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Media highlights for the week of Aug. 16-22, 2005
A sampling of NAU programs, professors, students, staff and alumni appearing in the news
Professor explores her college
If you're an anthropologist and you want to understand an alien culture, the place to be is in "the field," as they say. [NAU anthropology professor Cathy] Small chronicles her observations — under the pseudonym Rebekah Nathan — in the soon-to-be-released My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student (Cornell University Press), a first-person account of student culture today. NAU president John Haeger plans to ask that Freshman be required reading of all administrators, spokesman Tom Bauer said. "We're hoping that this makes better teachers. That's the bottom line."
USA Today (national print), 8/22/2005
NAU prof outed as college author
Cathy Small, an anthropologist at Northern Arizona University, received permission from NAU's research board to apply as an undergraduate, submitted a copy of her high school transcript and paid her own tuition, so she would have control over her notes. Then she hunkered down into dorm life as fellow students assumed she was a divorcee getting a new start. Her book is now one of the most highly anticipated books nationally about higher education in years.
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 8/22/2005
[this clip also appeared at Lucianne.com]
Teens rock
A group of 10 high schoolers, led by a Flagstaff non-profit agency, took an eight-day trip in the Grand Canyon to help log and locate [marks that track where, researchers are conducting studies of beaches, vegetation, fish and archeology in or along the Colorado River]. Every day came with a different science lesson from Northern Arizona University geologist Matt Kaplinsky, a river runner and researcher who maps the river's sandbars and beaches to monitor how they're changing due to the Glen Canyon Dam.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/22/2005
Crow asks ABOR for $51.4 million operating budget increase
Northern Arizona University President John Haeger agreed with Crow [at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting] that raising graduation rates is vital. "The economy demands education for personal success," he said. "No way a student can fail if we have a chance to intercede." Haeger added that he wanted all faculty members, at all three universities, to be more aware of students' needs, particularly in their freshman year.
State Press, Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), 8/22/2005
Chasing redemption
The bad news arrived the second day of training camp last August Alex Watson had been placed under investigative suspension by the NAU athletics department. He was listed as a participant in an on-campus fight in May 2004 and was being investigated for assault by NAU police. Unfortunately, it cost Watson, then a true sophomore, an entire season...After weeks of waiting, Watson received the good news He'd been cleared of any wrongdoing by NAU police. 'It turned out that it was a misidentification and the charges were dropped,' the soft-spoken sophomore said. The good news arrived Christmas week a letter to Watson's Long Beach, Calif., home. 'My mom was crying,' Watson recalled, '(and) I was just real happy to be back.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/21/2005
A grand obsession
People touched by the Canyon do not talk much about their struggles in the abyss. Struggles are a given...They speak of the route finders. Harvey Butchart, the Northern Arizona University math professor regarded by many as the best, a master at finding Rim-to-river routes...There are others, people who climb the peaks and walk thousands of miles, but Butchart and [George] Steck wrote books and reached more people. Both are dead now. Perhaps a torch has been passed, but nobody will claim it. Canyon hikers have too much respect for the Canyon, for Steck and Butchart, to try to make a name for themselves.
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 8/21/2005
Stars' hospital visits lift patients' spirits
How much could an hour of conversation and an autographed jersey help a youngster facing a serious illness? Plenty, parents and medical professionals say. "In terms of having athletes visit kids, I think that the public can intuitively understand that kids with illnesses tend to be isolated and to feel very different and scared," said Mary McLellan, associate professor of educational psychology at Northern Arizona University, in an e-mail response to a question. "Having famous people visit is a 'kick' for any kid, but when kids are ill they can get a nice boost to their egos. Anytime the kids feel better about themselves, they tend to do better medically."
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 8/21/2005
Jacks hang with ranked Wildcats
Even though the NAU women's soccer team lost to Arizona 2-0 Saturday, the team doesn't have much to be upset about. After all, the Wildcats are ranked 18th and 25th nationally in two preseason polls. "Not a bad result for playing the No. 18 team in the nation," Lumberjacks coach Andre Luciano said after his team's season-opening exhibition match.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/21/2005
Prof finds insight into Egyptians in dead language
Northern Arizona University history professor Gene Cruz Uribe studies a language no longer written, but the marks of which can still be found in quarries, temples and tombs in Egypt. He was in Egypt this summer reading the prayers of people who wanted to live forever. Ancient people wrote their names on the wall, in hopes people would read their names, he said. It was thought their spirit would live eternally in the afterworld if their names were spoken.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/20/2005
Almost forgotten Egyptian king immortalized by museum exhibit
Northern Arizona University Professor Gene Cruz Uribe recently led a group of more than 200 NAU alumni through the King Tut exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. "Tut, his father and a couple people after are not on any king list," Cruz-Uribe said. "Egyptians rewrote history and almost forgot him on purpose."
