K-14 STEM EDUCATION OuTReacH
The University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences looks forward to the opportunity to engage students and teachers in hands-on learning to build knowledge and understanding in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Strength in K-14 education can enhance the quality and quantity of students who pursue STEM programs at the University of Wyoming and ultimately pursue high-impact careers in Wyoming and beyond.
Engineers Week | February 16-22, 2025
Professional and student engineers visit Wyoming 3rd grade classrooms to facilitate an engineering design challenge to inspire innovative thinking, design and problem solving.
MATHCOUNTS | Spring 2025
Part of a national competition series that provides 6th-8th grade students the chance to compete in contests against and alongside their peers. The state competition is held at the University of Wyoming campus in March 2025. To be eligible for the state competition, participants must qualify in their school competitions in January 2025 and chapter competitions in February 2025.
Land Surveyors Outreach | March 16-22, 2025
Educators and students in 4th-12th grades can connect and collaborate with professional land surveyors and GIS professionals to learn more
about these professions and support Wyoming state STEM objectives. Students will engage in an activity involving a web-based, interactive map while learning from professionals in the field.
Classroom Visits
Our K-12 outreach team visits classrooms around the state to encourage the exploration of the engineering design process through hands-on learning and discovery. Teachers are encouraged to connect with our outreach team to schedule classroom visits and activities. Sign up for your class visit at bit.ly/uwclassvisit
UW Campus Visits & Field Trips
Class groups can visit the University of Wyoming to learn about our 11 engineering programs, engage with engineering students in hands-on activities and tour state-of-the-art facilities and innovation centers. Sign up for your UW visit at bit.ly/uwfieldtrip
UW COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Carrell Family Dean Cameron Wright
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs Steven Barrett
Associate Dean, Graduate Programs Chip Kobulnicky
Associate Dean, Research Daniel Dale
Assistant Dean for Student Success Cindy Jones
Director, Business Operations Mēgan Barber
College Affairs Coordinator Mindy Zwieg
DEPARTMENTS, DIVISIONS, SCHOOLS:
Atmospheric Science Jeff French, Head
307-766-3245 | uwyo.edu/atsc
Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Saman Aryana, Occidental Chair for Energy and Environmental Technologies, Department Head
307-766-2500 | uwyo.edu/chemical
Chemistry Brian Leonard, Head
307-766-4363 | uwyo.edu/chemistry
Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management
Tony Denzer, Thomas and Shelley Botts Department Head in Civil Engineering
307-766-2390 | uwyo.edu/civil
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Ian Walker, Head
307-766-2279| uwyo.edu/EECS
Energy and Petroleum Engineering Vamegh Rasouli, LeNorman
Endowed Leadership Chair in Petroleum Engineering, Department Head 307-766-4258 | uwyo.edu/petroleum
Engineering Science Division David Mukai, H.T. Person professor and division head
307-766-4224 | dmukai@uwyo.edu
Geology and Geophysics Mark Clementz, Head 307-766-3386 | uwyo.edu/geolgeophys
Mathematics and Statistics Jason Williford, Head 307-766-4221 | uwyo.edu/mathstats
Mechanical and Energy Systems Engineering Ray Fertig, Head 307-766-2122 | uwyo.edu/mechanical
Physics and Astronomy Jinke Tang, Head 307-766-6150 | uwyo.edu/physics
School of Computing Gabrielle Allen, Director 307-766-5225 | uwyo.edu/soc
Editors Caitlyn Spradley, Micaela Myers, Chad Baldwin
Graphic Design Michelle Eberle, Emily Edgar, Fernando Lechuga, Casidy Mittelstadt
Photography Ted Brummond, Andrew Wee unless noted
*Thank you to all contributing writers for creating a dynamic and diverse collection of content.
Foresight is created twice per year as a collaboration between CEPS and UW Institutional Marketing. For extra copies, contact the Dean’s office. For address changes, please email fdn-bio-update@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.
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
For more than 60 years, nuclear energy has been rolling up its sleeves to provide constant, reliable, carbon-free power to millions of Americans. How reliable?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, nuclear energy has supplied a fifth of America’s power each year since 1990.
Investing in the next generation of nuclear energy leaders and advancing university-led nuclear innovation are vital to fulfilling our mission at the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
Wyoming has long been a contributor to nuclear power as the largest U.S. producer of uranium, and more recently this past year with TerraPower’s Natrium reactor breaking ground in Kemmerer, Wyo., the first commercial nuclear reactor for the state.
In this edition of Foresight, discover how starting back in the late 1950s, our college has conducted research and development, enhanced infrastructure and supported student education focused on sustaining a world-class nuclear energy and workforce capability.
Learn more about how we are supporting outstanding, cutting-edge and innovative nuclear energy research and how nuclear energy is attracting students to nuclear professions and nuclear energy-related engineering and relevant nuclear science.
Read how through collaboration within and among our educational networks, our college continues to contribute to nuclear knowledge and the safe and sustainable use of nuclear technology. And, with the nuclear workforce growing, how our college is invested in ensuring we can meet the needs of this evolving industry.
Nuclear energy is a powerful type of energy with large potential, and College of Engineering and Physical Sciences is excited and poised to explore this new frontier.
Whether you are a current student, prospective student, parent, alumnus or friend, I hope that you will enjoy learning more about our college as you explore this issue of Foresight, and I invite you to visit us on campus to see and experience first-hand what the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences has to offer.
Sincerely,
Cameron H.G. Wright
Carrell Family Dean College of Engineering and Physical
Sciences
Energy Transitions: Attitudes & Platitudes
The University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences was excited to host Wyoming Energy Futures LLC, Chief Executive Officer Rita Meyer as this year’s H.T. Person Distinguished speaker for UW’s Homecoming celebration.
“This invitation was such an honor,” says Meyer. “Recognizing the legacy of Dr. Person’s incredible contributions not only to the university, but also to the state of Wyoming is a great privilege.”
H.T. Person Memorial Endowment
H.T. Person was the president of the University of Wyoming from 1967-1968. He earned a B.S. in civil engineering from South Dakota State College, M.S. from Iowa State University, and the C.E. certificate from South Dakota State. Person was a member of the UW faculty from 1929-1964, during which time he served as head of the civil engineering department and as dean of the College of Engineering until he retired in 1964.
The H.T. Person Memorial Endowment and the annual H.T. Person Homecoming Lecture were established in memory of President H.T. Person.
“It was an easy choice to select Rita as the H.T. Person distinguished speaker,” says David Mukai, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences H.T. Person Professor. “Rita has accomplished many impressive things. She has extremely strong ties to Wyoming and is involved in one of the premier engineering projects in the state of Wyoming, TerraPower’s next generation Natrium Reactor and Energy Storage System.”
Rita Meyer
Geringer from 1998-2002 as well as Wyoming State Auditor from 2007-2011. She has served as a member of the UW Board of Trustees, the UW Foundation and as an advisory board member to the College of Business. Currently Meyer is a trustee for the Wyoming Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and vice-president of the Wyoming Catholic Ministries Foundation.
“Throughout Rita’s distinguished career she has had a significant impact on the great state of Wyoming,” says Mukai. “She has impacted Wyoming in military, government and now private sector roles. She truly is a model of having a servant’s heart.”
Following retirement from the utility sector in 2021, Meyer started her own energy consulting firm with a focus on energy fuels transition.
During her presentation, Meyer talked about the many challenges of moving a next generation technology, like the Natrium reactor, out of the laboratory and into the commercial space. She emphasized that projects like Natrium require not only resilient project leadership but also a community willing and able to manage the growing pains that occur as a large and complex project unfolds.
According to Meyer, the promise of a new and lucrative
Meyer has embodied the definition of leadership throughout the state of Wyoming in her professional life and as a volunteer for countless organizations.
