News at NAU
Featured updates from around NAU
What’s the best way to measure fire risk? The answer might be underground.
When fire risk is high, Arizonans know the major warning signs: hot temperatures, low humidity and lots of wind. But there’s one fire factor we don’t fully understand: soil moisture. Salli Dymond, an associate professor in NAU’s School of Forestry, said measuring moisture levels in the soil and in forest plants—fire’s potential fuel—could prove key to preventing or containing some of the most catastrophic wildfires in the Southwest…
How NAU researchers are tackling questions around AI
Can health coaching from an AI chatbot create a similar sense of connection as coaching from a human? A research project led by Buck Blankenship, associate teaching professor in the College of Education, and Natalie Papini, assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences, is collaborating with the Department of Health Sciences’ UCAN program to train an AI chatbot to…
NAU students awarded the Udall scholarship and the Udall congressional internship
Two NAU students were selected from a field of highly competitive applicants as winners of the Udall Foundation’s scholarship and internship programs. The foundation supports students who are committed to careers related to the environment, Tribal public policy or Native American health care with up to $7,500 for educational expenses. Chamryn Carl, a junior in exercise physiology with minors in nutrition and health wellness coaching, was one…
Campus and community
From smartphone to studio
Have you ever looked at a picture and assumed it was taken with an expensive professional camera, only to discover it was captured by a smartphone? For National Camera Day on June 24, Beth Anne Staub, assistant teaching professor of photography, who recently won first place in the photography section of the Arizona Treasures art show, answered some questions about how you…
Fighting fire with a strong foundation
Last year, Megan Mulready injured her back and had to call 911. “A bunch of firefighters came up to my place and said, ‘What’s going on?’” Mulready said. “I said, ‘Don’t you dare mess with me. You need to stay healthy so you can help other people.’” That’s the same energy Mulready, an athletic trainer and assistant clinical professor at NAU, brings to her…
Now open at NAU: A day club for seniors with cognitive challenges
An estimated 1,900 Coconino County residents have dementia, the syndrome that causes a decline in memory, speech and behavior later in life. Some with dementia need round-the-clock attention, leading to caregiver burnout. But now, with help from NAU and an Arizona nonprofit, caregivers and patients both have a little more time to recharge. The memory care organization Oakwood…
NAU celebrates record-breaking generosity on Giving Day 2026
For the fifth year in a row, NAU Giving Day set a fundraising record. Thanks to the generosity of our extended Lumberjack community, we raised a whopping $1,221,449 from 1,035 individual donors. Your incredible support will help NAU expand access to higher education, empower students and strengthen the future of the university. Our record-shattering day of fundraising isn’t the only…
Explore an exhibition that maps Arizona’s water crisis
Water insecurity in Arizona is no longer a distant concern but a present and measurable reality. Years of prolonged drought, rising temperatures and increasing demand have strained rivers, aquifers and reservoirs across the state. The “Our Water: Innovations and Collaborations in Arizona” exhibition explores how collaborations and innovations can help shape a more just and resilient water future in Arizona through a combination of art…
Cesar Duarte: Pioneering in engineering and innovation
A trailblazer in both innovation and leadership, Cesar Duarte will leave behind more than just academic achievement at the NAU Yuma campus; he will leave a legacy. As a member of the university’s inaugural cohort of mechanical engineering students in Yuma, he helped shape the foundation of a program that will influence generations to come. His work on exoskeleton…
How one grad made the most of her time at NAU
Aspen Jester started her collegiate career on the pre-med track with plans to be in healthcare. She started pre-med, then shifted to pre-physician assistant. But in her junior year, she landed in a field with which she has significant personal experience—speech-language pathology. “I always knew I wanted a career that involved helping people, with a…
50 years after starting college, NAU Online grad receiving her diploma
May 9 is a big day for Vicky Oldham. She graduates with her bachelor’s degree, 54 years after enrolling in college for the first time. And she turns 71. Oldham’s journey started as a teenage art student in Pennsylvania and has wound throughout the United States and into different media. Her world has, unsurprisingly, always been filled with art,…
Your guide to NAU Giving Day 2026
When the Lumberjack community steps up on NAU Giving Day, their Axe of Kindness can change lives. A donation to NAU might help a single mother achieve her dreams. It could support research into adaptive technology for people with disabilities. It may even be the first step toward a shy political science student finding her…
NAU honors President’s Prize, Gold Axe winners and Distinguished Seniors
Northern Arizona honored the outstanding members of the Class of 2026 at a ceremony Tuesday night for the President’s Prize and Gold Axe winners and Distinguished Seniors. This year’s class is composed of 50 Gold Axe winners, including six President’s Prize winners—the highest honor awarded to undergraduate students. Additionally, 10 students were honored as Distinguished Seniors of their colleges. “Each…
Research and academics
What’s the best way to measure fire risk? The answer might be underground.
