News at NAU
Featured updates from around NAU
New statewide effort helps Arizona schools act on existing flexibility to improve student success
The Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy (AIEE) at Northern Arizona University and the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), with support from KnowledgeWorks, have jointly launched Permission Granted, a statewide effort designed to help Arizona school systems move from perceived constraints to practical action. Composed of two complementary tools—a Policy Primer and an Innovation Guide—Permission Granted clarifies what education policy flexibilities already exist and how…
Permafrost is key to carbon storage. That makes northern wildfires even more dangerous
The devastating wildfires in northern Canada in recent years have climate consequences that go far beyond smoke and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, according to a new study co-authored by two NAU researchers. The study, which looked at the various effects of fire in northern Canada and Alaska, wasn’t all bad news: The researchers found fires in Canada, when…
Reviving century-old trades in creative practice
Two courses at NAU are reviving century-old trades by teaching students traditional print and bookmaking practices. In one class, students learn the fundamentals of handmade book construction, including paper folding, stitching and binding methods rooted in a time-tested craft. In the other, students work with a letterpress, using centuries-old methods in setting metal and wood type and operating specialized printing…
Campus and community
New statewide effort helps Arizona schools act on existing flexibility to improve student success
The Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy (AIEE) at Northern Arizona University and the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), with support from KnowledgeWorks, have jointly launched Permission Granted, a statewide effort designed to help Arizona school systems move from perceived constraints to practical action. Composed of two complementary tools—a Policy Primer and an Innovation Guide—Permission Granted clarifies what education policy flexibilities already exist and how…
Snooze smarter with these Campus Health sleep hygiene tips
A great night’s sleep can soothe any ailment, but when the road back to your bed is paved with looming stressors, liters of caffeine and eye-burning blue light, the idea of peacefully dozing for at least eight hours can seem more like a dream than a reality. If you want to correct your slumber habits…
From summer camp to career path
This summer, three different camps from the School of Communication are opening their gates, not just to give high school students a fun break, but also to give them a head start on their future. Each camp is built around hands-on experiences and clear pathways to possible careers, so instead of guessing what to study when they get to college, students can explore fields that could become their future professions. “We are thrilled to…
Free writing workshops open the door to every story
Have you ever dreamed of writing a book, polishing a poem, sharpening your reporting skills or simply learning how to turn a scattered idea into a compelling story? A series of free monthly writing workshops hosted by NAU’s Thin Air Magazine might help you do just that. The literary magazine run by creative writing master’s students has been hosting writing workshops since May 2025. Their goal: to provide a…
The making of a filmmaker
After graduating from Northern Arizona University (NAU) with a degree in illustration, James Ward Byrkit is returning to campus to share his experiences with Lumberjacks as part of the new partnership between NAU and the Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF). Byrkit, a Flagstaff native, said he was obsessed with drawing from a young age, making picture books of epic tales. “I would just draw hundreds and hundreds…
Stay in the know for snow
Northern Arizona University sits at the foot of the highest peak in the state and receives an average snowfall of 100 inches per year—waking up to a blanket of white on the ground some days is inevitable. When you do, you may find yourself asking the following question: There’s snow everywhere. What do I do?…
Dogs in the Den brings tender loving canines to NAU
College students are uniquely vulnerable to a wide array of stressors. When every second, dime and spare thought you have is going toward earning your college degree, it can be difficult to find the time to properly decompress and meet new friends. To remedy this issue, Campus Health Promotion developed an on-campus space where NAU…
Celebrating National Girls and Women in Sport Day
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…
New partnership helps ensure no Lumberjack goes hungry
The Flagstaff Family Food Center is taking over management of Louie’s Cupboard, the student-focused food pantry on Northern Arizona University’s Flagstaff mountain campus. The partnership, which was made official after a successful pilot program last semester, will expand food offerings and offer improved access for students both now and in the long term. The goal is to ensure Louie’s Cupboard…
Start your new year right with Campus Health Services
