SPRING 2021
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
A SPACE FOR CHANGE
University of Wyoming Opens Black Studies Center
LESSONS IN OBSERVATION Faculty Address Wyoming’s Grand Challenges
THRIVING IN THE PANDEMIC Art, Music, Theatre and Dance in the time of COVID
Redefining History: ASUW Welcomes First All-Female Ticket
147
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
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300 FACULTY MEMBERS
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AT UWYO.EDU/AS
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OVER 153,000 CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT
3,524 STUDENTS (29% OF UW)
23 INSIDE 02 / A Message From the Interim Dean 03 / Remembering Brad Watson UW Memorializes Well Known Faculty Member 04 / Faculty Accolades 08 / A Dynamic Duo UW Celebrates First Female President and Vice-President Ticket 10 / UW Fosters Community of Inclusion Black Studies Center Opens 12 / Grand Challenges: A Rise to the Occasion Disciplines come together to solve Wyoming’s biggest issues
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17 / Understanding Distrust in Science COJO Dept. Researches Data Discord 18 / The Show Must Go On Adapting the Arts to a Virtual Format 23 / A&S I See It A Student’s Perspective on Life at UW During a Pandemic 24 / Latina Conference Goes Virtual The Wyoming Latina Youth Conference Embraces Leadership, Science and Creativity 28 / Building Better Science State-of-the-art new Science Initiative Building is scheduled to open fall 2021
28 ON THE COVER: Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW) President Riley Talamantes and Vice President Courtney Titus.
UW College of Arts & Sciences • 1
Dear Friends of the College of Arts and Sciences:
Elevations Volume 7: Spring 2021 1000 E. University Ave, Dept. 3254 Laramie, WY 82071 (307) 766-4106 asdean@uwyo.edu Interim Dean Daniel Dale Incoming Dean Camellia Okpodu Associate Dean Greg Brown Associate Dean Teena Gabrielson Editor Halle Hill All articles written by Halle Hill unless indicated. Graphic Design Michelle Eberle, Emily Edgar and Brittny Wroblewski Photography All photos by Ted Brummond and Kyle Spradley unless otherwise noted. Elevations Magazine is published once a year for College of Arts and Sciences alumni, friends, and constituents. Mailing addresses are provided by the University of Wyoming Foundation. To change your mailing address and/or contact information, please send email to foundation@uwyo.edu. The University is committed to equal opportunity for all persons in all facets of the University’s operations. All qualified applicants for employment and educational programs, benefits, and services will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law and University policy.
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As we near the end of the 2021 spring semester, I am amazed at our collective resiliency. This year handed us more than we could have prepared for, and yet here we are, facing into the storm, ever committed in our pursuit of excellence and complete living. Academic year 2019-2020 offered challenges, most notably that of COVID-19, but we met those challenges with classic Wyoming grit. Faculty successfully adjusted to virtual and hybrid teaching, and many of our community events adapted to online gatherings. Community safety, academic excellence, and inclusivity continue to be a major focus for all UW entities this academic year, and, for the College of Arts and Sciences, this means looking critically at the way we’ve historically done things. We celebrate the first all-female identifying president/vice president ticket in the recorded history of the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW) headed by two A&S students. In October, we launched the Black Studies Center with the inaugural “Let Freedom Ring” webinar, spearheaded by Dr. Fredrick Douglass Dixon. We approached innovation and community engagement through our work with the nascent Grand Challenges and AMK Ranch initiatives, and continued our commitment to visual and performance artistry with a fine selection of live-streamed performances and exhibitions. We are excited to provide a new approach to our College of Arts and Sciences magazine, Elevations. Ingenuity, adaptability, and resiliency are the themes of this year’s issue. Our feature articles demonstrate the depth and breadth of research and creative activity embodied in A&S, as exemplified through students, faculty and staff. We also offer a modest sampling of faculty accolades and research updates, as well as acknowledgments of the exemplary service and dedication to the university and greater global community from our constituents. As part of the A&S family, I encourage you to share what you learn in Elevations. Our spirit is unbroken, and we are looking forward to our future with relentless optimism. We are pleased to offer this compilation of our best and brightest. We keep pressing forward, with great hope for A&S and its continued excellence. Best regards,
Daniel Dale, Interim Dean
PHOTO COURTESY OF WILTONBRADWATSON.COM
Remembering Brad Watson
UW Memorializes Well Known Faculty Member
The University of Wyoming remembers beloved professor Wilton “Brad” Watson, who passed away July 8, 2020. An accomplished writer, esteemed professor and encouraging mentor, Watson began his career at UW in 2005 as a professor in the Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program and remained there until his death. Described as a thoughtful, inspired teacher, Watson was known for his mentorship. Watson was the author of two collections of stories and two novels, The Heaven of Mercury, which was a
finalist for the 2002 National Book Award, and Miss Jane, longlisted for the 2016 National Book Award. His fiction and essays were published in The New Yorker, The Oxford American, Granta, Ecotone, Electric Literature and the Idaho Review, among others. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of the Year in 2017, given to a living, nationally recognized Alabama writer who has made a significant lifelong contribution to Alabama letters. A respected faculty member, his absence is surely substantial. UW Interim Provost Anne Alexander says she was “heartbroken” to hear about Watson’s death. “He was an extraordinary writer, an inspirational teacher, a fantastic colleague, and a beautiful soul,” says Alexander. “UW was lucky that he chose to be part of our family and make Laramie his home.” Known for his love of Wyoming, Watson wrote often about the state. In a 2010 publication in Granta literary journal he described his love for the wild and wonder-filled place he called home. “Wyoming is warm only about three months of the year, and the rest of the year it is either cold or very cold. Such a climate tends to repel most people, and that’s fine since I believe that people here want Wyoming to remain wide-open. Even in the South these days, the interstates are crowded. You can’t find a non-crowded interstate east of Austin or Abilene, Texas; Lincoln, Neb.; or Galesburg, Ill. When you cross that imaginary line, driving west, it’s as if someone unwound an overly tight Ace bandage from around your head, unscrewed a clamp from your heart. This is a beautiful place in all seasons, no matter how harsh the winters are, the blessed charactertesting winters. The summers are the best I’ve known, and everyone lives for them.” Watson is survived by his wife, two sons, and a granddaughter.
