Research & Academics
Who’s to blame for COVID-19? Mixed methods study examines politicized fear and health behaviors
It’s safe to assume American politics has played a significant role in the COVID-19 pandemic, and different ideas about contagion, health behaviors and the actions of governing bodies impacted the spread of the virus and its subsequent effect on our lives. This, of course, was just a theory—until now.
Lisa Hardy, associate professor in NAU's Department of Anthropology and director of the Social Science Community Engagement Lab, is the lead author on a study that looked at sociocultural responses to the virus and identified differences and similarities in anxiety, fear, blame and perceptions of the country across political divides. 
Campus & Community
If ancient Maya walls could talk, what would they say?
Don't miss the 2021 Flagstaff Festival of Science Sept. 17-26, featuring 100 free family-friendly events! NAU is a major sponsor of the annual festival, which welcomes everyone in the community. This year's theme is “Stories in Stone," and NAU archaeologist Jaime Awe will kick off the festival with his keynote address, “When Stones Speak: Decoding the Messages Embedded in Ancient Maya Monuments.” Awe will showcase exciting discoveries he and his team have made about life in ancient Maya cities, which for hundreds of years were hidden in the jungles of Belize. 
Lumberjack Features
UCAN make a change
Do you want to sleep better? Move your body more? Stress less? NAU’s University Coaching for Activity and Nutrition program offers students, faculty and staff on campus, statewide and online the opportunity to meet 1:1 with student health coaches trained to help you tackle health-supporting changes.
UCAN health coaches aren’t personal trainers, they aren’t dietitians, they aren’t licensed counselors—they are experts at supporting clients through the behavior change process. They are also students, meaning the benefits of the program are bidirectional, giving them real-world client experience while bridging the gap between people who could use the support and accountability of a coach but don’t require a licensed therapist.
Research & Academics
What the future looks like: NAU student creates tool to make modeling easier for ecologists
Xin Huang saw a technical barrier between the earth system modeling community and ecologists who want to improve models with data—coding. So she created a way to make modeling and using big data easier for everyone, especially ecologists without extensive computer programming experience. 
New collaborative program aims to prepare Native American students for careers in scientific computing
What’s the best way to encourage Native American students to go into STEM fields? Give them opportunities for hands-on learning and mentoring well before they hit college. That’s the goal of a collaborative program, which will send NAU researchers into K-12 schools throughout the Southwest to create awareness of diverse career opportunities, introduce students to state-of-the-art scientific computing software, allow them to ask questions and gain experience, then bring them to NAU’s campus, helping students see college and STEM careers in their future. 
ITEP researchers release report examining effects of climate change on Indigenous peoples, lands and culture
As the climate changes and land, air and water are at risk, Native Americans are threatened in two ways. Many tribal members, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous peoples are seeing their water sources dry up or become toxic and their land become infertile or disappear under rising sea levels, putting these rural communities at greater risk from climate change. But there’s a deeper issue. For these peoples, who hold natural resources as sacred, their way of life and existence are coming under attack from rising global temperatures. Nikki Cooley and other researchers at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals brought together a diverse group of more than 100 authors to produce a first-of-its-kind report that provides an in-depth looks at what tribal nations are doing to protect themselves and their communities against the climate crisis. 