Meyer obtained the rank of full colonel during her 23year career in the Wyoming Air National Guard. She is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom with command positions in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Meyer was chief of staff to Wyoming Gov. Jim
“[Meyer] has impacted Wyoming in military, government, and now private sector roles. She truly is a model of having a servant’s heart.”
– David Mukai
energy future for Wyoming is in forward motion. What that future will look like, beyond the promise, is a story yet unwritten.
“Wyoming is the beneficiary of every critical resource needed to not only continue as an energy leader but also to grow and far eclipse our current position both nationally and internationally,” says Meyer. “But as former Army Chief Gordon Sullivan was fond of saying, hope is NOT a method.”
CELEBRATE UW’S 2024 GIVING DAY
MATCHES & CHALLENGES
TOTAL AMOUNT DONATED
CAMPAIGNS & FUNDS NUMBER OF DONORS OF DONORS WERE ALUMNI
By Cameron Johnston
Building a Nuclear Future
PH.D. STUDENT AIDAN MCDONALD HELPS PAVE THE WAY FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY IN WYOMING AND BEYOND.
Laramie native Aidan McDonald first discovered his passion for nuclear energy through his studies at the University of Wyoming. A double major in mechanical engineering and mathematics, he focused on applying theoretical knowledge to real-world challenges, such as climate change.
Eager to learn more, McDonald took nearly every available course at UW on energy production, power plant design and system analysis, where he did a deep dive into coal, natural gas, wind and solar power.
“Within these courses, I learned through tangential discussions that nuclear power was an incredibly energy-dense and carbon-neutral option,” McDonald says. “I knew this was the field I wanted to work in.”
This realization led him to pursue
his master of engineering in nuclear engineering at the University of California-Berkeley. Through his one-year advanced nuclear engineering program, McDonald gained knowledge in nuclear physics, reactor engineering and advanced reactor design.
He also spent time building a simplified digital twin system for Berkeley’s Compact Integral Effects Test facility and exploring MonteCarlo neutron transport; Monte-Carlo neutronics predicts neutron behavior by simulating individual neutrons using the probability of various interactions. McDonald also studied multiphysics modeling techniques, further developing his passion for their predictive power and applications in reactor behavior simulations.
After running Viridium Energy Inc. — a startup company in nuclear energy focused on advanced nuclear reactor design using artificial intelligence and modeling — with a friend for five years in Wyoming, he returned to UW to pursue a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, with plans of continuing his research in nuclear reactor modeling. His research is funded by TerraPower to develop a tool within the Advanced Reactor Modeling Interface for running MonteCarlo neutron transport simulations using Monte-Carlo neutron transport code OpenMC, which focuses on simulating the behavior of individual neutrons to predict overall reactor performance.
McDonald also will collaborate
with BWXT, a company that provides advanced nuclear solutions for both civilian and military applications, to evaluate Wyoming’s rare earth element compositions as potential neutron poisons for the company’s planned BANR microreactor — a small nuclear reactor that creates energy. His role will be to model the effectiveness of these compositions using Monte-Carlo simulations.
After earning his Ph.D., he plans to continue his research using largescale reactor models that incorporate neutron transport, computational fluid dynamics and other physics to design optimized reactors.
Wyoming is increasingly recognized as an ideal location for advanced nuclear reactors, McDonald explains, with the TerraPower NATRIUM demonstration plant — a proposed nuclear power plant being developed by TerraPower, a company co-founded by Bill Gates — spurring interest in nuclear research and education.
“I am excited to get in on the ground floor of computational nuclear research in Wyoming and for the opportunity to help build up the research and educational programs at the University of Wyoming in the field,” McDonald says.
McDonald hopes to be able to stay in Wyoming and contribute to this emerging field and continue his entrepreneurial work, developing, building and operating advanced nuclear reactors in Wyoming.
UW TO RECEIVE $300,000 TO ESTABLISH NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY CORE FACILITY
By Christine Reed
The University of Wyoming will receive a $300,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support the establishment of a nuclear chemistry core facility on campus.
The award is part of $6.3 million in funding from DOE to bolster infrastructure and upgrade research reactors at universities as part of its Nuclear Energy University Program.
Led by Caleb Hill, the UW project will launch a nuclear chemistry core facility that will enable the first practical nuclear chemistry research and educational programs in Wyoming. Hill is UW’s J.E. Warren Chair, Nielson Faculty Fellow, an associate professor of chemistry and co-director of the Nuclear Energy Research Center (NERC) in the School of Energy Resources (SER).
“This award is a critical first step in advancing the integration of nuclearrelated education into the curriculum
at UW,” Hill says. “While we have made significant progress in our efforts through NERC to build capacity and interest in nuclear energy at UW, the ultimate success of these initiatives will depend on advancing the laboratory infrastructure to enhance nuclearfocused research and teaching activities moving forward.”
The core facility will be used to enable wet chemistry and analytical work involving radioactive materials to be carried out by UW researchers and students. Work toward this goal will include the installation of necessary safety and analytical equipment, as well as the establishment of appropriate protocols for use of the core facility.
“Safety is obviously a critical concern when it comes to nuclear-focused research,” Hill says. “Standing up a new nuclear facility on UW’s campus from the ground up is a great opportunity because it will give us the opportunity to be strategic and to develop it going forward in a way that will best serve students, faculty and the state.”
Once fully established, the lab will facilitate nuclear-focused educational opportunities for UW students such as the development of a nuclear energy certificate program, which will prepare students to pursue nuclear-focused research at UW and provide them the background needed to meaningfully engage with nuclear topics.
The newly announced DOE award
comes only a few months after NERC was named a recipient of a Faculty Development Advancement Award as part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research University Nuclear Leadership Program.
“Between these two awards, we are really driving the development of physical and human infrastructure needed to support nuclear-focused research at UW,” Hill says. “The announcement of TerraPower’s Natrium nuclear power plant has generated a great deal of excitement across the state for nuclear energy and, now, UW is one step closer to supporting that new industry.”
Another important feature of the award is that it will allow for the development of impactful research programs at UW, which could be competitive for future funding opportunities.
“When SER stands up a faculty-led Center of Excellence such as NERC, it is with the expectation that the initial support will lead to new, external sources of funding investment and growth,” says Scott Quillinan, SER senior director of research. “Under the leadership of Caleb and Tara Righetti, our other co-director of NERC, the center has completely flourished and is accomplishing everything it set out to do. We are delighted to see their efforts result in such levels of success.”
THIS AWARD IS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP IN ADVANCING THE INTEGRATION OF NUCLEAR-RELATED EDUCATION INTO THE CURRICULUM AT UW. — CALEB HILL
Caleb Hill
UW’s Zhai Develops Upgrade to Fossil Fueled-Fire Power Plant Software Tool
Haibo Zhai, a University of Wyoming professor of civil and architectural engineering and construction management, is spearheading the continued development and use of a software tool for calculating the performance, emissions and cost of fossil fuel-fired power plants.
The Integrated Environmental Control Model (IECM) is a publicly available computer model for preliminary design and analysis of clean electricity generation technologies employing fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage. It is intended for use by engineers, researchers, technology developers and policy analysts to systematically analyze the cost and performance of fossil fuel power plants of various types and emission control designs. The IECM allows users to easily design the plant to be modeled, and to get results quickly for a variety of technology options.
“On Nov. 18, I will release a new version 12 of the IECM, a computer-based software tool for power plant modeling and techno-economic analysis,” says Zhai, who also is the Roy and Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering.
IECM version 12 includes several important enhancements, some adjustments and bug fixes, Zhai says. The upgrade includes a variety of biomass feedstocks as new fuel options and a brand-new life cycle greenhouse emissions module, which collectively allow users to evaluate the life-cycle impact and economics of biomasscoal co-firing power plants without and with carbon capture and storage.
