NAU Yuma

From NAU Yuma to Medical School

Issac Lopez says medicine kind of runs in his family. His dad is an EMT, his mom is a nurse practitioner at the YRMC Cancer Center, his sister is a nurse, and his brother is in medical school. Now Issac will also be attending medical school at the University of Arizona in Tucson this fall.

While NAU Yuma was his launch pad to med school, he proved he has what it takes to be successful. In May, the NAU Yuma Spring 2024 Distinguished Senior with a cumulative 4.0 GPA graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Natural Resources Sciences. During his studies, Issac also worked at a local family primary care clinic, shadowing physicians and studying for the Medical College Admissions Test. “Issac Lopez exemplifies the best of the qualities and character that we strive to instill in our students at NAU Yuma,” said Dr. Mike Sabath, Dean and CEO at NAU Yuma. As for Issac, he says he wants to see all the other graduates be recognized for their hard work as well.

For information on NAU Yuma programs of study that can help you prepare for medical school, visit the NAU Yuma Advising Center located in office 213 inside the Academic Complex (AC) Building on the NAU Yuma / AWC shared main campus, or call (928) 317-6432.

Commencement photo dump #1: "No Cap"
We are really mad at Instagram right now for only letting us upload 10 pictures 😤
Each year our students create great cap designs, and was no exception! 🔥

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Happy National Student Nurses Day! 🥳
Special shout out to part of our graduating cohort of 2024 💙💛

Thank you to Dr. Kitchka Petrova for sending these pictures our way of education students presenting their final projects for their Science Methods class.

Last Thursday we had our annual Social Work Senior Banquet. This event celebrates graduates, family members, faculty, and our social work field instructors.

Congratulations to all our graduating social workers! 💙💛

The NAU Yuma Spring 2024 Commencement will take place on Friday, May 17, at 7 pm at Veterans Memorial Stadium! Go to nau.edu/yuma/commencement to learn more!

*NAU’s commitment to Yuma goes back to 1988 with the establishment of the NAU–Yuma campus in the Southwestern Arizona border region. Students come primarily from Yuma, La Paz, and Imperial Counties and, because of the location, live and study in a bi-national and multicultural environment that affords them opportunities to develop language and cultural skills that enhance their academic experience and employability.

Join us in celebrating the outstanding achievements of Samantha Barraza, one of our 4 Gold-Axe recipients.🪓

This spring, Samantha will be the first in her family graduating with a bachelors in Criminal Justice/Intelligence Studies and a minor in Social Work. She comes to us from AWC where she got her associates in Homeland Security. Her biggest inspiration for choosing this career field came from Gerardo Zaragoza, a Law Enforcement Teacher at

Her advice to other students is, “Never give up, and never take no as an answer.” She also encourages students to “connect with professionals and to use your professors as resources, they are there to help you succeed!”

Lastly, she would like to thank her family for all their support, her NAU professors Rod Parish and David King, and the YES program for making transferring easier, giving her advice and providing her with scholarship opportunities.

Congratulations 🥳🥳

Please join us in congratulating our 2024
Full-time Teacher of the Year! 🥳

Kristie Leigh Wright, Associate Clinical Professor, Nursing

Professor Kristie Wright MSN-Ed, ACUE, RNC-MNN teaches undergraduate nursing courses at NAU-Yuma. She earned an associate degree in nursing from Arizona Western College. She did a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in nursing from Grand Canyon University. She started teaching at Northern Arizona University in 2014 as a part-time clinical instructor in the maternal-child nursing course. She accepted a full-time position with NAU  in Fall of 2016.

She has taught health assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacology, research, family nursing roles, introduction to nursing, pediatrics, and her specialty maternal-newborn nursing. Professor Wright is dedicated to making sure students have the best learning experience in the classroom and in the clinical setting. She chairs the Student Awards and Recognition and Annual Review committees for the NAU College of Nursing. In 2020 she earned a certification from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) to implement active learning strategies in the classroom.

She has worked as a bedside nurse and labor and postpartum nurse at Yuma Regional Medical Center since 2011. In 2022 she earned certification in maternal-newborn nursing. She is the past president and vice president of the Rio Colorado Yuma Chapter 7 of the Arizona Nurses Association. She volunteers each year with her students to perform vision and hearing screenings with over 900 children in the Crane School District. She has presented to local high school students to promote professional nursing and discuss the academic preparation needed for admission to NAU-Yuma nursing program.

In 2022 she received the March of Dimes Heroes in Action Award for Education and Research. She and her husband love traveling together whenever possible. She is dedicated to her family, friends, patients, colleagues, and students.  

Congratulations 💛💙

Awesome job by our Social Work students!

'In Their Shoes': NAU–Yuma social work students participate in re-entry simulation Local students studying social work at NAU–Yuma recently got the opportunity to gain a new perspective by participating in the university’s re-entry simulation, “In Their Shoes.”

Great meeting yesterday with the Yuma Advisory Board!

First puc from left to right: Lynne Pancrazi, Tom Hirt, Tom Tyree, Jamie Sheldahl, Ryan Cheung, Amanda Aguirre, Russ Prust, Monica Acosta Alvarado, Frank Nunez, Mike Sabath, Brian Golding, Nydia Herrera, Jenny Torres, Jason Bradley, Linda Elliott Nelson, Tim Brienza, Jim Davey, Cornel Ciocanel, Jesus Mora.

Last pic: NAU Alumni, go Jacks! 🪓

The NAU Provost visited our campus yesterday and met with our partners at AWC 🤝
More great new programs are coming to our campus soon 😌