Last week, dozens of graduating seniors received honors recognizing them for their contributions to Northern Arizona University.
Twenty-one students received the university’s coveted Gold Axe Award for their achievements. Two of the winners—Bailey Anderson and Bridger Rodoni—also received the prestigious President’s Prize for their exemplary leadership, academic excellence and service to the NAU community.
Seven students also were named Distinguished Seniors by their college. The awards were announced at the Gold Axe and Distinguished Seniors awards banquet last week.
 Theatre, Health Sciences – Fitness Wellness College of Arts and Letters |  Early Childhood Education College of Education |  Nursing College of Health and Human Services |
 Journalism College of Social and Behavioral Sciences |  Management The W.A. Franke College of Business |
Not Pictured: Emmett Tsosie, Environmental and Sustainability Studies major, was named the Fall 2016 Distinguished Senior for the College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences and Nayeli Gonzalez, Social Work major, was named the Fall 2016 Distinguished Senior for Extended Campuses.
The tradition of the Gold Axe Award dates back to 1933, a year after the student body adopted the axe as the symbol for Lumberjack athletics. It was then that NAU adopted the tradition of awarding small gold axe pins to outstanding members of the student body. To this day, the gold axe pin is considered the official emblem of the Associated Students of NAU and is presented each semester to recognize students’ outstanding achievements and distinguished service to the university and the greater community.
Students selected for a Gold Axe Award also are eligible for the President’s Prize, considered the highest student recognition from the university. After reviewing all the Gold Axe nominations, a university-wide committee makes its recommendations to President Rita Cheng, who then selects the President’s Prize winners.
Below are the winners of this semester’s Gold Axe awards, along with the NAU faculty or staff member the students named as having the most significant impact on them during their undergraduate career. View a photo album from the event online.
 Elementary Education President’s Prize Recipient Dulce Soto, Inclusion and Multicultural Services |  Biomedical Science Angela Milkie, Student Learning Centers |  Business Management Sarah Uminski, Undergraduate Retention |  Exercise Science, Spanish Joseph Collentine, Global Languages and Cultures |
 Nursing Karen Plager, School of Nursing |  Psychological Sciences, Women’s and Gender Studies Honors Program Meredith Heller, Women’s and Gender Studies |  Computer Science Frederick Gooding Jr., Ethnic Studies |  Strategic Communication, Public Relations Emphasis Kimberly Ott, Assistant to the President for Executive Communications and Media Relations |
Theatre, Health Sciences – Fitness Wellness Christina Gutierrez-Dennehy, Theatre |  Music Elena SV Flys, Comparative Cultural Studies |  Exercise Science Jerome Souers, Athletics |  Microbiology Bridget Barker, Biological Sciences |
Journalism Martin Sommerness, School of Communication |  Biomedical Science President’s Prize Recipient Tinna Traustadottir, Biological Sciences |  Criminology and Criminal Justice Adam Zickerman, Criminology and Criminal Justice |  Elementary Education Elizabeth Taylor, College of Education: Teaching and Learning |
 Civil Engineering Edward Smaglik, Civil and Environmental Engineering |  Strategic Communication Amy Dryden, School of Communication |  Environmental Science, Modern Languages Honors Program Cori Cusker, Housing and Residence Life |  Biomedical Science Honors Program David Pierotti, Biological Sciences |
Not Pictured: Nayeli Gonzalez, Social Work major, received the Gold Axe award and named William Pederson, NAU-Yuma, as her educator of influence.