Foresight - Spring/Summer 2023

Spring/Summer 2023 | Volume 48, No. 1

UW COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

e Discover the difference at the University of Wyoming’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

67.6%

OF CEPS GRAD STUDENTS ARE OF A DIVERSE BACKGROUND

*This is based on information from academic year 21/22

$

$

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FULLY FUNDED GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

AVERAGE STARTING SALARY FOR CEPS GRADUATES

ACCESS TO STATE-OF-THE-ART LABS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH

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DEPARTMENTS WITH 18 B.S., 15 M.S., AND 12 PH.D. PROGRAMS TO CHOOSE YOUR PATH

Jennifer Eisenhauer Tanner

Associate Professor Civil and Architectural Engineering

UWYO.EDU/CEAS

10 4

14

27

Features

Departments

4 / Girl Scouts are Engineering a Bright Future in STEM UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences outreach office helps troop earn the “Think Like an Engineer” badge, encouraging Girl Scouts to tinker, problem solve and innovate.

02 / Message from the Dean

10 / High School Construction Training Initiative Builds Momentum UW Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management lays applied skills foundation for high school students in the construction industry.

17 / Alumni in Action

18 / From the Ground Up UW students compete in Solar Decathlon for next-generation clean energy buildings. 25 / Expanding Educational Opportunities in Computing UW School of Computing broadens bridge between industry and academia on computing technologies. 27 / The Nexus of Geology and Life UW Professor Ken Sims’ multidisciplinary research at Yellowstone National Park examines hydrothermal system in unprecedented detail.

07 / News & Notes 12 / Students in Action 14 / Faculty in Action 22 / News & Notes 30 / CEPS Highlight 32 / Alumni In Memoriam

On the Cover Louis Failoni, UW graduate student and 2022-23 Wyoming Motorsports’ president, comes around the corner in the team’s hybrid car during the endurance event at the Formula Hybrid + Electric competition at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Photo by Andrew Janecek-Oiler.

Spring/Summer 2023 • 1

Message from the Dean

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES Carrell Family Dean Cameron Wright Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education David Mukai Associate Dean, Graduate Education and Research David Bagley Associate Professor, Reorganization Physical Sciences Daniel Dale Director, Business Operations Mēgan Barber College Affairs Coordinator Jeanne Moede Departments: Atmospheric Science Jeff French, Head 307-766-3245 | uwyo.edu/atsc Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Saman Aryana, 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, Head 307-766-2390 | uwyo.edu/civil Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Bryan Shader, Interim Head 307-766-2279| uwyo.edu/EECS Energy and Petroleum Engineering Vamegh Rasouli, Head 307-766-4258 | uwyo.edu/petroleum Geology and Geophysics Dario Grana, Interim 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, Interim Head 307-766-2122 | uwyo.edu/mechanical Physics and Astronomy Jinke Tang, Head 307-766-6150 | uwyo.edu/physics Editors Caitlyn Spradley, Micaela Myers and Chad Baldwin Graphic Design Michelle Eberle, Emily Edgar, Hallie Davis and Brittny Wroblewski Photography Ted Brummond and 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 caitlyn.spradley@uwyo.edu. 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.

BLAZING TRAILS Dear Colleagues and Friends, The University of Wyoming’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences has come such a long way over its proud history (our first engineering graduate was in 1897, which was 126 years ago!). That history shapes our path forward and has forged a trail for everything we have become. Operating on the principle that only the most innovative and creative solutions will overcome the energy and technology challenges facing today’s world, our classrooms are not just about learning theory — our students put what they learn into practice every day. I’ve always believed that hands-on learning is a vital part of building a solid foundation in engineering and the physical sciences. In this edition of Foresight, you’ll meet some remarkable students, faculty, staff and alumni who are making a difference in the state and around the globe. Explore how our outstanding faculty are not only productive when it comes to research, but also keep their finger on the pulse of the engineering and physical sciences community and offer leadership within industry year after year. Learn more about how one dedicated alumna built her own path in years of industry, which eventually led her back to the classroom and teaching the next generation of great engineers and scientists. I hope that as you flip through the pages of this issue’s Foresight Magazine you gain a sense of what today’s students are achieving and how the college is working diligently to provide leadership and resources in developing the next cohort of leaders. I think you will agree the college has a great deal of momentum, on a path with an upward slope, fueled by our history and driven to make an ever-greater positive impact on the world for the next 126 years. Sincerely,

Cameron H.G. Wright, Ph.D., P.E. Carrell Family Dean College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

READ FORESIGHT’S E-EDITION NEXT SPRING Foresight Magazine will be moving to one print and one digital-only edition in 2024. Look for an email or postcard with details.

CHEMICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

CO-OP EXPERIENCE

Become a UW Departent of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Co-Op Experience industry partner today!

The program is looking for industry partners interested in giving students an experiential learning opportunity in Spring 2024 to Summer 2024. Students in the program are supported by a department faculty mentor, college internship coordinator, as well as their industry mentor as they gain extensive experience while learning about potential career opportunities in the engineering industry.

TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT US AT: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering c/o Patrick Johnson, EN 4055 Dept. 3295 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: (307)-766-2500 Email: che-info@uwyo.edu

e r a s t u o G i rl Sc t h g i r B a g n i r e e n i g n E M E T S n i e r Futu UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences outreach office helps troop earn the “Think Like an Engineer” badge, encouraging Girl Scouts to tinker, problem solve and innovate.

We know that when girls can see it, they have a much better chance of one day being it — which is why the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences K-14 STEM Education Outreach Office recently teamed up with Laramie Girl Scout Brownie Troop 1628 to give girls hands-on engineering experience, with help from women who are making waves in the traditionally maledominated engineering world. “The demand for skilled workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is growing, and there is a shortage of talent to fill these positions,” says Cindy Jones, the college’s K-14 STEM education outreach program manager. “Encouraging women to pursue STEM careers can help fill this gap and ensure that organizations have the skilled workforce they need to succeed. Women 4 • Foresight

bring diverse perspectives to the STEM fields, which leads to a broader range of ideas and solutions. When women are involved in STEM, they can contribute to creating products and solutions that are more inclusive and better suited to the needs of all members of society.” In fall 2022, Andrea Gabathuler, leader of Troop 1628, contacted Jones to request support with two badges: “Coding” and “Think Like an Engineer.” The college’s K-14 STEM Education Outreach Office team helped the girls earn their coding badge in December 2022, as the troop participated in multiple coding activities including the coding of Ozobots, little robots that are designed as an introduction to coding, to navigate mazes, led by college student ambassadors. The “Think Like an Engineer” badge requirements were much more

Laramie Girl Scout Brownie Troop 1628 participated in multiple coding activities including the coding of Ozobots, little robots that are designed as an introduction to coding. Ozobots use sensors to follow lines and read color codes users make to navigate mazes. PHOTO BY TAYLOR LAFORCE

in-depth and required four meetings, culminating in a “Take Action” project. The K-14 STEM Education Outreach Office team and the troop leader collaborated about how best to accomplish this. The college team formulated plans for four meetings and the project. “It’s an incredible experience for these scouts to see themselves not only as engineers, but also as change-

makers in the community,” Gabathuler says. “The ‘Take Action’ project to install a makerspace in the Albany County Public Library with the help of engineering student ambassadors will be a visual reminder of the power that they already hold. Seeing so many women from their own community pursuing engineering was quite an inspiration for the scouts.” While working on their “Think Like an Engineer” badge, girls from Girl Scouts of Laramie had the opportunity to try new things, problem solve and learn about the engineering design process in a fun, interactive environment with current UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students. College student ambassadors and the troop met over four Sundays in February and March at Trinity Lutheran Church. At each meeting, the student ambassadors facilitated an engineering design challenge. The engineering design challenges included designing, building and testing peppermint racers; building and testing towers that could withstand an earthquake; and building barges that could hold the most weight. The main requirement to receive the badge was an action plan that helped the community and was sustainable, as opposed to a one-time fix to a problem. According to Jones, the DiscoverE organization is an invaluable resource

when looking for STEM activities and ideas. “The K-14 STEM Education Outreach Office works closely with the DiscoverE organization for many of its outreach efforts because the activities support the Wyoming state learning standards, and you can modify the activities based on level and learners’ needs,” Jones says. The K-14 STEM Education Outreach Office team uses these activities often at STEM fairs and in classrooms, according to Jones. Jones shared some ideas with the college student ambassadors and the troop leader to get some feedback before finalizing the activities. For the action plan, Gabathuler, Jones and the student ambassadors discussed what project would best support raising awareness about engineering in the community. “The idea of creating a public, lowtech makerspace in the community was presented to the troop, and they decided to go for it,” Jones says. “Andrea Gabathuler contacted the Albany County Public Library, and they agreed to let the girls set up their community makerspace there.” This public, low-tech makerspace will have some engineering challenges and activities available, thereby exposing more of Laramie’s young learners to STEM challenges and the materials to create. According to Jayden Earl, age 6,

