UWYO Magazine - Vol.26 No.2

Igniting Innovation

Many UW courses utilize Wyoming’s amazing environment to help students learn in the field, including students in this Geology 2800 course, who visited Pilot Hill Recreation Area.

Pictured: Lecturer Erin Stoesz (right) helps students Daniel McFayden and Brayden Green (far left) plot a strike and dip measurement on their geologic maps.

FEATURES

18 / ENCOURAGING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

UW and community college students get hands-on entrepreneurial education and experiences.

22 / UP-AND-COMERS

The National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program supports research and outreach.

26 / TRANSFORMING AGRICULTURE

UW becomes a leader in controlled environmental agriculture.

36 / AN ENGINE LIKE NO OTHER

The Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine will help address climate issues while growing related industry in the state.

40 / FOSTERING EXCELLENCE

Donor-created endowed positions promote faculty excellence.

46 / BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

UW’s new Industry and Strategic Partnerships Office connects industry, government and nonprofits with the university to create mutually beneficial relationships.

64 / LEAN INNOVATION

The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps Great Plains Hub helps teams commercialize their research.

66 / ENGINEERING THE FUTURE

UplinkRobotics founders mentor the next-generation of engineers through 4-H clubs and more.

68 / SPACE TO INNOVATE

Whether for senior design, K–12 or a startup, UW’s makerspaces offer state-of-the-art equipment to the people of Wyoming.

DEPARTMENTS

04-06 / WELCOME

/

THE COVER

Engineering students Ashley Criger, Kaylee Esgar and Teagan Riedel work in the Innovation Wyrkshop to produce a scaled model of a tornado simulator for their systems design course. Read more on page 68.

UWyo

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

Winter 2025 | Volume 26, No. 2 uwyo.edu/magazine

University President: Edward Seidel

Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing: Chad Baldwin

Editor: Micaela Myers

Design: Michelle Eberle, Emily Edgar, Fernando Lechuga, Brittny Wroblewski

Photography: Ted Brummond, Ali Grossman, Andrew Wee unless noted

Video: Ali Grossman, Mary Jung, Kyriessa Lane, Andrew Wee

Contributing Editors: Chad Baldwin, Tamara Linse

Contributing Writers: Sunnie Lew, Missy Samp, Michelle Sunset

AlumNews/WyoGrams: Michael Blaney, Abi Gerhard, Sunnie Lew, Tamara Linse, Shelby Sinclair

UWyo is published three times per year as a partnership among UW Institutional Marketing, UW Foundation and the UW Alumni Association. UWyo is supported by UW Foundation, UW Research & Economic Development, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs and the Office of the President. ©2025 by the University of Wyoming. All rights reserved. Excerpts from this magazine may be reprinted with permission, provided appropriate credit is given to the University of Wyoming and copies of reprinted materials are provided to the editor.

To access past UWyo publications, visit uwyo.edu/archive

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, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, creed, ancestry, political belief or any other applicable category protected by law and University policy.

UW Reaches Highest Level of Research Universities

By Ed Seidel

Wyoming’s university will soon achieve a significant milestone — a major step forward for our standing in the world of higher education that will benefit the entire institution, our students, our alumni and the state we serve.

For the first time in the University of Wyoming’s history, the university will be named an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. That puts UW in the top tier of U.S. research universities, as just 5 percent of the nation’s nearly 4,000 accredited, degree-granting institutions historically have reached this “very high research activity” category.

What does this mean for UW? Simply stated, Carnegie R1 status increases the value of a UW degree;

serves as an impressive recruiting tool for faculty, staff and students; enhances our ability to boost the state’s economy; and builds on the already extraordinary sense of pride among members of the UW community.

To achieve the R1 designation, UW had to show that our annual spending on research and development topped $50 million, and that we award at least 70 doctoral degrees each year. In fact, we are well above those numbers and are growing.

In the past fiscal year, our research expenditures — driven largely by federal grant funding — topped $150 million, a record for UW. In the current fiscal year, we have already exceeded $167 million. When it comes to Ph.D. graduates, UW regularly produces close to 100 each year.

But this designation — scheduled to be officially announced this spring — is about much more than numbers.

UW graduates have long demonstrated that they can compete with graduates of even the most elite universities in the country, but now there’s an added measure of prestige associated with their UW diplomas.

