NAU School of Earth and Sustainability

10/12/2026

Learn more about this amazing opportunity to study social and natural sciences in Costa Rica, including learning from SES faculty Denielle Perry and Taylor Joyal

10/08/2026

Bringing geology to the sidewalks of NAU! Geology 101 students chalked the geologic timeline onto the walkway outside Ashurst, adorned with illustrations of some highlights from Earth history.

10/07/2026

Our SES seminar series has been going great! This week will be presented by Faith Kearns from ASU. Kearns will present a talk entitled, "Communicating Science in a Dry and Fiery Time"! Everyone is welcome and we cant wait to see you there!

Please see below for an bio!
Faith Kearns is a scientist, communications expert, and strategist with 20+ years of experience leading research communication and engagement programs at universities, non-profits, and government agencies — on issues ranging from water to wildfire, oceans to landscapes, and climate to disasters. She builds programs, shapes public narratives, and connects research institutions, government agencies, and communities so that science reaches the people and decision-makers who need it most.
Her award-winning book Getting to the Heart of Science Communication: A Guide to Engagement (Island Press) has become a foundational resource across the field. She co-created and co-hosts Water Talk, an award-winning podcast now in its seventh season. She has written for High Country News, New Republic, On Being, and Bay Nature, and has been featured as an expert source in outlets including the Washington Post, Guardian, CNN, Mother Jones, Rolling Stone, and National Geographic.

Over her career, Kearns has built and led science communication programs at the Ecological Society of America, UC Berkeley's Center for Fire Research and Outreach, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative at Arizona State University. She also served as an AAAS Science and Policy Fellow in the U.S. Department of State, negotiating international ocean and fisheries policy.

Kearns spent over a decade at the California Institute for Water Resources at the University of California, building water-related research communication infrastructure across the UC system during some of California's most severe drought, wildfire, and climate crises. She now serves as a fellow with the Institute with support from the Climate Science and Communications Fund.

Kearns holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley and a B.S. in Environmental Science and Political Science from Northern Arizona University.

10/05/2026

Check out this nice story on work by SES Prof Abe Springer and his group monitoring the impact of the Dragon Bravo fire on drinking water in the Grand Canyon. Fondriest Environmental, Inc.

After the Dragon Bravo Fire on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, a professor monitors turbidity at a nearby spring, the park’s sole drinking water source.

09/11/2026

A recently published paper by SES grad student Aden Stern explores why the expansion of AI infrastructure continues in Metro Phoenix, a region with clear biophysical burdens. NAU Research NAU College of the Environment, Forestry & Natural Sciences https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629626004020

09/11/2026

SES Prof Abe Springer talked to KNAU about connections (or not) between the Dragon Bravo Fire and recent flooding in the Grand Canyon - take a listen!

Last year’s Dragon Bravo Fire increased runoff on the North Rim, but experts say it had only a limited impact on August’s deadly flooding.

09/10/2026

Recent SES graduate student Dr. Joey Phillips, SES Prof Jim Gaherty, and co-authors used unique ocean-bottom seismometers from two Pacific sites to examine how the plate and the mantle beneath it record different kinds of motion. Their results show that the plate preserves clues from plate formation, while the mantle beneath the plate responds broadly to present-day Pacific plate motion and deeper mantle flow.

Read the story: https://ses-nau.org/news/2026-09-pacific-mantle/

09/09/2026

Listen to this excellent Earth Note on work by the Clare Ellsworth Aslan, Sara Souther, and other SES scientists on what tiny cacti can teach us about the recovery of ecosystems after fires. NAU Research NAU College of the Environment, Forestry & Natural Sciences

A tiny cactus that survives intense wildfire could offer clues about the resilience of ecosystems on the Colorado Plateau.

09/03/2026

Radiocarbon dating can take you back 40,000 years. NAU researcher Darrell Kaufman is going much, much further. 🦴🔬

NAU Regents' Professor Darrell Kaufman runs one of just a handful of labs on Earth specializing in amino acid geochronology—a method that can unlock the ages of fossils dating back to the last several ice ages. It's cutting-edge science happening right here in Flagstaff.

Discover what NAU researchers are uncovering about Earth's ancient past: https://bit.ly/4xvbChU

09/03/2026

CEFNS Career & Hiring Fair — October 1!

We’re excited to welcome employers to campus to connect with the next generation of scientists, environmental professionals, foresters, mathematicians, chemists, and STEM leaders.

Whether you’re recruiting for internships, part-time positions, or full-time opportunities, the CEFNS Career & Hiring Fair is a great way to meet talented NAU students.

Registration is required. Register through Handshake and contact Chase Kurbat at [email protected] by September 18 to learn more or reserve space for additional activities. https://app.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs/8f2484ca-bde7-49ab-9c10-8082655e89ed/employer_preview?fbclid=IwY2xjawT-fVpwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWExRWFFeGFDaVVSOExSazBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeMa8zppdXQVq9TZKCdvfwoi_3PwD6LBsPcHl0XjJOOQWdYIh7tIaiQnMAG74_aem_pgU7ss0TmfiYf89Bkh37jA

NAU School of Earth and Sustainability Department of Astronomy & Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University Ecological Restoration Institute NAUForestry