The NAU Review — Grad becomes advocacy leader, scouts cook at NAU, a circuitous journey to graduation, extraterrestrial geology, Grad excited for medical school and elevating excellence

May 9, 2023

The NAU Review. The official news source for Northern Arizona University.

Jessica Muniz standing in front of building and palm trees with two women on each side.

🎓 Journey to social work advocacy and empowerment 🎓

Jessica Muniz was inspired by her upbringing to pursue a career allowing her to help others. From immigrating to the U.S. at the age of five to organizing awareness fairs for the LGBTQ+ community, Muniz learned that having access to all types of resources can make a significant impact on someone’s life. Now, Muniz is set to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in social work and pursue a master’s at Arizona State University.

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Scouts wearing uniforms cooking in HRM kitchen while Mark Molinaro looks on.

LumberSNAPS: Scouts cook up fun, earn badges

Earning a badge never tasted so good. Recently, a troop of scouts visited NAU’s HRM building to get hands-on kitchen experience. Not only did they leave with full bellies and a well-deserved badge, they learned practical skills that will come in handy in any kitchen.

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Jess Harmon in ROTC uniform with plaque and knife mounted on it standing by woman out in a grassy field.nd the front facade of the North Valley campus

🎓 Grad’s self-discovery through ROTC 🎓

Jess Harmon tried a couple different colleges before she found her home at NAU—a circuitous journey, considering she grew up here. But Harmon, a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, wanted to see what else was out there. When the pandemic brought her home, she found what she was looking for—role models who looked like her, leadership opportunities, professors who cared and the opportunity to rise through the ranks of ROTC, becoming Cadet of the Year. After graduation, she’ll be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

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Photo of MeteorCrater under blue skies and clouds

Learning extraterrestrial geology from terrestrial secrets

The search for life beyond Earth has intrigued humanity for centuries. In the Life of the Universe lab class, students explore the geology of northern Arizona—the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater and Sunset and S P Craters—to learn more about extraterrestrial geology and maybe get a step closer to answering the question: Is there life outside Earth?

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Photo of campus: Student ridign their bike toward the CEAIS building

Elevating student success: Eight projects funded

Ninety projects were submitted to the second call for Elevating Excellence proposals. Eight exceptional projects have been funded to elevate student success, all of which contribute to meeting our bold goals for uniformly high retention, persistence and graduation rates across our diverse student populations. Read more about the funded projects here.

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Melissa Briggs in graduation cap and holding her graduation sash in outstretched arms.

🎓 Future doctor excited to tailor health solutions for patients 🎓

Melissa Briggs’ college career has kept her busy. She did undergraduate research that took her all over the county, got an internship assisting in autopsies with the Coconino County medical examiner’s office, studied abroad and worked as a supplemental instructor. Now the Honors College student, who graduates this weekend with a degree in biomedical science, is getting ready for the next step in life—medical school. “One of my favorite things about my time as an undergraduate student was the opportunity to let my ambitions and curiosity run wild,” Briggs said. “My eagerness to learn and grow never went unrewarded!

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