National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU)

The NSF-REU program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in intensive research. Each student in the program is paired with a faculty research mentor for ongoing research projects. Many fields are involved in NSF-REU programs, such as neurobiology and behavior, mathematics, astronomy, and environmental sciences.

• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Astronomy.
  Eight undergraduate students will work in Flagstaff with researchers from the NAU Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, the Lowell Observatory, the U. S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, the U. S. Naval Observatory in Flagstaff, and the National Undergraduate Research Observatory Consortium. The research projects available vary from year to year, and have included planetary science, astrogeology, stellar astrophysics, instrumentation work, and extragalactic research. (more info)
• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Behavioral and Conservation Sciences.
  The purpose of this program is to provide undergraduate students, especially under-represented minority and first-generation college students, with the opportunity to participate in an intensive research program. Undergraduates participate in seminars and fieldwork, learning research design, the use of statistical methods and computers, and the ethical guidelines of research subjects. (more info)
• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Environmental Sciences.
  The REU in Environmental Sciences at NAU is a 10-week intensive summer program where you will work with faculty mentors on laboratory- and field-based research and participate in field trips and a series of seminars, including seminars on scientific writing and ethics. You will also participate in three overnight field sessions at the Walnut Creek Center for Education and Research, near Prescott, Arizona. (more info)
• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Mathematics and Statistics.
  Six top undergraduates are chosen to assist a faculty mentor with advanced research and co-author papers for journal publications. (more info)

College of Engineering & Natural Sciences undergraduate research

Every spring the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences hosts a Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Design featuring posters and presentations by students throughout the college. A keynote speaker is invited to the event, which culminates in a luncheon for all participants, their guests, and their faculty sponsors. There are substantial prizes for best student presentations, including two travel awards.

Hands-on engineering
The College of Engineering and Natural Sciences’ nationally recognized engineering program won the prestigious Boeing Outstanding Educator Award in 1999 for its design-centered curricula; in 2004, U.S. News & World Report ranked Northern Arizona University in the top third of national engineering programs that terminate in a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

As an undergraduate, you can do research in one of our leading engineering labs, including computer imagery, wind energy, and animal languages. Hands-on engineering begins in your first year through the university’s award-winning Design4Practice course series. Then apply yourself to real-world engineering problems in a team setting, and finish with an industry-sponsored senior capstone project.

Students turn practical experience into new businesses
While John Gaglioti was an undergraduate engineering student when he began working with the university’s Sustainable Energy Solutions group, where he learned about wind energy. He soon saw an opportunity to provide services to the private and public sectors using his education and on-the-job training, and began his own company, Windfinders, LLC. John now provides wind energy resource assessment and early stage wind farm development services. Since its founding in 2002 Windfinders has been directly involved in the development of 160 mega-watts of wind power in Arizona.

Go to the College of Engineering & Natural Sciences website for more information!