Montoya Fellowship

The Montoya Fellowship is granted annually to an exceptional student in the community planning or GIS programs at Northern Arizona University with a demonstrated interest in transportation, and in particular, transit, pedestrian, and bicycle planning. 

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The fellowship includes a paid, twelve-month internship with MetroPlan Flagstaff and Mountain Line, two agencies responsible for regional, multimodal transportation planning for the Flagstaff area. 

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The Montoya Fellow will gain valuable experience in transportation planning and implementation. Under the direction of agency professionals, the Fellow will perform general duties and contribute to the delivery of specific projects and studies. The pay and course credits received will help support their academic careers, while their work will benefit our community by enhancing mobility and transportation. The Fellow is expected to work 25-30 hours per week.

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The Montoya Fellowship program is now in its 13th year. Previous Fellows have used the experience to help launch careers in transportation planning. Some have gone on to graduate school, while others have found positions with local governments, regional transportation agencies, and private consulting firms.

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APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications for the Fellowship are due to Mountain Line no later than 4:00 PM MST on
March 31, 2026. 

 

Online Application: 

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Résumé
 

Letter of recommendation from NAU faculty or advisor

 

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Minimum Qualifications

• The successful applicant must demonstrate a strong interest in and commitment to transportation planning, particularly in areas such as transit, walking, and bicycling.

• Applications must be accompanied by a résumé and a letter of recommendation/nomination from a NAU faculty member or advisor.

• Fellowship candidates must be working toward one of the following degrees in NAU’s Department of Geography, Planning, and Recreation:

  • Bachelor of Science in Geographic Science and Community Planning, with an emphasis in Community Planning and Development or Geospatial Science

  • Master of Science in Applied Geospatial Sciences

• If no suitable candidate is found in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Recreation, the fellowship will consider students from other related undergraduate or advanced NAU programs, including Civil and Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Communities.

• Incoming graduate students and incoming seniors are preferred, although incoming juniors may also be considered.

• Applicants with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in their major are preferred.

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