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/20/2005
NAU seeking to boost some staffers' pay 13%
Northern Arizona University wants to spend an additional 13 percent on employee pay in the coming year, focusing on competitive fields. "We're looking at using the funds strategically for market and merit raises," spokeswoman Lisa Nelson said. Overall, the school wants an additional $27.5 million in the upcoming fiscal
year.
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 8/20/2005
Serendipity led NAU grad to dream job
The 1996 NAU graduate James Dixon, who was a Flagstaff area radio play-by-play man covering prep sports and the Lumberjack women's basketball team, saw the realization of a major career goal when he was named Stephen F. Austin University's sports information director Thursday.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/20/2005
"Seck" to live out his dream
A life long dream will be realised for Lithgow's Michael Seckold when he flies out for America on Monday to take up a full sporting scholarship at Northern Arizona University. America is the home of basketball, and Michael will be playing in one of the strongest competitions in the USA - the NCAA Division 1 College Championship.
Lithgow Mercury (Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia), 8/19/2005
Professor wanted to learn about students, so she became one
A new book is sure to be discussed, and debated, at colleges this fall. The book is called "My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student." The writer is Rebekah Nathan. That is not her real name. She is in her fifties. She is a professor of anthropology at a university in the United States. Her name for it is "AnyU."
CHINAdaily (online), 8/19/2005
On the trail of an undercover professor
Ms. Nathan, whether by choice or accident, also planted in her ethnographic study many clues about her identity. She grew up in New York; she's in her 50s; she spent many years abroad observing an exotic foreign culture; her university is located near Las Vegas, is surrounded by mountains, and has a hotel and restaurant management school. Putting those bits of data together with other clues, The New York Sun has determined that Ms. Nathan appears to be Cathy Small, a professor at Northern Arizona University— or N.A.U.—in Flagstaff.
The New York Sun (New York, NY), 8/19/2005
10 great places to enjoy a textbook getaway
Keith Bellows, editor in chief of National Geographic Traveler magazine shares with USA TODAY's Shawn Sell some small-to-medium-size college towns that "have a real ability to keep the young and the young-at-heart engaged in culture and fun." Flagstaff, Ariz.—"This is one of my favorites," Bellows says of this non-conformist mountain town with an elevation of 7,000 feet. Northern Arizona University is here, as well "as some of the Southwest's most beautiful scenery." Visit the Painted Desert and Grand Canyon (each an hour away) or hike in nearby Coconino National Forest. "Students, artists, new-age liberals and tree huggers rock the night away at brewpubs and pool rooms. You'll see lots of characters walking down the street."
USA Today (national print), 8/19/2005
Destination Scorecard: How do 55 National Park regions rate?
Traveler and National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations surveyed some 300 experts in sustainable tourism, destination quality, and park management. We asked them to evaluate 55 North American park destinations, chosen in part for the importance of their gateways. #2) Apostle Islands National Lakeshore WISCONSIN (Score: 78) "The Apostles are one of my favorite places on Earth, in the summer. You can still have an island almost to yourself for short periods of time." —Ronald Hiebert, Ph.D., plant ecologist, Northern Arizona University
National Geographic (national print), 8/19/2005
Education was main topic at Arizona Water Summit
District II Navajo County Supervisor Jesse Thompson attended the Arizona Water Summit held Aug. 3-5 at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Thompson said that along with Napolitano's plan for books for fourth graders, NAU offers conservation curriculum for teachers. He added that NAU representatives have said they would be willing to present the conservation curriculum to school districts. NAU's Center for Sustainable Environments coordinated the summit.
Navajo County Publishers (Holbrook, AZ), 8/19/2005
NAU wants to hike employee pay
Northern Arizona University is requesting an additional 28 million dollars for the next fiscal year. Five million of that would go for raises for the faculty and staff. The school also wants to spend eight million dollars more to expand its distance learning programs for students outside Flagstaff. The remainder of the budget increase was slotted for building maintenance, construction and other projects.
KPHO-TV (Phoenix, AZ), 8/19/2005
Tennis news
Dean Owen and Kim Bruno have been hired to take over the men's and women's programs at Northern Arizona, Athletics Director Jim Fallis announced Thursday. The hiring gives each program a head coach. There had been one coach for both teams.
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 8/19/2005
[this clip also appeared in
Daily Tennis]
New dean plans to focus on students not politics
Harry Swanson came on board with Gila County Community College (GCCC) in mid-July as Payson Campus dean. Swanson earned master's degrees in applied anthropology and higher education leadership from Northern Arizona University.
Worldwest Ltd., Liability Co. (Payson, AZ), 8/19/2005
Glenn County schools chief opts out of re-election
The superintendent for Glenn County Office of Education, Joni Samples, announced Thursday she will not run for re-election in November 2006. Samples received degrees from Northern Arizona University, including a teaching credential and doctorate. Samples has authored several books, including "Taking the Guesswork Out of School Success" and three "Parent Playbooks," which are geared for parents of children of different ages and provide activities to support standards taught in specific grades.
