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• Senior applications systems analyst Kat Benson and planning and policy analyst Eva Hatchner, both from Planning, Budget and Institutional Effectiveness, won the first place prize out of more than 50 entries for best poster presentation at the NAU Assessment Fair on April 11.
  
  Their assessment project, "The Year in Numbers," presented findings from the 2006 CIRP freshman survey and the 2006 graduating senior survey, as well as a glance at NAU's educational revenue breakdown and students' geodistribution. Benson and Hatchner received a $100 gift certificate to the NAU Bookstore.
  
  Blanche Johnson, business analyst in Distance Learning, was the runner-up for her poster presentation of the Distance Learning student satisfaction survey, which focused on five areas of student satisfaction: campus service, advising, classes and scheduling, online access and students. The presentation included analyses of the differences for rural, urban, and online students.
• Mary I. Dereshiwsky, associate professor of educational leadership, presented a paper co-authored with Russell R. Paden titled, "A Comparison of Student Achievement and Retention in an Introductory Math Course Delivered in Online, Blended and Face-to-Face Modalities," at the international Teaching, Colleges and Community 2007 web-based conference from April 15 to 17.

  From left: Daniel Laughlin, Valerie Kurth and Liz Kalies

• The Phoenix Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation recently awarded scholarships to three NAU forestry students: Liz Kalies, Valerie Kurth and Daniel Laughlin. The scholarship supports academically talented students majoring in the fields of natural science, medicine and engineering.
• Political Science Regents Professor Zach Smith and part-time School of Communication faculty member Kira Russo Bauer had their paper, "Estimating Value in Water Resources Management: What Is Water Worth?" published in Water International. The quarterly publication is produced by the International Water Resources Association.
• John Tester, an associate professor in mechanical engineering, received the 2007 Outstanding Teaching Award from the American Society for Engineering Education, Pacific Southwest section, a nonprofit organization of individuals, institutions and companies dedicated to improving all aspects of engineering education.