
BOUNDLESS TOGETHER
WE ARE PROUD OF THE COUNTLESS NAU LUMBERJACKS ACCOMPLISHING INCREDIBLE AND WONDERFUL THINGS. READ ABOUT THEM AND SHARE YOUR OWN STORY.
Arts & Culture
Student grounded by roots, community
Autumn Begay, ’22, found her home away from home at NAU’s Native American Cultural Center.
AIS
Applied Indigenous Studies
award
CAL
Foundation
minors in Museum Studies and Anthropology
SBS

Education & Service
Indigenous environmental stewardship
Mother, guide, and Indigenous scientist and educator Nikki Cooley shares the source of her strength.
Alumni
CEFNS
climate change
community
Diné (Navajo)
Indigenous
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
ITEP
ITEP relationships
mentorship
Nikki Cooley
river guide
School of Forestry
spirituality

Science & Discovery
Using informatics to study Pluto’s chemistry
NAU Informatics major Jason Libby is developing computer software to help solve a mystery on Pluto’s surface.
CEIAS
computational research
computer software
Hooper Undergraduate Research Award
Informatics
Lowell Observatory
NAU/NASA Space Grant
Pluto
SICCS
STEM
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate Research Symposium and Expo
CATEGORIES
Featured Stories
Science & Discovery
Entrepreneurship & Business
Arts & Culture
Education & Service

Science & Discovery
Researcher invites teens to speak about mental health
Interdisciplinary Health PhD student and Assistant Clinical Professor Katie Mommaerts is researching adolescent mental health.
adolescent mental health
CHHS
Interdisciplinary Health PhD
Mexican American
online Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
psychosocial health
SBS
social work

Education & Service
Planning ahead: sustainability at NAU
NAU’s Manager of Sustainability, Avi Henn, guides the Flagstaff campus towards carbon neutrality with the Climate Action Plan.
CAP
carbon neutrality
Climate action plan
Climate Action Steering Committee
environment
green
student actions
Sustainability

Science & Discovery
Transfer students love science
NAU at Scottsdale Community College Biology students Sophia Alme and Maria Salazar are collaborating on three research projects.
2NAU
Biology
ecosystems
HURA
Scottsdale Community College
Statewide
undergraduate research symposium

Science & Discovery
Finding a research home at NAU
Indigenous geologist, former “freeway flyer,” and high school earth science teacher Frank Telles settles down at NAU to earn his PhD.
CEFNS
Climate and Environmental Change
climate change
dust and drought project
Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
Indigenous
Paleoclimate Dynamics Laboratory
STEM

Science & Discovery
Athletics and asteroids
Cross-country runner and physics and mathematics double major Beau Prince studies the surfaces of asteroids—but his dreams don’t stop there.
Big Sky Conference All-Academic award
CEFNS
CEIAS
Goldwater Scholar
HURA
Mathematics
men’s cross-country
PEAXS lab
Physics
Undergraduate Research

Education & Service
Finding answers to healthcare needs
NAU students, faculty, alumni, and staff explore innovative ways to offer healthcare to everyone.
Alumni
CHHS
computer programming
Distinguished Senior Award
first-generation
health app
healthcare
hearing loss
Hooper Undergraduate Research Award
interns-to-scholars
Jean Shuler Research Mini-Grant
Master of Science in Nursing
mental health
Music
NAU–Yuma
Nursing
Psychology
SBS

Education & Service
Indigenous environmental stewardship
Mother, guide, and Indigenous scientist and educator Nikki Cooley shares the source of her strength.
Alumni
CEFNS
climate change
community
Diné (Navajo)
Indigenous
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
ITEP
ITEP relationships
mentorship
Nikki Cooley
river guide
School of Forestry
spirituality

Science & Discovery
Research on the Alaskan tundra
Each summer, NAU undergraduate and graduate students join researchers studying the Alaska tundra.
Alaska tundra
Faculty
hands-on research
undergraduate

Science & Discovery
Modeling blood flow
NAU Assistant Professor Amir Arzani was awarded an NSF grant to improve the accuracy of cardiovascular blood flow modeling.
Amir Arzani
biomechanics
cardiovascular disease
CEIAS
Faculty
mechanical engineering
NSF grant

Science & Discovery
Helping children walk
NAU Assistant Professor Zach Lerner was awarded a $2.1 million NIH grant for a clinical trial to make walking easier for children with cerebral palsy.
$2.1 million grant
Biomechatronics Lab

Science & Discovery
Using informatics to study Pluto’s chemistry
NAU Informatics major Jason Libby is developing computer software to help solve a mystery on Pluto’s surface.
CEIAS
computational research
computer software
Hooper Undergraduate Research Award
Informatics
Lowell Observatory
NAU/NASA Space Grant
Pluto
SICCS
STEM
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate Research Symposium and Expo

