Thank you for your partnership. Go Jacks!
Rima and I are truly thankful to be part of this incredible community and proud to call ourselves Lumberjacks. Every day, we witness your passion for Flagstaff and the greater Northern Arizona region. Your dedication to making this a remarkable place to live and work inspires us and motivates our work at NAU.
A shared vision for a better future inspired Flagstaff’s community members more than 125 years ago to establish a place for higher education. Since then, the partnership, collaboration and pride between our city and university have shaped NAU’s path to becoming a hub for innovation and impact.
We are honored to build on the legacy of leadership, dedication and collective spirit that defines our community. Together, we’re achieving remarkable milestones, transforming lives and creating the kind of future our region and all of Arizona need today.
One of our fundamental strategic priorities is mutually beneficial community engagement – sharing knowledge, connecting experts to real-world challenges, preparing graduates to contribute to their communities, spurring economic growth and fostering cultural vitality. I’m proud of our many partnerships on this front and want to highlight just a few that demonstrate how NAU is advancing our mission as a community-engaged engine of opportunity:
- Access2Excellence: Last year, this tuition pledge supported 54% of our Flagstaff resident students, with an average aid award exceeding $16,000 annually that ensures access and affordability for students in our home community.
- Axe of Service: This new digital platform from our Center for Service and Volunteerism connects residents with local volunteer opportunities, making it easier than ever to give back and strengthen our community.
- Donation to CocoNuts: The newly launched Steve Sanghi College of Engineering recently donated $5,000 to support the nationally recognized, award-winning robotics team from Coconino High School.
- KinderCamp Teal and Gold Tickets: Through partnerships with Coconino Community College (CCC) and the United Way of Northern Arizona (UWNA), children in UWNA’s KinderCamp program can attend CCC tuition-free with a “teal ticket” and then transfer to NAU with a “golden ticket” – also tuition-free!
- NAU Day: In collaboration with FUSD, this inspiring event encourages local students to envision themselves in higher education.
- Northern Arizona Disability Resource Fair: Our inaugural event, developed in direct response to community feedback, fostered networking and collaboration across our region’s disability community.
- Research on Homelessness: Associate professors of psychological sciences are leading projects aimed at finding housing and support for unsheltered Arizonans and preventing future homelessness. This includes working with Flagstaff Shelter Services, Catholic Charities of Northern Arizona and the Northland Family Help Center to help local residents.
- State of Sustainability: NAU’s inaugural sustainability report highlights our progress toward carbon neutrality by 2030, aligning closely with the City of Flagstaff’s sustainability goals. We’re proud to of the work underway to embed sustainable practices into our operations while also preparing the next generation of professionals in this critical field.
- Team College Bound: This initiative supports local high school families as they navigate college applications and transitions. We recently celebrated the second year of family graduations.
These initiatives and many others reflect the deep bond between NAU and Flagstaff – a bond rooted in shared goals of prosperity, social impact and a brighter future for all.
Thank you for your partnership.
Go Jacks! FBN
José Luis Cruz Rivera is the president of Northern Arizona University.