“Co-firing biomass, in couple with carbon capture and storage at coal-fired power plants, can remove carbon dioxide (CO 2) from the atmosphere by capturing and storing the CO 2 produced when biomass is converted into energy,” Zhai explains.
expand the software tool with a new platform for hydrogen energy,” Zhai says.
The IECM has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for several decades and has been adopted by users from more than 90 countries. The release of IECM version 12 was funded by the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management via a research grant led solely by Zhai.
The software tool was originally developed at Carnegie Mellon University, where Zhai served as the IECM manager and a key developer for 10 years, and Edward Rubin, professor emeritus in the departments of Engineering and Public Policy as well as Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon, who was the founding director.
This software tool has been applied to evaluate the technical and economic impacts of Wyoming’s Reliable and Dispatchable Low-Carbon Energy Standards and to explore the potential for carbon capture and storage deployment in the state’s electric power sector. The associated publication is available here.
“My team will soon add advanced carbon capture technology for up to 99 percent CO 2 removal at fossil fuelfired power plants as a new option to the IECM and further
In 2022, the IECM was transferred to UW. Under Zhai’s direction, this software tool has been employed by users from 40-plus countries since being housed at UW. Zhai is an adjunct professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon.
The IECM has been employed for a wide range of applications, including process design, technology evaluation, cost estimation, research and development management, risk analysis, policy analysis, strategic planning, marketing studies, teaching and education.
More information about the IECM is available on the software tool website at www.uwyo.edu/iecm/
Haibo Zhai
New NSF UW King Air Atmospheric Research Aircraft Unveiled
By Ron Podell
The new National Science Foundation (NSF) University of Wyoming King Air Atmospheric Research Aircraft is getting set to take flight, with its first research mission slated for summer 2025.
“The University of Wyoming is truly unique in having this capability. No other university around the country has an airborne research facility of the scale as the NSF UW King Air,” says Jeff French, an associate professor and head of the UW Department of Atmospheric Science. “Having such a facility at UW now means we are the only university where graduate students can go and have hands-on experience working with airborne instruments. A student can simply walk down the hall and talk to a research scientist whose job it is to support instruments on the aircraft. Access to that type of expertise is one of a kind in our field.”
French adds that, at other universities, students must team up with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), NASA or the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to gain such research experiences.
Tale of the Tape
The cost of the aircraft and its associated modifications — including its design, installation and certification — is approximately $13.4 million. UW invested approximately $4.5 million into the baseline aircraft, along with the new avionics suite of instruments. NSF invested about $8.9 million in the design, installation and certification of the new aircraft.
The NSF funding portion was paid through an NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure (MSRI) Award to UW that totaled $15.7 million. Roughly $7 million from the MSRI Award came from NSF to build and acquire research infrastructure, along with new
instrumentation for the new aircraft.
“This includes everything from cabling to racks; physical instruments, such as new lidars; upgrades to existing radars; and acquisition of new atmospheric chemistry and aerosol equipment,” French says. “We also are reusing much of the existing instruments from the old aircraft. Only a portion of our instruments will be mounted on the aircraft for any given research project, depending on the goals of that project. The key is to have a flexible aircraft platform that can make measurements for a range of different atmospheric phenomena.”
Since 1987, UW’s King Air has been supported and funded through a series of cooperative agreements between UW and NSF. This will continue with the new research aircraft, as UW will receive nearly $3 million annually to maintain the aircraft.
Most of the funds support personnel, which includes some portion of three professional pilots, two aircraft
Pictured left to right: Aeronautical Engineer Nicholas Mahon, Senior Research Scientist and Associate Facility Manager Matt Burkhart, Associate Professor and Atmospheric Science department head Jeff French.
mechanics and 13 research scientists, engineers and technicians. In total, 18 people are funded half time or more, and several others receive partial funding — a few months — per year. On average, two UW graduate students per year also will be funded through the cooperative agreement.
Additionally, operations of the aircraft — actual flights and deployment of the aircraft to other locales around the country or world — are funded through supplements to the cooperative agreement. This can amount to several hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, depending on the number and scale of projects in any given year, French says.
Expanded Capabilities
The new research aircraft is a King Air 350i base model. Compared to the former UW research aircraft — a Beechcraft King Air 200T that was a twin-engine turboprop — the new King Air has larger and more powerful engines, a more modern avionics suite of instruments, and additional fuel tanks, French says.
These additions will allow the new aircraft’s maximum take-off weight to increase to 16,500 pounds, which is 1,500 pounds greater than the normal 350i model and 2,500 pounds more than the old King Air. While technically still a King Air 350i, the upgrades to this aircraft make it something much more capable than a standard 350i, French says.
“This allows us to carry more research equipment and/or more fuel so that we can trade off between more instruments/measurement capacities or longer range/endurance. The aircraft also produces more electrical power that can be used by research equipment and has more in-cabin space,” French explains. “The design of the research
modifications, such as locations where we can install instruments on the outside of the aircraft, is much more numerous than the old aircraft. We can carry almost twice the weight of instruments under the wings, install larger probes on the fuselage and on the nose of the aircraft, compared to the old King Air.”
“Large ports” in the fuselage will allow more capable radars and lidars on the aircraft to better measure the atmosphere. The additional fuel tanks provide the aircraft a greater range.
“Having this type of flexibility is helpful for being able to achieve a wider variety of scientific objectives,” French says.
Research Set to Start Next Year
The old King Air operated from 1977 until it was retired in August 2022. It flew roughly 9,000 research hours during that 45-year period, logging thousands of flights. A typical research flight lasted between 3.5 and four hours, French says.
“During the first 10 years of existence, most of the research focused on cloud physics and cloud seeding, funded, in large part, by the Bureau of Reclamation,” he says. “Beginning in 1987, when UW and NSF entered into their first cooperative agreement, the type of research conducted by the aircraft became much broader, although cloud physics has always played an important role.”
With the new King Air, research projects will continue to center on cloud physics, aerosols, air quality and energy exchange between the surface of Earth and its lower atmosphere.
However, research will expand into atmospheric chemistry.
“We’ve done very little of that with the past aircraft because the instrumentation for atmospheric chemistry tends to be larger and more power hungry,” French says. “One thing that really excites us about the new aircraft is that we will be able to support more experiments that cross traditional boundaries — that is, combine multiple areas of atmospheric science on a single aircraft project. While larger aircraft, such as the NSF NCAR C-130, are better suited for that, the new NSF UW King Air will be able to begin supporting a bit more of that type of research.”
“The NSF UW King Air fills a niche by providing a nimble aircraft that is particularly well suited to atmospheric boundary layer and near-cloud research,” adds Nicholas Anderson, program director of the Physical and Dynamic Meteorology Program in NSF’s Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences.
“The NSF UW King Air can fly slower than the NSF NCAR Gulfstream V, meaning that more in situ samples can be measured, and it can handle most complex flight paths that would be unreasonable for a large aircraft, such as the C-130. The NSF UW King Air also is less expensive to operate, providing an easier pathway into airborne atmospheric measurements for early-career investigators or small
teams that don’t require expansive instrument payloads.”
The first flight campaign for the NSF UW King Air will take place in Salt Lake City in summer 2025. The Salt Lake City Summer Ozone Study is being led by Emily Fischer, a professor of atmospheric research at Colorado State University, and will investigate the formation of ozone over the Salt Lake Valley during summer. Scientists from the University of Utah, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Montana also will be involved.
Currently, there are more than a half-dozen projects that are in various stages of proposal that seek to request use of the new NSF UW King Air in 2025, 2026 and 2027, French says.