Arts & Culture
Boundless community
Students achieve success with the help of the communities they built at NAU.
advisor
Alumni
Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR)
Biological Sciences
CEFNS
Chemistry
Communications
exercise science
food security issues
Glen Canyon Dam
Grand Canyon
hands-on experiences
honors college
military-connected
photography
public relations
Public Relations Student Society of America
SBS
student regent
student success
telecommunications
Urdea Undergraduate Research Award
Veteran and Military Services
Veteran Success Center
Veterans Day

Science & Discovery
Engineering the future of patient care
Josette Vigil, an NAU Mechanical Engineering major, applies bioengineering to advance medical device science.
3D printing
bioengineering
CEIAS
Devices Lab
mechanical engineering
stroke victims
undergraduate symposium

Science & Discovery
What is it worth? Assigning value to spring ecosystems in northern Arizona
NAU researchers study Arizona’s spring ecosystems and ask the question: what are these natural resources worth?
CEFNS
economist
geology
research
springs

Science & Discovery
Unique sustainable energy solution
Chemistry major Zachariah Bess is helping develop a sustainable energy option using ionic liquids prepared from amino acids.
advising
CEFNS
certified by the American Chemical Society
Chemistry
ug research
Urdea research award

Science & Discovery
First-gen student setting example for family
When Gerardo Noriega graduates from NAU–Yuma in spring 2022, he’ll be the first in his family to earn a college degree.
Biological and Natural Resource Sciences
first gen
NAU–Yuma
Spring 2022
Yuma

Arts & Culture
Join our team of esteemed faculty
At Northern Arizona University, we’re committed to equitable education—and we’re ready for you to be part of our new hiring campaign.

Science & Discovery
Graduate found a home at NAU–Yuma
With preparation from NAU–Yuma, Eduardo Moreno will graduate ready to help the sick and vulnerable in his community.

Education & Service
Representing in Arizona: an ABOR student regent speaks up
Honors Exercise Science major Rachel Kanyur is the newest student member of the Arizona Board of Regents.

Science & Discovery
Brief presence of water in Arabia Terra on Mars
NAU PhD candidate Ari Koeppel and a team of scientists recently discovered water was briefly present in Arabia Terra on Mars.

Science & Discovery
We explore the dark sky
With access to a cadre of world-class telescopes, NAU’s astronomy and planetary science graduate students study our solar system and universe.

Science & Discovery
Making health mobile
Funded by multiple undergraduate research awards, Computer Science major Shelby Hagemann helped study and develop a mobile app for mental health.
app
computer science
Interdisciplinary Global Programs
Modern Languages
Undergraduate Research

Education & Service
Opening a door for all to learn
Using different teaching styles—and a touch of creativity—Dr. Andrew Sánchez Meador connects students with data analysis.
Alumni
CEFNS
Faculty

Science & Discovery
Boundless energy
Mechanical Engineering student Samirah Gnangbe traveled halfway across the world to participate in NAU’s renewable energy research.
CEIAS
Diversity
international student
Women in STEM

Education & Service
NAU center attracts diverse students
NAU’s Center for Materials Interfaces in Research & Applications (¡MIRA!) offers a new approach to science careers.

Education & Service
All-around competitor
Big Sky soccer player Madison Montgomery shows grit on the field and in the classroom.

Science & Discovery
Keeping an eye on the skies
PhD student, Annika Gustafsson, studies comets and asteroids. She recently received the Amelia Earhart Fellowship for her work in space sciences.

Entrepreneurship & Business
Rock star
Environmental consultant and NAU alumnus Dave Cook is helping cities go greener by cleaning up contaminated land to make room for more affordable housing.

Education & Service
Where Indigenous studies are applied
The Applied Indigenous Studies department at Northern Arizona University gives Native American students the knowledge and tools to become change agents in their communities.

Science & Discovery
From Centaur to comet
Doctoral student Colin Chandler’s discovery leads to the reclassification of a planetary body.

Entrepreneurship & Business
We engineer a better world
At Northern Arizona University, the next generation of engineers is learning to design and build a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future.

Science & Discovery
Earning national acclaim
Undergraduate Breezy Brock has devoted her educational career to studying infectious diseases.

Education & Service
Boundless connections
At Northern Arizona University, our students and faculty look for answers to some of our most compelling environmental challenges.

Education & Service
Audiologist fights hearing loss
In collaboration with a New Jersey company, NAU researcher O’neil Guthrie is developing a drug to combat hearing loss caused by excessive noise.
audiologist
College of Health and Human Services
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
hearing loss

Education & Service
Boundless courage
Branching out, first-generation student Mitzzy Lopez loves life in the lab where she combines chemistry and justice.
CEFNS
Chemistry
First generation
LSAMP
Native American Cancer Prevention project.