While working on their “Think Like an Engineer” badge, girls from Girl Scouts of Laramie had the opportunity to try new things, problem solve and learn about the engineering design process in a fun, interactive environment with UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students such as Meghan Higgins and Sarah Hope. PHOTO BY TAYLOR LAFORCE

her favorite activity was making boats with aluminum foil and seeing how many coins they would hold, because everyone’s boat held different amounts of coins even though they all looked alike. “My favorite activity was building with marshmallows and toothpicks,” says Nova Robison, age 7. “It was my favorite because you get to build a building — a structure — and you get to work with marshmallows.” UW student ambassadors Allison Davis, Taylor LaForce, Meghan Higgins and Sarah Pope were among the inspiring women present to encourage the girls, answer their questions and help them think through innovative solutions to engineering challenges. “Being in Girl Scouts myself as a child, the chance to give back to the organization that opened so many doors for me was an amazing opportunity,” LaForce says. “I had so many mentors during my time in Girl Scouts who helped lead me down the path I’m on today, and I can only hope that I had a similar impact on this group of Girl Scouts.” The girls agreed. Willow Gabathuler, age 7, felt empowered by the support of female STEM professionals. “I liked the one where I made the cars with mints,” Gabathuler says. “It was hard to build, but the ambassadors helped me do the engineering process.” The scouts had a lot to say about how this experience impacted how they see STEM. “There is more to it than I thought,” says Abigail Rautio, age 7. “I thought creating a building was just using hammers and other materials, not making the exact shape and figuring things out,” Robison says. Similarly, Robison says, “I thought engineering was just building robots and coding the robot, but there are

different kinds of engineers.” Jones emphasizes that the events didn’t simply show girls what’s out there in terms of professional possibilities, but also helped them develop strategies and skills they’ll need to go far within STEM pathways. “The importance of women in STEM cannot be overstated,” Jones says. “Women who succeed in STEM fields and careers can serve as role models for future generations, inspiring young girls and young women to pursue careers in these fields. By encouraging and supporting women in STEM, we can create a more diverse and inclusive workforce.” In April, the troop, Jones and UW student ambassador Brock LaBonde met at the Albany County Public Library to create the makerspace, then hold an opening ceremony to open the makerspace up to all the young engineers in Laramie. The opening ceremony included statements from troop members, a read-aloud about a young engineer and a STEM activity during which everyone made anemometers, a device that measures wind speed and direction, and tested them outside in the Wyoming wind. Materials for the makerspace were donated by the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences’ Susan McCormick Center for Student Success, the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium Science Kitchen and many individual donors. Next year, Jones says they will build on

Girls from Girl Scouts of Laramie put their engineering and design skills to the test with the peppermint racer challenge, where they constructed a prototype race car based off of their own blueprint designs and a set of provided materials. After the car was built, participants were able to test their racer on the cardboard ramp to analyze the effectiveness of their design and to see whose peppermint racer design went the longest distance. PHOTO BY ANDREA GABATHULER

the activities they did to inspire more girls to become interested in STEM fields. “Helping Girl Scouts earn the ‘Think Like an Engineer’ badge was a fantastic endeavor that I hope has a lasting impact on their lives. Our goal was to foster curiosity, problem-solving skills and creativity by introducing them to the field of engineering and providing them with opportunities to engage in handson activities,” Jones says. “It’s crucial to empower girls with the belief that they can excel in any field they choose, including traditionally male-dominated areas like engineering. It’s important to emphasize that engineering is not just about technical knowledge, but also about creativity and innovation. We hope we encouraged the girls to think outside the box, take risks and embrace failure as a learning opportunity. Supporting these Girl Scouts in earning their ‘Think Like an Engineer’ badge will, we hope, help promote diversity and inclusion in the engineering field by encouraging young girls to explore STEM subjects and providing them with positive experiences.” For more information about College of Engineering and Physical Sciences K-14 STEM education outreach, email Jones at cynthia.jones@uwyo.edu.

For this STEM challenge, girls from Girl Scouts of Laramie built and tested anemometers that can measure wind speed. Building an anemometer provides opportunities for investigation, team work, developing design skills and understanding the importance of weather instruments. PHOTO BY CINDY JONES

In this engaging activity, girls from Girl Scouts of Laramie explored gravity, engineering, and architecture by using toothpicks and mini marshmallows to create their own structures, mimicking the roles of architects and engineers. PHOTO BY ANDREA GABATHULER

6 • Foresight

News & Notes

Fifty-Three UW Female Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumnae Honored at UW’s Own It! Awards By Ron Podell Fifty-three women at the University of Wyoming were recognized at the sixth annual Own It! Awards ceremony this past spring semester. Sponsored by Wyoming’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), Wyoming INBRE (IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence) and the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium, Own It! strives to recognize women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at UW. The

celebration serves to help increase the visibility of an often-overlooked group in STEM, which can be fundamental in encouraging women to participate in science. “Own It! was created to specifically recognize women in STEM on campus and in the larger Wyoming community who have done great things in STEM over the past year, so they could own their achievements and we could really highlight them for their successes in research, outreach, leadership, mentoring and figuring out how to balance it all,” says Shawna McBride, director of the Wyoming

Overall: A woman who is deserving of celebration • Oreoluwa Adesina, chemistry, hometown unavailable. • Tasnim Ara, chemistry, Dhaka, Bangladesh. • Megan Candelaria, associate director, Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium. • Diana Caulton, assistant professor, Department of Atmospheric Science. • Hannah Hood, electrical engineering, Cheyenne. • Jenna Goodrich, computer science, Cheyenne. • Muskan Kuinkel, civil and architectural engineering, Kathmandu, Nepal. • Erin McDonald, chemistry, Colorado Springs, Colo. • Anna Robertson, research scientist, Department of Atmospheric Science. • Anna Steele, chemical engineering, Cheyenne.

NASA Space Grant Consortium. “This year’s nominees, all 53 of them, are all amazing women who have accomplished so many great things in STEM, and Own It! gives us a chance to celebrate them.” At the awards ceremony, female faculty, staff, students and alumnae — with connections to multiple UW colleges and department — were recognized. Winners, with the category, department or major, and hometowns for students, representing the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences are:

Research: A woman who has made significant contributions to her field of research • Alathea Davies, chemistry, Uniontown, Wash. • Natalie Foss, computer science, Colorado Springs, Colo. • Masoumeh Mahmoudi Gahrouei, graduate teaching assistant, Department of Chemistry. • RongSong Liu, professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics. • Vahideh Mirchi, postdoctoral research associate, Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering. • Ci Song, atmospheric science, hometown unavailable. • Geethma Werapitiya, atmospheric science, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

For more information and to see highlights of each featured woman, visit wyomingspacegrant.org/ wimse/own-it-2023.

Spring/Summer 2023 • 7

News & Notes

UW’s Wyoming Motorsports Formula SAE Team Places First in Hybrid Division at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Competition

The University of Wyoming’s Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) team took first place in the hybrid division at the Formula Hybrid + Electric competition at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway early this summer. The Wyoming Motorsports team competed against 20 teams — four hybrid and 16 electric cars — from the United States and Canada. This was the team’s second trip to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Louis Failoni, a current UW MBA student and Wyoming Motorsports’ president during 2022-23, says the team had an excellent showing and was able to make necessary fixes on the fly, 8 • Foresight

which showed the resolve and technical ability of the team. “I am really proud of what the team was able to accomplish this year,” says Failoni, of Kemmerer. “Designing and building a reliable hybrid race car is no small feat. We had some small fixes we had to make on-site to pass the technical inspection process. But we were able to resolve all of these issues quickly and get on track for all three of the dynamic events.” Wyoming Motorsports’ hybrid car participated in the design competition and technical inspections, which included rotating the car through several inspection stations and having all parts of the vehicle checked for

safety and specification requirements. At the first station, the hybrid car was inspected for mechanical soundness and driver safety, according to Failoni. The vehicle was checked to make sure there is proper clearance space between the driver’s helmet to the roll hoop. The driver also must prove, while fully secured, that he can exit the vehicle within five seconds. At the next station, the car’s electrical systems were inspected. Judges performed a thorough review of the team’s documentation and reviewed a checklist of demonstrations to ensure that safety features on the vehicle were in proper working order. Rollover stability, noise and brake

PHOTO BY BENJAMIN JONES

Louis Failoni, a current UW MBA student and Wyoming Motorsports’ president during 2022-23, comes around the corner in the team’s hybrid car during the endurance event at the Formula Hybrid + Electric competition, which took place May 1-4 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Failoni completed 40 of the 44 laps in the endurance event, a feat which only a few of the teams were able to beat.

PHOTO BY ANDREW JANECEK-OILER

performance round out the technical inspection process. “The technical inspection process was very thorough, and somewhat frustrating at times, but makes the competition very safe while still allowing teams the freedom to come up with unique and innovative designs,” says Joshua Gardner, a junior from Charleston, S.C., majoring in mechanical engineering. Gardner is Wyoming Motorsports’ outgoing chassis/suspension team lead and incoming powertrains team lead. “Although the rule book puts constraints on the vehicles, it was very eye-opening to see the many ways that other teams solved these complex

problems. It goes to show that very rarely is there only one correct answer to a problem.” Of the four cars that entered the hybrid competition, only the Wyoming Motorsports’ car competed in the dynamic events: acceleration, autocross and endurance. The car performed well in autocross, posting the fifth-fastest time overall, due primarily to extra power of the hybrid drivetrain and the drivers’ skill. In the endurance event, with Failoni behind the wheel, the Wyoming Motorsports’ car completed 40 out of 44 laps, a feat which only a few of the teams were able to beat. The team’s strategy was to ensure the reliability of the hybrid car first before tuning its performance, according to Quinton Royle-Grimes, a UW student from Greeley, Colo., majoring in mechanical engineering and Wyoming Motorsports’ outgoing vice president of engineering.

