Although he may not go to work with an axe, computer software and hardware giant Bill Gates will forevermore be known as a Lumberjack. The Microsoft co-founder delivered a rare commencement address at Northern Arizona University on Saturday, May 13 and received his honorary doctorate. “I cannot wait to see how you will drive progress around the world,” Gates said to a Skydome full of excitement and regalia. Now retired from his global company, Gates left college after three semesters at … [Read more...] about Microsoft Giant Becomes a Lumberjack
NAU
Managing for Renewable Energy and Wildlife
Wildlife managers and researchers from across the country gathered in Flagstaff last month for the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) conference to discuss deer and elk movement and the latest technology being used to track the ungulates as projects are planned for land uses such as public recreation and renewable energy. The conference at Northern Arizona University included a field trip to the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center north of Flagstaff. “There were overwhelmingly … [Read more...] about Managing for Renewable Energy and Wildlife
NAU Student Engineers Soar with Boeing Drone Project
When Cassie Petit, development director at Northern Arizona University’s College of Engineering, Informatics and Applied Sciences (CEIAS), reached out to Boeing about being involved in a student capstone project, she wasn’t sure how the giant aviation manufacturer would respond. Fortunately, her Boeing contact was Senior Engineering Manager Amanda Nemec, an NAU mechanical engineering alumna, who now sits on the CEIAS advisory council. After a discussion with Nemec, other Boeing staff and … [Read more...] about NAU Student Engineers Soar with Boeing Drone Project
NAU Launces New Recycling Program
The first wave of Northern Arizona University’s new recycling program has flowed onto campus: blue recycling bins with a white recycling symbol and brown bins with a landfill symbol. They started showing up during the first week of Earth Month in April, and are already in place at the Du Bois Center on south campus and soon will take their assigned places in other high-traffic buildings. With an aspirational new motto, “Introducing the 4-Rs of recycling: Recycle right, reap rewards,” these … [Read more...] about NAU Launces New Recycling Program
Quintessential Newsman Trained in a News Field of Dreams
Long before Google, Alexa, Instagram and the internet, news was gathered through miles of legwork and worn-out shoes. A journalist was only as good as the relationships he cultivated and the sixth sense he developed. Reporting and uncovering stories required a tenacious and genuine interest in people, places and things that mattered, and a relentless hunger to know one more thing and to get it right before going to press. Ray Newton, a savvy street kid in the San Francisco Bay area in the … [Read more...] about Quintessential Newsman Trained in a News Field of Dreams
NAU Marks a Year of Achievements and It’s Just Getting Started
Thank you for being so welcoming as NAU students, faculty and staff begin a new academic year. Last year – my first as NAU President and a member of the Flagstaff community – we had so much to celebrate, including tremendous accomplishments at NAU that advance educational access, equity and attainment, as well as building relationships and partnerships within our amazing home community. Indeed, here are just a few of the highlights that speak to the value NAU provides and demonstrate a … [Read more...] about NAU Marks a Year of Achievements and It’s Just Getting Started
Athletes on an All-Time High
Since the run up to the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Flagstaff’s elevation has put it on the global map as a place where top-performing athletes can improve their performance. In April, Northern Arizona University added a significant facility to further enhance the city’s reputation as a world-class venue for high altitude athlete training with the grand opening of its new High Performance Center. Entering the new state-of-the art facility’s Grand Hall across a walking bridge, student athletes … [Read more...] about Athletes on an All-Time High
NAU Working on Mutually Beneficial Community Engagement
NAU is also on a bold mission to expand access to higher education and close achievement gaps throughout our state.In this, my inaugural column, I want to tell you what a privilege it is to serve as president of NAU and live every day in this beautiful community. Since my arrival nearly a year ago, I have learned that NAU has a strong foundation, a community that embraces the value of higher education, an incredible alumni network, and dedicated faculty and staff. I am thrilled by the … [Read more...] about NAU Working on Mutually Beneficial Community Engagement
Eugene M. Hughes Leaves Lasting Legacy
The death of former Northern Arizona University President Eugene M. Hughes does not diminish the legacy he leaves behind in the state. Hughes, 86, died March 10, 2021, in Flagstaff. The Nebraska native was born April 3, 1934, in Scottsbluff. Hughes first arrived in Flagstaff in 1970 as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He rapidly advanced and was promoted to Provost of Arts and Sciences. In 1877, he became academic vice president. The Arizona Board of Regents selected Hughes as … [Read more...] about Eugene M. Hughes Leaves Lasting Legacy
NAU Partners with Mexican University to Offer Students Cross-Cultural Entrepreneurial Experience
A grant from 100,000 Strong in the Americas will give a dozen Northern Arizona University students the opportunity for a unique cross-cultural learning experience with peers at both NAU and a university in Sonora, Mexico. NAU is partnering with Universidad de Sonora (UNISON) in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico to put on The Big IDEA (La Gran IDEA), which will allow 12 students from each university to collaborate on finding solutions to challenges of food security and financial security in the … [Read more...] about NAU Partners with Mexican University to Offer Students Cross-Cultural Entrepreneurial Experience