Entrepreneurship & Business
Making the connections
Undergraduate Anthony Mirabito plans to bring his passion and his ideas for sustainability with him when he goes into the business world.
Biology
Business
Environmental and sustainability studies
Green Fund
Honors

Science & Discovery
A deep set with sports and academics
After winning a Big Sky volleyball championship with her team and earning a 4.00, Abby Stomp has surpassed her ambitions as a student-athlete.
Informatics
Psychology

Science & Discovery
Finding her academic home
Geology undergraduate researcher Cecily Combs contributes to major 4FRI forestry project.

Entrepreneurship & Business
Building sustainable connections
Fulbright scholar Jayne Sandoval plans to help her Navajo community develop a renewable energy program.

Arts & Culture
Boundless optimism
Mechanical Engineering PhD student Glen D’Silva’s goal is academia, allowing him to combine his interests in research and education.
CEIAS
Indian Association
international student
mechanical engineering
PhD

Arts & Culture
Exploring climate solutions
Alumna Susanna Dart is testing science and sustainability on the global stage.
Biology
Fulbright Scholarship
German
Global Languages
Gold Axe

Science & Discovery
A star researcher
Student-athlete Beau Prince, a Goldwater Scholar, is working toward a career in astrophysics.
Astronomy
Goldwater Scholar
Mathematics
Physics
Space

Science & Discovery
Impacting the field of medicine
Honors microbiology major Kaitlyn Parra’s infectious disease research is breaking new ground.
Honors
Microbiology
Undergraduate Research

Education & Service
Honoring tradition, advancing innovation
Alumnus Jonathan Martin is the first director of the new Native American Forest and Rangeland Management Program at NAU.
Forestry

Science & Discovery
Boundless classrooms
At Northern Arizona University’s Flagstaff campus, the Colorado Plateau is literally in our back yard—and it offers an ecologically diverse natural lab.
Forestry

Science & Discovery
We take on the fight against cancer
As the second leading cause of death worldwide, cancer remains one of the defining challenges of our time.
cancer research
research

Science & Discovery
Cultivating a greener career
Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Spanish double major Genevieve Conley aims to work internationally on conservation issues.
Environmental and sustainability studies
Green Fund
Interdisciplinary Global Programs
Spanish

Science & Discovery
Expanding the field
Football player and biomedical science major DJ Arnson advances a family legacy and adds his own chapter.
Athletics
Biomedical science
Student-athlete

Entrepreneurship & Business
Finding time to empower women
Theresa Bell started her new company with business skills gained through NAU’s Personalized Learning program.
BBA business administration – entrepreneurship and small business
business owner
management
Online
personalized learning
small business
small business administration

Entrepreneurship & Business
Charting a different path
Bryan Vazquez, a junior Business Administration student at NAU–Yuma, wants to inspire other first-generation students to pursue a college degree.
BBA Business Administration
first-generation
Hispanic
Imperial Valley College
Latino
NAU–Yuma
Student Service Center

Entrepreneurship & Business
Building a business
Veteran and NAU–Yuma Business Administration student Kacey Cordell hopes to transfer her passion for bodybuilding into opening a gym.
BBA Business Administration – Management
BBA Business Administration – Managementbusiness administration
bodybuilder
business administration
NAU–Yuma
veteran

Entrepreneurship & Business
Ian McLein’s wild ride
NAU’s Personalized Learning program helped Disney executive Ian McLein take a foundational step in his career.
alumnus
Computer Information Technology and a minor in Analytics
continuing education
personalized learning
Technology

Arts & Culture
Boundless community
Students achieve success with the help of the communities they built at NAU.
advisor
Alumni
Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR)
Biological Sciences
CEFNS
Chemistry
Communications
exercise science
food security issues
Glen Canyon Dam
Grand Canyon
hands-on experiences
honors college
military-connected
photography
public relations
Public Relations Student Society of America
SBS
student regent
student success
telecommunications
Urdea Undergraduate Research Award
Veteran and Military Services
Veteran Success Center
Veterans Day

Arts & Culture
Designing the future at New York Fashion Week
Joey Carosilva and four other NAU students are headed to New York Fashion Week, where they will network with expert designers.
College of Arts and Letters
College of Social and Behavioral Science
networking
Strategic Communication
The W. A. Franke College of Business
U of NYFW

Entrepreneurship & Business
Staying involved with NAU
NAU alumnus Scott Hanson stays connected with NAU by acting as a professional advisor for public relations students.
alumnus
broadcast journalism
public relations
SBS
telecommunications

Education & Service
Hospitality’s innovation through collaboration
NAU professor Dr. Muhittin Cavusoglu helps his hospitality students connect the dots between collaboration, new technology, and multiculturalism.