“The experience makes you realize how much more grounded and attainable the real world of racing is,” says Julian Amundson, a UW sophomore from Fort Collins, Colo., majoring in mechanical engineering and Wyoming Motorsports’ incoming chassis/suspension team lead. “At the end of the day, these race teams are made up of normal people who are really passionate about cars and racing. I was fortunate to be one of the drivers in the autocross and acceleration events. Even though I didn’t have much seat time leading up to the events to practice, it was still a great experience, and I was able to learn a lot and have a great time.” The team also won the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Engineering the Future Award for its adherence to good practices in race car design. The team received positive feedback from the design judges and is optimistic moving forward as the team looks to recruit more members and pursue more sponsors, says Riley Milburn, a UW junior from Cheyenne majoring in mechanical engineering and the outgoing aerodynamics team lead for Wyoming Motorsports. “Things are looking really bright for Wyoming Motorsports,” Milburn says. “We are in a great spot with lots of room to improve. The team is looking forward to pushing the performance of the car even more next year. As the incoming vice president of business, my biggest goal will be to get the team’s name out there and form new partnerships with sponsors and the community.” To learn more about the Wyoming Motorsports team, go to www. wyomoto.com. Spring/Summer 2023 • 9

Clockwise from top left: The training program anticipates issuing each high school student who successfully completes the modules with a UW construction hard hat. Students at Pathway Innovation High School in Casper engage in hands-on group work. UW adjunct construction management professor Jon Elliott engages with students on two- and three-dimensional concepts. PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCOIS JACOBS

High School Construction Training Initiative Builds Momentum UW Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management lays applied skills foundation for high school students in the construction industry. Most people are familiar with the traditional educational path — namely, graduating from high school and then pursuing a college degree. But many are not aware of the various pathways available for construction education. At the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the Department of Civil and 10 • Foresight

Architectural Engineering and Construction Management looks to help build those pathways. Established in 2022, the construction training initiative for high school students seeks to not only address the future construction skill and labor shortage in Wyoming, but also to encourage and support vocational and career technical education at the high school level. “The construction training initiative for high school students program is designed around four training modules, where high school seniors can take the first two modules during their fall semester of high school, followed by an additional two training modules during their spring semester before graduation,” says Francois Jacobs, the Roy L. and

Caryl L. Cline Distinguished Professor in Engineering and a Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management professor. “Each module, upon successful completion, earns a student not only their high school certificate when graduating from high school, but will also obtain four stackable construction certificate credentials.” The construction training initiative for high school students program takes an applied approach, in which students engage firsthand with quantity take-offs and blueprint sets — based on a residential dwelling. According to Jacobs, Wyoming’s construction training and education programs, like many other states, have been unable to keep pace with the high demand to supply the workforce to meet industry needs. Nearly 91 percent of more than 1,000 U.S. construction firms that responded to a survey distributed by the Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk reported difficulty in finding workers as a contributor in driving up construction cost and contributing to project delays. The construction training initiative for high school students program helps students test the waters of the construction industry, while gaining valuable experience and knowledge about important construction basics and starting themselves on the fast track by beginning to earn credentials. “High school is often a time for students to explore their interests, as many of them are unaware of their career aspirations,” says Jacobs. “When students are exposed to construction classes, they often find a passion. One of the great rewards of teaching high school construction is seeing a student inspired to choose construction as a career. I find that most students who choose construction as a career value the concept of producing something of value to them intrinsically. Some of our best students are now looking toward careers in construction management, and it is often sparked by their initial interest in a high school course.” For the past year, the construction training initiative for high school students program has been piloted within the following Wyoming high schools: Campbell County High School, Guernsey Sunrise School, Pathways Innovation Center in Casper, Niobrara County High School, Carbon County Higher Education Center and Ten Sleep K-12 School. While this has been a great start, one of the biggest challenges as to why many high schools do not have a construction program, according to Jacobs, is awareness, lack of knowledge about opportunities in the construction sector and how that relates to a high school student. That is why Jacobs feels it’s important for school districts and communities to invest in and look at career education and academic education as necessary complements.

“The development of this program through industry and academic collaboration is an ongoing process,” says Jacobs. “However, we believe it is well worth the time and energy it has taken to build it. The experiences of the learners and instructors speak volumes about the way to move forward in meeting the needs of both industry and future employees.” An additional key component and attraction of the construction training initiative for high school students program is an internship, which provides real-world experience under the guidance of a mentor. “Through this mentored experience, high school students who participate in this opportunity will have a head start within industry,” says Jacobs. “The internship is the culmination of the program’s training and provides individuals with the information needed to make decisions about life after graduation on whether to enter the workforce, attend a community college or enroll in a four-year university degree program.”

“One of the great rewards of teaching high school construction is seeing a student inspired to choose construction as a career.” — ­Francois Jacobs In addition, all four training modules within the construction training initiative for high school students program are connected to transferable high school CTE credits to a community college. So, what’s next for the program? “The Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management has applied for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services’ Workforce Development Training Fund grant in support of launching the construction training initiative for high school students program at various high schools across the state during the 2023-24 academic high school year,” says Jacobs. “This funding will help support tuition costs, training materials, travel to and from high schools, curriculum development and recruiting as the program lays the groundwork to have a direct impact on the state’s economy.” For more information about the construction training initiative for high school students, contact Francois Jacobs at fjacobs@uwyo.edu. Spring/Summer 2023 • 11

Faculty in Action

UW STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONWIDE ECLIPSE BALLOONING PROJECT THIS FALL AND NEXT SPRING By Ron Podell

Up, Up and away.

A team of eight University of Wyoming students will have the opportunity this fall and in spring 2024 to conduct research with weather balloons during future eclipses as part of the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP). UW was chosen in the atmospheric science category. Teams with atmospheric science projects will fly small weather sensors as high as 115,000 feet each for 30 hours along the eclipse path. NEBP includes 55 teams from colleges and universities around the country. Started in 2014 by Montana State University, the original NEBP involved more than 50 teams that livestreamed and studied the 2017 total solar eclipse. In 2022, Montana State University was awarded a $6.5 million grant from NASA to extend and improve upon the project for the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses. Since its inception, NEBP has supported studies during eclipses in 2017, 2019 and 2020. “Our team will actually be flying many high-altitude balloons during both the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse and the April

12 • Foresight

8, 2024 total solar eclipse as part of the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project,” says Phil Bergmaier, a postdoctoral research associate in the UW Department of Physics and Astronomy and high-altitude balloon specialist with the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium, who will serve as the main team lead for the project. Bergmaier co-leads the project with Lauren Kim, a UW Ph.D. student from Fairport, N.Y., majoring in physics, and Shawna McBride, a senior research scientist in physics and astronomy and director of the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium at UW. “For both of these upcoming eclipses, our UW team will fly half-pound weather sensor packages, called radiosondes, on small balloons once every hour for 30 hours around the eclipse time,” Bergmaier explains. “The balloons will carry the radiosondes as high as 115,000 feet above sea level, well into the stratosphere. The radiosondes will measure temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed and direction, altitude, latitude and longitude.” Bergmaier says the team will attempt to determine how the total solar eclipse impacts the

atmosphere. During the eclipse, the moon is situated between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth and causing sudden darkness along the eclipse path. Within the shadow, there is abrupt cooling of the atmosphere, which can trigger “gravity waves,” he says. “Gravity waves, which are different from gravitational waves, are similar to the ripples you would see when you toss a rock into a pond,” Bergmaier says. “They are quite common in our atmosphere but can be challenging to detect with radiosondes. Nevertheless, we hope to be able to detect eclipse-driven gravity waves in the upper atmosphere using our radiosonde measurements.” To do so, Bergmaier says the team will need data that is detailed in both time and space. With 19 of the NEBP teams flying radiosondes along the eclipse paths every hour, the groups will collectively have an unprecedented data set that will be analyzed for years. “The eclipse is, thus, a unique and rare time to study these phenomena, which can help scientists better understand the overall dynamics of the atmosphere and improve weather forecasting,” he says.

UW students transport the high-altitude balloon and payload items from a sheltered area inside a garage to the nearby football field during a recent Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium K-12 outreach balloon launch event at Torrington Middle School. Pictured, from left, are UW Ph.D. student Lauren Kim and undergraduate student participants Samantha Smith, Riley Geldean and Carson Rardin. Phil Bergmaier, a postdoctoral research associate in the UW Department of Physics and Astronomy, is obscured behind Geldean and holding the balloon. PHOTO BY WYOMING NASA SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM

A team composed of both UW and Casper College students participated in the first NEBP for the 2017 eclipse. At that time, a balloon was launched from Casper, and video footage was livestreamed from the balloon to the internet during that eclipse, Bergmaier says. Teams from Casper College and Central Wyoming College in Riverton were selected in the engineering category this year. For engineering projects, each team will launch one balloon during

each eclipse. The balloons will float their 12-pound payloads, which include livestreaming cameras, at approximately 70,000 feet. “Those college teams have limited prior experience flying high-altitude balloons. As someone who has flown more than 70 high-altitude balloons with the Wyoming Space Grant Consortium at UW, I will be providing some assistance and guidance to these other teams as they learn more about high-

“The eclipse is, thus, a unique and rare time to study these phenomena, which can help scientists better understand the overall dynamics of the atmosphere and improve weather forecasting.” — Phil Bergmaier

altitude ballooning,” Bergmaier says. “In addition, all three of our teams will be co-located to launch our balloons together at Snow College in Richfield, Utah, during the 2023 annular eclipse. We also may share a launch location during the 2024 total eclipse, but that location is still to be determined.” Spring/Summer 2023 • 13