It Belongs to UW
While UW has multiple partners, the new NSF UW King Air is officially owned by UW and, therefore, it is regarded as a “civil aircraft,” meaning that it is not owned by the federal government, French says. The other two atmospheric research aircraft funded by NSF are operated in Boulder, Colo., by NCAR, but both are owned by NSF.
“Being a civil aircraft can make some things a bit easier for our operations, especially in foreign countries,” French
diplomatic clearances, while our aircraft can be operated under ‘normal rules’ as any other civil aircraft.”
Avcon Industries Inc. was the project management company and led the detailed design, flight testing and approval of the new NSF UW King Air, says Marcus Abendroth, president of Avcon. For over 50 years, Avcon has designed complex special-mission and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft modifications.
Avcon has provided aircraft modifications for DOE, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Naval Research, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army, among many others, says Aric Peters, vice president of Butler National Corp. and director of sales for Avcon.
“While this project is not the largest Avcon has done, it was the most complex project we have ever completed for flight testing,” Peters says. “This project was broken up into multiple independent supplemental type certificate (STC) pieces, and then an overall STC was completed to make the project manageable and successful.”
One of those independent pieces focused on flight testing hours.
“There were close to 100 total flight hours flown for the certification of
the individual STCs and the overall encompassing STC for the University of Wyoming,” Abendroth says. “Those included climb performance, handling qualities, high-altitude high-speed flight and numerous other test points to ensure that we are providing the safest aircraft possible.”
Based on the modification designs provided by Avcon, the aircraft met all Federal Aviation Administration requirements successfully, Abendroth adds.
While the aircraft may be owned by UW, NSF has significant investment in its development and operation. The use of the NSF UW King Air is dictated by the review of the scientific proposals that are received at NSF, Anderson says.
“Traditionally, we would expect two or three projects a year, with different levels of complexity,” Anderson says. “Historically, the King Air has averaged around 150 flight hours per year under NSF support.
“NSF values the partnership with the state of Wyoming and the University of Wyoming,” he adds. “We are excited to see what kinds of new projects the community has in store for the King Air once the new
WATCH A VIDEO
Learn about UW’s Atmospheric Science program!
SER and College of Engineering and Physical Sciences CELEBRATE ENERGY DAY
By Christine Reed
The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) and the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) celebrated the 11th annual Energy Day — in partnership with Wyoming Sports Properties — this past fall, when the Cowboys took on San Diego State University at War Memorial Stadium.
To recognize Wyoming’s energy sector and to share some of the accomplishments in energy research and development at UW, SER and CEPS hosted several engagement opportunities and events.
Kicking off the festivities, Todd Allen, the Glenn F. and Gladys H. Knoll Department Chair of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan, provided a lunchtime presentation as part of the SER Distinguished Speakers Series.
Following Allen’s presentation, visitors and guests enjoyed micro tours of the Energy Innovation Center, 3D Visualization Center, Drill Simulator, Makerspace Wyrkshop
and Engineering Education and Research Building (EERB), which then culminated in a joint reception in the Energy Innovation Center atrium sponsored by Tallgrass and highlighted graduate student poster winners from the Wyoming Energy Future Symposium.
“We look forward to the Energy Day football game every year, as it provides an opportunity to showcase all of the incredible energy activities going on at UW and in the state,” SER Director of Outreach Christine Reed says. “We are especially grateful to the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences for cohosting activities. The substantial collaborations between our two schools have made, and will continue to make, major impacts in the energy sector in Wyoming.”
Gameday activities included a tailgate hosted by the UW Student Chapter of Energy Resources in Tailgate Park, where the students hosted a raffle to help fund the club, with proceeds going to support experiential learning opportunities for students in the energy resource management and development degree program, which include visits to industry sites and professional networking events.
Before the football game, the public also was invited to visit with energy vendors from around the state at booths in the Indoor Practice Facility. CEPS and SER hosted booths with giveaways and information on the cutting-edge research projects conducted at CEPS and SER as well as information about their academic programs.
Visitors and guests toured the Drill Simulator in the Engineering Education and Research Building during Energy Day.
Architectural Engineering Receives DOE Zero Energy Design Designation
The University of Wyoming’s architectural engineering Bachelor of Science degree program has earned a Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The new designation, awarded to 14 educational programs from nine collegiate institutions, recognizes the growing importance of zero-energy design, which means a building produces as much energy as it consumes in a year. The designation honors postsecondary academic programs that require students to apply the best practices of zero-energy design in their projects.
The 2024 cohort joins 39 programs from 26 institutions that earned the three-year designation in 2022 or 2023. Recognized academic programs included architecture, real estate development and construction science/management.
Aysha Demir, an assistant professor in UW’s Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management — one of the faculty advisers for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences’ 2023 Solar Decathlon team’s fourth-place finish — says the new designation recognizes the program’s sustainability focus.
“We are incredibly proud to have received this recognition from DOE. It validates the hard work we have put into building a curriculum actively engaging our students in
learning about zero-energy design,” Demir says. “This designation acknowledges the innovative education our students receive in our design studio courses, and it is an exciting milestone for our architectural engineering program.”
The DOE designation recognizes that UW’s architectural engineering program has four design studio courses in which students learn the principles of building science, energyefficient design and integration of solar power.
The College of Engineering and Physical Sciences has participated once in DOE’s Solar Decathlon competition’s build program, and this involvement in the decathlon led to Demir sending in UW’s curriculum and meeting with DOE staff members for consideration for the ZEDD status.
During the collegiate competition, students design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings that mitigate climate change and are affordable, resilient and energy efficient.
“With this recognition from DOE, we anticipate our students will gain greater exposure to job opportunities in energy-efficient building design, opening new doors for them in sustainable design,” Demir says.
Anthony Denzer, a professor and head of the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, says DOE’s designation acknowledges many years of curriculum development.
“For about 15 years, we have emphasized the importance of energyefficient building design,” Denzer says.
“As aspiring engineers, our students embrace this challenge; they want to make buildings that are more economical, more comfortable and more socially responsible.”
To learn more about UW’s Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, visit www.uwyo.edu/civil
WATCH A VIDEO
UW students during the construction of the solar house in 2023.
Dean and Professor Emeritus Receive National Engineering Awards
Cameron Wright, the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Carrell Family Dean, recently was selected as a 2024 recipient of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Distinguished Examination Service Award.
Also selected for the award — which recognizes dedicated service to NCEES and the engineering profession — was Raymond Jacquot, a professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at UW.
“I was caught completely by surprise by this award,” Wright says. “I’m humbled by this recognition and feel compelled to note that all of the members of the committee that do this work deserve recognition for their hard work on creating new and pertinent professional engineering exams year after year.”
“The exam composition process with other volunteers was a very satisfying way I could give back to the profession that has served me well for over 60 years,” Jacquot says.
Wright has been serving NCEES as a volunteer for the Principles and Practice
of Engineering Electrical and Computer Exam Development Committee since 2000. During this time, he has taken on leadership roles, including chairing the exam’s computer subcommittee, acting as a subject-matter expert and writing exam questions.
Wright has continued his service through various positions with many engineering organizations. He served as chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ USA National Committee for Engineering Licensure and Registration from 200305 and currently serves as an active member of that committee. He also has been an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology program evaluator since 2001 and serves as a training mentor for new evaluators.
“I can’t overemphasize the importance of engineering licensure and its focus on public safety,” Wright says. “Working with NCEES for all these years has allowed me to contribute in my small way to promote and improve how people can earn their professional engineer license.”