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DR. ROB COLTER
Philosophy Professor Rob Coulter was featured in a chapter on the subject of Stoicism in “The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers,” authored by Eric Weiner. Botany
DR. JEAN A. GARRISON
David G. Williams and colleagues published a recent article in the journal Conservation Physiology on the highelevation Altiplano cacti of Bolivia.
which she directs, to create greater depth and breadth in virtual civic engagement programming for K-12 social studies teachers, design a service learning component for her classes, explore a partnership with F.E. Warren AFB in national security studies, and build upon a grant partnership with the Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) on ‘Contestations of the Liberal Script’ to apply the civic engagement lens to questions of polarization and hyper partisan politics from a local to global scale.
Physics and Astronomy
Modern and Classical Languages
Jifa Tian (PI) and his Co-PIs, TeYu Chien, Jinke Tang, Brian Leonard, and John Ackerman have recently been awarded a DOE Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships grant entitled “Exploring Nontrivial Topological Superconductivity in 2M WS2 for Topological Quantum Computation.” It is for three years at $750,000.
Professor Ekaterina Alexandrova was awarded the prestigious Seibold Professorship for 2021-2022.
Political Science AND International Studies Jean A. Garrison, professor of political science and international studies, is the recipient of the Seibold Professorship for 2021-2022. She will spend the year building upon elements of the Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program,
Theatre AND Dance All faculty in Theatre & Dance have been successfully provided on-line, hybrid and in-person classes throughout the fall semester, produced a live streaming performance, “Asking Strangers the Meaning of Life” and filmed vocalists and dancers for the musical “29” which released in early January. Assistant Professor Scott TedmonJones served as the scenic slide/image coordinator for The Juilliard School Drama Division’s fourth year Zoom Festival – their solution for creating
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DR. CECILIA ARAGÓN
work during the pandemic. His work primarily focused on prop design, location setups and lighting, and background image design. Assistant Professor Patrick Konesko has contract with Routledge for his book “Death of Satire” due out in 2021. New Associate Professor Jenny Foldenauer was a winner for best costume design for her work on Mary Zimmerman’s “Argonautika” put on at A Noise Within theatre company in Pasadena, Calif. Lee Hogdson, professor and costumer for the Department of Theatre & Dance from 1987-2020, was awarded Emeritus status for a distinguished career at the University of Wyoming. Former Department Head and Professor Leigh Selting is now the Associate Dean in the University of Wyoming Honor’s College. Along with co-author Professor William Missouri Downs, Professor Lou Anne Wright was given a weeklong March residency by the Phoenix Theatre Company in Arizona. The play “You Can’t Say That” was awarded a series of staged, public readings by the
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Phoenix as a part of its Festival of New American Theatre. Wright was invited to perform a new monologue by playwright Evan Edwards at the Valdez Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Wright’s monologue “Triple Ma’am” was chosen by The Brave New World Repertory Theatre in Brooklyn to be included in an evening of new pieces written by women. “Over and Above” was performed in August and featured actors Laura San Giacomo and Blair Brown.
and Danza Azteca in Latinx-Chicanx Popular Culture,” published by University of Arizona Press (2021), and “Performing the Myths of “El querido Billy the Kid-El Bilito: Cultural Politics in Folk Songs, Folk Celebrations, and Contemporary Dramas,” published by University of New Mexico Press (2021). Aragón continues to serve as the Executive Director for the Wyoming Latina Youth Conference and the Director of Theatre Education, K-12 Theatre Education Endorsement.
Professor Cecilia Aragón was appointed to Leadership Wyoming, an organization that promotes and develops future leaders in Wyoming. Aragón also has a book contract which will be published in 2021, entitled “Borderlands Children’s Theatre: The Emergence of MexicanAmerican/Chicano Youth Theatre,” published by Routledge Press, UK: London. In addition, Aragón has a published essay entitled, “Ceremony of Sisterhood: Performing Mestizaje in Rudolfo Anaya’s Literature and Plays for Children,” in Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies at UCLA.
William Missouri Down’s play, “How To Steal A Picasso” will soon be published by TRW (Theatrical Rights Worldwide). In addition to this, Downs had three overseas productions of his plays: “Women Playing Hamlet” by the Hartwell Players in Melbourne, Australia, “Cockeyed” at the Fifth Theatre in Omsk in Russia, and “The Exit Interview” was part of a theatre festival at the Daehakro Theatre in Seoul, South Korea.
