College of Engineering & Natural Sciences
promotes and rewards 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!