While on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, Wright was a faculty
member and deputy department head for electrical engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy. After retiring from a 30-year military career, Wright transitioned to a civilian teaching career. He has spent the last 22 years motivating and mentoring students at UW, serving as a professor, associate department head, interim department head and dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
Jacquot contributed to the development of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam for 25 years, beginning in 1990. During that time, he served terms as chair and vice chair of the FE Electrical and Computer Subcommittee. Jacquot was part of an exciting time in NCEES history when, in 1995, the council approved adding discipline-specific modules to the FE exam. In 1996, he was integral in the development of the FE electrical and computer exam and assisted in the transition.
After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UW and his doctoral degree from Purdue University, Jacquot went on to develop areas of expertise in vibration and structural dynamics, control, simulation and animation of dynamic systems. In 2007, Jacquot was recognized as the Wyoming Engineering Society Outstanding Engineer for his long and dedicated service to the engineering profession, society and people of Wyoming.
Jacquot is a former rock climber and mountaineer who later became interested in the exploration of canyons on the Colorado Plateau of Utah. In retirement, he has become a landscape painter of the scenes that he visited as a mountaineer and canyon explorer.
To learn more about NCEES, visit ncees.org/about/#about
Cameron Wright
Raymond Jacquot
Six faculty from the construction management (CM) program at the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Casper College and Pathway Innovation Center, traveled to South Africa this past summer to present their research at a conference and to conduct construction workforce training workshops during a two-day Construction Education Summit at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The coalition consisted of UW Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Roy & Caryl Cline Distinguished Professor in Engineering Francois Jacobs; UW Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Assistant Professor Aysegul “Aysha” Demir; UW Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Assistant Instructional
Professor Theo Haupt; Casper College Engineering Technology and Design Instructor Jason Eggemeyer; UW School of Teacher Education Professor of Practice and Career and Technical Education Instructor at “Pathways Innovation Center” in Casper, Wyo., Rob Hill; and UW Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Adjunct Jon Elliott.
“The international invitation for UW’s construction management program to share about the multiple training initiatives that has been developed and put in place at the university, community colleges and high schools across the state, was a validation of the hard work by the construction management program, faculty and industry stakeholders across Wyoming, to be noticed by institutions in Southern Africa on the promise to replicate the construction training success in Wyoming in other parts of the world,” says Jacobs.
The UW construction management faculty members presented four research papers and delivered the keynote address at the Association of Schools of Construction of Southern Africa (ASOCSA) conference, which was exclusively attended by key stakeholders from universities, technical colleges, high schools, construction professionals and construction industry associations across Southern Africa.
In addition, the UW construction management faculty members were also invited to facilitate workshops during the two-day construction education summit on construction workforce training following the conference at Nelson Mandela University. The summit invitation sprouted from the “Construction Workforce Training Platform” developed by the construction management program at the UW to address the pervasive construction skill shortage across Wyoming.
“We were asked to contour the summit training to help bridge the disconnect between educational institutions across Southern Africa, who are currently dealing with a 45 percent unemployment rate, which is linked to a high construction skill shortage,” says Jacobs.
The annual construction education summit hosted by ASOCSA drew participants from across Southern Africa for two days with the highlight being the focus on the development of construction training at high schools, modeled to the construction high school training program in use across Wyoming. UW faculty members also presented on UW’s co-teaching platform between the UW construction management program
and community colleges across Wyoming, where students can obtain their OSHA 30 certificate and transferable academic credits.
“The second day of the construction education summit centered around four-year degree training at UW and industry training, where industry professionals can obtain university certificates through eight-hour workshops,” says Jacobs.
“Many South African participants after the event shared that they were looking forward to further engagements with the Wyoming team to advance an approach for collaborative and inclusive construction workforce training in the region based on the Wyoming model,” says Haupt.
Participation in the conference and summit aligned with the memorandum of understanding between the UW and Nelson Mandela University in support of future research, teaching and student exchange.
“This relationship is important to the University of Wyoming and the construction management program in support of future workforce development research collaboration and the promise of faculty exchange with Nelson Mandela University,” says Jacobs.
To learn about the UW construction management, visit www.uwyo.edu/civil/construction-management.
Above: Attendees listen to presentations at Nelson Mandela University during the Association of Schools of Construction of Southern Africa conference.
Right: (Left to right) Jacobs, Elliott, Eggemeyer, Demir and Hill pose for a group photo during the conference.
THE FORMATION OF UW’S NEW AMERICAN NUCLEAR SOCIETY STUDENT CHAPTER
By Ryan Luethje
As nuclear energy becomes a growing topic of interest worldwide, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students are stepping up to drive the discussion by creating a new University of Wyoming American Nuclear Society (ANS) student chapter.
Creation of the chapter was driven by a group of highly dedicated individuals with a shared vision.
Spearheading the efforts were Raymond Nowak, a senior from Westminster, Colo., majoring in chemical engineering with a minor in process control (president); Drew Rone, a second-year Ph.D. student in chemistry who earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, originally from Casper (vice president); Jacob Helper, a senior majoring in electrical engineering from Loveland, Colo. (secretary), along with Department of Chemistry Associate Professor Caleb Hill (chapter faculty adviser and sponsor) and College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Career Services Office Manager Tyler Grabner, with additional support from the nuclear innovation company TerraPower.
Their journey began more than a year ago in early 2023, where the idea generated significant enthusiasm
among students. While the initial momentum narrowed to a core team as the semester began, the team’s commitment and passion for nuclear energy fueled the chapter’s creation onward.
“The cabinet and I are very interested in nuclear energy because we believe it is an answer for clean and secure energy, not only for our nation, but the world as well,” Nowak says.
In November 2023, the chapter was officially endorsed at the 2023 Student ANS Winter Conference after dozens of emails and extensive networking. The chapter’s first major meeting with TerraPower came during the excitement of the ANS endorsement, where TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque fielded questions, particularly about the Natrium reactor being built in Kemmerer, Wyo.
“Wyoming and energy have long been synonymous, and I’m humbled by the support we’ve received for our Natrium project from stakeholders across the state,” Levesque says. “The excitement from University of Wyoming students about supporting new nuclear energy projects in Wyoming — and translating that excitement into the launch of a new ANS chapter — is energizing. Public acceptance and awareness of the benefits of
Professor Chad Pope from Idaho State University gives a virtual presentation on pyroprocessing during an ANS meeting.
PHOTO BY RYAN LUETHJE
“The ANS chapter will bring together a community of students across disciplines at UW who are interested in nuclear science and engineering and foster their development as professionals in the field.” — Caleb Hill
nuclear energy continue to grow, and it’s wonderful to see University of Wyoming students joining the conversation.”
This achievement represented the culmination of the team’s dedication, persistence and vision. Through its diligent work, what began as a spark of interest has now grown into a thriving student organization — one that is shaping the future of nuclear energy discussions at UW.
“Establishing a student chapter for the American Nuclear Society at UW was important, as it serves as an organization to bring awareness of nuclear energy and other related fields for our community,” Nowak says.
Since the chapter’s inception, it has seen immense growth, with meetings now regularly drawing around 20 people. The chapter also boasts a diverse membership,
with students majoring in fields from electrical engineering to psychology and political science. This diversity of perspectives has been key in fueling the chapter’s continued success and growth.
“I am ecstatic to see people in diverse disciplines uniting in love for nuclear opportunities,” Nowak says.
“There are so many bright and brilliant new members joining the chapter, and I look forward to hearing about how they will grow it even further after we have already laid the foundation.”
In addition to fostering student engagement, the chapter has established strong partnerships with leading organizations in the nuclear industry, including TerraPower, BWXT, Idaho National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.
“These relationships are poised to create exciting opportunities for both the university and the state of Wyoming,” Nowak says, “by providing students with invaluable insights into the nuclear energy sector and future career possibilities.”
For students looking to join the chapter, Nowak emphasizes, “There is nothing to lose and all to gain.”
