{"id":77005,"date":"2026-02-09T14:19:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T21:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=77005"},"modified":"2026-02-09T14:19:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T21:19:02","slug":"in-the-spotlight-feb-9-13-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/in-the-spotlight-feb-9-13-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Spotlight: Feb. 9-13, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kudos to these faculty, staff and programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do you have a spotlight item to share with the NAU community?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">E-mail your announcements to\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"mailto:Inside@nau.edu\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Inside@nau.edu<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, or use\u00a0our\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/news-tip\/#.YEjwNWhKg2w\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">online submission form<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Six students from the Sports and Adventure Media certificate program\u2014seniors\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bryan Adams<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Reese Clarke\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Connor Emery\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and juniors\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jessalyn Garcia<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Alyssa Munoz<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Adriana Sparks<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2014traveled to California last week to cover Super Bowl\u00a02026.\u00a0Watch the\u00a0team\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mWaRonFmF3o\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">behind-the-scenes video<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0to learn more about their on-the-ground reporting.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Big Sky Conference office named\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">77 student-athletes<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0from NAU\u2019s football, soccer, volleyball and men\u2019s and women\u2019s\u00a0cross country\u00a0programs to its 2025 Big Sky Fall All-Academic Team. To be eligible, students must have\u00a0participated\u00a0in at least half of their team\u2019s competitions and earned a 3.2 cumulative GPA by the end of their most recently completed term. Nineteen of NAU\u2019s honorees currently hold a 4.0 cumulative GPA and 57 have a 3.5 or higher.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fred DeMicco<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, a School of Hotel and Restaurant Management retiree and affiliate, co-authored the article \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hospitalitynet.org\/opinion\/4130693.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Ascent of Longevity Science in Lodging and Hospitality: A New Age of Wellness Travel<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u201d published in Hospitality.net. The article explores how developers are updating existing hospitality models to meet guest demand for wellness programs.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">NASA made three new scientific investigation selections as part of its Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program, and NAU\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Department of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">(APS)<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">is featured heavily within one of the payload teams. The Emission Imager for Lunar Infrared Analysis in 3D (EMILIA-3D) project will create three-dimensional thermal models of lunar terrain that will help the U.S. better navigate the moon\u2019s surface. APS assistant research professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Chris Haberle\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">has a leadership role within the project, and assistant research professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kristen Bennett\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and\u00a0professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Christopher Edwards\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">are co-investigators. The program\u2019s camera suite will be built at NAU, bringing about $2.7 million to the university.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">NAU\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">is now a registered station in the Research and Education Collaborative Occupation Network (RECON). RECON is a nationwide citizen science program dedicated to observing occultations, in which an asteroid passes in front of a background star. Those interested in learning more about the project can contact APS doctoral student<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Ivy Knudsen\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">at\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"mailto:iek26@nau.edu\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">iek26@nau.edu<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">APS associate professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cristina Thomas\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">was invited to NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in January to accept the organization\u2019s Group Achievement Award on behalf of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Period Change Determination Team. The group was recognized for making the first measurement of the change in an asteroid&#8217;s orbital motion caused by kinetic impact.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cf\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cf&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"7\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">APS part-time temporary employee\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Lauren McGraw<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Thomas and\u00a0professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Josh Emery\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">co-authored the paper \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2602.00430\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Hydration Features on Near-Earth Objects: Integrating New Data with Prior Results<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u201d The paper describes new observations of unique hydrogen and water features on near-Earth objects.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"search-results-excerpt-link\" href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/in-the-spotlight-feb-9-13-2026\/\">Kudos to these faculty, staff and programs. Do you have a spotlight item to share with the NAU community? E-mail your announcements to\u00a0Inside@nau.edu, or use\u00a0our\u00a0online submission form. Six students from the Sports and Adventure Media certificate program\u2014seniors\u00a0Bryan Adams,\u00a0Reese Clarke\u00a0and\u00a0Connor Emery\u00a0and juniors\u00a0Jessalyn Garcia,\u00a0Alyssa Munoz\u00a0and\u00a0Adriana Sparks\u2014traveled to California last week to cover Super Bowl\u00a02026.\u00a0Watch the\u00a0team\u2019s\u00a0behind-the-scenes video\u00a0to learn&hellip;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spotlight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77005\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}