Aragón has two more forthcoming books under contract “Indigenous Revivalism: Mestizaje Performance
Cecilia Aragón has participated in two creative activities: Aug. 19, 2020, Podcast interview with AnnaTude: “Un asiento en la Mesa- Ft. Dr. Cici Aragon, University of Wyoming Theatre and Dance and Latinx Studies Professor”
DR. FREDRICK DOUGLASS DIXON
http://bit.ly/ annatude-cici Aragón was cast in “Trumpus Caesar” written by Carlos Morton and performed at University of California, Santa Barbara https://youtu.be/ tmu3CM1EOVI
Classics
Black Studies Center
The UW Classics program sponsored Relative Theatrics’ virtual reading of Euripides’ “Medea” on Nov. 12, 2020. The play explored the trauma that a refugee and her children experienced when they lost the protection of their guardian.
Fredrick Douglass Dixon spearheaded the launch of the Black Studies Center. Its inaugural webinar launch was Oct. 13, 2020, and was entitled “Liz Byrd Speaker Series: Let Freedom Ring After Fifty Years, Does Black Studies Matter? A Critical Critique.”
Professor Margaret Wilson and Neil Humphrey (Geology & Geophysics, adjunct in Theatre & Dance) were selected for the Presidential Speaker Series to highlight their research in their individual fields, their collaborative work in Vertical Dance and their site-specific project in Greenland. Art UW Professor Diana Baumbach is a 2021 recipient of the Visual Arts Fellowship, a highly competitive award from the Wyoming Arts Council. Visual Arts Fellowships are funded and unrestricted awards of merit, based on the artist’s portfolio, honoring the work of Wyoming visual artists whose work reflects serious and exceptional aesthetic investigation.
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: O U D C I M A DYNA esident and Vice-Pre Pr e al m Fe t rs Fi es at br le Ce UW
When Riley Talamantes and Courtney Titus found their way to the University of Wyoming, neither woman knew what awaited her, let alone that they would become the first female president and vice president ticket in UW history. Talamantes, a political science major from Utah with a minor in gender and women’s studies, knew she had an interest in debate and human rights as she considered universities to attend. An avid participant of debate team in high school,
sident Ticket
Talamantes committed to UW after she was offered a scholarship for debate. Passionate about the shaping debate team had on her through high school, Talamantes knew she wanted to continue with her interests in undergraduate years. During her first year, she also discovered the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW). After observing ASUW, Talamantes saw opportunities for both
Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW) President Riley Talamantes (left) and Vice President Courtney Titus (right). COURTESY PHOTO
growth and challenge, so she decided to branch out and pursue a seat in the senate. Courtney Titus’ journey to her appointment as vice president was a winding, yet serendipitous path. Titus, a Wyoming native, spent most of her life relatively close to the university in Cheyenne. Considering her parents to be “homebodies,” she was determined to branch out for her undergraduate education. Attending Colorado State University (CSU) during her first year, Titus was on the pre-med track. While challenging, she was able to meet her high expectations, maintaining an excellent GPA. After her first year at CSU, she realized that pre-med was not the track for her. Titus had a newfound appreciation for education and decided to return to her roots at UW and pursue a double major in english education and psychology with a minor in gender and women’s studies. When Titus saw an opportunity for a seat in the senate after her return to the university, she deiced to run and secured her spot. ISSUES OF INTEREST After instances of racial tension within the ASUW, both Talamantes and Titus decided to lean in and figure out where the institution could be more equitable. During a listening session around diversity, inclusion and equity work, they both saw one another and appreciated the other’s commitment to working towards change. So, they connected, talked, then made a plan to run from the president and vice president ticket. The rest was history. Both women feel grateful to have their platform, and they are passionate about using it to further improve conditions for students on campus and increase inclusivity in ASUW. For Talamantes, she knew that she wanted to work towards increasing wages for student workers at UW. Livable wages were important to her, as not all students have the luxury of being able to participle in campus organizations if they are also working full time. “My first year of college I was working almost full time while going to school. On my days off, I’d want to relax, watch TV and eat dinner, not spend another four hours participating in an extracurricular activity that didn’t pay me,” she says. Titus agreed and added some areas where she had interest as well. She was excited to offer suggestions for how the university could advance around issues of equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as access. “I wanted to look for ways where we could improve. I was really proud [that] ASUW is positioned in a really unique spot to be a leader for some
of these issues. For example, we worked to create a land acknowledgement statement, and now that statement is the statement that the Native American resource center directs people towards if they are interested in making a statement like that,” she says. Titus also noted their shared commitment to dismantling barriers, noting their distinct and supportive stands toward anti-racism and Black Lives Matter. REDEFINING HISTORY While perhaps the first female identifying ASUW president and vice president in UW history, Titus and Talamantes are cautious to accept the accolade of first. Both are honored to be in this position but point to history for their hesitation. “The ASUW has been around for over 100 years,” says Titus. Because of this it’s hard to know exactly how people identified gender-wise over the course of a century. Both Titus and Talamantes acknowledge the pioneers who came before them and are thankful for the ways they paved. ADAPTING TO COVID While their insight and maturity is notable, it’s easy to forget that Talamantes and Titus are both working college students. While COVID-19 offered some challenges for both of them, their optimism and perseverance reflects their Cowpoke spirit. Both credit A&S faculty as being adaptable and positive within the change to online learning. Nevertheless, the fall semester offered them challenges on both their mental health and general well-being. When asked about how they coped during the semester, both women noted similar techniques: self-care, checking in with loved ones and, of course, dog therapy. “I am thankful that I am able to have my dog and partner at this time,” Talamantes says. “I have more time to walk my dog now—an English Mastiff, Gertrude—and that has been helpful.” For Titus is was the much of the same. Connection, partnership and caring for her animals goes a long way. LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE Both Talamantes and Titus enjoy the insight into university function and policy that their candidacy has offered them. Both women are considering their possibilities after college and look to their interests and experiences within the ASUW and the College of Arts and Sciences as they consider their multitude of opportunities. UW College of Arts & Sciences • 9