Faculty in Action

UW’s Groff Leads Study About Timing of Past Glacier Advances in Northern Antarctic Peninsula By Ron Podell Receding glaciers in the northern Antarctic Peninsula are uncovering and reexposing black moss that provides radiocarbon kill dates for the vegetation, a key clue to understanding the timing of past glacier advances in that region. A University of Wyoming researcher led a study that determined the black moss kill dates coincide with evidence of glacier advances from other studies that found such events occurred 1,300, 800 and 200 calibrated years prior to 1950. “We used radiocarbon ages, or kill dates, of previously iceentombed dead black mosses to reveal that glaciers advanced during three distinct phases in the northern Antarctic Peninsula over the past 1,500 years,” says Dulcinea Groff, a postdoctoral research associate in the UW Department of Geology and Geophysics. Groff was lead author of a paper titled “Kill dates from re-exposed black mosses constrain past glacier advances in the northern Antarctic Peninsula” that appeared in Geology, a journal that publishes timely, innovative and provocative articles relevant to its international audience, representing research from all fields of the geosciences. Researchers from Lehigh University, the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and Northeast Normal University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, both in Changchun, in the Jiln Province of China, contributed to the paper. Mosses are one of the few types of plants living in Antarctica and can become overridden and killed by advancing glaciers. The timing of when the glaciers killed the moss provides an archive of glacier history, Groff says. For example, when glaciers expand or advance, they can entomb or cover the plant. This starves the plant of light and warmth. The date the plant died is the same time the glacier advanced over that location. “As glaciers recede, these previously entombed mosses are exposed and are dead and black,” Groff explains. “What’s so valuable about these kill dates compared to other records — like the ages of glacial erratics or penguin remains — is their accuracy. They provide a clearer picture of the climate history owing to their direct carbon exchange with the atmosphere and decreased error around the age estimate.” Glacial erratics are glacially deposited rock that differs from native rock to a specific area. The terrestrial cryosphere and biosphere of the Antarctic 14 • Foresight

Peninsula are changing rapidly as “first responders” to polar warming, Groff says. “We know, from other studies, that large glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula are responding quickly to warmer summer air temperatures, and scientists have modeled that the glaciers expanded in the past because of cooler temperatures, and not increased precipitation,” Groff says. “However, we know much less about how this plays out at sea level where ice, ocean and sensitive coastal life interact. Knowing when glaciers advanced and retreated in the past would improve our understanding of biodiverse coastal ecosystems — thriving with seals, penguins and plants — and their sensitivity in the Antarctic Peninsula.” Groff says one of the limitations of reconstructing glacier history is that there are few types of terrestrial archives that can be used to constrain past glacier behavior. Dead plants that have been reexposed, abandoned penguin colonies and rocks can be dated to better know the timing of permanent snow or glacier advance in the past. During the summers of 2019 and 2020, the research field team, which included Groff, collected black mosses from Robert Island, Anvers Island, Charles Point and Cape PHOTO BY DEREK FORD

Dulcinea Groff, a postdoctoral research associate in the UW Department of Geology and Geophysics, was part of a research team that used radiocarbon ages, or kill dates, of previously ice-entombed dead black mosses to reveal that glaciers advanced during three distinct phases in the northern Antarctic Peninsula over the past 1,500 years. This landscape scene on Cape Rasmussen shows where the glacier ice receded and exposed black moss. Groff was lead author of a recent paper on the team’s research that was published in the journal Geology.

IMAGE BY NASA

Rasmussen, according to the paper. The group inspected and cleaned 39 black moss samples. “We collected black mosses around the northern Antarctic Peninsula by exploring the edges of glaciers and nunataks at several locations. By radiocarbon dating the mosses, we found that glaciers advanced three times in the past 1,500 years,” Groff says. “This is evidence for phases of cooler and potentially wetter conditions than today.” On Anvers Island, Groff says the group learned that the last time the glacier was at its 2019 position was around 850 years ago as it expanded over the course of several centuries. “Our estimates of glacier advance are much slower than recent retreat,” she says. “Interestingly, we found that the glacier front with the fastest advance also had the fastest retreat, suggesting that hotspots of rapid coastal glacier dynamics occur in the Antarctic Peninsula.” Groff says the dataset her research group has compiled is unique, citing it’s rare to have past net advance rates in the literature because glacial records tend to be destroyed when the glacier advances. Thus, these black mosses can reliably be used to estimate glacier advances in the past. “There are other lines of evidence that support our moss kill dates for past cooler conditions such as peat records indicating lower biological productivity, as well as evidence for sea-level change from raised beaches as a result of changing ice mass,” she says. “It’s also possible that the climate conditions that led to glacier advances involved wetter conditions and would have had a negative impact on penguins, as we know they do today. Many of the recent abandoned penguin colonies are the same age as our youngest black moss.” The National Science Foundation funded the research.

UW Professor Part of Team Using NASA’s Webb Telescope to Reveal Gas and Dust in Nearby Galaxies

A

By Chad Baldwin A University of Wyoming astronomer is part of a multinational team of researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to get a first look at star formation, gas and dust in nearby galaxies with unprecedented resolution at infrared wavelengths. The data have enabled an initial collection of 21 research papers that provide new insight into how some of the smallest-scale processes in our universe — the beginnings of star formation — impact the evolution of the largest objects in our cosmos: galaxies. Danny Dale, UW’s Harry C. Vaughan Professor of Astronomy, is the lead author of one of the 21 papers, and his second-year graduate student, Kiana Henny, of South Whidbey Island, Wash., also has been heavily involved in the project. The initial findings were released by the Space Telescope Science Institute. The largest survey of nearby galaxies in Webb’s first year of science operations is being carried out by the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) collaboration, involving more than 100 researchers from around the globe. “The PHANGS project has been a tremendous opportunity for UW students to become involved in truly cutting-edge science and to network with astronomers from around the world,” Dale says. “Our particular work at UW has focused on how massive clusters of stars impact the interstellar dust in their vicinity. Kiana, in particular, is carrying out a very interesting study of the most embedded

Spring/Summer 2023 • 15

IMAGE BY NASA

New imagery from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is giving scientists their first look at high resolution into the fine structure of nearby galaxies and how that’s impacted by the formation of young stars. NGC 1433 is a barred spiral galaxy with a particularly bright core surrounded by double starforming rings. For the first time, in Webb’s infrared images, scientists can see cavernous bubbles of gas where forming stars have released energy into their surrounding environment. In the image of NGC 1433, blue, green and red were assigned to Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument data at 7.7, 10 and 11.3, and 21 microns, respectively.

stellar clusters, a study that is helping fill in important gaps in our knowledge of star formation within galaxies.” The Webb observations are led by Janice Lee, Gemini Observatory chief scientist at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab and an affiliate astronomer at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The team is studying a diverse sample of 19 spiral galaxies and, in Webb’s first few months of science operations, observations of five of those targets — M74, NGC 7496, IC 5332, NGC 1365 and NGC 1433 — have taken place. The results are already astounding astronomers. “The clarity with which we are seeing the fine structure certainly caught us by surprise,” says team member David Thilker, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. “We are directly seeing how the energy from the formation of young stars affects the gas around them, and it’s just remarkable,” says team member Erik Rosolowsky, of the University of Alberta, Canada. The images from Webb’s MidInfrared Instrument (MIRI) reveal the presence of a network of highly structured features within these galaxies — glowing cavities of dust and huge cavernous bubbles of gas that line the spiral arms. In some regions of the nearby galaxies observed, this web of features appears built from both individual and overlapping shells and

16 • Foresight

bubbles where young stars are releasing energy. “Areas that are completely dark in Hubble imaging light up in exquisite detail in these new infrared images, allowing us to study how the dust in the interstellar medium has absorbed the light from forming stars and emitted it back out in the infrared, illuminating an intricate network of gas and dust,” says team member Karin Sandstrom, of the University of California-San Diego. The high-resolution imaging needed to study these structures has long evaded astronomers — until Webb came into the picture. Webb’s powerful infrared capabilities can pierce through the dust to connect the missing puzzle pieces. For example, specific wavelengths observable by MIRI (7.7 and 11.3 microns) are sensitive to emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which play a critical role in the formation of stars and planets. These molecules were detected by Webb in the first observations by the PHANGS program. Studying these interactions at the finest scale can help provide insights into the larger picture of how galaxies have evolved over time.

“Because these observations are taken as part of a Webb Treasury program, they are available to the public as they are observed and received on Earth,” says Eva Schinnerer, of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, and leader of the PHANGS collaboration. The PHANGS team will work to create and release data sets that align Webb’s data to each of the complementary data sets obtained previously from the other observatories, to help accelerate discovery by the broader astronomical community. The research by the PHANGS team is being conducted as part of General Observer program 2107. The team’s initial findings, composed of the 21 individual studies, were recently published in a special focus issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

Alumni in Action

TOP ENGINEERING HONORS AWARDED AT SPRING 2023 TAU BETA PI BANQUET The College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the Wyoming Alpha chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, has announced the award recipients for 2023. The awards were presented at the annual Tau Beta Pi Awards Banquet this spring semester in the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center. The College of Engineering and Physical Sciences would like to congratulate this year’s award recipients.

