The NAU Review — NAU celebrates Black History Month, a $6.4M grant to train nurses and redwood resilience

Feb. 2, 2023

Do you know how Black history has shaped the history of Flagstaff and NAU? Through events, panel discussions and guest speakers, NAU commemorates the legacy, heritage and brilliance of our Black community. During Black History Month, learn about the significant contributions of Black Americans to our community and the United States and gain a greater understanding of how that legacy continues to evolve and affect Black and African Americans today.

Led by Regents’ professor Andrew Richardson, a team of scientists is studying the redwood’s ability to resprout or activate dormant buds beneath the bark and grow new stems, branches and leaves. This visually stunning video from NAU-TV, which has been selected for the worldwide Environmental Film and Screenplay Festival, is a beautiful look into an inspiring adaptation that enhances the trees’ survival following a fire.

The CAL Film Series, presented by the College of Arts and Letters with support from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, returns with a series of films that look at different aspects of American heritage. In honor of Black History Month, celebrate films written, directed by and starring African Americans. Films are shown at 7 p.m. every other Tuesday at the Cline Library Assembly Hall. A discussion follows each film.

In an effort to address statewide shortage the funding, distributed through the Arizona Department of Health Services, will finance 240 full-tuition scholarships for nursing students in compressed or accelerated programs throughout the state. Students who receive one of these scholarships commit to working as a nurse for four years in Arizona graduating. NAU also is introducing a compressed nursing program in Flagstaff, Tucson and Yuma, which will allow students with some college experience to earn a nursing degree in just 16 months.

President Cruz Rivera spent the week between Phoenix and Flagstaff, meeting with legislators, ABOR, state Hispanic/Latino leaders in education as well as philanthropic and educational partners to help build NAU’s efforts to increase attainment among Arizonans.