When fire risk is high, Arizonans know the major warning signs: hot temperatures, low humidity and lots of wind. But there’s one fire factor we don’t fully understand: soil moisture. Salli Dymond, an associate professor in NAU’s School of Forestry, said measuring moisture levels in the soil and in forest plants—fire’s potential fuel—could prove key to preventing or containing some of the most catastrophic wildfires in the Southwest…
How NAU researchers are tackling questions around AI
Can health coaching from an AI chatbot create a similar sense of connection as coaching from a human? A research project led by Buck Blankenship, associate teaching professor in the College of Education, and Natalie Papini, assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences, is collaborating with the Department of Health Sciences’ UCAN program to train an AI chatbot to…
NAU students awarded the Udall scholarship and the Udall congressional internship
Two NAU students were selected from a field of highly competitive applicants as winners of the Udall Foundation’s scholarship and internship programs. The foundation supports students who are committed to careers related to the environment, Tribal public policy or Native American health care with up to $7,500 for educational expenses. Chamryn Carl, a junior in exercise physiology with minors in nutrition and health wellness coaching, was one…
NAU in Denmark: Learning by design
This summer, NAU students from multiple disciplines embarked on a journey to learn how Scandinavian design is shaping more equitable, sustainable and collaborative societies. The NAU in Denmark: Hygge to Hashtags: Culture, Communication, and Social Design in Scandinavia course led by Michelle B. Carpenter, executive director of the School of Communication, showed students how designs rooted in cultural values can be more than just aesthetics. “The program…
What’s Pluto made of?
Here’s what we know about the outer solar system: It’s really cold. Travel beyond the asteroid belt, and you’re suddenly surrounded by ice-covered planets, stars, moons and many other small objects. Here’s what we don’t know about the outer solar system: how most of that ice behaves. With funding from the National Science Foundation’s prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), NAU Ph.D. student Ivy Knudsen is trying to change that. Over the…
Rescuing the world’s coffee from a tiny pest
Think your caffeine tolerance is high? Think again. While the average person drinks about three cups of coffee a day, that’s nothing compared to what the coffee berry borer can handle. These 1- to 2-millimeter-long beetles, which drill into growing coffee beans and eat them from the inside out, are able to ingest about 100 times more caffeine than…
Ten ways NAU professors are bringing AI into the classroom
How do you help students get over their reticence of AI? The answer, according to one psychology professor, is simple: You don’t. You teach students how to use AI ethically, in a way that enhances their learning and enables them to think critically about AI-produced material. In the process, you give them the tools to either use AI responsibly or decide it’s not for them. Funded by a TRAIL grant, Viktoria Tidikis, a teaching…
NAU receives $1.76M grant to train future biomedical workforce
Northern Arizona University received its first T32 grant from the National Institutes of Health, which will allow the university to fund 20 doctoral students over a five-year period. The grant, awarded to G-RISE at Northern Arizona University, is $1.76 million over five years, providing funding for 20 doctoral students in four different disciplines. Powered by grant funds, G-RISE is focused on increasing the breadth and quality of the biomedical and…
Four NAU students selected for competitive summer BNI internships
There’s nothing better than learning how to make a difference while on the job. This summer, four NAU students will be doing exactly that. The undergraduate scholars were selected for 10-week internships at the Barrow Neurological Institute, where they will work alongside neurological disorder, speech pathology and occupational therapy professionals in real-world medical environments. The Phoenix-based institution’s programs…
Securing the future of water in northern Arizona
Water shapes every aspect of our lives, yet communities around the world are facing growing challenges in securing this vital resource. Climate change, population growth and rising demand are placing unprecedented pressure on water systems, creating complex problems that require fresh thinking and collaborative solutions. In northern Arizona, severe drought, over-pumped aquifers, a lack of groundwater regulation…
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…