{"id":1795,"date":"2021-08-15T20:46:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-15T20:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nau.edu\/aspirations\/?p=1795"},"modified":"2023-08-08T19:34:04","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T19:34:04","slug":"we-seek-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/we-seek-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"NAU student researchers seek solutions to environmental challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At Northern Arizona University, our faculty and students look for answers to some of our most compelling environmental challenges\u2014together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of these initiatives is protecting and preserving the region\u2019s scarce groundwater supplies during a prolonged drought. Natalie Jones, a graduate student in NAU\u2019s School of Earth and Sustainability<\/a>, conducts hydrogeology research in the Grand Canyon under the mentorship of her advisor, hydrogeologist and ecohydrologist Abe Springer<\/a>. Jones led a study<\/a> on Roaring Springs, the Grand Canyon National Park\u2019s only source of water, in collaboration with researchers at the park, Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, and the Kentucky Geological Survey at the University of Kentucky. Her research provides better information to water managers, enabling them to protect the Grand Canyon\u2019s water resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese springs and streams support diverse ecosystems, and many hikers and wildlife rely on them for survival,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThis research helps narrow down where these water sources are coming from and could help us better protect them in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an undergraduate student, Geology major<\/a> Cecily Combs had the opportunity to work on one of the region\u2019s most significant forestry projects of this century\u2014the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI)\u2014as a researcher for Springer. 4FRI is designed to increase biodiversity and make southwestern forests more resilient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combs\u2019 research<\/a> is focused on monitoring and obtaining water samples from springs in the Flagstaff area. Combs samples the springs seasonally to measure their water output. Her research provides a longitudinal view of the effects of 4FRI on groundwater recharge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s honestly pretty amazing to know that as an undergraduate, I was allowed to participate in something that\u2019s going to be a long-standing project, something that\u2019s going to make a difference,\u201d Combs said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a professor in NAU\u2019s School of Earth and Sustainability, Springer conducts research on hydrogeology, ecohydrology, non-market valuation, karst hydrogeology, and many other related water topics. He mentors students like Natalie Jones, Cecily Combs, and Kayleigh Nuyttens, pictured below during a research expedition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Geology graduate student Kaleigh Nuyttens surveys the Grand Canyon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Combs appreciates the guidance she has received from Springer. \u201cI like that Dr. Springer doesn\u2019t let you get lost,\u201d she said. \u201cHe encourages us to work with each other, play to our strengths, and build our network connections. He\u2019s really encouraging us not to grow just as scientists, but as people too.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collaboration and support she has received at NAU from Springer and others have made an impact, and her goals are much clearer now: Combs sees research in her future, whether in graduate school or for a public or private employer. Mentors like Springer, who dedicate so much to helping their students, set NAU apart from the rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At Northern Arizona University, our students and faculty look for answers to some of our most compelling environmental challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":316,"featured_media":3696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1795"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/316"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1795"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5998,"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1795\/revisions\/5998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}