UW Fosters Community of Inclusion
BLACK STUDIES CENTER Opens In the fall of 2020, the Black Studies Center opened at the University of Wyoming, spearheaded by Dr. Fredrick Douglass Dixon, who will head its initiatives and programs. The center is paving the way for access and recognition within the University of Wyoming, focusing on advancing the accurate histories of Black people and their communities. “The UWBSC spotlights the truths that advance the accurate histories of Black people and will contribute to the university’s mission,” Dixon says. He adds that by engaging in a more robust understanding of Black studies, the UWBSC will enhance the visibility and relevance of Black studies and its capacity to directly affect contemporary social issues facing America and the greater global community. “The center will use culturally responsive teaching, rural communityfocused engagement and evidence-based research to attract high-quality students to UW, who will actively contribute to the development of Black studies,” Dixon says. The UWBSC adapted to COVID-19 complications by moving its inaugural Liz Byrd: Let Freedom Ring lecture series to a webinar format. On Oct. 13, 2020, Dixon moderated the panel discussion titled “After Fifty Years, Does Black Studies Matter? A 10 • Elevations 2021
Critical Critique.” The event boasted an impressive repertoire of faculty panelists. They included Ashley M. Howard of the University of Iowa, Rik Stevens from the University of Florida, and former Africana studies faculty member Marcus Dubois Watson, now associated with SUNY Buffalo State. The webinar was met with great success, and installments took place throughout the 2020-21 school year. Dixon added that the significance of the center will allow deeper engagement in Black studies, raise visibility and the relevance of it, directly affecting present-day social issues in the country and around the world. “It’s a way to say that there is importance in African-American Studies that will allow for conversations and engagement to become part of the mainstream narrative,” Dixon says. “Where we see the social atmosphere and the unrest that many would say is a tipping point.”
Looking down the line towards planned programing, the BSC desires to be a safe space for Black students, staff and faculty, as well as a beacon for Black studies in general. Dixon notes that planning content, lectures and programming will be essential for the longevity of the center. Black History Month was a large imperative for the center. During the month of February, the center hosted its 4th annual Black history month conference. Featuring a keynote by Ashley M. Howard of the University of Iowa, various Black and AfricanAmerican studies faculty from around the country also offered lectures and insight. While the conference usually takes place in person, this year it will was virtual and was hosted over Zoom. Looking further down the line, in anticipation of non-COVID-19 times, the center looks forward to creating consistent and engaging programing. According to Dixon,
Mission
The Black Studies Center spotlights the truth that advancing the precise histories of black people contribute to the University of Wyoming’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. The University of Wyoming’s Black Studies Center (UWBSC) uses culturally responsive teaching, rural community-focused engagement, and evidencebased research to attract high-quality students to the University of Wyoming, who will actively contribute to the development of Black Studies. By engendering a more robust understanding of Black Studies, the UWBSC seeks to enhance the visibility and relevance of Black Studies and its capacity to directly impact contemporary social issues that plague America and the greater global community.
Dr. Fredrick Douglass Dixon
two of the many programs that will be introduced are quarterly workshops that will encompass a wide variety of practical and theoretical subjects and a community engagement project. The project aims to connect students to volunteer opportunities in the Laramie community. Dixon looks to the center as a place
of unwavering dedication to study and cultivation of Black life. He encourages people to connect with the center though their webpage. There, you can find more information about the mission statement of the BSC as well as event schedules, video content and faculty and student spot lights. Visit uwyo.edu/aads/black-studies-center/.
The UWBSC employs multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate increased student collaboration with administrators, faculty, and staff in order to support research and related learning opportunities dedicated to creating innovative scholarship, pedagogy, service, and outreach opportunities that widen and challenge the mainstream historical narrative and provide the opportunity for students to not only learn but actively participate in ongoing social justice discourse. Importantly, the UW Black Studies Center strives to become a model that places Black Studies in rural areas at the forefront of the conceptualizations of race.
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In the spring of 2019, a team of faculty members decided it was time for a different approach. In a time where our country, state, city and family lives seems so divided, these faculty decided to apply an analytical approach to listening, looking to go deeper and find common ground among concern. They desired to understand Wyoming’s grand challenges. Understanding Wyoming and society’s need for challenge resolution was more than apparent. Finding solutions through transdisciplinary collaboration was essential. The Grand Challenges team understood that universities need to step beyond disciplinary bounds to examine and revise their approaches to finding these solutions. This has been recognized at the highest levels. So, they put their heads together and began working toward solutions. The big ideas were large, but well known, according to Danny Dale, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Faculty wanted to work on complex, thorny issues facing the state and the world, to have quality, interdisciplinary process, and to have a grassroots approach, with input from stakeholders across Wyoming. Made up of a core Grand Challenges committee from across many disciplines, the four faculty included Dale, Isadora Helfgott, Scott Henkel and John Kaszuba. Together, they embodied a Research Planning Committee comprised of research-intensive faculty across the university.