Entrepreneurship & Business
Aiming high
For Marketing major Ana Aranda, New York City has always been the promised land. Thanks to NAU, she’s got the chance to return in style.
FCB
Latina
Lumberjack Scholarship

Entrepreneurship & Business
Strengthening a successful career
NAU alumna and successful professional, Michelle “Shelly” Talsma Everson returns to NAU to pursue a master’s degree in Communication.
Alumni
Hispanic
Latina
NAU Online
SOC

Education & Service
Just warming up
NAU alumnus Luis Aguilar successfully balanced football and school, and is ready for his next adventure.
Alumni
Athletics
Diversity
FCB
Hispanic

Entrepreneurship & Business
Rock star
Environmental consultant and NAU alumnus Dave Cook is helping cities go greener by cleaning up contaminated land to make room for more affordable housing.

Education & Service
Where Indigenous studies are applied
The Applied Indigenous Studies department at Northern Arizona University gives Native American students the knowledge and tools to become change agents in their communities.

Entrepreneurship & Business
We engineer a better world
At Northern Arizona University, the next generation of engineers is learning to design and build a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future.

Entrepreneurship & Business
Building sustainable connections
Fulbright scholar Jayne Sandoval plans to help her Navajo community develop a renewable energy program.

Education & Service
A different kind of classroom
Alumnus Alexander Davenport has devoted his career to making sports accessible to everyone.
Adaptive Sports
Disability Studies
Spanish
University Studies

Arts & Culture
Boundless ambition
NAU amplifies Indigenous voices on our many platforms, enriching lives and improving our community.
Applied Indigenous Studies
Creative Writing
Criminal Justice
Ecological Restoration Institute
Indian Country Criminal Justice
Master of Public Administration
Native American Forest and Rangeland Management program
Parks and Recreation Management
Political Science
Psychology
School of Forestry
School of Music

Education & Service
Celebrating ‘radical hospitality’
Entrepreneur and NAU alumnus Michael Marquess combines brewing and community as CEO of Flagstaff’s Mother Road Brewing Company.

Entrepreneurship & Business
Making the connections
Undergraduate Anthony Mirabito plans to bring his passion and his ideas for sustainability with him when he goes into the business world.
Biology
Business
Environmental and sustainability studies
Green Fund
Honors

Entrepreneurship & Business
Determined to succeed
Marvol Barnard is using skills from the Master of Organizational Leadership program in her role as national president of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
Master of Organizational Leadership
Online
Public Administration
Statewide

Entrepreneurship & Business
A trailblazer for her family
By achieving her goals, online student and single mom Tiffany Grigsby proves something to herself and sets a precedent.
Online
Public Administration

Arts & Culture
Navajo student is rodeo champion
Stade Riggs, a junior studying Health Sciences – Fitness Wellness, competed in the College National Finals Rodeo.
National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association

Arts & Culture
Under Cinder Skies
Master of Fine Arts students gather to share and connect with a boundless literary community.
Cinder Skies
Creative Writing
Literature
Master of Fine Arts
MFA
reading series

Arts & Culture
Kitts make a transformational gift
Michael and Karen Kitt’s donation to NAU’s music department will serve generations of student musicians.
advancement
CAL
College of Arts and Letters
gift
Kitt Recital Hall
Kitt School of Music
Music
philanthropy

Arts & Culture
A place for everyone
Northern Arizona University students come from all walks of life.
2NAU
90/30 program
Adaptive Sports
Biological and Natural Resources
Computer Information Technology
Diné College
Disability Studies
Interior Design
Kitt School of Music
military-connected
Native American Cultural Center (NACC)
NAU–Yuma
Online
personalized learning
Phoenix College
Public Administration
Scottsdale Community College
Spanish
veteran

Arts & Culture
Culture, care, and community
For the past decade, the Native American Cultural Center has provided a home away from home for NAU’s Indigenous students.
10-year anniversary
Indigenous students
NACC
Native American Cultural Center

Arts & Culture
Student grounded by roots, community
Autumn Begay, ’22, found her home away from home at NAU’s Native American Cultural Center.
AIS
Applied Indigenous Studies
award
CAL
Foundation
minors in Museum Studies and Anthropology
SBS

Arts & Culture
A passion for fashion
NAU students mingle with influencers and celebrities at NY Fashion Week.
Business
CAL
Communication
FCB
Marketing – Sales
NYFW
photography
SBS
Strategic Communication – Merchandising
Theatre – Design and Technology

Arts & Culture
Boundless community
Students achieve success with the help of the communities they built at NAU.
advisor
Alumni
Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR)
Biological Sciences
CEFNS
Chemistry
Communications
exercise science
food security issues
Glen Canyon Dam
Grand Canyon
hands-on experiences
honors college
military-connected
photography
public relations
Public Relations Student Society of America
SBS
student regent
student success
telecommunications
Urdea Undergraduate Research Award
Veteran and Military Services
Veteran Success Center
Veterans Day