HALL OF FAME  John Steadman (electrical engineering ’64 and ’66) is professor and dean emeritus of electrical and computer engineering who grew up in Cody, Wyo., and worked on astronaut life support systems for General Dynamics. He taught at UW and served as head of electrical and computer engineering and the associate dean of the college. Steadman recently retired as the dean of engineering at the University of South Alabama, and now he and his wife, Sally Steadman, are teaching engineering courses part-time with the university.  Tammy Johnson (architectural engineering ’91) is a structural engineer and president with Merrick & Company. She established the company’s San Antonio, Texas, office, led one of Merrick’s largest projects, an airman training center at Lacklan Airforce Base, and serves as business unit leader for its High Performance Facilities Team as well as an employee-owner. WYOMING DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER AWARD  Gene Humphrey (mechanical engineering ’93) is co-founder of 9H Research Foundation, which supports UW’s efforts in clean energy research and education, and is retired president and co-founder of the technology company, International Test Solutions. Humphrey is a Wyoming native who grew up in Burns, Wyo., and owns 9H Ranch in Albany County. ALUMNI DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER AWARD  Eric Marsh (petroleum engineering ’82) is the retired founder, president and CEO of Vine Oil and Gas based in Plano, Texas. Previously, he worked his way up to executive vice president at Encana. He has served on Wyoming Governor’s Energy, Engineering, STEM Integration Task Force, on the UW Foundation Board and on the Engineering Accreditation Board. ALL PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF THE AWARD WINNERS

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD  H.T. Person was a professor and dean of the engineering college and president of UW. Known as “Prof,” Person shaped the college and the university in many ways, and he was beloved and respected by his colleagues, his peers and most importantly by his students, who called him “the finest teacher I ever had.” His students remembered his ability to make a complicated subject understandable.

All the awardees have dedicated their lives in service of engineering and UW, and all have supported UW through their philanthropy, or others have established endowments in their name.

UW students compete in Solar Decathlon for next-generation clean energy buildings. The University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences student team’s entry originally among 23 finalist teams — representing collegiate institutions spanning four countries — has finished fourth in an international competition to design zero-energy buildings. The solar-powered home in the foothills of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains was part of the 2023 U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 20th annual Solar Decathlon Build Challenge, which concluded this spring at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. “Community projects like this solar house are a great way to innovate and inspire architecture and construction innovation in a region,” says Dhawal Jain, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, who is one of the project advisers. “My previous experience of working on similar community projects in New York state, a few African countries and India has taught me such interventions positively impact the region, such as creating local engagement opportunities and promoting construction techniques and styles native to the region. It empowers the community.” Jain, who worked on previous Solar Decathlon Build Challenges during his graduate program at Virginia Tech University, joined fellow faculty member Aysegul “Aysha” Demir, an assistant instructional professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, and Department Head Anthony “Tony” Denzer to organize a new class to encourage more UW students to become involved in the project. Jon Gardzelewski, an industry professional and a previous UW faculty member, also was involved with the project. According to Denzer, “What will probably distinguish this house from others in the competition is that it’s

designed to appeal to a typical Wyoming homebuyer.” From the original 23 finalist teams, the UW student team moved to become among 16 teams that received approval to proceed with their projects. The teams were awarded $50,000 in prize funding to build and exhibit their groundbreaking, zero-energy buildings this past spring, where they competed for prizes. Other teams that advanced to the list of 16 were from the University of California-Berkeley, the University of San Francisco, Texas A&M University and Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. In the end, with a final score of 796.85 points, UW finished behind Ball State University (847.82), the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (846.45) and the University of British Columbia (824.28) but ahead of schools including the University of Kansas, the University of Illinois, Brigham Young University, the University of Colorado and Texas A&M University. “What a successful project for UW. We’re thrilled to place so highly in an international competition. It’s a great credit to our hard-working, enthusiastic students, our outstanding faculty and a tremendous partnership with the builder,” says Denzer. “Moreover, this was not a

UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Solar Decathlon Build Challenge student team members and advisors tour the solar-powered home in the foothills of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains that was part of the 2023 U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 20th annual Solar Decathlon Build Challenge, which concluded this spring at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo.

18 • Foresight

vanity project, but a real market-ready home with the goal of introducing the zero-energy concept to Wyoming homebuyers.” It is called a decathlon because there are 10 contests, ranging from architectural aesthetics to energy performance and the UW student team worked diligently to be competitive in all of them. While UW’s entry was fourth overall, it placed first in the “Comfort and Environmental Quality” category; tied for first in the “Energy Performance” and “Occupant Experience” categories; and was third in the “Embodied Environmental Impact” category. “This project provided a significant international exposure to our students and the university during the final competition event held at NREL,” says Jain. “We hope to use this momentum toward working on several industry-partnered projects in the future and expose students to a realm of possibilities in the field of architecture, engineering and construction.

(From left to right) Dhawal Jain, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, and one of the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Solar Decathlon Build Challenge advisors discuss the solar-powered home with UW President Edward Seidel and UW student team member Alison Carlo.

University of Wyoming’s

Solar Decathlon Team Places 4th! O V E R A L L

Including 4 awards in individual categories:

1ST place (3-way tie)

Energy Performance

1ST place

Comfort and Environmental Quality

1ST place (4-way tie)

Occupant Experience

3RD place

Embodied Environmental Impact

Spring/Summer 2023 • 19

“Our aim is to attract the best students from across the world for our program at UW and prepare those students for the rapidly changing dynamics of the industry,” Jain continues. “The Wind River home will serve as a model to educate students as well as Wyoming residents in the years to come, through what is learned during and after the project.” Students designed the UW Solar Decathlon Build Challenge house in a “minimal mountain modern” style. It has a super-insulated and air-tight envelope; advanced heating systems, including a heat pump and radiant floors; green building materials; and a large array of solar panels to ensure the home will produce more energy than it consumes on an annual basis. The house was built by Timshel Construction, led by UW alumnus Cory Toye, who collaborated directly with the student design team. The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home, on its

A 3D rendering of the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath, solar-powered UW Solar Decathlon Build Challenge house, that UW students designed a “minimal mountain modern” style.

6-acre lot, will be made available for sale. It’s located 10 miles southwest of Lander and overlooking Red Canyon. “This competition provided a unique opportunity for students to learn, teach and network with those committed to changing the impact of our way of life,” says Demir. “Imagine receiving awards from U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk and the director of NREL, Martin Keller. Our students will never forget that moment and talk about it proudly. Our hope is that these students will continue to be part of Wyoming’s future decisions on clean energy and strategies to lessen the burden of climate change for their communities.” The Solar Decathlon is DOE’s longesttenured student competition that has challenged 40,000 students across the world to use the latest technologies to design and build the most sustainable buildings possible. “For 20 years, DOE’s Solar Decathlon has harnessed the ingenuity and enthusiasm of America’s students to generate cuttingedge climate solutions,” says U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. “The To view the most recent 3D scan innovative building designs developed by of the interiors of the house, visit this year’s competitors demonstrate how clean energy technologies can be applied to www.uwyosolardecathlon.com households across the country, including slashing costs for American families, A UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Solar Decathlon Build Challenge student team member showcases the “Scan to See” feature that illustrates what the modernizing energy infrastructure and finished room will look like at the UW Solar Decathlon Build Challenge house. decarbonizing the building sector.”

WATCH A VIDEO

For more information about the house and the contest, email

info@uwyosolardecathlon.com For more information about the UW Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, visit

www.uwyo.edu/civil 20 • Foresight

Job & Internship Search

Resume Review

Interview Prep

Company Tracking

Job Fair Prep

Employer Relations

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To learn more about our services and how we connect students and alumni with employers, contact us at CEASCareerServices@uwyo.edu The University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Career Services Office has had a significant impact on my academic experience. During the career trek to Seattle, Washington, I was able to connect with companies in my degree field and discover my passion for nuclear energy. Since then, CEPS Career Services has been instrumental in helping me pursue my interest in the nuclear energy field. First, in obtaining a related research position on campus and now in interviewing for an internship at a nuclear research laboratory. The advice, feedback, and support I have received from CEPS Career Services in tailoring my résumé, interacting with employers, and finding interesting opportunities has positively shaped the trajectory of my academic career. I am grateful for the valuable assistance and guidance provided by the CEPS Career Services Office.

-TEAGAN R. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ‘25

TOUR THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

As part of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the University of Wyoming offers one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation. Our region’s natural beauty is matched with cutting-edge learning facilities that make for an unbeatable student experience. Our UW virtual tour offers 360-degree panoramas of classrooms, residence halls, University of Wyoming facilities, outdoor spaces, and more!

Connect with the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences today at stem@uwyo.edu.

News & Notes

PHOTO BY TIM ROBINSON

Top row (l-r): Brandie Wagner, Marie Tellier, Eugenie Jackson, David Sechrist, Matt Simpson, Jared Studyvin, Yaxu Zhuang, Paige Copenhaver-Parry, Oisin O’Gailin, unknown, Allie Midkiff. Bottom row (l-r): Tesia Lin, Rhydon Jackson, Sandra Biller, Tripp Bishop, Matt Pocernich, Clint Stevenson, Nate Aagard, Daiven Francis, Joe Crane, Dan Hintz.