UW College of Arts & Sciences • 13
The initial examples of were as follows:
After faculty identified the why, it was time to work through the how. This started the planning period. The purpose of the planning activity period was simple: faculty and stake holders wanted to deeply engage the campus communities in identifying and planning for UW’s pursuit of grand research challenges. Investing in and pursuing such transdisciplinary challenges enabled UW to assert leadership and be among leaders in select areas as it serves the state, region, nation and globe. This activity 14 • Elevations 2021
identified areas where investments in research capacity are needed, where incentives to promote vibrant partnering need to be created, where opportunities to align and identify academic coursework with the Grand Challenges should be sought, and where opportunities for Grand Challenge research to have an economic impact are high. Girding all of this is the requirement that Grand Challenge research serves as a powerful platform for student education and for educational
outreach to citizens of Wyoming and the Mountain West. During the planning period, the committee was able to break down the initial examples of Grand Challenges into three elements: Element 1: Identify six to eight transdisciplinary Grand Challenge research themes that will strongly inform UW future investments in research infrastructure and faculty hiring. Element 2: Identify single-discipline research areas at the foundation
Dr. Daniel Dale Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
s Grand Challenge Committee
Dr. Isadora Helfgott Associate Vice Provost Global Engagement
of Grand Challenges that require investment in faculty or UW infrastructure. Element 3: Identify institutional partnerships to develop or strengthen in order to create new transdisciplinary research opportunities to create strong teams capable of confronting high-priority transdisciplinary Grand Challenges. Partners may include other universities, national labs, industry, community colleges, Native American sovereign nations, international research organizations
and foundations. The launch of Grand Challenges kicked off officially in early 2019. With time dedicated to research, studying and organizing, faculty worked their way through the weeds to arrive at a place of conclusion. This gathering period was spent visiting other campuses, studying the state of Wyoming—specifically it’s areas of strength, challenges, and priorities— followed by the completion of WYSAC surveys and the planning of community listening sessions.
Dr. John Kaszuba Professor, Geology & Geophysics
Dr. Scott Henkel Associate Professor, English and African American & Diaspora Studies
Finding Roots In the fall of 2020, Grand Challenges dove deep into the community, looking to work through the thicket. They implemented thirty-eight listening sessions and over fifty units of campus surveys. Questions and inquiries ran the spectrum, ranging from climate change, to mental health, to distrust in science, to diversity and equity, to addiction. Listening sessions consisted of brainstorming events where large topics were placed on white boards UW College of Arts & Sciences • 15
and branch off ideas were attached to each of the thought clouds with sticky notes. Facilitators prompted stakeholders with questions. This quantitative data was then synthesized into data points and used to determine aggregate areas of consensus. The final areas of concentration boiled down to mistrust in science, policy actions, food, water availability, biodiversity, mental health, human mitigation and natural resources, and resource use and consequences. Where do we go from here? After the detailed planned sessions and after understanding the information from the community listening sessions, the committee had these desired outcomes for the first installment of Grand Challenges. Create opportunities: This activity is meant to set the stage for faculty and students to lead and be among leaders in addressing questions of great societal importance and for its citizens to benefit from this engagement. Impact: This will arise by generating ideas that contribute to solutions to problems of practical importance and that yield intellectual property that will be at the foundation of new businesses in Wyoming. UW research: This will become
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known for its unusually strong combination of scholarship and practical import. UW will do this while creating unparalleled opportunities for education through research. UW looks towards the engagement through the nascent Grand Challenges and AMK Ranch initiatives as a beacon of hope for grounded solutions. Even amid COVID-19 challenges, the Grand Challenges community looks forward to continuing community engagement and sharing ideas around improvement for our university and beloved state with engaged stakeholders.
UNDERSTANDING DISTRUST IN SCIENCE: COJO DEPT. RESEARCHES DATA DISCORD
cell information from Henrietta Lacks. When teaching science journalism, Landreville thinks it’s important for students to understand the past and where science has done harm, so they can be vigilant about protecting communities and their trust moving forward. Landreville sought to diversify science journalism by making inclusion and access focal points for the internships offered. In partnership with Wyoming Public Media, Landreville worked with many outstanding students, including a student who was raised on Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering Karen the Wind River Indian Reservation Wawrousek, Brett Peterson and Julia Dickie in the newly remodeled engineering lab. interested in the intersection of science writing, journalism and health promotion in underserved Wyoming communities. In growing years, it has Reseachers like CooXooEii Black of the Wind River become apparent that Indian Reservation and graduate of Colorado College have increasing populations been able to access the funds from the NSF grant for research of civilians are on their home communities. While not a UW student, Black skeptical of data has worked with UW community members as he studies the scientists. With the intricacies of his Northern Arapaho culture and considers the circulation of fake needs of his community, especially in relation to public health news and narratives and wellbeing. surrounding unreliable Landreville sees a large need for these internships. reporting, it’s Photo of student researcher CooXooEii Dependable science writing is essential, especially in times understandable why courtesy of wyomingepscor.blogspot.com of crisis, like the current COVID-19 pandemic. So far, the there is such a distrust initial cohorts of interns have had great success: they have in public sciences and written and produced over 75 stories and are finding the media. University of Wyoming Communication Professor process illuminating. Kristin Landreville sought to understand this phenomenon through research with her students. “MY HOPE IS THAT WHAT [THE STUDENTS] Receiving an National Science Foundation (NSF) ARE DOING IS REALLY FRUITFUL,” SAID grant to conduct further study, Landreville recruited her best and brightest students, securing them internships in LANDREVILLE. communications through science writing. Landreville noted one of the barriers for laypeople when trusting scientist comes With a $10,000 support from Wyoming EPSCoR, from times in the past where, in the name of science, trusting mentors, interns and students have been supported through people were harmed and taken advantage of. For example, their internship process. The hope is that funding will the forced disease infection in Tuskegee, or the stealing of continue through the 2021-22 academic year.