Arts & Culture
Filming Arizona’s immigration crisis
Creative Media and Film major Mackenzie Baradic is documenting the stories of migrants and those who help them.
border issues
CAL
Creative Media and Film
documentary
immigration
interns-to-scholars
SBS
Spanish minor
undergraduate research symposium
US Mexico border

Arts & Culture
Designing the future at New York Fashion Week
Joey Carosilva and four other NAU students are headed to New York Fashion Week, where they will network with expert designers.
College of Arts and Letters
College of Social and Behavioral Science
networking
Strategic Communication
The W. A. Franke College of Business
U of NYFW

Arts & Culture
Join our team of esteemed faculty
At Northern Arizona University, we’re committed to equitable education—and we’re ready for you to be part of our new hiring campaign.

Arts & Culture
NAU students attend New York Fashion Week
Five NAU students get a behind-the-scenes look at New York Fashion week.

Arts & Culture
Finding the words to their own story
An Indigenous and Creole poet, traditional healer, and Kundalini yoga teacher, tanner menard opens their heart to radical syncretism.

Arts & Culture
Revelations from the field
Studying photography through NAU’s Honors College brought Claire Sipos to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and taught her to persevere.

Arts & Culture
Collaborating in three dimensions
At the boundary of art and science, David Winslow Van Ness makes unexpected connections.

Arts & Culture
Protecting Tribal lands
The Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals works with Indigenous nations to protect their land for generations to come.

Arts & Culture
A future comes into focus
For Diné film student Tinia Witherspoon, telling her own story was a critical component of her education.

Arts & Culture
Boundless passion
NAU alumna Patricia Burton has found a means of expression that has survived centuries: the cello.

Arts & Culture
Into the blue(s)
Jazz musician Eric Nakamoto launched from NAU to a career in the United States Air Force
Diversity
Military
SOM

Arts & Culture
Thriving by design
After transferring to NAU, interior design student Jessica Arnold triumphed alongside a team of peers determined to shape their community.
2NAU
CAL
TRANSFER STUDENT

Arts & Culture
Across mesas and oceans
The Indigenous Cultural and Educational Exchange program at NAU goes the distance to connect Indigenous students and faculty with Indigenous peers across the globe.

Arts & Culture
NAU alumna developing a music career
NAU alumna, Mary Kray, ’20, received the Encouragement Award at the Rocky Mountain Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition.

Arts & Culture
Boundless optimism
Mechanical Engineering PhD student Glen D’Silva’s goal is academia, allowing him to combine his interests in research and education.
CEIAS
Indian Association
international student
mechanical engineering
PhD

Arts & Culture
Exploring climate solutions
Alumna Susanna Dart is testing science and sustainability on the global stage.
Biology
Fulbright Scholarship
German
Global Languages
Gold Axe

Arts & Culture
Treasuring sustainability
NAU alumna and Printing Services employee Sara LaRosa makes a difference when she talks trash.
Ceramics
Environmental and sustainability studies
Sustainability

Arts & Culture
Boundless ambition
NAU amplifies Indigenous voices on our many platforms, enriching lives and improving our community.
Applied Indigenous Studies
Creative Writing
Criminal Justice
Ecological Restoration Institute
Indian Country Criminal Justice
Master of Public Administration
Native American Forest and Rangeland Management program
Parks and Recreation Management
Political Science
Psychology
School of Forestry
School of Music

Arts & Culture
Poems by Sherwin Bitsui
Renowned poet and Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Northern Arizona University Sherwin Bitsui shares two poems for you to read.

Arts & Culture
Shaping students’ lives
Professor of ancient philosophy George Rudebusch helps students gain skills for the future.
College of Arts and Letters
Hooper Undergraduate Research Award
Philosophy

Arts & Culture
From metal to Mozart
Undergraduate student and indie rocker Sage Bond studies opera and plans to teach music on the Navajo Nation.
Music
Psychology

Arts & Culture
Taking a leap of faith
From Myanmar to opera star, international student Ye Lynn Han arrived to NAU sight unseen—and found his voice.
International education
Music

Arts & Culture
Navajo student is rodeo champion
Stade Riggs, a junior studying Health Sciences – Fitness Wellness, competed in the College National Finals Rodeo.
National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association

Science & Discovery
Researcher invites teens to speak about mental health
Interdisciplinary Health PhD student and Assistant Clinical Professor Katie Mommaerts is researching adolescent mental health.
adolescent mental health
CHHS
Interdisciplinary Health PhD
Mexican American
online Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
psychosocial health
SBS
social work

Education & Service
Planning ahead: sustainability at NAU
NAU’s Manager of Sustainability, Avi Henn, guides the Flagstaff campus towards carbon neutrality with the Climate Action Plan.
CAP
carbon neutrality
Climate action plan
Climate Action Steering Committee
environment
green
student actions
Sustainability

