Office of the President | Northern Arizona University

NAU aims to be the nation’s preeminent engine of opportunity, vehicle of economic mobility, and driver of social impact in Arizona and beyond.

Dr. Jose Luis Cruz Rivera meets with students on campus.

Meet President José Luis Cruz Rivera

José Luis Cruz Rivera began his tenure as the 17^th president of Northern Arizona University (NAU) on June 14, 2021.

President’s biography

NAU: 125 years of Elevating Excellence

For 125 years, we’ve learned, grown, explored, and cheered together. Generation after generation of proud Lumberjacks built and nurtured a rich legacy of academic excellence and a vibrant community. We celebrate our rich history and look ahead to a future of unlimited possibilities in this video.

Photo taken from high in the sky, N A U's science building is captured from above, with the city of Flagstaff and San Fransisco Peaks in the background.

Strategic Plan: Elevating Excellence

Elevating Excellence is our roadmap for delivering a bold and boundless future for all. The strategic priorities described represent a robust synthesis of the NAU community’s thoughtful engagement and bold aspirations for the future, and it reflects the evolving challenges and opportunities that we face as an engaged public institution of higher education. Together, we will capitalize on NAU’s 122-year history of distinctive excellence as an engine of opportunity to drive social impact and economic mobility for the people of Arizona and beyond.

President Dr. Jose Luis Cruz Rivera speaks at a podium with an American flag in the background.

News Presidential statements

Stay up-to-date on our exciting announcements and initiatives from the Office of the President.

President Dr. Jose Luis Cruz Rivera speaks with a small group of people wearing medical scrubs outside the N A U Health and Learning Center.

President’s cabinet

The President’s Cabinet is comprised of the leaders of President Cruz Rivera’s strategic, operational, and advisory leadership team. This team advances, leads, and coordinates broad efforts across NAU’s academic and administrative departments to meet the university’s vision and mission.

Student receives advising at N A U Res Hall.

Leadership searches

The Office of the President is proud of NAU’s longstanding legacy—advancing education, pursuing innovation on local and national platforms, and creating new opportunities for Arizona’s students. We are making these efforts possible by seeking the most qualified, forward-thinking, and diverse collection of leaders to guide the university.

Students walk by the Applied Research and Development building on N A U's Flagstaff campus.

Contact the office

Contact us below—whether to request a meeting, invite the president to attend an event, or submit a student-interview request to President Cruz Rivera.

Please contact president@nau.edu or call 928-523-3232 with general inquiries.