UW HOSTS COLORADO-WYOMING CHAPTER OF

AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION

Analysis Center, the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Oracle, Thoughtworks, RevGen Partners, The University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Ever.Ag, Truveta, Equivant and Reddit. Physical Sciences’ Department of Mathematics and Statistics “It was fantastic seeing the spectrum of experience in the recently hosted the annual meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming room,” says Nathan Aagard, a UW alumnus with a master’s Chapter of the American Statistical Association (ASA). degree in statistics. “There were graduate students who had The purpose of the event was to build collaborations just dipped their toes into statistics, professors from the among statisticians and data scientists in southeast Wyoming statistics department and professionals from the field — and along the Front Range. Presentations focused on the all sitting shoulder to shoulder — and discussing their work use of data science and statistical analysis in conservation in statistics and showcasing meaningful projects.” and management; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Current statistics master’s degree candidate Allie Midkiff, Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); income from Liberty, Mo., says the meeting was a wonderful segregation; health records; election challenges; nonprofit educational experience. donor classification; applications in Adtech; and polymerase “The event gave students, like me, the incredible chain reaction diagnostic testing. Participants had the opportunity to hear about all sorts of interesting applications opportunity to meet students, faculty and professionals of statistics,” Midkiff says. “I am lucky to be a in various mathematics and statistics fields. part of a program that is so dedicated to The meeting was co-organized by UW Professor providing opportunities for students.” WATCH A VIDEO Statistics Tim Robinson; Eugenie Jackson, supervisor of Fellow statistics master’s degree Internships and research with the software company Equivant; and candidate Sandra Biller, from Glen Partnerships Matt Pocernich, a principal data scientist with Oracle. Gardner, N.J., praises the realat UW Employers in attendance included Trihydro world applications featured in the Corp., SAS Institute, UW’s Wyoming Survey and presentations. 22 • Foresight

About the American Statistical Association The ASA is the world’s largest community of statisticians. It is the second-oldest, continuously operating professional association in the country. The association’s mission is to promote the practice and profession of statistics and data science. Its vision is a world that relies on data and statistical thinking to drive discovery and decisions. Since it was founded in Boston in 1839, the ASA has supported excellence in the development, application and dissemination of statistical science. ASA members serve in industry, government and academia in more than 90 countries, advancing research and promoting sound statistical practice to inform public policy and improve human welfare. To learn more about the association, visit www.amstat.org.

“The meeting was a great way for me to learn more about how statistics are being used in different fields and industries to add insight to real-world issues,” Biller says. “I loved the wide range of topics that were covered and especially the chance to connect with the local statistics community.” During the meeting, statistics master’s degree candidate Danny Burns, from Wall Township, N.J., presented his work with the Wyoming Department of Health’s WIC program. “It was really great to meet and network with fellow student and professional statisticians and data scientists from around the area,” Burns says. “This meeting provided me a great opportunity to get experience presenting in front of a group with diverse interests and helped me learn a lot about effective communication.” Other UW students who participated were Joe Crane, of Lander; Daiven Francis, of Bar Nunn; Dan Hintz, of Tauranga, New Zealand; and Oisin O’Gailin, of Donegal, Ireland. Robinson was pleased with the event’s turnout. “Being able to host the Wyoming-Colorado winter meeting in Laramie and to attract so many companies to our great campus was terrific for our students and department,” Robinson says. “Our statistics students have been highly successful in landing great jobs, and it is essential that we provide opportunities for our students to meet and interact with professionals in our discipline. I’m grateful for the sponsorship of this event by the Wyoming-Colorado ASA chapter. They have been wanting to have a meeting in Laramie, and they provided a great deal of support to make it happen.” To learn more about UW’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, visit www.uwyo.edu/mathstats/.

Searching for the Right Path in Industry Susan McCormack Center for Student Success Career Services Office helps students discover their passions through career exploration treks. When most students are enjoying a break from academic coursework, eager University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students are using their spring, fall, and winter breaks to learn about career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in order to get a clear picture of what life after UW looks like. “While our Susan McCormack Center for Student Success Career Services Office organizes well over 30 on-campus job presentations in a given year, these career trek opportunities allow students to build connections with professionals in the field, tour facilities they may work in and learn more about what is possible with their STEM degrees,” says Tyler Grabner, associate director of the Susan McCormack Center for Student Success Career Services in the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Offering a lineup of visits with companies spanning a wide range of STEM industries, these multi-day career exploration treks provide an opportunity for UW students to network with companies and alumni. “A primary goal of the career trek is to expose UW students to the breadth of career opportunities available to them across industries and engineering fields,” says Teddi Freedman, director of development in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. “The experience provides the unique chance for students to meet with company reps in person and one-on-one. Additionally, it offers companies that chance to meet some of our best and brightest students without traveling to campus.” Students may often visit both existing partner companies that recruit for interns and graduates at the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences as well as with cutting-edge companies in Spring/Summer 2023 • 23

News & Notes

which students are highly interested. “Participating in the Seattle, Wash., career trek provided me with a critical experience that has expanded my perception of my degree field and has shown me many valuable realities of an industry career,” says Teagan Riedel, a Laramie sophomore majoring in PHOTO BY TYLER GRABNER

mechanical engineering. Dillon Weiss, of Wilson, says the Seattle trip was “extremely helpful with tackling some of my insecurities about an engineering career.” “I had a lot of my questions answered. I visited real companies solving real problems that I could easily see myself getting excited over, and I had a great time,” adds Weiss, a mechanical engineering senior. Thanks to the generosity of Marathon Oil, which established a fund in 2008, students who are selected to take part in this unique professional development opportunity do so at no personal expense. “I would recommend a career trek to anyone, no matter their major, as it teaches skills and provides

opportunities that are difficult to find on one’s own,” says Miriam Wolfley, a junior from Grover majoring in geology. “Career treks allow students to gain a deeper insight into what work actually looks like in their interested STEM fields,” Grabner says. “It not only helps them get into these areas of work, but also helps them determine what direction they would like their career to go.” To learn more about UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences opportunities available to students and employers, visit bit.ly/3JBvdGT. Those interested in participating in meaningful engagement opportunities with UW can email Angela Ver Ploeg, director of corporate engagement, at angela.verploeg@uwyo.edu.

Left: Several University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students recently participated in a career trek to Seattle, Wash., where they visited companies that spanned technology, energy and manufacturing. Below: UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students and faculty members pause for a photo during their recent career trek to Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.

PHOTO BY ANGELA VER PLOEG

24 • Foresight

EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN

COMPUTING A 3D model of a molecule in UW’s Shell 3D Visualization Center.

UW School of Computing broadens bridge between industry and academia on computing technologies.

In response to the growing role of computing in a range of fields, the University of Wyoming established a School of Computing in January 2022, after a year of planning that involved input and discussions among a broad range of stakeholders. “The new school will provide our students, faculty and staff, as well as Wyoming businesses and citizens, with the computational tools, skills and approaches to drive transformation and innovation in the state,” says Gabrielle Allen, director of the School

of Computing. “The school will also champion broader efforts to make the University of Wyoming more digital, inclusive, interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial through computing partnerships across Wyoming.” The school is initially incubated in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, with plans to become an independent unit in three to five years. Within the college, the School of Computing has access to effective and immediate support for business operations, academic programming Spring/Summer 2023 • 25

The new school will provide our students, faculty and staff, as well as Wyoming businesses and citizens, with the computational tools, skills and approaches to drive transformation and innovation in the state. — Gabrielle Allen

and other essential support during its startup phase. The school is also making fundamental contributions to the goals of the Tier 1 Engineering initiative, which specifically identified high-performance computational science and engineering, and broadening of academic programs including computing, as priorities. “The School of Computing has a mission to collaborate with and impact all units and disciplines at the University of Wyoming, and we are working hard to developing these partnerships,” says Raya HegemanDavis, director of engagement for the School of Computing. “For example, this year we worked with 12 different departments in a faculty cluster hire in applications of artificial intelligence and big data.” Current partners within the university include the Advanced Research Computing Center, Science Initiative, Tier 1 Engineering Initiative and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The focus on broad engagement extends to external partners, including K-12 schools, community colleges, industry, community partners, national laboratories and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Other important partners include the Wyoming Innovation Partnership, and units providing computing services and infrastructure such as ARCC, the Shell 3D Visualization Center, WyGISC, NSF EPSCOR and NIH INBRE. “Our vision is to create a unique and inspirational School of Computing 26 • Foresight

with national impact and global reach, providing Wyoming and the world with agile and ethical computing professionals empowered to address societal challenges that are inherently interdisciplinary,” says Allen. The School of Computing will administer the university’s minor, bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programs in computing. Its establishment comes at a time of high demand for graduates with expertise in computing and related fields. “The establishment of a School of Computing reflects the vital role of computer science and the application of computer science in our university and in our world,” says Bryan Shader, head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “The new School of Computing will complement our existing computer

science and computer engineering degrees and provide more pathways for Wyoming students into computingrelated careers.” Nationally, employment in STEMrelated occupations is projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to grow 8 percent through 2029, which is more than double the 3.4 percent growth projected for non-STEM occupations. Within STEM, computer science and engineering are among the fields with the highest forecasted growth. Interdisciplinary research is a cornerstone of UW. Accordingly, all faculty in the School of Computing will also be engaged with partnering departments across campus and internal research scientists’ work. “The School of Computing continues to grow rapidly,” says Allen. “Our mission as a land-grant institution is to be a national leader in computational and digital research, education and engagement; a computational hub for students, faculty, staff, community and our industry, state and academic partners; and a steward, supporter and developer of digital skills and computational thinking for all.” To learn more about UW’s School of Computing, visit www.uwyo.edu/soc.

