2024 Undergraduate Symposium Student Stories

With the Undergraduate Symposium coming up, some of our presenters have been highlighted on NAU’s Stories page. Find out more about each student below.

Helena Moomjian is an I2S participant majoring in Geography, Environment, and Society. Her project was guided by graduate student Hayden Jorde, and Moomjian spent many weekends at Sedona trailheads, gathering important information on the challenges facing these trails. Learn more by reading Trailblazing research seeks to protect Sedona’s landscapes.

Dadric Riggs is a Visual Communication major who was awarded a SPArCS award for the 2023-2024 academic year. His project is focused on creating a visual representation of the waste generated yearly in the United States at a tangible scale. Learn more by reading Highlighting waste issues with VR.

Will Whitten is an Honors student majoring in Music Education and Music Performance. His SPArCS project is focused on klezmer music, the traditional music of Ashkenazi Jews. His project has researched the history of the genre, and will culminate in a piece which will be premiered on April 26. Learn more by reading Undergraduate premiering klezmer composition

Jenna Hays is a Civil Engineering major who is completing a study on a bridge in Coconino County, Arizona. Through the HURA, Jenna was able to measure the bridge’s resilience and better understand how much of a Live Load the bridge can hold.  Learn more by reading Researching bridges, building connections.