Ashley Martinez working in a materials science lab

Doctoral student wins NSF fellowship for research into synthetic elastins

Giving Tuesday

Campus & Community

Giving Tuesday, by the numbers

Jacks on and off campus gave back, raising more than $137,000 to address the most urgent student needs and create meaningful change. Their December Axe of Kindness will fuel important environmental research, provide emergency assistance to students in need and help keep Louie’s Cupboard stocked, among many other things.

Megan Benet in Vietnam

Lumberjacks Abroad

Student edition

Humans of NAU: Megan Bennett

Some say experience is the best teacher, and that is true for Megan Bennett, an advisor at the Education Abroad Office. With years of experience in international travel, she brings a global perspective to her work, helping Lumberjacks find the best fit for their study abroad experiences. Having visited more than 40 countries—some for leisure, others for study and professional opportunities—she shares the most memorable parts of her journeys and advice for students who want to see the world.

A researcher measuring temperature of rainforest leaves.

Research & Academics

New study looks at (rainforest) tea leaves to predict fate of tropical forests

Researchers at Northern Arizona University and the Smithsonian went to the top of a Panamanian rainforest to simulate heat death in leaves and measure the effects on surrounding leaves. The results were encouraging: Tropical forests may be less sensitive to climate change than originally feared.

Research & Academics

Ashley Martinez working in a materials science lab

Doctoral student wins NSF fellowship for research into synthetic elastins

Ashley Martinez’s work could contribute to more effective and sustainable drugs, better vaccines and more. It all started with an email to a researcher who looked like her. Now, three years into her Ph.D. in applied physics and materials science, she has received one of the most prestigious recognitions for grad students in the nation.

Faces of people smiling

Mapping Joy

Everyone wants to find happiness. It’s the end game in every choice we make and every dream we chase. But what exactly is happiness, and how can we achieve this feeling? A unique class at Northern Arizona University looks at the science behind happiness from a sociological perspective, providing a window into finding it.

illustration of an astronaut's gloved hands turning a dial on a spaceship

Calling all future planetary scientists

Can you teach young kids the fundamentals of planetary science? Absolutely, says one group of science educators at NAU! A new project called PLANETS has developed three free learning units for elementary and middle school educators, giving children engaging, hands-on lessons in remote sensing, space hazards and water on other planets.

Campus & Community

A graduate at commencement

NAU honors Class of 2025 in two commencement ceremonies

Get the schedule, parking information and learn about the speaker for NAU's December commencement ceremonies.

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday, by the numbers

Jacks on and off campus gave back, raising more than $137,000 to address the most urgent student needs and create meaningful change. Their December Axe of Kindness will fuel important environmental research, provide emergency assistance to students in need and help keep Louie’s Cupboard stocked, among many other things.

Henry Garland at the top of Mt. Elbert in Colorado

Graduate Henry Garland: Pushing boundaries in science, sports and beyond

What’s the ‘secret sauce’ that motivates elite athletes to push boundaries every day? Henry Garland was once obsessed with finding out. These days, the NAU chemistry major and graduating senior has his own obsession with pushing boundaries—in the lab, on the trail and everywhere else.

Lumberjack Features

Audra Travelbee in the woods with her dog, Miyagi

Humans of NAU: Audra Travelbee

Audra Travelbee loved to play school growing up, but there was just one problem—her “students” never wanted to do their homework. Now she puts that to use in her role as an instructional designer in NAU Online. The founder of Culture Connection AZ talks about what’s on her bucket list and what her volunteer organization brings to Flagstaff.

Megan Benet in Vietnam

Humans of NAU: Megan Bennett

Some say experience is the best teacher, and that is true for Megan Bennett, an advisor at the Education Abroad Office. With years of experience in international travel, she brings a global perspective to her work, helping Lumberjacks find the best fit for their study abroad experiences. Having visited more than 40 countries—some for leisure, others for study and professional opportunities—she shares the most memorable parts of her journeys and advice for students who want to see the world.

Four NAU Brew Club members toast with canned beverages in the Hotel and Restaurant Management building.

Club Spotlight: NAU Brew Club

Do you often wonder how your favorite beverages are made? Quench your thirst for knowledge by joining NAU's Brew Club! The group holds hands-on workshops throughout the year, allowing students to create their own beer, mead, apple cider or even soda-based wine. Members over 21 can also taste the club's semester-long projects at a special off-campus meeting.