Tag: Northern Arizona University

The NAU Review — Get your kicks at the Route 66 exhibition

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.

The NAU Review — Special commencement edition

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.

The NAU Review — A new threat to river ecosystems + a new way to experience art

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.

The NAU Review — Giving Day, two more for NAU and celebrating professional achievements

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.

The NAU Review — NAU’s change makers, student researchers + contemporary voices

NAU’s 2026 class of changemakers

At a ceremony on Tuesday, NAU celebrated the 2026 President’s Prize winners, Gold Axe winners and Distinguished Seniors who made enormous positive change as Lumberjacks. “Their impact reaches far beyond campus—into neighborhoods, organizations and communities that are better because of them,” said President José Luis Cruz Rivera. Meet the outstanding seniors.

UPDATED — See more local media coverage. More than 100 NAU students protest in front of new ICE office in Flagstaff on Friday

Also see: 

• Arizona Daily Sun (subscription) — Gallery: Northern Arizona University students protest outside ICE office in Flagstaff

FLAGSTAFF — More than 100 Northern Arizona University students took part in a march and protest from the campus to the newly-leased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on Plaza Way, just to the east of Home Depot.

The students, some of whom identified themselves as members of the new NAU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organization, carried a variety of protest signs, shouted slogans and held a rally directly across the street from the new ICE office, who officials said may serve as a center for their Northern Arizona operation.

As the students protested, nearly a dozen police vehicles could be seen scattered on both sides of the street to monitor the situation. Most of the vehicles appeared to be Flagstaff Police Dept. units. More unidentified law enforcement units could also be seen directly behind the building at 1585 S. Plaza Way. 

The NAU Review — Space farming, more news

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.

The NAU Review — Research in a flash

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.

The NAU Review — ‘It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me’

‘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.

The NAU Review — Overcoming a hurdle in forest management + using quests to make learning fun

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.

The NAU Review — Lumberjacks are winning big, advising astronauts + supporting wildlife conservation

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.

The NAU Review — Celebrate National Volunteer Month with us!

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.

The NAU Review — Turning waste into soil

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.

The NAU Review — Happy Health Careers Week

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.

The NAU Review — CHHS goes to Malawi and Peru + won’t you be my neighbor?

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

NAU Continuing Education — 7-9th Aspiring Engineers Youth Camp

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.

The NAU Review — Using existing tools to boost student success

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.

The NAU Review — March agenda: Learn to write, make a delicious treat + sign your kids up for summer camp

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.

The NAU Review — The search for new species

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.

The NAU Review — The intersection of art and science

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.

The NAU Review — Get paid to run like a girl + see how NAU profs are mapping roads

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.

The NAU Review — A family of Lumberjacks + a Hollywood alum returns to NAU

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.

The NAU Review — Renaming the College of Nursing + a patented cybersecurity invention

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. 

The NAU Review — Unlocking the water mystery at the Grand Canyon

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.

The NAU Review — Women take the field

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. 

The NAU Review — The future of nursing in Arizona + a new film partnership

In Arizona, Native Americans represent 5.3% of the population but just 1.1% of registered nurses. Charmaine Begay is determined to change that. A first-generation student from Crystal, New Mexico, Begay is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in nursing through NAU’s American Indian Nursing Program and helping shape a future in which Indigenous communities get care from providers who understand their culture and values.

The NAU Review — Support for women in farming and International Holocaust Remembrance Day

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.

The NAU Review — Digging deep into a deadly earthquake + good news on the climate front

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. 

The NAU Review — Gearing Lumberjacks up for life after college

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.

The NAU Review — Be part of the change

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.

The NAU Review — When snowflakes go metal

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.

The NAU Review — Happy new year! What’s new in science, hospitality & health

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.

NAU Review — How one Lumberjack travels the world for work

Making medicine better for all

As an undergraduate at NAU, Ashley Martinez took a chance and reached out to a faculty member who looked like her. A few years later, she’s thriving as a graduate researcher whose work could contribute to more effective and sustainable drugs, better vaccines and more. Martinez’s work continues thanks to the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, one of the most prestigious awards in the nation.

The NAU Review — LMB does NYC see the photos!

Lumberjacks bring the Mother Road to Macy’s

NAU’s Lumberjack Marching Band just made history as the first college band from Arizona to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! See photos from the band’s trip to New York City, where they entertained locals in Central Park, braved the rain during a dress rehearsal and repped the Mother Road with a rendition of “Route 66.” Plus, watch a cute video clip of Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett cheering them on from the sidelines.

The NAU Review — Reading the tea leaves on climate change + the critical shortage facing the Rio Grande basin

Predicting the fate of tropical forests via (rainforest) tea leaves

Researchers at Northern Arizona University and the Smithsonian went to the top of a Panamanian rainforest to simulate heat death in leaves and measure the effects on surrounding leaves. The results were encouraging: Tropical forests may be less sensitive to climate change than originally feared.

The NAU Review — Puppy love at NAU

Paws in training

Karen Sealander, a professor in the Department of Educational Specialties, brings her dog to work every day, though not strictly for puppy snuggles. For more than 20 years, she has helped raise service dogs in training as a volunteer puppy raiser for the national nonprofit Canine Companions. From teaching them how to sit in a classroom full of people to training them to stay when an NAU food bot blocks their path, her work has infused NAU with a happy helping of puppy love.

The NAU Review — Meet the Gold Axe winners + a front-row seat to liftoff

Meet the Gold Axe winners

This year’s class is composed of 23 Gold Axe winners, including two President’s Prize winners, and 10 students who were honored as Distinguished Seniors of their colleges. See who won and what President Cruz Rivera said about their accomplishments.

