Education & training
Research experiences for undergraduates
The National Science Foundation funds the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which is hosted at REU sites throughout the nation, including Northern Arizona University. The program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. The Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research coordinates Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Environmental Sciences: Shima’ nahasdza’a’n bee ‘iina’ (Mother Earth Give Life), which is a 10-week summer program.
Genes to environment
Integrative Bioscience: Genes to Environment is a unique doctoral training program that offers yearlong fellowship involving research and coursework with a genes-to-environment theme. Because recent research clearly demonstrates the broad environmental consequences of genetic variation, this program seeks to provide students with the skills needed to understand the linkages between genetic information and environmental processes. The program seeks to create a fertile environment for collaborative research and to facilitate diversity in student participation.
Northern Mariana Islands program
The Northern Mariana Islands research program is an initiative that fosters collaborations among NAU researchers and resource managers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to design, implement, and evaluate progressive species and habitat conservation strategies. Ecological challenges in the CNMI stem primarily from human activity and the effect of introduced species on isolated, endemic ecosystems. The initiative also provides course instruction and field experiences in conservation biology to graduate and undergraduate students. Undergraduate students who complete the series of courses offered by the program fulfill a significant portion of the requirements for NAU’s Undergraduate Certificate in Conservation Biology.