Officials from APS on Thursday presented Northern Arizona University with a check for $272,500 to support activities ranging from power engineering research, to MBA internships, to athletics scholarships.
In addition, the funding sustains the APS Leadership Fund, a commitment that has been in place for more than 10 years. Money from the leadership fund supports strategic initiatives at NAU that align with APS community priorities.
About $175,000 of the total gift is directed at enhancing NAU’s work in power engineering, as well as wind and solar research. NAU plans to create a new senior elective course that will help address a national shortage of power engineers. Also, a graduate student research position will focus on incorporating large photovoltaic panels in electrical grid and prediction of wind flows in complex terrain.
Additional support will allow select MBA students from The W.A. Franke College of Business to gain real-world experience as interns working with incubator clients and companies working with the city of Flagstaff. In the spring semester, teams of MBA students will provide consulting services for selected companies.
Finally, the gift includes the first installment of five years of funding for athletics scholarships.
“The investment that APS is making in NAU is testament to the confidence that the company’s leaders have in our ability to deliver outcomes that will have a positive impact on our students,” said Paul Jagodzinski, dean of the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences.”As an institution, we appreciate their continued support.”