UW College of Arts & Sciences • 17
ADAPTING THE ARTS TO A VIRTUAL FORMAT
By Kathy Kirkaldie When UW went online during the spring 2020 semester in response to the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic, the Departments of Theatre and Dance and Music were forced to cancel several events in their performance seasons, including symphony and ensemble concerts, a conference, and a main stage theatre production. As virtual learning continued into the summer term, and the fall reopening plan remained in flux, it became clear that the performing arts departments would need to prepare for a potentially virtual season, both in terms of performance and rehearsal. “Theatre has survived for over 2,500 years, and it will continue through a pandemic,” Theatre and Dance department chair Dr. Margaret Wilson says. “Our commitment is to our students, faculty, and patrons to create meaningful work” And, certainly, the arts have flourished through trying times. William Shakespeare, whose life was bookended by outbreaks of the bubonic plague, wrote three of his greatest tragedies—“King Lear,” “Macbeth,” and “Antony and Cleopatra”—with the theatres dark during the 1606 London outbreak. But how does one begin to plan a performance season with so much uncertainty in play? How does one connect with audiences and other artists effectively? Both departments found the answers in employing new technologies and being adaptable. The Department of Theatre and Dance took up the challenge first. The Snowy Range Summer Theatre and Dance season was about to get underway in June and July, and a quick pivot was needed to ensure the season could move forward. Scott Tedmon-Jones, artistic director for summer, consulted early with others in the industry struggling to produce live theatre in a virtual space. With everyone from kindergartners to corporate executives meeting on Zoom,
this approach seemed feasible for company members to communicate, but less than ideal in providing real-time interactions between performers. Tedmon-Jones solicited advice from Pixel Playhouse in particular, which had livestreamed a production of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Ernest” early on in the pandemic. “That guidance was extremely helpful as we set out to create a production in a new format,” Tedmon-Jones says.
The season was reduced to one show, Yasmina’s Reza’s comedy “God of Carnage,” for which streaming rights could be readily secured. The technical company, headed by faculty member Jason Banks, settled on using OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software), a media switcher program that combines live video and audio elements to create a program composition. OBS allowed Banks and his team to create various scenes that they used to move through the narrative of the play. “The combination of the software and live signal feed hardware allowed us to connect live to our actors in varying locations, and to put those camera feeds together for one cohesive show environment,” Banks says. God of Carnage dress rehearsal screenshots with Lauren Asher, Andrew Thornton, Mary Dyson and Justen Glover (photos by Scott Tedmon-Jones)
LEFT: God of Carnage dress rehearsal screenshots with Lauren Asher, Andrew Thornton, Mary Dyson and Justen Glover (photos by Scott Tedmon-Jones) Scene shop foreman Donald P. Turner’s setup for the “29” recording
This approach was fine-tuned for the scaled-down and virtual Snowy Range Summer Dance Festival, which presented several, free virtual classes a day over three days to dancers and teachers in mid-July. In anticipation of the fall semester, the faculty changed the production season, dropping a large-cast musical, while playwright-in-residence and Professor William Missouri Downs wrote a comedy for Zoom addressing the current moment, “Asking Strangers the Meaning of Life.” The production ran in late September and early October almost seamlessly, thanks to the technological groundwork laid by Tedmon-Jones and Banks. The season continued with “29,” a song cycle being rehearsed virtually and was presented as a recording in January. For its part, the Department of Music typically offers more than a hundred performances each year that range from large ensembles, small chamber music groups, solo recitals, and faculty recitals. The Department adjusted its concert lineup by offering live-streamed events and recorded performances for patrons. The UW Symphony, conducted by Dr. Michael Griffith, set its season early but with the theme of “the best laid plans of mice o’ men,” indicating that event details could change at any moment. As Dr. Griffith observed, “The more I plan, the more Burns’ words ring in my ears.” Adapting to UW’s phased, in-person return to campus required auditions, rehearsals, and classes in the first part of the semester to be held virtually. Once allowed on campus, musicians had to be socially distanced, 15 feet for vocalists, 10 feet for wind players, and 6 feet for others, which strictly limited ensemble size for all large ensembles such as the UW Symphony, Wind Symphony, and Collegiate Chorale. As difficult as circumstances were for instrumentalists, singers faced even more challenges in practicing and performing together, and are currently learning and making musical experiences together through virtual platforms. And incumbent for every performance, audiences had to remain offsite. In response, Department of Music Chair Scott Turpen invested in a new multi-camera, high-definition, livestreaming set up in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall, assisted by Caleb Hebbert, Manager of Technical Services, and his staff. “While this is a challenging time in many ways, the Department of Music is embracing this challenge by finding new ways to teach and learn music,” Turpen says. “Our students will learn new skills in recording technology and performance media.”
