News at NAU
Featured updates from around NAU
NAU honors Class of 2025 in two commencement ceremonies
More than 2,600 students have applied to graduate in NAU’s Fall 2025 commencement, which will take place in two ceremonies on Dec. 12. The ceremonies are held in the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome (Bldg. 73), which will open 90 minutes before each ceremony. The clear bag policy will be in effect; all attendees, including guests, should familiarize themselves with the policy ahead…
Giving Tuesday, by the numbers
This Giving Tuesday, our community of Lumberjacks proved they have hearts of blue and gold! Jacks on and off campus gave back, raising more than $137,000 to address the most urgent student needs and create meaningful change. Their December Axe of Kindness will fuel important environmental research, provide emergency assistance to students in need…
Doctoral student wins NSF fellowship for research into synthetic elastins
Ashley Martinez was not interested in doing research. When she was an undergraduate biology student at NAU and struggling in her classes, the thought of adding more work was overwhelming. She approached research reluctantly, finally deciding to do it “just so I could say that I tried it.” She found a Hispanic woman doing research…
Campus and community
NAU honors Class of 2025 in two commencement ceremonies
More than 2,600 students have applied to graduate in NAU’s Fall 2025 commencement, which will take place in two ceremonies on Dec. 12. The ceremonies are held in the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome (Bldg. 73), which will open 90 minutes before each ceremony. The clear bag policy will be in effect; all attendees, including guests, should familiarize themselves with the policy ahead…
Giving Tuesday, by the numbers
This Giving Tuesday, our community of Lumberjacks proved they have hearts of blue and gold! Jacks on and off campus gave back, raising more than $137,000 to address the most urgent student needs and create meaningful change. Their December Axe of Kindness will fuel important environmental research, provide emergency assistance to students in need…
Graduate Henry Garland: Pushing boundaries in science, sports and beyond
As a high schooler growing up in Deer Valley, Henry Garland dreamed of becoming a psychologist. “I was playing a lot of sports and a lot of video games,” Garland said. “I was fascinated by the people who get so good at these things that they get paid to do them. I wanted to understand…
Working like a dog: Professor helps raise soon-to-be service pups on campus
When it’s time for Karen Sealander to head to work, she makes sure to grab the essentials. The Department of Educational Specialties professor packs her bag, picks a coat suitable for the morning’s chilly weather and pats her pockets to check that her wallet, phone and keys are safely on her person. Her most important…
NAU honors President’s Prize, Gold Axe, Distinguished Senior winners
At a ceremony Thursday night, NAU leadership, led by President José Luis Cruz Rivera, honored the winners of the President’s Prize, Gold Axe award and Distinguished Seniors of the Class of 2025. This year’s class is composed of 23 Gold Axe winners, including two President’s Prize winners—the highest honor awarded to undergraduate students. Additionally, 10 students were honored as Distinguished Seniors of their colleges. “All of…
How one veteran found her home, her future and herself
Alicia Brady had no idea what she was getting into when she enrolled in the biology program at NAU. She wasn’t expecting mountains, forests and a generation of college students who are independent, creative and feel free to be themselves. After 18.5 years in the military, the culture shock was real, but beautiful. “The freedom for me to come out here and…
When the world gets too loud
With rates of student burnout, anxiety and sensory overload on the rise, learning institutions are looking for ways to support mental health on their campuses. A new sensory room at NAU’s Institute for Human Development (IHD) is hoping to do just that by providing a quiet, controlled space designed to help students rest, refocus and…
How NAU is a transfer-friendly destination
Melanie Rice didn’t start her college career as a Lumberjack, but that’s how she’s finishing it. Rice, a nursing student who will graduate next December, is one of 1,500 transfer students at NAU. She earned an associate’s degree at Cochise College, then transferred to the Flagstaff mountain campus in Fall 2024 to continue her nursing…
Volunteer spotlight: Sharon’s Attic Thrift Store
Looking for a fun volunteer opportunity? Check out Sharon’s Attic Thrift Store—a nonprofit store supporting Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona and Sharon’s Manor, a transitional housing program for individuals and families experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence. Proceeds from every purchase at Sharon’s Attic go directly toward empowering survivors and building pathways to stable housing…
NAU launches podcast on Indigenous resilience post-COVID
The Center for Community Health and Engaged Research (CHER) in Northern Arizona University’s Office of the Vice President for Research has launched a new podcast series, Voices of Native Nations in the Southwest During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The podcast is made possible by support from Project HOPE, an international global health and humanitarian organization headquartered…