A new year means a new cold and flu season. If you are looking to fend off the upcoming fevers, chills and aches or hoping to knock out your 2026 physical, now is the perfect time to get acquainted with Campus Health Services (CHS). CHS offers primary care to students, faculty, staff members and their dependents ages 16 and…
Research and academics
Permafrost is key to carbon storage. That makes northern wildfires even more dangerous
The devastating wildfires in northern Canada in recent years have climate consequences that go far beyond smoke and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, according to a new study co-authored by two NAU researchers. The study, which looked at the various effects of fire in northern Canada and Alaska, wasn’t all bad news: The researchers found fires in Canada, when…
Reviving century-old trades in creative practice
Two courses at NAU are reviving century-old trades by teaching students traditional print and bookmaking practices. In one class, students learn the fundamentals of handmade book construction, including paper folding, stitching and binding methods rooted in a time-tested craft. In the other, students work with a letterpress, using centuries-old methods in setting metal and wood type and operating specialized printing…
More than a show
Long before the lights are on and the audience hears the first lines, an entire world is already in motion. Students in NAU’s theater program not only perform on stage, they also build the stage, work the lights, prepare the costumes, manage the sound, market the show and oversee every element that brings a production to life. Every position in a theater production is filled by students who take full ownership of the creative process. Each semester, the program mounts two…
How NAU is addressing health at a community level
A grant from a regional First Things First program aims to streamline how families with young children receive help in the Coconino region. Research scientists Kelly Nation and Mark Remiker at the Center for Community Health and Engaged Research (CHER) are co-principal investigators on a project focusing on four towns—Williams, Fredonia, Page and Winslow—and their adoption and use of the CommunityCares portal. This statewide system integrates healthcare organizations (HCOs) and community-based…
A festival facelift
The partnership between NAU’s School of Communication and the Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF) is not only bringing classic films and educational opportunities to NAU but also giving students an opportunity to test their knowledge and get a taste of what they will experience after they graduate. Zhan Xu, an associate professor at the School of Communication, is overseeing students in her PR Capstone…
From burgers to (computer) chips: Starting a career in the semiconductor industry
Nolan Cottingham was flipping burgers at In-N-Out when he learned about TSMC Arizona’s new technician apprenticeship program—he could work full-time in semiconductor manufacturing and earn a certificate to become a process technician. Not only was it a good job, but it also opened the way to higher education without the price tag that had kept him out of college when he finished high school. But this program, a collaboration between Northern Arizona University, Rio Salado College and…
Visualizing how we move
Have you ever wondered how roads are planned? How does the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) determine where to improve roadways or know which routes will be used in the future? For years, decisions about where to build or upgrade roads have been made using tools that do not offer a complete visual picture of how people travel. This is about to change. Steven Gehrke, associate professor…
New technology aims to create resilient networks in spite of ‘noise’ from signal jamming
A cybersecurity project from Northern Arizona University aims to better teach drone technology how to ignore “bad” data from signal jamming, so a drone can continue its mission even in contested areas. Led by Bertrand Cambou, professor emeritus in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems and CEO and co-founder of High Entropy Security, the cutting-edge technology offers a way…
How a new drone system can help fight forest fires and rescue POWs
A new project at Northern Arizona University aims to provide a flexible set of eyes in dense forest canopy, offering value both to U.S. defense systems and wildfire management in northern Arizona. Glasswing is an autonomous unoccupied aircraft system (UAS) that can fly beneath forest canopies, where dense vegetation, unreliable GPS and complex obstacles render conventional drones useless. It builds on work led…
Unlocking the ‘black box’ of Grand Canyon’s water supply
Every year at Grand Canyon National Park, millions of visitors from all over the world stop at one of a dozen water spigots. Most people are on a rim, seeing the canyon’s majesty for the first time, when they step off the trail to refill a water bottle. Others are deep in the belly of…
Messages from the NAU President
Welcome to the Spring 2026 semester, Lumberjacks
January 12, 2026 Dear Lumberjacks, Happy New Year, and welcome to the Spring 2026 semester at Northern Arizona University! I hope you had time over the break to rest and recharge. As classes begin today, our NAU community remains focused on what matters most: excellence in teaching and learning, impactful scholarship and creative activity, meaningful…
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…