“Our commitment is to our students, faculty, and patrons to create meaningful work” - Dr. Margaret Wilson
UW College of Arts & Sciences • 21
UWYO student saxophonist recording his part of a jazz piece remotely
Once the technology was in place, livestreams for each concert planned for fall were scheduled under the department’s channel on YouTube. All concerts are offered free of charge, and each has a discrete YouTube link available here: Some concerts only have the rights to be streamed live, such as the recent UW Symphony offering on Oct. 1. But many others will become available as recordings once the livestream has ended. Some ensembles are creating recordings in lieu of livestreams. The Wyoming Jazz Ensemble will be releasing its second commercial album in spring 2020, with student performers recording their parts individually at home and then submitting them for mixing and editing. Many of the tracks on the album will be accompanied by videos of the ensemble playing, which will be uploaded to YouTube throughout the fall.
22 • Elevations 2021
All UW choirs—Collegiate Chorale, Civic Chorus, Bel Canto, Singing Statesmen—are collaborating on a series of virtual recording projects that will be posted online when complete. “Because the choral art allows us to focus deeply on text and poetry, we have selected repertoire that embodies the ideals of strength, resiliency, and hope, as we find solace in our choral community,” Director of Choral Activities Dr. Holly Dalrymple says. Repertoire for these performances includes “No Time” arranged by Susan Brumfield; “Sure on This Shining Night” by Morten Lauridsen; “O Love” by Elaine Hagenberg; and “Amazing Grace” arranged by Robert Gibson. “We hope to engage our current audience while also reaching out to a larger community across the State of Wyoming to find new listeners,” Turpen says.
“We invite you to join us for some or all of our performances in this most unusual year.”
A&S I See It: A Student’s Perspective on Life at UW during a Pandemic with Aina Farid We know that resiliency is a staple of the UW community. Our optimism has carried us through the twists and turns of the 2020-2021 school year. Honoring the perspective of our students, we sat down with Aina Farid, Communications Major, Institutional Marketing intern, and international student, to hear about her experience as a cowpoke adapting to the pandemic.
Q: So Aina, how has this year been for you? A: The year has been a weird one for many of us.
In my personal perspective, this year was difficult, but I had a lot of support to get me through many difficult situations. With the pandemic that is currently happening, it has definitely added to the many things I already worry about such as classes, part-time jobs, and my responsibilities at home.
Q: How did this year challenge or meet your expectations?
A: At the beginning of the year, I thought
that 2020 was going to be similar like my previous years in Laramie. In early January of this year, I was just heading my way to Laramie from vacation in my home country, Malaysia. During this time, the pandemic was really high in South East Asia, which made my travel more alarming than usual. I was fortunate to leave the first wave of the pandemic by returning to Wyoming, but I never expected for the virus to spread all the way to Laramie.
Q: Apart from the
obvious setbacks of 2020, was anything particularly challenging for you this year?
A: I was glad that I got to
return in time to resume my fall classes at the University of Wyoming until we received PHOTO COURTESY OF AINA FARID
news in regard to F-1 international students in the United States. At this time, I was shocked and was starting to realize that my time in Laramie might come to an end. I was fortunate to have the International Students and Scholars office help by constantly keeping us informed on our immigration status. When the rule was lifted, I got very thankful and immediately created a plan of things I wanted to accomplish and see while I am in the country.
Q: Were there any opportunities that came
as a surprise this year? How did the College of Arts and Sciences afford you new opportunities?
A: Because of 2020, I noticed that
these challenges are opportunities in disguise. I have done more activities this year than in the past. Although the pandemic has affected many lives, I have the privilege to work multiple part-time jobs at the university, like my internship within the international student’s office, and my institutional communications internship within A&S. They are helping me create many connections in my career. At this point in the year, I can say that the University of Wyoming has created a lot of openings and support for me.
UW College of Arts & Sciences • 23
LATINA CONFERENCE GOES VIRTUAL THE WYOMING LATINA YOUTH CONFERENCE EMBRACES LEADERSHIP, SCIENCE AND CREATIVITY
CECILIA ARAGÓN. PHOTO BY JED CABRERA
When Professor Cecilia Aragón and Cheyenne’s Ann Esquibel Redman teamed up, they decided to bring their passions together, bringing the Wyoming Latina Youth Conference (WLYC) to the University of Wyoming. According to Pew Research, in 2016, the Latina/o community made up 10 percent of Wyoming’s population. It was apparent to Redman that there was a need for mentorship and community for young Latinas in the Mountain West, so she addressed the need. In 2016, the WLYC moved under the umbrella of UW’s Latina/o studies. Aragón joyfully took on the role of executive director of the conference. Working alongside Redman, they created two committees—one in Cheyenne and one at UW. With years of successful programming, UW looked forward to hosting the WLYC on campus for the seventh year in fall 2020. Due to COVID-19, this was not possible. Nevertheless, the WLYC persisted. Aragón knew it was ambitious, but insisted the conference be moved virtually. Wrangling over 300 young women into Zoom conference rooms was difficult, but it worked. Hosted through the UW Zoom platform, the conference included more than six hours of programming.
