{"id":77375,"date":"2026-03-23T16:43:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T23:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=77375"},"modified":"2026-03-23T16:43:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T23:43:03","slug":"in-the-spotlight-march-23-27-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/in-the-spotlight-march-23-27-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Spotlight: March 23-27, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kudos to these faculty,\u00a0staff\u00a0and programs.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do you have a spotlight item to share with the NAU community?\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/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\">Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science (APS) assistant professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Haley Sapers<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0hosted a &#8220;Science on Tap&#8221; presentation on March 19 at Mother Road Brewery. Titled &#8220;Searching for\u00a0life\u00a0as we DON&#8217;T know it,\u201d Sapers was one of many monthly community lectures in the \u201cScience on Tap\u201d series providing a platform for NAU scientists.<\/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\">Former APS postdoctoral scholar\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Lauren McGraw<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, associate professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cristina Thomas\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">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:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.3847\/PSJ\/ae3de0\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Hydration Features on Near-Earth Objects: Integrating New Data with Prior Results<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u201d published in The Planetary Science Journal.\u00a0The paper synthesizes new observations of water features on near-Earth objects with preexisting databases.<\/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\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation recognizes doctoral students nationwide with awards for outstanding accomplishments in innovative technologies. This year, all five nominees from APS were selected,\u00a0comprising\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Alicia Allen, Will Burris, Kennedy Farrell, Laura\u00a0Lee<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Ana Morgan<\/span><\/b><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=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Thomas and APS\u00a0alumnus\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Colin Chandler\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">co-authored the paper \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2603.06911\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Isotopic Evidence for a Cold and Distant Origin of the Interstellar Object 3I\/ATLAS<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u201d published in the journal Nature. The paper reports on measurements of the interstellar comet 3I\/ATLAS, which reveal an elemental composition unlike any other body in the solar system.<\/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\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Thomas also reports that the latest Yearly Opportunities for Research in Planetary Defense (YORPD) proposal for the ongoing MIT-Hawaii Near-Earth Object Spectroscopic Survey (MITHNEOS) was accepted, a project that now includes assistant professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Diego Mu\u00f1oz\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">as a co-investigator. These professors, alongside incoming doctoral and postdoctoral scholars, will\u00a0build on\u00a020 years of MITHNEOS data collection through a three-year, $762,000 project emphasizing smaller objects than\u00a0previous.\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=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">NASA announced this year&#8217;s selections for the James Webb Space Telescope this month, including about 250 selected proposals prepared by 2,333 unique global investigators.\u00a0Of these 250 proposals, 10 have past and present NAU affiliates as lead or co-investigators.\u00a0These individuals include:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cb\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cb&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Current faculty members Emery, research professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Will Grundy<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Thomas,\u00a0professor\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Steve Tegler<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and Chair\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">David Trilling<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cb\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cb&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Current graduate students Allen and\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Lucas McClure<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\u25cb\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:1440,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[9675],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\u25cb&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Alumni\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Audrey Martin<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Ryder Strauss<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Ryleigh Davis<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Eric Maclennan<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Brittany\u00a0Harvison\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Maggie McAdam<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/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\">Senior NAU diver\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Grace Wesche\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">competed in the 3-meter diving event at the NCAA swimming and diving national championships, finishing 21st in the preliminary round with a score of 296.10. This marks the highest finish by a Lumberjack at the national level.\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-march-23-27-2026\/\">Kudos to these faculty,\u00a0staff\u00a0and programs.\u00a0\u00a0 Do you have a spotlight item to share with the NAU community?\u00a0\u00a0 E-mail your announcements to\u00a0Inside@nau.edu, or use\u00a0our\u00a0online submission form. Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science (APS) assistant professor\u00a0Haley Sapers\u00a0hosted a &#8220;Science on Tap&#8221; presentation on March 19 at Mother Road Brewery. Titled &#8220;Searching for\u00a0life\u00a0as we DON&#8217;T know it,\u201d Sapers&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-77375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spotlight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77375","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=77375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77375\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}