UW’s Information Technology Center (ITC) houses a state-of-the-art computing facility and student computing lab. The center is designed to meet the computing and data needs of the university‚ students, administrators, faculty and researchers, for the foreseeable future.

Grand Prismatic Spring

PHOTO BY NPS/JIM PEACO

T he Nexus o f

UW Professor Ken Sims’ multidisciplinary research at Yellowstone National Park examines hydrothermal system in unprecedented detail.

e f i L d n a y g lo Geo By Chad Baldwin

University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics Professor Ken Sims made his mark as a National Geographic Explorer conducting research in some of the world’s most extreme locations, from volcanic lava lakes to the depths of the ocean floor. In recent years, Sims has put his most intense focus on a wonder of the world located right here in Wyoming: Yellowstone National Park’s amazing hydrothermal system. As UW’s representative on the U.S. Geological Survey’s Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Sims is leading a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research program studying Yellowstone’s network of 10,000 springs, geysers, fumaroles and mud pots. In addition to creating a more complete picture of the plumbing in the world’s largest, most profound and visually stunning example of an active continental hydrothermal system, Sims, his graduate students — Andrew Miller, Mike Loya and Cole Messa — and UW faculty colleagues Andrew Parsekian and Brad Carr aim to increase our understanding of how geological processes below the surface influence what he calls “rock-powered life.” Sims has dubbed this field of research as “geohydrobiology,” which he jokes sounds like a fancy word one might use to try to BACKGROUND PHOTO BY NPS/JACOB W. FRANK

score big points in a game of Scrabble. But he points out that when you break it down, the term makes perfect sense — “geo” means earth, “hydro” means water, and “bio” means life. “Research into the geohydrobiology of Yellowstone will provide a better understanding of not just the geology and fluids of the hydrothermal system, but also how those fluids impact the diverse microorganisms that lend Yellowstone’s thermal features their spectacular forms and colors,” Sims says. “Yellowstone is a place where earth, water and life intersect in unusual and stunning ways, and it’s a natural laboratory to study those connections. Or, as Alexander von Humboldt so profoundly noted about nature in 1863 in his journal Cosmos, ‘All things are interconnected.’ “Essentially, geological processes enable rock-powered or chemotrophic life and, in turn, chemotrophic life influences the chemistry of Yellowstone’s fluids and even its landscape evolution,” Sims adds. “Furthermore, these same processes have been going on since Earth’s earliest history; and in fact, it is likely that it was in hydrothermal systems, much like Yellowstone’s, where life on Earth began.”

His Favorite Volcano Throughout his career, Sims — who has over 100 peer-reviewed scientific research publications and recently edited a monograph titled “Isotopic Constraints on Earth System Processes” — has traveled the world in search of scientific challenges. That includes diving in manned submersibles to 13,000 feet below sea level on the ocean floor to rappelling into active volcanoes to collect hot magma samples from their lava lakes. The latter activity took him to some the of remotest parts of the world, including in the deepest African jungles in the war-torn regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in world’s southernmost active volcano, Mount Erebus, in Antarctica. Sims — who became a technical high-altitude mountain guide when he finished high school and then later switched to become an academic — also has climbed and studied the world’s tallest volcanoes. They include Chimborazo in Ecuador, which stands at 20,548 feet above sea level and is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from the center of the Earth. Part of the reason Sims moved to UW from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where he spent 12 years as a tenured research scientist, was to study Spring/Summer 2023 • 27

Professor Ken Sims collecting samples from Beryl Spring in November during the administrative season. Sims was collecting samples under his research permits Geophysics YELL 6090 (Sims) and Geochemistry Permit Yell 5840 (Sims). Research in Yellowstone National Park requires research permits, proper safety training and equipment, and following explicit protocols to ensure safety and avoid damaging fragile features.

Yellowstone, which he now considers his favorite volcano on Earth. He also moved to Wyoming because of his family, the great outdoor recreational opportunities and UW’s strong Department of Geology and Geophysics.

Plumbing in Yellowstone Yellowstone’s surface hydrothermal features are tied to a reservoir deep underground that is heated by volcanic activity and recharged by rain and meltwater from high elevations. These fluids descend into the earth, are super-heated and pick up new chemicals, such as chloride and sulfur, from the volcanic gases. The chemically enriched hot waters then rise back up to the surface to form Yellowstone’s iconic thermal features. Sims explains that during its ascent to the surface, the super-heated water boils as pressure decreases. This boiling results in what is known as “phase separation,” in which the vapor and liquid separate and migrate to the surface along different paths. Sort of like boiling a teapot, the water separates into two phases — hot liquid water and water vapor/steam. However, in Yellowstone, the hydrothermal fluids rising from deep are more complex and carry chloride and sulfur compounds. When these hot Yellowstone fluids rise from deep and boil, the liquid phase — which is neutral to basic in pH — retains most of the chloride. In contrast, the complementary vapor phase contains the sulfur compounds, which stay with the steam. Then, when this sulfur-rich water vapor mixes with shallow oxidizing groundwater, a series of chemical reactions occurs. Importantly, these chemical reactions involve sulfur-metabolizing bacteria, which is what ultimately makes some of Yellowstone’s hot springs acidic.

28 • Foresight

IMAGE COURTESY OF KEN SIMS

It is this phase separation process that makes Yellowstone waters have a remarkable bimodal distribution of pH. Of course, nothing is simple, as these phase-separated water and vapors mix with colder ground and surface water as they ascend, further influencing their composition. This phenomenon not only explains the bimodal distribution of the water’s pH, but it also helps explain the stunning diversity of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal fluids, with temperatures reaching nearly 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of boiling water at Yellowstone’s elevation. “While phase separation can explain much of the chemical variation seen in Yellowstone’s hydrothermal fluids, our understanding of this important process is severely limited by our lack of knowledge of the shallow plumbing of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal features — and the time scales over which the phase separation takes place,” Sims says. “In essence, we have a twodimensional understanding of a four-dimensional problem. We know surface geometry, water chemistry, heat flow and the microbiology for many of the thermal features, but we don’t understand the ultimate composition of the deep hydrothermal reservoir. Nor do we know the timing and pathways for ascent of the fluids coming from deep.” To create a four-dimensional picture, Sims, his graduate students and his colleagues are: • Using geophysical tools — such as electromagnetics, ground-penetrating radar, nuclear magnetic resonance and seismic refraction — to obtain an image of the subsurface plumbing of hydrothermal features.

• Measuring the chemistry of the fluids’ radioactive isotopes that change in composition over time. These measurements are conducted both in the field and in Sims’ world-class isotope lab, which he established when he moved to UW in 2009. These isotopic measurements, which have half-lives ranging from one minute to 108 billion years, serve as little “clocks in the rocks and fluids” to better establish the nature of the deep-source reservoir, the timing of interactions between water and rock and the ages of the fluids. • And, finally, working with Montana State University microbiologists Eric Boyd and Dan Coleman to measure the DNA and metabolic processes of microbial life in Yellowstone’s hot springs. Sims, his students and colleagues bring all the disciplines together to understand the causative links between subsurface geological processes, the development of geochemical fluids, and the assembly and diversification of thermophilic microbial communities in hydrothermal systems. Currently, Sims, his students and colleagues have several papers published on the application of the near-surface geophysics, and he recently submitted a multidisciplinary scientific paper on two adjacent pools in Yellowstone — one neutral-chloride in composition, the other acid sulfate — which he titled “A Tale of Two Pools: The Dynamic Influence of Subsurface Geological Processes on the Assembly and Diversification of Thermophilic Microbial Communities in Hydrothermal Systems.”

Applications Elsewhere Having found a new scientific passion in this avenue of scientific inquiry, Sims has extended this avenue of research to the ocean’s deep hydrothermal systems, where he and one of his Ph.D. students, Andrew Miller, are writing a paper on using radioactive and isotopic clocks to date deep ocean hydrothermal deposits around the globe. Sims also is starting work on another monograph that will be a collection of papers on hydrothermal processes. Sims, who is mentoring five Ph.D. students and two M.S. students, also

notes that he still studies active volcanoes around the globe — and other problems that interest him and his students, such as using measurements of heavy stable isotopes to understand processes such as rock serpentinization and ore formation. He also is exploring — with UW paleontologist Mark Clementz and Ph.D. student Cole Messa — how isotopes in fossilized bones can provide information on prehistoric animals’ metabolic processes, and maybe even their sex. While traveling the world and exploring amazing locations continue to appeal to Sims, the pursuit of adventure is not the primary impetus of his work. Instead, it’s the pursuit of science. “Adventure follows the science. It has been the integration of intellectual and physical challenge that has been the hallmark of many of science’s greatest advancements,” he says. “Exploration of the Earth’s continents and oceans, and even its moon, have been conducted by scientists who were willing to physically engage and even risk their lives to satisfy their scientific curiosity. In my own relatively insignificant way, I aspire to emulate these iconic explorers and naturalists whose adventurous voyages have changed our understanding of the Earth and even the nexus between geology and life. “While my career has been full of wonderful personal journeys, my ultimate goal and lasting accomplishments are in pursuit of science.” Note: Sims’ Yellowstone research has been conducted under two Yellowstone National Park research permits — Geophysics Yell 6090 (Sims) and Geochemistry Yell 5840 (Sims).

