School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems
The School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems (SICCS) integrates a range of educational programs and interdisciplinary research. Our programs integrate computational and data sciences with engineering, natural and social sciences, arts, and business. Our faculty and academic programs combine expertise in environmental and ecological informatics, health and bioinformatics, computer science, and electrical engineering.
Our Degrees
We offer undergraduate and graduate programs in Informatics, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science. Our students are involved in a broad range of research and applied experiences. Explore our programs below!
Research & Emphasis Areas
Our school’s faculty, students, and staff bring interdisciplinary expertise to bear on applied and basic research problems in several emphasis areas, and in partnership with a variety of local and global partners. SICCS currently emphasizes five major areas of research.
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Highlighted Publications Accordion Closed
- Schmitz, Oswald J., et al. “Animals and the zoogeochemistry of the carbon cycle.” Science 362.6419 (2018): eaar3213.
- Ogle, Kiona. “Hyperactive soil microbes might weaken the terrestrial carbon sink.” Nature (2018): 32.
- Richardson, Andrew D., et al. “Ecosystem warming extends vegetation activity but heightens vulnerability to cold temperatures.” Nature 560.7718 (2018): 368.
- Buermann, Wolfgang, et al. “Widespread seasonal compensation effects of spring warming on northern plant productivity.” Nature 562.7725 (2018): 110.
- McManamay, Ryan A., et al. “US cities can manage national hydrology and biodiversity using local infrastructure policy.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114.36 (2017): 9581-9586.
- Lu, Xiankai, et al.“Plant acclimation to long-term high nitrogen deposition in an N-rich tropical forest.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115.20 (2018): 5187-5192.
Research Partners Accordion Closed
Our research is supported through collaborations with other university entities such as:
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
- Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research
- Department of Physics and Applied Materials Science
Our regional research partners include:
News
Take a look at what’s currently happening in the world of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems.
Inside NAU covers Dr. Andrew Richardson and PhenoCam
A new paper by Northern Arizona University professor Andrew Richardson published in the journal Scientific Data describes a vast network of digital cameras designed to capture millions of images documenting seasonal changes of vegetation across North America. The network, dubbed PhenoCam, is the result of a 10-year collaboration between Richardson, who led the effort, and scientists from the University of New Hampshire and Boston University to develop a reliable continental-scale observatory of phenological phenomena.
Job Openings in SICCS
604646 – Part-time instructional faculty in the area of personalized learning, Masters in Computer Information Technology. More details
604738 – Lecturer in the area of cybersecurity . More details
604642 – Open-rank faculty in the area of cybersecurity. More details
NAU team races to find cybersecurity solutions

Dr. Fatemeh Afghah receives 2019 US AFRL Young Investigator Award for Autonomous UAV network for Disaster Management
Dr. Fatemeh Afghah, Assistant Professor at SICCS was one of the 40 young researchers and scientists to receive the 2019 US AFRL Young Investigator Award for Autonomous UAV network for Disaster Management through the Air Force’s Young Investigator Research Program (YIP). The Young Investigator Research Program recipients receive a three year grant totaling $450,000 Read more

NAU-TGen study finds West Nile Virus now a permanent part of Arizona ecosystem

Research led this grad student from the Arctic to Arizona, then into the most prestigious fellowship in STEM

NAU electrical engineers to lead development, commercialization of next-gen cybersecurity solutions for Internet of Things

Data scientists mapped supply chains of every U.S. city. What it says is bigger than just where your food comes from.