Education & Service
Advancing toward her next goal
NAU graduate Raegan Liguori-Reid is pursuing an administration career with the Arizona Department of Corrections.
90/30 program
Estrella Mountain Community College
Online
Public Administration
Statewide

Education & Service
Building a more equitable future
NAU Online Organizational Leadership master’s student Jessica Stuart is committed to a career promoting equality.
Allied Health
discrimination
Diversity
flexibility
inequality
master’s degree Organizational Leadership
NAU Online
OIEI
veteran

Education & Service
She’s got their six
Cecilia Torres is dedicated to helping student veterans get the most from their military benefits and reach their educational goals.
Arizona Western College (AWC)
Liberal Studies
military connected
NAU Online
OIEINAU–Yuma
Organizational Leadership
Statewide
veteran
Veteran Success Center
Veterans and Military Services

Education & Service
Leading by example: teaching in the community
Katany Cardenas is determined to give back to her community by becoming a first-grade teacher. NAU–Yuma is helping her get there.
Arizona Western College
College Assistance Migrant Program (AWC)
elementary education
first-generation
Hispanic
NAU–Yuma

Education & Service
Nursing student glad to be in Yuma
Jordan Allen is happy he made the move from the Flagstaff campus to NAU–Yuma where he’s studying to become a nurse.
NAU–Yuma
Nursing

Education & Service
Destination: law school
Samantha Barrera, Distinguished Senior award recipient, is headed for law school after graduating with a Liberal Arts degree through NAU’s Personalized Learning program.
Distinguished Senior
Liberal Arts
personalized learning
Pima Community College
U of A law school

Education & Service
Finding answers to healthcare needs
NAU students, faculty, alumni, and staff explore innovative ways to offer healthcare to everyone.
Alumni
CHHS
computer programming
Distinguished Senior Award
first-generation
health app
healthcare
hearing loss
Hooper Undergraduate Research Award
interns-to-scholars
Jean Shuler Research Mini-Grant
Master of Science in Nursing
mental health
Music
NAU–Yuma
Nursing
Psychology
SBS

Arts & Culture
A place for everyone
Northern Arizona University students come from all walks of life.
2NAU
90/30 program
Adaptive Sports
Biological and Natural Resources
Computer Information Technology
Diné College
Disability Studies
Interior Design
Kitt School of Music
military-connected
Native American Cultural Center (NACC)
NAU–Yuma
Online
personalized learning
Phoenix College
Public Administration
Scottsdale Community College
Spanish
veteran

Education & Service
Indigenous environmental stewardship
Mother, guide, and Indigenous scientist and educator Nikki Cooley shares the source of her strength.
Alumni
CEFNS
climate change
community
Diné (Navajo)
Indigenous
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
ITEP
ITEP relationships
mentorship
Nikki Cooley
river guide
School of Forestry
spirituality

Education & Service
Flagstaff alums stay connected
The NAU Flagstaff Alumni Chapter combines service with socialization.
Alumni
Flagstaff Alumni Chapter
Lumberjack

Education & Service
To build an Indigenous nation
NAU’s Manley Begay Jr. empowers Indigenous leaders around the world.
AIS
FCB
Indigenous and Tribal Nation-building graduate certificate
Indigenous nation-building
Office of Native American Initiatives (ONAI)
online certificate
SBS
Tribal Leadership Initiative

Education & Service
Careers in Indigenous nation-building
NAU’s Manley Begay Jr., EdD, offers his insight on what those interested in working with Indigenous nations should know.
AIS
FCB
Indigenous and Tribal Nation-building graduate certificate
Indigenous nation-building
Office of Native American Initiatives (ONAI)
online certificate
SBS
Tribal Leadership Initiative

Arts & Culture
Boundless community
Students achieve success with the help of the communities they built at NAU.
advisor
Alumni
Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR)
Biological Sciences
CEFNS
Chemistry
Communications
exercise science
food security issues
Glen Canyon Dam
Grand Canyon
hands-on experiences
honors college
military-connected
photography
public relations
Public Relations Student Society of America
SBS
student regent
student success
telecommunications
Urdea Undergraduate Research Award
Veteran and Military Services
Veteran Success Center
Veterans Day

Education & Service
Navigating new identities: the first-generation student experience
Student Lizy Martinez and Professor T. Mark Montoya use research to explore learning barriers to first-generation students.