Chico Enterprise-Record (Chico, CA), 8/19/2005
Making the undergrad grade
Until this year, [U of A] President Likins explains, all three state universities had to admit any Arizona applicants who had graduated in the top half of their high school class, provided they had taken the proper coursework. Under the new rules, the UA, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University must still accept students in the top quarter of their high school class, but they have more leeway with the second quartile. ASU and NAU are sticking with the old program, but the UA is becoming more selective about which students in the second quartile it will admit.
Tucson Weekly (Tucson, AZ), 8/18/2005
UA seeking huge budget increase
The UA, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University unveiled their preliminary budget requests for fiscal year 2007 at the state Board of Regents meeting held here Wednesday.
Casa Grande Valley Newspaper (Casa Grande, AZ), 8/18/2005
UA seeking $51.6 million budget increase for next year
The UA, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University unveiled their preliminary budget requests for fiscal year 2007 at the state Board of Regents meeting held here Wednesday.
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 8/18/2005
Streamlined check-in makes dorm moving in day (almost) fun
Attracting students to live on campus has never been a problem for Northern Arizona University because most of the students come from out of town, a school spokesman said. Classes there start Aug. 29.
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 8/17/2005
Weapon performance determines mating success in the collared lizard
In a study published in the September issue of The American Naturalist, A. Kristopher Lappin (Northern Arizona University) and Jerry F. Husak (Oklahoma State University) use the eastern collared lizard, a sexually dimorphic lizard in which the jaws of males function as a weapon in fights, to test the hypothesis that weapon performance (i.e., bite force) is a better predictor of fitness than body size and weapon size.
ScienceDaily (North Potomac, MD), 8/17/2005
Tribal Challenges: How the Navajo Nation is changing the face of American archaeology
Northern Arizona University's Bilby Research Center in Flagstaff is a domed white building that resembles a giant version of a hogan, a traditional Navajo dwelling. It's an appropriate home for one of the country's most innovative and unusual archaeology programs. Housed in a warren of offices and labs under the Bilby Center's dome, together with programs in biology and ecology, the Navajo Nation Archaeology Department (NNAD) exemplifies a trend that has changed the face of American archaeology in the past two decades the increasing involvement of Native Americans in almost every aspect of how their past is studied and preserved.
Archaeology (Long Island City, NY), 8/17/2005
Napolitano touts early childhood ed
The governor spoke to the need for people who are educated to teach pre-kindergarten children. Northern Arizona University College of Education has started two programs in recent years to meet this need, Dean Daniel Kain said. They offer an online bachelor's degree in early childhood education for child-care workers and a bachelor's degree in education for early childhood educators needing certification, he said. "It's opened doors to hundreds of students, not only here, but around the state," Kain said. The programs NAU has, or is contemplating are in part because of the governor's vision. "We look forward to further opportunities to join with the governor and other leaders to improve the lives of Arizona's children," Kain said.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/17/2005
Letter to the editor: Jacks need more I-A opponents
After witnessing NAU's game against Arizona last fall, I can honestly attest that NAU needs to schedule more Division I-A opponents. The Lumberjacks play tough, gritty defense and have a pretty good offense to boot. They nearly upset New Mexico in 2000, falling 35-28. That's enough to make me wish for NAU to move up in the college football ranks to Division I-A. (Paul Panks, Phoenix)
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/17/2005
BOOK REVIEW A sneak peak at student life
For educators and parents far removed from student life, Rebekah Nathan offers a glimpse into the undergraduate world and insight into trends that have changed it in recent years. For those closer to the college experience, it's amusing to see the details that captivate a professor: a dorm room loft described as if an exotic artifact.
The Beaufort Gazette (Beaufort, SC), 8/16/2005
NAU cleaner than ever
Northern Arizona University will be cleaner than ever for students this fall. Officials say they've scrubbed every room following an outbreak of the virus. More than 100 young campers contracted the flu-like virus last month forcing the university to cancel summer camps. The school dean says the virus is now gone.
12 News Today (Phoenix, AZ), 8/16/2005
High and dry at Ardrey?
Ardrey Auditorium concert-goers might soon be able to get from their cars to their seats without ever being exposed to the elements. Northern Arizona University is seeking approval for a covered pedestrian bridge over Riordan Ranch Road linking Ardrey to a new, four-story parking garage. The pedestrian bridge also would provide a handicap accessible entrance into the auditorium, which is used for community events, said NAU spokesman Tom Bauer.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 8/16/2005
Konarka adds environmental expert to advisory council
Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and commercializing power plastics that convert light to energy, announced Walter Rosenberg, founder of Osprey Consulting, Inc. and a longtime environmental responsibility expert, joined the company as an advisor. Rosenberg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Chemistry from Northern Arizona University.
Azom.com (online), 8/16/2005
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