Media & outreach

We actively communicate our science, and believe that it is important to make science and technology understandable and accessible. Our lab is often buzzing with the excitement of scientific discovery because we work at the intersection of emerging genetic technologies, fascinating mammals, and urgent conservation questions. We enjoy communicating this excitement and translating our results to the public and to STEM students.

In the news

Species from Feces

NAU News, 29 August 2018: Hyenas, hippos, and lions joined NAU’s inaugural study abroad class in Zambia.
NAU News, 26 October 2017: Hanging with bats: NAU professors share their research and love of this small flying mammal.
PLOS Research News Author Spotlight, 2016: Species from Feces: A new tool for identifying bat species.
California Academy of Sciences News, 2016: From Feces to Species.
NRDC’s onEarth, 2016, Head’s Up, Endangered Species: Scientists are Spying on You.
NAU News, 2016: NAU researchers make their mark with new DNA testing tool.
KNAU Arizona Public Radio, 2016: NAU Lab Develops Tool to Identify Bats from Guano.
Cosmos Magazine, 2016: Species from faeces: Tracking bats through poo ‘barcodes’.
Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources News Release, 2016: First new bat species discovered in Minnesota in more than a century.
The Wildlife Professional magazine of The Wildlife Society, 2015: Guano provides genetic material to identify bat species.
KNAU Earth notes, 2015: All the poop on rarely seen animals.
NAU News, 2014: Unique guano innovation gives straight poop on species populations.
KNAU Brain Food, 2014: Species from Feces.

Environmental DNA

Axios Phoenix, 2023: How an Arizona professor is protecting “tequila bats” – Axios Phoenix
NAU News, 23 October 2023: Using airborne DNA to track the planet’s most ubiquitous mammal.

New Mexico meadow jumping mouse

- NAU News, 2019: NAU researchers receive grants to study threatened, endangered species in American Southwest.
- NAU News, 2017: Austin Dikeman wins second place at conference for jumping mouse talk.
- NAU News, 2017: Dan Sanchez receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to study jumping mouse for his Ph.D.
- KNAU Arizona Public Radio, 2016: NAU team finds endangered jumping mouse in Arizona and New Mexico.

Ruidoso News, 2016: Endangered mouse confirmed in Lincoln National Forest.
Albuquerque Journal, 2016: University team confirms presence of New Mexico meadow jumping mouse in the Jemez.

Ancient DNA Lab

Flagstaff STEM City, 2018: Ancient DNA Sparks Youthful Interest.
KNAU’s Brain Food, 2016: Ancient DNA Lab.
Arizona Daily Sun, 2016: New NAU lab explores ancient DNA fragments.

Bats

The NAU Review, 2023: Vampires, bats and vampire bats – The NAU Review
KNAU Earth Notes, 2017: Spotted Bats.
NAU News, 2014: NAU postdoc has sequenced the genome of the spotted bat.

Outreach

Local K-12: Multiple annual presentations to K-12 STEM programs in Flagstaff.
University: Presentations to visiting classes from other universities.
Community: Annual interactive displays at the Flagstaff Festival of Science and presentations to local groups; Annual demonstrations to the Navajo Nation at Canyon de Chelly.
Our team: Participation of individuals from underrepresented groups
Natural History Institute Lecture by Savannah Marriott, July 2024: Empowering Bat Conservation: Harnessing Environmental DNA for Ecological Insight