Education & Service
Student gets her “A+ going”
After almost dropping out of high school, Valeria Sandoval took control of her life and will soon graduate with a Social Work degree.
internship
NAU–Yuma
social work
Yuma

Education & Service
Trauma leads to interest in border issues
Angela Sornia’s decision to pursue a Sociology degree is rooted in the trauma of having her mother deported.
border
border issues
deportation
NAU–Yuma
resilience
social work
Sociology
Sociology degree with minors in Spanish and US Mexico Border Social Work
Spanish
spring 2023
Yuma

Education & Service
NAU–Yuma provides affordable, accessible education
NAU–Yuma offers multiple undergraduate and graduate degrees, many informed by the nearby US–Mexico border.
Biological and Natural Resource Sciences
border
NAU–Yuma
social work
Sociology
U.S. Mexico Border Social Work
Yuma

Education & Service
Bringing behavioral health resources to all
NAU alumnus Tad Gary is passionate about helping people get the behavioral healthcare they need.
advancement
engagement
NAU Foundation
not-for-profit
tad gary

Arts & Culture
Join our team of esteemed faculty
At Northern Arizona University, we’re committed to equitable education—and we’re ready for you to be part of our new hiring campaign.

Education & Service
Honoring and supporting military veterans
Veterans Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of veterans and the services available to them at NAU.

Education & Service
Celebrating ‘radical hospitality’
Entrepreneur and NAU alumnus Michael Marquess combines brewing and community as CEO of Flagstaff’s Mother Road Brewing Company.

Education & Service
Representing in Arizona: an ABOR student regent speaks up
Honors Exercise Science major Rachel Kanyur is the newest student member of the Arizona Board of Regents.

Education & Service
Hospitality’s innovation through collaboration
NAU professor Dr. Muhittin Cavusoglu helps his hospitality students connect the dots between collaboration, new technology, and multiculturalism.

Education & Service
Born to teach
Elementary education alumna Thea Hookey shares a love of learning with her students.

Arts & Culture
Protecting Tribal lands
The Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals works with Indigenous nations to protect their land for generations to come.

Education & Service
Advocating for representation
Professor Matthew Wangeman advances the discourse of ability and inclusion.

Education & Service
Diving deep into critical thinking
Politics lecturer Gretchen Gee develops critical thinkers.
Model United Nations
Politics and International Affairs
Social and Behavioral Sciences

Education & Service
Creating a home away from home
Ora Marek-Martinez uses the past to build a better future for Indigenous students.
decolonization
Indigenous student success
NACC
Native American Cultural Center

Education & Service
Our building has a heart: Ora Marek-Martinez on transforming the NACC
In her own words, Ora Marek-Martinez describes how she and her team brought the warmth of community to the Native American Cultural Center.

Education & Service
Opening a door for all to learn
Using different teaching styles—and a touch of creativity—Dr. Andrew Sánchez Meador connects students with data analysis.
Alumni
CEFNS
Faculty

Education & Service
Bringing us together
In the Office of Inclusion, Martin Tease starts with small talk to make big improvements in student representation.
Alumni
Diversity
LGBTQIA+
staff
Student affairs

Education & Service
Disability Resources introduces new graduate certificate
NAU launches a graduate certificate in disability resources for in-demand career positions.
disability resources
graduate
institute for human development

Education & Service
The art of nursing
Inspired by a family member’s struggle against cancer, NAU–Yuma student Yasmine Castro Felix made it her mission to stand on the front line of medicine.
CHHS
Hispanic
Latina
Statewide

Education & Service
Breaking barriers for Hispanic students
When NAU set the goal of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution, alumna Nancy Navarro acted fast to bridge the gap.
Alumni
Hispanic
HSI

Education & Service
Creating change through teaching
Undergraduate Guadalupe Hernandez finds joy in teaching young children.
COE
First generation
Hispanic
Latina

Education & Service
NAU center attracts diverse students
NAU’s Center for Materials Interfaces in Research & Applications (¡MIRA!) offers a new approach to science careers.

Education & Service
Experiences bring awareness
Regents’ Professor and Martin-Springer Institute Director Björn Krondorfer inspires his students with multi-layered learning.

Education & Service
Just warming up
NAU alumnus Luis Aguilar successfully balanced football and school, and is ready for his next adventure.
Alumni
Athletics
Diversity
FCB
Hispanic

Education & Service
All-around competitor
Big Sky soccer player Madison Montgomery shows grit on the field and in the classroom.

Education & Service
Emboldened to try something new
Dr. Rita Hartung Cheng set out to make higher education accessible for first-generation students.

Education & Service
Where Indigenous studies are applied
The Applied Indigenous Studies department at Northern Arizona University gives Native American students the knowledge and tools to become change agents in their communities.

Arts & Culture
Across mesas and oceans
The Indigenous Cultural and Educational Exchange program at NAU goes the distance to connect Indigenous students and faculty with Indigenous peers across the globe.

Education & Service
Home away from home
NAU’s Native American Cultural Center serves as a gathering space for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students.
Applied Indigenous Studies
Mentoring
Native American Cultural Center
Office of Indigenous Student Success

Education & Service
Leading a nation with passion and purpose
NAU alumni, President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Herbert-Nez, led the Navajo Nation in a massive effort to combat COVID-19.