IMAGE COURTESY OF KEN SIMS

Professor Ken Sims and graduate student Bram Role collecting gas samples from a fumarole near Mud Volcano area in November during the administrative season. Sims and Role were collecting samples under his research permits Geophysics YELL 6090 (Sims) and Geochemistry Permit Yell 5840 (Sims). Research in Yellowstone National Park requires research permits, proper safety training and equipment, and following explicit protocols to ensure safety and avoid damaging fragile features.

Highlight

Renee Schoenborn on the first day of classes in fall 2022.

Blazing Her Own Trail A Q&A WITH ALUMNA RENEE SCHOENBORN ON HOW SHE PAVED HER OWN TRAIL IN THE ENGINEERING INDUSTRY. Renee Schoenborn graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences in December 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. Since then, the Sheridan native has followed her own path with Shell all over the world, assuming more responsibility, forging professional connections and creating new opportunities for herself each time. Now a principal automation and instrument engineer at Shell, she uses her technical and project management skills to help solve energy challenges facing the world today. Her next stop? Teaching — at her alma mater. Read on for more about Schoenborn’s newest adventure — and maybe get inspired with your own. Q: What was your biggest a-ha moment in the program? Q: As a student, what drew you to the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences over other programs?

I didn’t begin at UW majoring in engineering. My initial major declaration was math and statistics. I enjoyed math, but I didn’t know about engineering and didn’t know what I was supposed to major in if I wanted to study something technical with math included. There were a few other women students on my dorm floor who were studying engineering, and I saw them working on some statics and dynamics problems. That’s when I figured out that I wanted to study engineering. So I hand-carried my student file (nothing electronic in those days) from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Engineering, and said I wanted to transfer in. The administrative assistant asked me, “Which department?” I said, “engineering.” As you can tell, I was clueless. So the associate dean sat with me and talked me through the six department options at the time. I selected electrical engineering simply by deduction; because I didn’t want to study any of the other subjects. 30 • Foresight

Once I got into my upper-level courses, I realized I wasn’t interested in high-voltage power systems, but much more interested in control systems. Raymond Jacquot, UW professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering, was one of the professors who really inspired me and encouraged me in the area of control systems. My biggest a-ha since I returned after retirement was introspective. When I was a student here, I was pretty intimidated by my professors. They were so knowledgeable and self-confident. But in thinking back, I never really had a “cruel” or “mean” professor. In fact, they were all very receptive and more than willing to help and explain things to me. I just had to ask. What I realized recently was that I was the one who had so little self-confidence back then. I didn’t trust myself and didn’t believe that I belonged in the engineering profession. Of course, after a 34-year career, I knew I belonged. And those professors today that I took classes from back then? They’re all as humble and friendly and generous as they were when they taught me in their class. I just see them through a different, more self-confident lens now. PHOTOS COURTESY OF RENEE SCHOENBORN

Q: What advice would you give to others looking at a degree in the STEM field?

Seems obvious to say this, but … Study and concentrate in an area that you’re truly interested in. It’ll make your coursework much more enjoyable. Don’t major in something just because there’s good-paying jobs in that field or you feel you need to meet other people’s expectations of you. Acquiring an engineering degree in any area (electrical, chemical, mechanical, civil, etc.) just means that you’re trainable in a technical field. The higher your GPA just means you catch on faster. Getting an engineering degree does not constrain you to one area of technology. Engineers and engineering degrees are very versatile and will open almost any technical door you’re interested in. I spent my entire career in control systems with a degree in electrical engineering, but there were mechanical and chemical engineers throughout my career in control systems, too. After four to five years, it’s hard to even distinguish which type of engineering degree anyone has. Q: How did your UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences experience contribute to your career growth?

I found that the engineering fundamentals taught at UW allowed me to compete against others who worked for Shell and came from big-name universities. I was more than prepared and confident to work alongside colleagues who came from more prestigious schools. I was required to take the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) Exam in my senior year at UW (and the seniors today are still required to do this!). This is the first of two exams that are taken to receive your professional engineer’s license. While many think it’s a waste of time and money, I would respectfully disagree. While I didn’t need my professional engineer’s license while working for Shell, I actually left Shell for two years in the middle of my career, and the company that I went to required that I have my professional engineer’s license for my next promotion. I was fortunate that I had taken the FE Exam 15 years earlier at UW, so all I had to do was study and pass the Professional Engineer’s Exam at that point. When you’re a senior coming out of UW and you know where you’re headed next and it doesn’t require a professional engineer’s license, it may seem like taking the FE Exam is worthless. But you really don’t know what you don’t know about your future. Be as prepared as possible!

My closest family lived about two days away by car. That’s when I realized it was time to come back home to Wyoming — to be closer to family. Shortly before the COVID pandemic, the departments of Electrical Engineering and Chemical Engineering within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences began offering a minor in ‘process control and instrumentation’ to meet the needs of some industries in the state of Wyoming. Shell had trained me for years in the area of process control, control systems and field instrumentation, so this area of technical knowledge was what I had worked in my whole career. Coming back as a professor of practice just seemed like a good fit with this new minor. I received many honor scholarships while at UW and graduated debt-free with a very valuable degree. I really wanted a tangible way to pay it back for all that I’d been given when I was a student at UW. Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I really enjoy mentoring and encouraging the students, especially the women students. While many people are thankful and praise me because I was able to “blaze a trail” for women in engineering, that “blazed trail” essentially grew back over as soon as I walked through it. Being a woman in engineering is still difficult because it’s still so male-centric. So each woman is challenged with “blazing” her own trail. What I hope to do is act as a role model for the young women at the University of Wyoming — to show that what they dream of doing someday IS possible! Q: What are the challenges in bridging industry and academia?

On a personal note, I had to quickly figure out how to teach and lecture younger students, as opposed to running a business meeting with colleagues and supervisors. There’s a big mental shift in this, and I hadn’t prepared myself very well for it. I think I’ve gotten better at it over the past two years, but it’s still not easy to do after a 30-plus year corporate career. Industry is constantly working at employing the newest in technology. There’s a gap between

Q: What inspired you to come back to the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences as the E.G. Meyer Visiting Professor of Practice?

As many people experienced through the COVID-19 pandemic, I came to realize what my real life priorities were at that time. I could count on one hand the people I really missed seeing in Houston (where I was living at the time of retiring and the beginning of the pandemic) during the lockdown. Renee Schoenborn was featu red

in the Branding Iron .

Highlight the theory taught in academia and technology that is being deployed in the real world. While academic fundamentals are necessary to understand how technology works, there doesn’t seem to be enough of the technology demonstrated on campuses. One of the challenges is keeping the facilities on campuses up to date with the ever-changing technologies in industry.

experience or understanding of industry and business. Industry professionals can bring the real world into the classroom and meet the students in their environment. I think having industry professionals in the classroom is win-win. It’s great for industry professionals to see where students and academia are today, while showing students what industry professionals will expect of them once they finish their degrees.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish through teaching?

Q: What advice would you give to a new student on how to make the most of their educational experience?

My first priority is to be a role model to women engineering students. Even though we’re in the 21st century, I still think it’s vital that they see experienced engineers who look like them. I’m also trying to pass on and teach some practical fundamentals of control systems and process control. My lectures are much more focused on technical concepts that are useful in process industries and less on equations and solving mathematical problems.

In hindsight, I wish I had taken advantage of some of the other course offerings at the university. It’s exciting to see engineering students now who are taking electives in music and dance and foreign languages. I was so intent on just completing my degree requirements that I didn’t consider doing that when I was a student here. I would advise students that if they had the time and resources, to explore other areas of study while on campus.

Q: Why would you encourage other alumni or industry professionals to consider teaching?

Q: What is the single most important trait that someone going into the STEM industry should possess?

It’s important to proactively bridge the academic and industry gap. Students absolutely still need academics to teach them the fundamental laws of science and math. They also need the academic rigor to help them to begin to think like an engineer. But too many come out of college with no real-world

Humbleness. Q: What do you hope to achieve/do after teaching?

I’m not sure what God has planned for me yet. I do know that I want to continue serving others in some capacity.

We regret to announce the passing of the following alumni. Frederick Amrhein

Paul Graff

Donna Kuhn

Richard Reusser

BSME ’71 – Goodyear, AZ

PHD ’78 – Casper, WY

BSPE ’78 – Russell, KS

BSCE ’74 – Grand Prairie, TX

Ronald Coble

Timothy Gray

Matthew Long

Wallace Rice

BS ’59 – Raleigh, NC

BA ’73 – Ames, IA

BS ’85 – Portland, OR

BS ’59 – Cheyenne, WY

Jerome Durnil

Ronald Hudson

Joseph Maxson

Rex Riepe

BSCH ’70, MS ’73 – Yakima, WA

BSEE ’64 – Cleveland, TN

BSEE ’77 – Battle Ground, WA

MST ’96 – Cape Girardeau, MO

Neal Forbes

Jon Jacquot

David McReynolds

Thomas Rimmer

BS ’74 – Saratoga, WY

BSEE ’71 – Cheyenne, WY

BS ’58 – Westminster, CO

BS ’59 – Billings, MT

Ronald Glaser

Robert Jefferson

Frederick Nohmer

Tracey Wiener

BSCH ’82 – Laramie, WY

BSCE ’74 – Annandale, VA

BSEE ’69, MS ’70 – Newmarket, NH

MS ’93 – Dubois, WY

Joseph Yovich, Sr MS ’72 – Laramie, WY

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