Elevate Radiant Center for Remote Sensing
The Radiant Center for Remote Sensing at Northern Arizona University is a new, multidisciplinary hub advancing how we understand and respond to complex challenges through cutting-edge remote sensing technology.
Radiant brings together faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers from across campus to develop and apply tools such as drone imaging, infrared sensing, hyperspectral analysis, and 3D mapping. These technologies transform environmental, exploration, and cultural questions into actionable insight.
Though only two semesters old, the Center is already making a meaningful impact by:
- Providing gap funding between grants
- Expanding access to advanced technology and software
- Offering administrative support so researchers can focus on discovery
- Radiant projects span a wide range of high-impact applications:
- Monitoring wildfire behavior and smoke to support public safety and response
- Mapping forests in 3D to understand drought, fuel loads, and fire pathways
- Tracking wildlife and environmental stressors to aid conservation
- Detecting water leaks in desert systems to support sustainable resource management
- Preserving heritage through drone mapping and 3D models of archaeological sites
The Center serves communities across Arizona and around the world, helping translate research into real-world solutions.
Our Giving Day Priorities
Donor support to the Radiant Center plays a critical role in sustaining and expanding Radiant Center's impact. Our Giving Day funding priorities focus on three key areas:
Travel Funding
Enables students and researchers to conduct fieldwork, respond to time-sensitive events such as wildfires, and present findings at conferences.
Event Support on Campus
Supports collaborative events that bring together multidisciplinary teams, create accessible learning spaces, and connect students with researchers and community partners.
Student Engagement and Research
Provides funding for student participation in projects when grants do not include student support, and ensures students can present their work at conferences and symposiums.
Your Collective Impact
On NAU Giving Day, your impact is multiplied. Here's how generous donor support can elevate Radiant Center:
$1,000 Raised Means: Immediate student enablement & deployment of logistics
- Support student travel and conference participation
- Cover field deployment logistics for rapid-response events (e.g., wildfire and prescribed burn measurement trips)
- Provide travel support that increases student and community partner participation in fieldwork
$5,000 Raised Means: Field campaigns, pilot efforts, and software & tool acceleration
- Fund a focused field campaign (such as student fieldwork travel & in-country costs for a high-impact study)
- Purchase imagery processing software or fill targeted "prototype readiness" gaps
- Build and deploy a drone system for a conservation organization
$10,000 Raised Means: Build & upgrade core capability and expand deployment
- Build multiple custom drone systems and deploy them with research or conservation partners
- Develop a field-ready sensor prototype (for example, a methane sensor build)
- Purchase specialized instrumentation accessories
- Improve capacity for student training and group productivity
Thank You for Supporting NAU Researchers
Your support allows NAU researchers to continue turning data into action: protecting natural resources, improving public safety, and training the next generation of scientists and community leaders. Every gift—of every size—makes a meaningful impact. Your support is never insignificant or too little.
Thank you for investing in the Radiant Center for Remote Sensing and in a future shaped by knowledge, collaboration, and innovation.