The NAU Review — Time to level up

With Elevate, NAU’s new $300 million campaign, we’re on a mission to give every student access to a high-quality education. Elevate is our call to action—to make college more accessible, advance academic excellence, support and attract visionary faculty and level up the campus experience. Find out what you can do to help elevate NAU.

The NAU Review — A Lumberjack creation heads to space + how one veteran found NAU

NAU students built a camera. It’s going to Mars.

Four cameras built by students and faculty at Northern Arizona University will soon launch into deep space on a dual spacecraft bound for Mars. Two traditional cameras and two infrared cameras, designed and constructed by 35 NAU students over the course of three semesters, will capture images from the research mission ESCAPADE.

DYK you can watch the launch? Check back this weekend for a link to the livestream and the schedule.

The NAU Review — Gear up for Native American Heritage Month: Events, conferences & awards

By celebrating Native American Heritage Month at NAU, “we honor our living presence, our resilience and the strength that continues to guide our peoples forward,” said Sheena Hale, director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures. Browse this November’s events.

The NAU Review — A week of Homecoming happiness

Every year, the fall festivities of Homecoming unite NAU students, alumni, faculty, staff and the local community. Get ready for a week of celebrating everything that makes Lumberjack life unforgettable, from a bonfire and pep rally to an exciting football game and more.

The NAU Review — Meet the Benjamin Button of academia

In 1976, Lumberjack William Alger was two classes away from graduating from NAU when an acceptance to pharmacy school whisked him away to California. The retired health executive, who first earned his doctorate then master’s, always vowed to return and finish his bachelor’s degree. Fifty-two years later, he’s finally ready to cross that commencement stage with the Lumberjack Class of 2025.

The NAU Review — Zines take the stage

In an era dominated by digital media, some professors at NAU are embracing handmade zines as creative projects, offering students a tactile, artistic way to synthesize knowledge. Now, efforts are underway to curate a Zine Fest showcasing students’ self-published works and highlighting how zines hold powerful stories that deserve recognition beyond the classroom.

The NAU Review — A stylish way to give back + recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Give back at Sharon’s Attic

Looking to use some of your NAU volunteer hours this fall? Check out Sharon’s Attic Thrift Store, a nonprofit whose proceeds support transitional housing for people and families experiencing homelessness. Whether you’d like to exercise your creative muscles setting up a display or channel your inner Marie Kondo by helping to organize the store, your Axe of Service are appreciated at Sharon’s Attic.

The NAU Review — What does your tattoo say about you?

How to think about ink

From ritual to rebellion, tattooing has been used across cultures and centuries to mark identity, tell stories and challenge norms. An anthropology class at NAU uses social science to think through what tattoos say about us and the worlds we come from.

The NAU Review — Quantum science—it’s a little quarky

parking an interest in quantum science
 
Gravity makes sense: You drop a pencil, it falls. Quantum is harder to grasp: When you’re looking at the smallest particles in the universe, the same rules just don’t apply and what you find is … confusing. But quantum technologies are the future, and the U.S. workforce is woefully underprepared to fill that need. The SparCQS team, housed within ¡MIRA!, is working to change that in fun ways.

The NAU Review — Relive a tree-rific Family Weekend at NAU!

Building bikes for local children, a fun-filled block party and casino night and a record-making football game that included a Hail Mary pass in the final seconds of the first half—Lumberjacks know how to do Family Weekend right! NAU Social was out over the weekend to capture all the fun.

See upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month events here

• NAU Office of Inclusion announces September calendar of events on Sept. 16, 19, 24, 26
• More details to come — NAU Hispanic Heritage Month Football game to feature halftime performance by NAU’s Mariachi Los Madereros on Sept. 26
• NAU Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month Tailgate Party to be held at Walkup Skydome on Oct. 4
• Coconino Community College to present course on ‘Exploring Flagstaff’s Latino Heritage and Community’ with Eva Barraza on Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30

The NAU Review — Pics from the pros

Faculty behind the lens

What do NAU’s photography faculty do when they’re not teaching? Make art, of course! The new exhibit “Here, Together” showcases these Lumberjacks’ visual storytelling skills, with a wide array of captivating photojournalism, portraiture, landscapes and adventure shots. The exhibit is open to the public through Sept. 30.

The NAU Review — ¿Qué pasa este mes?

NAU is celebrating Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month through Oct. 15 with games, discussions, a dance party and more, and all Lumberjacks are welcome! Browse a full calendar of events created by the Office of Inclusion.

The NAU Review — What’s on your plate?

The science behind every bite

The 36th Flagstaff Festival of Science promises to be a tasty treat. This year’s theme is Harvesting Knowledge, with talks, workshops, tours and other experiences uncovering traditional food science and its relevance to the environment, community health and culture. Here’s a list of some of the events at NAU.

The NAU Review — Creating an oasis in a memory care desert + renowned author speaking at NAU

Dementia is a growing public health concern throughout the United States, yet rural and underserved communities—particularly Native American populations—face unique barriers to early detection and care. A study headed by a psychology professor is building bridges to close the gap in the memory care desert that is northern Arizona.

The NAU Review — Want to experience Hat Ranch? Find out how!

Just 70 miles south of the Grand Canyon sits NAU Hat Ranch, a property rooted in history and surrounded by natural beauty. Once a working ranch, the property serves as a base for research, learning and retreat space for NAU students, faculty and staff. Hat Ranch is open to the public for overnight stays and events. The university is working to expand its offerings and honoring the past while building a future centered on education, community and hands-on learning.

The NAU Review — Can academics use AI with integrity?

The gray area of AI in academics

Artificial intelligence has quickly become part of the fabric of academic life, causing scholars to ask: When does innovation come at the expense of integrity? Two NAU faculty members and one Lumberjack alumna are part of a research team that’s examining the ethical gray area of AI usage in academic publishing.