a guestbook waiting to be signed, a Polaroid camera to capture the moment. The exhibit “Echoes of the Open Road: 100 Years of Route 66 in Arizona” combines archival materials, student scholarship and community storytelling to trace the history of this iconic roadway—from its rise as a cross-country travel route to its cultural afterlife as a symbol of Americana.
Cesar Duarte
From launching a campus engineering community to advancing cutting-edge exoskeleton research, this first-cohort mechanical engineer has been building impact from day one. His journey blends innovation, leadership and purpose, marking him as an emerging voice in the next wave of engineering talent.
Warmer streams may weaken river food webs
Can you tell the difference when a stream gets warmer? The tiny living things that make that ecosystem their home can. In a new study, researchers from Ecoss found that microbes and aquatic insects are processing fallen leaves, twigs and bark more rapidly and releasing more carbon dioxide into the water and air. The findings could have implications for plants and animals in rivers across the western United States.
Your guide to NAU Giving Day 2026
Not sure where to swing your Axe of Kindness this NAU Giving Day? Let us help! We’ve shared a few inspiring stories that illustrate the power your gift can wield, whether you donate to NAU’s general fund or choose a specific area of impact. Your Axe of Kindness will change lives and transform Arizona for the better, no matter how you give.
What started as a compost project using human stool has turned into an experiment that could open the door for colonizing another planet. Researchers at NAU are simulating the barren soils of Mars and the Moon to turn human waste into resources that will help grow food in space.
Last week, 11 graduate students stood in front of an audience and shared their research. That’s par for the course for any researcher. What was different this time? They had only three minutes and one slide to sum up months, or even years, of research. See what students have worked on during their careers at NAU and which students walked away with a cash prize.
‘Honey, life is just a classroom’
English professor Kim Hensley Owens is meeting NAU students where they are with the class ENG 399: Taylor Swift and the Rhetoric of (Almost) Everything. By delving into Swift’s lyrics, persona and fame, students learn the art of persuasive language, gaining foundational skills that will serve them well in any career.
Targeting cost hurdles in forest restoration
As the West faces increasingly destructive wildfires, land managers rely on mechanical thinning to reduce hazardous fuels and restore forest health. But one obstacle continues to slow this work down: Thinning costs are notoriously difficult to estimate from one project to the next. A new study from ERI aims to address the uncertainty around those numbers and the concerns that outdated cost estimates may be holding critical restoration projects back.
When NASA turns to an NAU geologist
Kristen Bennett, NAU’s newest planetary scientist, is one of just 10 scientists selected by NASA to lend her expertise on the first crewed mission to the Moon since the 1970s. When astronauts on the Artemis IV mission land on the Moon and venture out onto its surface, that’s where Bennett and her colleagues come in: “We’ll help them figure out which direction to walk, which rocks to take as samples and how many to take,” she said.
This April, spring into service
Ready to put those paid community engagement hours to use? NAU’s Center for Service and Volunteerism is hosting its first Spring Into Service Challenge from April 1-22, bringing fresh volunteer opportunities, fun events and a recognition party with prizes and fun.
Red wigglers are quietly burrowing through yesterday’s leftovers, turning scraps into something richer than waste. Learn how NAU is benefiting from vermicomposting, reducing landfill waste and helping the environment in an efficient, odor-free and space-friendly way.
Every spring, Health Careers Week at the College of Health and Human Services lets students explore the multitude of health degrees NAU offers—and the many roads they lead to. In celebration of Health Careers Week, four inspiring CHHS alumni shared what they wanted to be when they grew up and how those interests evolved into unique, high-impact careers in the health sector thanks to NAU.
Connecting the classroom to the field
Students in the NAU Global Health Field School program traveled to Peru and Malawi to put their coursework to use real-world settings and work on public health interventions aimed at addressing health disparities in underserved communities. The goal was to provide an immersive academic program that prepares students to understand global health systems and connect with patients in unfamiliar environments
Engineering Camps are now open for registration in collaboration with the Northern Arizona University College of Engineering! These camps are designed for current middle school students and run Monday-Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. No experience is required, and each camp is $290. Students can choose from exciting topics like Robotics and Video Design or Civil & Environmental Engineering and Semiconductors & Microelectronics.
Across Arizona, public educators know how to help their students succeed, but they often think they can’t make meaningful change without permission from the state. Permission Granted, a new tool co-developed by NAU’s Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy, aims to show schools there’s more flexibility than they think—and they can use it to their advantage to adjust bell schedules, launch career-readiness initiatives and more.