From internships and industry insights to the chance to network with the leaders pioneering nuclear energy, the benefits are numerous. Plus, there’s the bonus of occasional free food.
“The ANS chapter will bring together a community of students across disciplines at UW who are interested in nuclear science and engineering and foster their development as professionals in the field,” says Hill, the chapter faculty adviser and sponsor. “The ANS chapter conducts outreach activities to reach UW students and the local community and provides valuable networking opportunities with industry experts. This chapter will have a huge impact on the growth of nuclear at UW and throughout Wyoming.”
As the chapter continues to grow, there are efforts underway to secure funding from the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming, which could enable field trips to tour nuclear industry facilities, offering students more in-depth exposure to the field.
“The amount of support my team and I have received has been unprecedented and an absolute blessing,” Nowak says. “Our local Wyoming community and the American Nuclear Society at large have our backs, and for that I am forever grateful. We wish to serve our communities with compassion and character. The world needs more cowboys, and additionally, the world needs more nuclear energy; we hope to be an advocate for both.”
If you want to learn more about ANS or get involved with the chapter, email Hill at caleb.hill@uwyo.edu or visit uwyo.presence.io/organization/americannuclear-society.
ANS Cabinet (left to right): Jacob Helper, Drew Rone, Raymond Nowak
PHOTO BY RYAN LUETHJE
Ellbogen Foundation Gift Supports UW SER’s Nuclear Energy Research Center
By Christine Reed
A major investment from the John P. Ellbogen Foundation will support nuclear energy instruction and the Nuclear Energy Research Center (NERC) in the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER).
The $1 million gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the state of Wyoming to establish the John P. Ellbogen Foundation Nuclear Energy Research Center Fund.
Dedicated to creating or causing change primarily for the benefit of the people of Wyoming through the support of science, education and charity, the John P. Ellbogen Foundation is a longtime and generous partner of UW, supporting the university’s educational efforts, various programs, faculty and students.
“The board and I are thrilled about the opportunities this grant will create for the students and faculty at the university and for the state of Wyoming,” says Spencer Garland, vice president of the Ellbogen Foundation Board of Directors. “This grant aligns well with two key pillars of the foundation’s mission by supporting both education and science. Additionally, it provides important funding for NERC, which in just three years has become an integral player in Wyoming’s energy transformation.”
programs. These certificates will significantly expand UW students’ access to nuclear energy coursework. Over time, additional nuclear energy-related programs can be developed in areas focused on social sciences, law, regulation and policy.
“Modern nuclear energy offers a practical solution for decarbonization by delivering safe, clean, dispatchable electricity and enhancing the reliability of an electric grid that is increasingly reliant on nondispatchable generation resources,” Garland says. “Expanding the university’s nuclear energy programs will strengthen the capabilities of the students and faculty and help position Wyoming as an early adopter of the emerging modern nuclear industry.”
NERC is focused on interdisciplinary nuclear energy capacity building across the UW community by connecting the university’s faculty and staff who are already active in research fields critical to the success of nuclear energy. It is developing collaborative relationships both external and internal to UW. SER and NERC also are working to bring new resources to UW to grow its nuclear-related capabilities.
This grant aligns well with two key pillars of the foundation’s mission by
supporting both education and science.
Since it was established in 2021, NERC has made major strides to build upon existing areas of expertise, to launch new nuclear-related course offerings, and to develop impactful research programs at UW. It has successfully leveraged its initial state funding to bring in competitive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as additional private support.
— Spencer Garland
Major objectives of the fund include developing and delivering nuclear-related coursework — including certificates and degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels — and programmatic support of nuclear-focused faculty, staff and students.
“It is abundantly clear that the footprint of nuclear energy is growing in Wyoming; UW students are interested in additional coursework and programs in this field; and there is a need for professionals with the right educational credentials to work in the advanced nuclear sector,” SER Executive Director Holly Krutka says. “Thanks to this support from the John P. Ellbogen Foundation, SER has the funding needed to work with our partners at the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences to address that demand.”
Initially, funds from the endowment will be used to establish and manage two nuclear energy science certificate
The center is co-directed by Tara Righetti, UW’s Occidental Chair in Energy and Environmental Policies and SER professor of law; and Caleb Hill, UW’s J.E. Warren Chair, Nielson Faculty Fellow, associate professor of chemistry and SER adjunct faculty member.
“NERC has spent the last few years developing a strategy and laying the groundwork for nuclear energy education and research at UW,” Righetti says. “These efforts have identified opportunities to help align course offerings and research with industry needs to address technical problems and prepare UW students to be competitive for positions in this emerging industry.”
“Our primary focus is providing our students the educational and research opportunities they need to successfully engage with nuclear energy fields,” Hill adds. “We are immensely grateful to the John P. Ellbogen Foundation and this incredible gift that will expand and accelerate the exciting work UW is already doing.”
To learn more about NERC, visit bit.ly/ser-nerc
UW RECEIVES $1M ENDOWMENT TO SUPPORT PETROLEUM ENGINEERING STUDENTS
The University of Wyoming has received a major gift from Joseph and Stephanie Leimkuhler, who have pledged $500,000 to support UW petroleum engineering students.
The gift will be matched by the state of Wyoming to $1 million to establish the Joseph and Stephanie Leimkuhler Fund for Student Success in Petroleum Engineering.
This endowment will support graduate students in UW’s Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, furthering the university’s commitment to producing highly skilled professionals in this essential field.
“This funding directly supports the department’s ‘Top 5 in 5’ initiative, aimed at boosting our program’s national and global reputation,” says Vamegh Rasouli, the LeNorman Endowed Leadership Chair of Petroleum Engineering in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
“The new students joining us will be
key in shaping the future of technology for developing Wyoming’s shale plays and will help supply the state’s petroleum industry with its future workforce — a crucial role in a state where oil and gas drive the economy.”
The new fund will focus on providing educational and enrichment opportunities for students pursuing master’s degrees in petroleum engineering, with an emphasis on those specializing in drilling engineering.
This endowed fund also will allow the department to support graduate assistantships, scholarships, research, travel and conference participation — empowering students to gain real-world experience and develop expertise that contributes to the energy industry’s growth.
To maximize the impact of this gift, the Leimkuhlers’ contribution was matched dollar-for-dollar through the 2024 state matching endowment appropriation. This matching
opportunity doubles the endowment’s potential, amplifying its support for petroleum engineering students and extending the university’s reach in developing a strong workforce for the energy sector. In addition, the Leimkuhlers’ commitment to UW will be recognized through a charitable gift annuity.
Joseph “Joe” Leimkuhler, chief operating officer of Beacon Offshore Energy — with offices in Houston, Texas and Covington, La. — has deep ties to UW. After earning his bachelor’s degree in geology and forestry from the University of Montana, he went on to receive his master’s degree in petroleum engineering from UW. In recognition of his professional accomplishments and commitment to his alma mater, he was named a Distinguished Alumni in 2022.
Leimkuhler serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the Petroleum Engineering Industrial Advisory Board. Alongside his wife, Stephanie, they also have established the Joseph and Stephanie Leimkuhler Petroleum Engineering Dean’s Excellence Fund, supporting undergraduate scholarships, graduate stipends, student enrichment opportunities and faculty awards.
While he was a master’s student in petroleum engineering at UW in the 1980s, a state teaching assistantship enabled the Leimkuhlers to support their family and was fundamental to a successful career. It is their goal for this fund to provide similar opportunities to other UW students.
“UW and the state of Wyoming were there for us when we needed help, and this gift, along with the state match, will ensure the same opportunity is there for future students as well,” Leimkuhler says.
Graduate students in UW’s Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering will benefit from a $500,000 gift from Joseph and Stephanie Leimkuhler, matched by the state of Wyoming for a total of $1 million.
