College of Engineering, Forestry & Natural Sciences Research
Undergraduate Researcher Testimonials
The College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
offers you cutting-edge undergraduate research and design opportunities in all of our eleven
academic departments. These numerous avenues for hands-on research can begin as early as your freshman year and will take you from the classroom
in the real world, where you can apply your studies and impact your field. Our programs provide important research experience that will set
you apart when moving into a career or graduate degree. Read what some of our undergraduates within the college have done as undergraduate
researchers.
Shana Coffey, Senior, Physics Major
I just returned to Northern Arizona University after briefly attending another university just a few blocks from my hometown on the east
coast. There I would go to office hours, and I would have to tell the professor my name and what class I was enrolled in.
Here at NAU, my friends and I talk about how much we love that our science classes are small and that our professors know who we are. In
fact, I began doing undergraduate research after being referred to Professor Gus Hart in the Department of Physics because my instructor noticed
that I did so well in the lab.
I applied for a research position my sophomore year and was hired to work in the lab on modeling titanium oxide molecules. I was paid an hourly
wage and given a key so that I could work between my classes when it was convenient for me. Professor Hart was also willing to teach me everything
that I needed to know to work on the research project; it was perfect.
I will graduate this spring with a degree in physics and a minor in mathematics. Everyone I talk to at NAU loves that it is small and that
you have opportunities like undergraduate research to pursue here. This is such a unique place; what other university has two observatories
and the U.S. Geological Society on campus?
Colleen Cooley, Senior, Environmental Sciences
I did not think that I would be starting my freshman year doing research; it just sort of happened. I began my undergraduate career in Environmental Engineering, but quickly switched to Environmental Sciences where I learned of the many research opportunities that were available within the department.
I started my freshman year, working with uranium sampling, because the research was being done on the Navajo Nation and I was interested in learning about the history of uranium mining done in this area as well as other types of research that were being done elsewhere. Dr. Jani Ingram, an Associate Professor in Chemistry, was already working with undergraduate and graduate students, collecting samples, and testing them for uranium. I applied for a research position and began by working with other students on sample collecting. The samples were first taken of water, then soil, and now, years later, I initiated my own project and began taking samples of plants. Another student is continuing my research on plants by testing the sheep that feed on those plants. I learned and gain a lot of knowledge from other undergraduate researchers, graduate students, and my professors, specifically on collecting data, analyzing the data, and how to interpret this data in ways that make sense.
I am fortunate enough to have started doing research as a freshman because I have gained so much research experience as an undergraduate, which is not customary for many U.S. students, who do not start doing research until their junior or senior year. In addition, it has helped me support my way through college. I have received funding through the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
& NAU scholarships and programs, including scholarships dedicated to Native American student success, which have covered my tuition and research costs in full.
These types of opportunities are available outside the classroom and it is a matter of finding them on your own rather than sitting in the back of the classroom hoping that it will come to you. You have to come to a place like NAU and get involved.
Joshua Copus, Senior, Biology Major
This summer, I am returning to French Polynesia to the Toumoto Archipelago to continue gathering feeding, mating, and territorial data for
my original undergraduate research on the endemic butterflyfish there. I am a serious biology student who showed some initiative to my professors,
and they helped to find a way for me to conduct the research that I wanted to do. NAU does a great job and really helps students like me to
find ways to get involved in research and to provide funding for it. That’s what I really like about this university.
I have worked closely with College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
Professor, Steven Shuster, and with Professor Alice Gibb in her
laboratory. They have both shown that they really wanted me to succeed and gain research experience early in my studies here. I have applied for
and received so much funding to make this possible. I have received the NAU Hooper Award, the IGERT award, support from the Biological Sciences
Department Chair, Maribeth Watwood, and the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
Dean, Laura Huenneke. I have even received awards outside
of the university through my network here on campus. Without the funding and my professors’ knowledge, I could never have done this on
my own.
I want to go further in my education and start graduate school soon. My undergraduate research will set me apart from other applicants. When I
sit in classes now, I think about all of the hands-on experiences that I’ve had and how those experiences are incorporated into my
science courses.
Grades aren’t everything. I will get into graduate school because I am dedicated, serious, and I’ve learned to do research that
was intimidating to begin with.
Mike Thomson, Senior, Electrical Engineering Major
After my first year as an engineering student, I was surprised to learn that undergraduate research and independent study opportunities existed
for students like me even though I had three more years of classes before graduation.
I have been involved in many projects over the last three years, but one of my favorite research experiences involved computer-automated digital
image and pattern recognition. I learned about this research project and approached the lead professor about it. He allowed me to take control
of the project while he provided mentorship. I was able to use my own ideas and imagination to determine what direction the project should take.
Through this undergraduate opportunity, I developed software that can accurately and efficiently approximate shapes extracted from images,
allowing for numerous applications in the science and engineering fields.
My undergraduate research projects have been supported in many ways. Engineering faculty members later approached me with additional research
opportunities. I applied for and received two university grants to support my research. The College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
hosts
an annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Design Day event where I have been able to attend and to present my research findings.
Last year, I received an award for my research project and presentation.
My experiences here have been so beneficial. I have worked one-on-one with faculty within the college about interesting topics that were not
part of my everyday class experiences. With my undergraduate research experience, I was prepared for summer internships, gained a sense
of entrepreneurialism, and was able to quickly secure a job that I enjoy. My undergraduate work in the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
at NAU has better equipped me to start my graduate degree.