From first cue to final bow, Jacks take the lead
Students in NAU’s theater program don’t just perform—they also produce. Every theater production runs entirely on student power, with Lumberjacks stepping into the spotlight, building sets, programming lights, mixing sound, patching costumes, promoting shows and managing the chaos. It’s all about teamwork, community and hands-on learning.
VIDEO: The canoe bug hypothesis
Jut Wynne, assistant research professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, set sail on a 1,700-nautical-mile voyage across the South Pacific in search of new species of invertebrates that could help timestamp the movements of early Polynesians across the islands. Watch his journey and find out what he discovered.
Shaping the world one sound at a time
Jordan Strohmeyer is exploring how audio shapes our world. Through the Lumberjacks Thrive Externship program, he has made connections and gained an inside look at what the industry he wants to explore after graduation is like, finding inspiration at the intersection of art and science.
VIDEO: Run like a girl
Looking to swing your axe of service this year? Local nonprofit organization Girls on the Run is looking for coaches who can help teach perseverance, inner and outer strength and the joy of physical activity to girls in third through eighth grade. Watch a video to learn more about Girls on the Run, then visit NAU’s Axe of Service website to get involved.
For the Dorsey 5, being a Lumberjack is in their blood. From 2017 to 2023, Justin, Brandon, Brittni, Khalil and Tommie have graduated from NAU, creating a legacy of excellence—three were student-athletes (Khalil is now a cornerback for the Detroit Lions), and Brittni earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Learn how they’re continuing that legacy as alums.
Introducing the Maria and Steve Sanghi
College of Nursing
NAU announced today that it has named its College of Nursing the Maria and Steve Sanghi College of Nursing in recognition of a recent gift from the longtime NAU supporters. The investment will strengthen nursing education, expand student and faculty support and help address Arizona’s critical nursing workforce shortage.
One of the biggest mysteries of the Grand Canyon is how exactly water gets from the surface into the springs. We know the basics—it snows on the Kaibab Plateau, the snow melts into sinkholes and the water comes roaring out of springs below the North Rim. But what does the journey from the sinkholes through thousands of feet of rock look like? Researchers at NAU are mapping the area to find the answer.
For National Girls and Women in Sport Day on Feb. 4, hear from student-athletes across NAU Athletics about the first time they picked up a ball or club or laced on running shoes, their best moments wearing blue and gold and how their athletic careers are helping prepare them for their professional careers, in their sport or in an office.
Cultivating wellness for women farmers
Hidden underneath the tough exterior of women in agriculture lies a growing mental health crisis shaped by isolation, financial pressure and relentless farm stress. Gayle Gratop, a doctoral student at NAU and a farmer herself, is finding ways to offer support, filling in the gaps where existing systems fall short.
Why was Japan’s 2011 earthquake so deadly?
A new seafloor study coauthored by an NAU faculty member revealed one reason for this unusually devastating earthquake and tsunami. Learn what happened on the seafloor off Japan and how this study could help scientists understand and respond to other intense earthquakes and tsunamis.
View this email as a webpage. Jan. 20, 2026 We deliver top headlines to the Lumberjack community every Tuesday and Thursday during the academic year. For more, visit news.nau.edu. Honoring Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy On Monday, the NAU…
A day in the life
After a long pause, HRM’s Job Shadow Program is back, immersing students in the nonstop rhythm of hotel and restaurant operations. During the winter break, students stepped into industrial kitchens, executive offices and behind front desks to witness how hospitality comes to life.
Change starts with you
You don’t need special skills to make a difference; all you need is the willingness to help. The volunteers at the Flagstaff Family Food Center have been helping change people’s lives for 34 years, distributing more than 7.4 million pounds of food to the northern Arizona community last year alone. In this month’s volunteer video highlight, see how you can be part of the change.
For NAU physicists, it’s snowflake season
When water molecules solidify and stick together in cold air, they form complex hexagonal formations known as snowflakes. As it turns out, fabricated gold, copper and iron nanocrystals do the same thing during lightning-fast chemical reactions. This new discovery by NAU researchers could give scientists better control over the nanomaterials they fabricate, leading to unprecedented breakthroughs.
Meet Earth’s biggest sodium seekers
While it’s easy for us humans to get plenty of sodium in our diets, some of the world’s largest land animals have access to a pinch too little. A new study from NAU researchers showed that elephants, rhinos, giraffes and other large plant-eaters can only get enough salt in a few specific areas of the world, limiting their population growth.
More than 2,600 students graduate in two ceremonies at the Skydome on Friday. Read on for everything you need to know, including parking and traffic patterns and how to get up-to-the-minute updates.