ANN ESQUIBEL REDMAN. PHOTO BY WOMEN IN WYOMING
Flying Free This year’s theme was Flying Free, and Cecilia Rodriguez Aragon, Professor at the University of Washington served as the keynote speaker. Growing up as a shy young woman, Aragon never thought she’d have the potential to stand in her power, let alone pursue the sciences. The daughter of a Chilean father and a Filipina mother, Cecilia Aragon grew up as a shy, timid child in a small Midwestern town during the 1960s. Targeted by school bullies and dismissed by many of her teachers, she worried that people would find out the truth: that she was INTF. Incompetent. Nerd. Terrified. Failure. This feeling stayed with her well into her 20s when she was told that “girls can’t do science” or “women just don’t know how to handle machines.” Yet in the span of just six years, Aragon became the
ART TOOK A FOREFRONT AT THE WLYC CONFERENCE THIS YEAR. AS A CATALYST FOR COLLECTION, REDMAN AND ARAGÓN ENCOURAGED ATTENDEES TO SEND THEIR ARTWORK IN FOR AN ART CONTEST. UW College of Arts & Sciences • 25
Making Do with Zoom Art took a forefront at the WLYC conference this year. As a catalyst for collection, Redman and Aragón encouraged attendees to send their artwork in for an art contest. All mediums were encouraged, including 2-D artwork, photography and collage. With coordination from high school leaders, registration for the Zoom conference was a success. Spanning over two days in October, the conference was packed to the brim with engaging, curated materials. The event kicked off on Oct. 9, 2020. The university offered a virtual UW art museum tour followed by a documentary film “Sister Cities.” The rest of the day focused on social development and art, as well as a general Q&A. On Saturday, Aragon took the stage and presented her keynote entitled “Flying Free.” Then with coordinated
26 • Elevations 2021
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA PEREZ
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLOR PEREA
first Latina pilot to secure a place on the United States Unlimited Aerobatic Team and earn the right to represent her country at the Olympics of aviation, the World Aerobatic Championships. Using mathematical techniques, Aragon was able to conquer her fear of heights, people and new experiences with the confidence of data. Having a heart for young Latinas, Aragon was the perfect keynote, offering wisdom and encouraging the young women to break barriers that were in front of them. Knowing that young Latina’s are discriminated against due to issues around gender and race, Aragon encouraged them be mindful of glass ceilings and know that they were meant to be broken.
packages, the young women over Zoom took on a bonding craft, creating LED e-textile masks. After a lunch break, Aragon came back again and spoke about her memoir, the process of creative writing and how to craft a cultural narrative. The rest of the day was spent on practical skillset building with classes on financial wellness, COVID-19 safety and wellness training. After a long day of digital communing, the young women had a TikTok dance party with a live DJ. Lifelong Connections Thankful to their donors, the WLYC looks forward to supplying programing for young Latina’s for years to come. The program has offered stewardship to many young women who have gone on to do great things. Women who go through the conference program often eventually attend UW, then continue on to great success. Taylor Perea, a senior from Cheyenne, is looking towards medical school with great excitement. Another successful WLYC member, Laura Perez, born in Mexico and raised in Jackson, Wyo., is a senior double majoring in psychology and Spanish with a minor in statistics. She currently serves as the director of diversity for the Associate Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW). Her future career plans are to attend law school and hope to become a social justice/civil rights lawyer. The WLYC has encouraged excellence in many Latina students. Former members have gone on to become therapists, social workers, scientists, writers and academics. Check out the WLYC webpage for more information: uwyo.edu/wlyc.
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Building Better Science By Micaela Myers
Studying things too small to see with the naked eye—such as fundamental interactions among atoms, molecules and cells that underlie next-generation technology—requires specialized equipment. The University of Wyoming’s state-of-the-art new Science Initiative Building, scheduled to open fall 2021 at the corner of Ninth and Lewis streets, will house two new research centers—the Center for Advanced Scientific Instrumentation (CASI) and the Center for Integrative Biological Research (CIBR). These will form an innovation nexus to stimulate external funding and research productivity and to train future science scholars, teachers and researchers. “We will probably have the largest, most sophisticated active-learning classroom in the nation in this building with 200-plus seats,” says Senior Lecturer and Science Initiative Director Mark Lyford says. Active learning creates better outcomes for students, including higher attendance and better pass rates.
28 • Elevations 2021
Designed to be interdisciplinary, the centers bring together the science disciplines for collaborative research activities that will transform the way UW investigates and teaches science. Renderings by GSG Architecture (Casper) and Perkins+Will (Seattle) show the new Science Initiative Building scheduled to open fall 2021.
College of Art and Sciences 1000 E. University Ave, Dept. 3254 Laramie, WY 82071
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES WELCOMES INCOMING DEAN
dr. CameLLia Okpodu DR. OKPODU, AN ACCOMPLISHED SCIENTIST AND EXPERIENCED ADMINISTRATOR WILL BE STARTING AT UW ON JUNE 30, 2021.
“I am honored and ecstatic that I have been selected to serve as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wyoming. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to support an environment in which our students can grow to meet the ever-changing demands of our local, national and international community.”
READ MORE ABOUT DEAN OKPODU AT BIT.LY/COLLEGE-DEAN