UW’s Dale Part of New Postage Stamp Design That Depicts Spiral Galaxy
Unless one is a scientist or a teacher of the sciences, it would be understandable if a person may not be familiar with spiral galaxies.
Danny Dale, a professor of physics and astronomy and associate dean of the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, recently had a hand in bringing spiral galaxies to the public in a unique way: through a new United States Postal Service (USPS) stamp that will be unveiled later this month.
The USPS will celebrate the continued exploration of deep space with an extremely high-definition image of a spiral galaxy 32 million light years from Earth — an image that will be affixed to a new postage stamp to be released Tuesday, Jan. 21, according to a recent USPS news release.
“I assisted with the planning and execution of the image taken,” Dale says. “We used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to take this multicolor image at infrared wavelengths.”
Dale says the science team he is a part of, in concert with the JWST, is focused on gathering photo images and spectra of nearby spiral galaxies. The image helps researchers update their models of star formation and allows them to better understand the origins of the
universe, according to the USPS release.
“Galaxies are where stars and planets are born and live their lives. Our Milky Way galaxy alone has hundreds of billions of stars, including our own sun,” Dale says.
“Galaxies are the building blocks of the universe. Spiral galaxies are beautiful structures with multiple spiral arms that wind around the galaxy centers. Spiral galaxies are the most common form of galaxies.”
Greg Breeding, an art director for the USPS, designed the stamp with an image from NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, the Space Telescope Science Institute, Oxford University and the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS program, a large project that includes observations from several spaceand ground-based telescopes of many galaxies to help researchers study all phases of the star formation cycle.
Upon favorable review by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the stamp will be denominated at the new priority mail flat envelope rate, according to the USPS release.
“I hope young people find it inspiring and that it motivates them to pursue a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) career if that’s what excites them,” Dale says.
This image of a spiral galaxy, captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, will be on a new United States Postal Service stamp scheduled to be released to the public Jan. 21.
New UW ‘Lines of Sight’ Sculpture Forges Art With Engineering
You may have noticed something different in front of the Engineering Education and Research building — a larger than life transit sculpture.
The sculpture “Lines of Sight” is a 14-foot, 6 1/4-inch representation of an antique transit, a device used to measure horizontal and vertical angles to help surveyors record geographic details.
The artists — Ashley Hope Carlisle, a UW professor of sculpture, and David Jones, an art instructional technician with the UW Department of Visual Arts — who designed, produced and placed the sculpture described the conception of the project and the process of making a large, technical-inspired work of art.
“Art in public buildings plays a vital role in shaping the cultural and aesthetic identity of a community,” Jones says. “It enhances shared spaces by adding visual interest, encouraging dialogue and creating a sense of pride and ownership.”
The $90,000 installation is a project of the Wyoming Arts Council’s Art in Public Buildings program.
In 1991, the Wyoming Legislature passed the Art in Public Buildings legislation, requiring that 1% of the construction costs of new, state-owned buildings be used for placing art in the public setting.
Carlisle and Jones, who own Wind Driven Studios LLC, won a competitive bidding process to receive a grant from this program, but before they could even begin the design, Carlisle and Jones needed a stroke of inspiration.
Charles Bellamy’s accomplishments gave them what they needed.
A Wyoming engineer and surveyor, Bellamy received the state’s, and nation’s first professional engineering license on Aug. 8, 1907. Six years later, he founded Bellamy and Sons Engineering. Bellamy also helped survey the Snowy Range for its water potential.
Carlisle and Jones learned from Bellamy’s great-great-grandson that the Bellamy family, with its five generations of engineers, had kept his transit.
The sculpture is made of steel, bronze and cast iron, and the compass at the bottom points to magnetic north and reflects the sky. The scope points toward the Snowy Range and reflects the buildings and landscape. The finished sculpture has more than 200 pieces.
“Public art also can stimulate economic development by attracting visitors and enhancing property values,” Carlisle says. “In a broader sense, art in public buildings in and around the great state of Wyoming helps to establish a dialogue between the community and its environment, and it inspires civic pride and reinforces the collective identity of the people it serves. By integrating art into the everyday lives of citizens, public buildings become not just functional structures, but vital cultural hubs that foster connection, reflection and enrichment for all.”
In May of 2024, the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences welcomed a new piece of public art outside of the Engineering Education and Research Building. The sculpture
“Lines of Sight,” was created by local artists and UW faculty Ashley Hope Carlisle and David Jones.
Alumni’s Major Gift to Support Nuclear and Renewable Energy
By Christine Reed
A major gift to the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) will support Wyoming-focused instruction, outreach and applied research on new means of energy production and technologies specifically in the areas of nuclear, wind, solar and other renewable-related energy.
The $1 million gift from Paul and Judy Lerwick — which will be matched by the state of Wyoming — will be endowed to create the Wyoming NOW (nuclear, onshore wind and more) Fund.
“Wyoming is an energy state that produces six times as much energy as it uses,” Paul Lerwick says. “As the country gradually incorporates nuclear and renewable energy sources, Judy and I want to help ensure that Wyoming maintains its position as a major U.S. energy producer by adapting the SER curriculum at UW to produce graduates with the requisite skills for the evolving U.S. energy future.”
The Wyoming NOW Fund will be used to foster excellence, allowing SER to execute activities that grow the robust research and academic programs and to leverage many opportunities specific to Wyoming, SER Executive Director Holly Krutka says.
“The Wyoming energy economy is expanding in exciting ways, and this incredible support from Paul and Judy will establish a unique fund for new energy technologies,” Krutka says. “This fund will help maximize our research and educate students toward the ultimate goal of keeping Wyoming in the position of being an energy superpower.”
With an emphasis on applied
research to benefit Wyoming, the fund is designed to recruit, support and retain talented students, staff and faculty members at UW; to provide opportunities for professional development; and to bolster researchers who are conducting work relevant to Wyoming and who demonstrate a dedication to positive student engagement.
An additional goal of the fund is to attract new and increase engagement directly with industry partners, especially companies that now have or plan to have a major presence in Wyoming.
“Ultimately, the private sector will commercialize new energy technologies,” Krutka says. “The goal at the School of Energy Resources is to do everything possible to make investing in Wyoming more attractive than investing elsewhere, including working across UW to offer students the curriculum and hands-on experiences needed to secure fulfilling employment in Wyoming’s expanding energy portfolio.”
The intention of the fund aligns well with the mission of SER to drive energy innovation and economic development for Wyoming and to retain top talent in the state.
“We also want to capture the majority of UW graduates for jobs in Wyoming at nuclear and renewable energy companies that are attracted to the state by forward-looking policies, light regulations and favorable tax treatment,” Paul Lerwick says.
With strong ties to UW and the energy industry, the Lerwicks have spent much of their lives engaging in impactful philanthropic activities
supporting educational opportunities for UW students.
A 1974 UW graduate in petroleum engineering, Paul credits his education with preparing him for a rewarding and successful career in the oil and gas industry working in Alaska, Texas and Mississippi. Similarly, Judy earned degrees in geology and chemistry from Baylor University, allowing the pair to enjoy extensive careers in the “oil patch.” They have spent the last 25 years as part of EGL Resources LLC, a small independent company, which primarily engages in oil and gas exploration and production.
“We are amazed by the incredible foresight and generosity of Paul and Judy,” Krutka adds. “We hope that this gift serves as a catalyst to inspire others to get involved with SER and to seize the countless opportunities to support energy education, to engage in workforce training and to enhance the research opportunities that are going to bolster the economy in the state.”