Research and academics
Doctoral student wins NSF fellowship for research into synthetic elastins
Ashley Martinez was not interested in doing research. When she was an undergraduate biology student at NAU and struggling in her classes, the thought of adding more work was overwhelming. She approached research reluctantly, finally deciding to do it “just so I could say that I tried it.” She found a Hispanic woman doing research…
Mapping Joy
Everyone wants to find happiness, but what does it actually mean to be happy? Is it spending time with our loved ones, being able to purchase the latest gadget on the market, or something more abstract, like having a sense of purpose or belonging? The class SOC332—Sociology of Happiness might hold a few clues. Jessie K. Finch, chair of the Department of Sociology, said that even though there’s plenty…
Calling all future planetary scientists
Why wait until college to study planetary science? Thanks to a group of faculty members at the NAU Center for STEM Teaching and Learning and a generous grant from NASA, kids in elementary and middle school can now get hands-on space learning experiences…for free. An NAU project called Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of…
New study looks at (rainforest) tea leaves to predict fate of tropical forests
Researchers at Northern Arizona University and the Smithsonian found an unconventional method to understand how rainforests will survive with climate change—making tea with living leaves at the top of the rainforest canopy. The results, published this week in JGR Biogeosciences, are encouraging: The researchers learned that tropical forests may be less sensitive to climate change than…
Study: Rio Grande basin at serious risk from overuse of water
A new study powered by Northern Arizona University’s FEWSION Project found the water crisis in the Rio Grande basin is severe—potentially just two dry winters away from a major water shortage for farms and communities in New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. The study, published Nov. 20 in Discover Water, was led by Brian Richter of Sustainable Waters and included Kat Fowler and…
Jacks in a Flash: ACLS/Arcadia Awards
Alder Keleman Saxena, an assistant professor at the Department of Anthropology and Program in Sustainable Communities, recently received the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Arcadia Award, which supports and rewards open-access books in the humanities. Learn about the multimodal project that granted her the award. Tell me about the ACLS/Arcadia Awards. This prize was created by ACLS, which is one…
How NAU and SRP are protecting Arizona’s natural resources
Arizona’s natural resources face increased risk as the climate continues to get warmer and drier. That makes a partnership between Northern Arizona University and the Salt River Project (SRP) even more critical. This partnership, now in its eighth year, addresses a wide range of pressing issues in the Southwest, including increased wildfire risk, managing endangered…
Got an event? They’ve got a game plan
A class at Northern Arizona University is turning lessons into action by blending education with real-world experience. The Special Events Planning class teaches students the fundamentals of planning, coordination and logistics by developing projects that extend beyond the classroom and into the community. Now, they are seeking groups and organizations with events in need of…
NAU students built a camera. Now it’s going to Mars
It’s only a matter of time before four cameras built by students and faculty at Northern Arizona University will 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 NASA’s…
Shades and places
The art of photography is more than just capturing moments; it’s about seeing the world through a unique lens. This month, that vision will take center stage in two student-led exhibitions at the School of Communication gallery, where student artists will showcase their work. From vivid portraits to striking landscapes, each picture tells a story…
Messages from the NAU President
Generating our own light: Our focus for the year ahead
August 25, 2025 Dear colleagues, Welcome to the start of the 2025-2026 academic year! As our classrooms, campus, and community fill with the energy of our students and the start of a new semester, I want to thank all of you who joined me for last week’s Convocation, whether in person or online. Your engagement…
Announcing Uri Farkas as NAU’s new Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics
June 30, 2025 Dear Lumberjacks, I am pleased to announce that Uri Farkas has been appointed Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Northern Arizona University, effective July 1. Since stepping into the interim role in March, Uri has led with integrity, energy, and vision—qualities that have inspired excellence across Lumberjack Athletics. Under his leadership, our…
Steady steps. Bold moves. Our year at NAU.
May 8, 2025 Dear Lumberjacks, As this academic year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on what it means to lead a public university during a time of complexity, change, and deep need. I hope you’ll take a couple of minutes to watch the short video below—a collection of moments from the past…