Education & Service
Importance of being present
Northern Arizona University’s accessible faculty and a real-world practicum propel Aarish Raza to a career in intensive care nursing.

Education & Service
Boundless courage
Branching out, first-generation student Mitzzy Lopez loves life in the lab where she combines chemistry and justice.
CEFNS
Chemistry
First generation
LSAMP
Native American Cancer Prevention project.

Education & Service
Boundless connections
At Northern Arizona University, our students and faculty look for answers to some of our most compelling environmental challenges.

Education & Service
Honoring tradition, advancing innovation
Alumnus Jonathan Martin is the first director of the new Native American Forest and Rangeland Management Program at NAU.
Forestry

Education & Service
Audiologist fights hearing loss
In collaboration with a New Jersey company, NAU researcher O’neil Guthrie is developing a drug to combat hearing loss caused by excessive noise.
audiologist
College of Health and Human Services
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
hearing loss

Education & Service
Boundless compassion
Angie Golden’s nursing career has gone places, from helping patients in the Grand Canyon to testifying on Capitol Hill.

Arts & Culture
Boundless ambition
NAU amplifies Indigenous voices on our many platforms, enriching lives and improving our community.
Applied Indigenous Studies
Creative Writing
Criminal Justice
Ecological Restoration Institute
Indian Country Criminal Justice
Master of Public Administration
Native American Forest and Rangeland Management program
Parks and Recreation Management
Political Science
Psychology
School of Forestry
School of Music

Education & Service
Embracing her home
In pursuit of an online master’s, National Park Service employee Kelkiyana Yazzie improves the national monument in her backyard.
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Geography Planning and Recreation
First generation
Master of Science
Native American
Online
Parks and Recreation Management

Education & Service
We teach powerful teachers
An incredible teacher can change the course of a student’s life.
Education
Teacher Academy

Education & Service
Gateway Advising prioritizes student success
Director Monica Bai and NAU Gateway Advising provide students steady guidance.
Gateway Advising

Education & Service
Beyond the brick and mortar
NAU educational anthropologist Frances Riemer shares online teaching tips.
anthropology
Education
Online
women’s and gender studies

Education & Service
A different kind of classroom
Alumnus Alexander Davenport has devoted his career to making sports accessible to everyone.
Adaptive Sports
Disability Studies
Spanish
University Studies

Arts & Culture
Treasuring sustainability
NAU alumna and Printing Services employee Sara LaRosa makes a difference when she talks trash.
Ceramics
Environmental and sustainability studies
Sustainability

Education & Service
Finding the story in the numbers
Interdisciplinary Health PhD student Taylor Lane aims to impact lives through analysis.
Interdisciplinary health
Population health
research

Education & Service
Embracing valuable lessons
Kayla Reyes, a special education and elementary education major, aims to work with students with special needs.
Education
Special education
Teachers Academy

Education & Service
Lifting up her students
Honors elementary education major Hannah Gish is eager to serve diverse Arizona schools.
Education
Special education
Teachers Academy
I chose NAU because there was a smaller student population than the other public universities. I stayed at NAU because of the community that forms at a smaller university. I also had excellent professors and an opportunity to pursue a degree that has allowed me to help other people throughout my career.Tad Gary, BS Psychology ’96


At NAU–Yuma, you can succeed if you want to. If you take the time to look at the resources, there are plenty. There are always people willing to help you. And there are always professors willing to take the time to teach you. And here, there are a lot of people that look like me.Angela Sornia, Sociology major with minors in Spanish and US–Mexico Border Social Work
UP NEXT

Education & Service
To build an Indigenous nation
NAU’s Manley Begay Jr. empowers Indigenous leaders around the world.
AIS
FCB
Indigenous and Tribal Nation-building graduate certificate
Indigenous nation-building
Office of Native American Initiatives (ONAI)
online certificate
SBS
Tribal Leadership Initiative

Entrepreneurship & Business
Charting a different path
Bryan Vazquez, a junior Business Administration student at NAU–Yuma, wants to inspire other first-generation students to pursue a college degree.
BBA Business Administration
first-generation
Hispanic
Imperial Valley College
Latino
NAU–Yuma
Student Service Center

Science & Discovery
Unique sustainable energy solution
Chemistry major Zachariah Bess is helping develop a sustainable energy option using ionic liquids prepared from amino acids.
advising
CEFNS
certified by the American Chemical Society
Chemistry
ug research
Urdea research award

Arts & Culture
Filming Arizona’s immigration crisis
Creative Media and Film major Mackenzie Baradic is documenting the stories of migrants and those who help them.
border issues
CAL
Creative Media and Film
documentary
immigration
interns-to-scholars
SBS
Spanish minor
undergraduate research symposium
US Mexico border