Paul and Judy Lerwick
AtomicOpportunities
Imagine powering an entire city with a lump of material small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. This is not science fiction but the reality of nuclear fission—where splitting a single atom releases immense energy. Read how University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics alumna Christi Barry discusses how her education prepared her for her career, and how her professional background has shaped her perspective on nuclear energy and what its future may hold.
CAN YOU BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR BACKGROUND IN GEOLOGY AND HOW IT HAS SHAPED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON ENERGY?
I arrived on campus at UW in 1983 with the full intention of becoming a petroleum geologist. I had the privilege of studying under some of the most iconic professors in the field. Professors Mears, Boyd, Snoke, McClurg and Frost were incredibly insightful but tough. In 1988, oil companies were not hiring, so many of us went on to graduate school. My fiancé was beginning his pharmacy career in Las Vegas, so I applied to UNLV and was accepted as I arrived at their door with transcript in hand. My thesis focused on volcaniclastic deposits in an accreted terrain sequence in the Klamath Mountains of Northern California.
In the summer of 1990, I accepted an internship with Science Applications International Corp. to assist with the technical and management support of the Department of Energy on the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP), the nation’s proposed high-level nuclear waste repository on the Nevada Test Site.
That is when I realized my path was leading me to nuclear energy. The early 1990s was a crucial time in the history of the YMP. The Nevada site had been singled out as the chosen location of the repository, and study plans were underway to finalize the design, portal locations and transportation of casks. At the same time, Nevada politicians vowed to keep the repository from opening. Completing a deep geologic repository for permanent spent fuel storage had a direct impact on the growth of the nuclear power industry. Without a permanent solution for spent nuclear fuel, nuclear power companies were reluctant to build new reactors. Over the decades, our demand for more reliable, constant and clean energy sources has exploded. I have always felt nuclear power should and can be a significant player in our energy future.
WHAT INTRIGUES YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY?
I am most intrigued by the potential it brings to our energy independence. Nuclear power can be a significant
microreactors and other innovative designs that are more cost efficient, mobile and plentiful will change the playing field for AI advancement and other technologies requiring energy.
WHAT COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS OR MYTHS ARE FACING NUCLEAR ENERGY TODAY?
Among the general public, there is still a fear of the unknown. The accidents at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima come to mind whenever you mention nuclear power. Nuclear power is, in fact, one the cleanest and safest sources of energy available today. Educating the public on the facts of nuclear energy will be instrumental in gaining support for the industry.
WHAT DO YOU FORESEE AS THE FUTURE OF THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY IN THE NEXT DECADE?
It seems we are hearing of new advancements weekly, so I cannot imagine what the nuclear power industry will look like in 10 years.
I would not be surprised if we can power our homes and cars with nuclear power in the near future. Nuclearpowered space exploration is already in the works, so why not commercial airlines?
HOW DOES THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY CONTINUE TO INNOVATE AND CREATE?
The innovation of microreactors and small modular reactors that can be placed in specific locations to provide energy for designated purposes will increase the scope and reach of nuclear energy. The TerraPower Natrium reactor in Kemmerer is another example of innovative design that improves the efficiency and cost of new nuclear reactors. Building with universal components as well as constructing non-nuclear systems separate from the nuclear piece will simplify permitting, in addition to cutting down on construction time and cost.
WHAT MAKES YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY?
I am most excited about the unlimited uses for nuclear power. Portable systems could be moved into place after natural disasters. A constant flow of power would mean no more blackouts. The possibilities are endless.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR STUDENTS LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY?
Keep your mind and options open to new experiences. When I was in graduate school, our thesis projects consisted of geologic mapping, studying rocks and determining the geologic history of a formation. We were not given modern-day problems to solve. Today at the School of Energy Resources, the demand for research means every student can be a part of solving a real-world problem that can then lead to future employment and
Christi Barry
her
more research opportunities. Also, never pass up an opportunity to talk to professionals out in the field. Take advantage of all the conferences, field trips and events available to you in order to broaden your connections and experiences.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE THE CHRISTINE A. BARRY NUCLEAR ENERGY STUDENT ENRICHMENT FUND?
I wanted to invest in the future of students at the School of Energy Resources because I strongly believe in the work Dr. Holly Krutka and her team are doing here at UW. SER is filling a need that will benefit the state of Wyoming, our country and the world. The more I learned of their research and the development of nuclear energy certifications, I knew I wanted to be a part of that growth.
HOW DO YOU HOPE YOUR SUPPORT WILL IMPACT UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING STUDENTS?
Over the course of a few short years, students in SER are needing to get up to speed in a rapidly evolving industry. Companies are coming to SER asking for their help in solving energy development problems. Therefore, students are getting involved with projects and companies early in their educational career. With this endowment, students will be able to apply for assistance to attend energy conferences, travel to nuclear reactor sites to meet with professionals and participate in other educational opportunities beyond the classroom. My hope is that these students will gain valuable experiences, leading to a seamless transition from UW into the nuclear energy industry.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? Go Pokes!
with
family, husband, Kurt (B.S., pharmacy, ’88), daughter Kelcey (B.S., elementary education, ’19), and son Cameron at UW commencement and football games. Barry and her husband hiking in Europe.
We regret to announce the passing of the following alumni.
Mary L. Bath Green Valley, Ariz.
Charles Blake Woodstock, Ga.
William Butkovich, Jr Dubois, Wyo.
Gerald W. Call Portland, Ore.
Donald A. Carlson Cheyenne, Wyo.
Eugene F. Dehnert Lander, Wyo.
Chuck Engebretsen Lost Springs, Wyo.
Donald L. Fanning Winchester, Tenn.
Stephen K. Ford Hood River, Ore.
Verna M. Heisey Casper, Wyo.
Lee F. Higginson Rochester, Wash.
L. D. Hillberry Craig, Colo.
Keith N. Hull New York, N.Y.
Kendell H. Hyde Ogden, Utah
Judith A. Larson Prairie Village, Kan.
David L. Lawson Denver, Colo.
Barbara H. McConnell Colorado Springs, Colo.
Phillip R. McGowan Redwood City, Calif.
Frank D. Moore Canon City, Colo.
Anne Olsen Laramie, Wyo.
Walter G. Saunders Sheridan, Wyo.
John F. Schabron Laramie, Wyo.
Clifford R. Schenk Pasadena, Calif.
Maureen B. Steiner Laramie, Wyo.
Thomas B. Tippetts Gilbert, Ariz.
Edward L. Trollinger Stevensville, Mich.
Patrick T. Tyrrell* Cheyenne, Wyo.
Jerry L. Westerfield Encampment, Wyo.
Richard M. Wymore, Jr Brigham City, Utah
Our greatest sympathy is extended to the families of these valued friends.
❏ College of Engineering an d Physical Sciences (600304)
❏ Engineering Scholarship Fund (630223)
❏ Atmospheric Science (500046)
❏ Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (500131)
❏ Chemistry (500072)
❏ Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management (500074)
❏ Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (500661)
❏ Geology and Geophysics (500194)
❏ Mathematics and Statistics (500266)
❏ Mechanical Engineering (500272)
❏ Energy and Petroleum Engineering (500132)
❏ Physics and Astronomy (500302)
❏ Other (please specify)
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RECOGNIZING OUR RECENTLY PROMOTED FACULTY
Bradley Carr
Department of Geology and Geophysics Senior Research Scientist
TeYu Chien
Department of Physics and Astronomy Professor
Nathan Clements
Department of Mathematics and Statistics Senior Lecturer
Robert Erikson
CEPS Dean’s O ce Senior Lecturer
Christina Knox
Department of Mathematics and Statistics Associate Lecturer
Shane Murphy
Department of Atmospheric Science Professor
Jifa Tian
Department of Physics and Astronomy Associate Professor
Ping Zhong
Department of Mathematics and Statistics Associate Professor