Additionally, the prestige of R1 status traditionally has served as magnet for people looking to work and study at the top of their fields. As a result, UW is now even more attractive to top-tier faculty and students from around the world.

Research informs teaching, and teaching informs research. Indeed, they

can be deeply integrated; expanding our research also expands our teaching capabilities. Because faculty engaged in research generate new knowledge that advances the education students receive both inside and outside the classroom, the educational experience for students will be enhanced through our R1 status. Students will be more prepared for careers through inquiryfocused work in labs and creative spaces. Research experiences for undergraduates are important examples of experiential, or hands-on, learning that lead to better learning outcomes and enhanced student success.

UW already has a strong record of research partnerships to meet critical needs in Wyoming and the region. Achieving R1 status will allow us to take things to an even higher level with our community partners and industry, as we’ll have more opportunities to attract external funding that enhances our ability to support students, faculty and staff. And research leads to innovation that creates opportunities for entrepreneurship and addresses problems in industry, making company partners more competitive. This sets the stage for economic gains and job growth in our state, beyond even the nearly 14,700 jobs and more than $1.3 billion annually that UW contributes to Wyoming’s economy, according a new “Economic Footprint of the University of Wyoming ” report.

In this edition of UWyo Magazine, you’ll read a great deal more about

UW’s research enterprise and how it contributes to our students’ educational experience and Wyoming’s economy.

We have had much to celebrate at UW over the past few years. Amazing new facilities have opened to enhance the student and faculty/staff experience; new programs in computing, ranch management, energy, construction management, entrepreneurship, outdoor recreation and tourism are among those that have been added to our rich lineup of in-person and online offerings; student success and faculty excellence are benefitting from record-setting private fundraising; and our alumni are achieving great things in business, academia, sports and many other fields.

We will soon add Carnegie R1 status to this list of things to celebrate, along with being named a “Carnegie Community Engaged” university and an “Innovation and Economic Prosperity” university by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

Those of us associated with UW have always known what a great university we have. Now, having reached the highest tier of research universities, we can be even more bold in proclaiming that The World Needs More Cowboys.

Ed Seidel is the 28th president of the University of Wyoming.

T H E WYO M ING I N S T I T U TE F O R

HUMANITIES RESEARCH

The Humanities Research Institute strives to be an engine for producing interdisciplinary research in the humanities; a community for faculty, students, and the public; and a model of democratic education fit for our land-grant university. Please join us!

For an exciting list of activities and programming, visit our Website: uwyo.edu/humanities and our Facebook page: Facebook.com/UWYOWIHR

Graduate student Kenny Nguyen examines tardigrade cultures for viability in molecular biology’s Boothy Lab.

Welcome from Research and Economic Development

Best wishes to everyone for 2025! Amid the maelstrom of inevitable change within and beyond the university during 2024, UW’s Research and Economic Development Division has stayed the course with its vision and mission, well positioned for success in the coming year.

Simply put, our mission is to continuously expand UW’s knowledge enterprise while providing the widest array of experiential learning opportunities for UW students possible. This mission is fueled by a relentless pursuit of excellence in world-class research that is relevant to Wyoming’s needs while making UW nationally competitive to obtain extramural funding. The vision is to scale the number of opportunities for not just research, but service, innovation and engagement that support and expand economic prosperity throughout the state of Wyoming. It is an audacious undertaking, but one I firmly believe we are positioned to achieve.

The UW Research and Economic Development Division (REDD) is a complex and far-flung

organization. There are no fewer than two dozen offices, centers and institutes that comprise the division, not counting “ancillary” organizations and facilities we support within and beyond the walls of the university. From computer science to microbiology, energy engineering to controlled environment agriculture, astrophysics to animal science, REDD supports an amazing array of scientific inquiry, exploration and achievement. But we do not stop there. Conversion of that incredible output of innovation into real-world applications is critical to our role as a major cog in Wyoming’s economic engine. We facilitate everything from preparation and procurement for research grants to providing critical assistance to fledgling startups being built upon the patents, ideas and innovation spawned out of classrooms and labs at UW.

This past calendar year has borne impressive results for research and development at UW and the entire state of Wyoming. Thanks to the hard work of our faculty, staff and students, our research expenditures are rapidly growing, reaching $167.3 million in fiscal year 2024, an increase of 81 percent over fiscal year 2021. We are supporting more student research experiences now than ever before. We are engaging with more schools, businesses and organizations in Wyoming and are collaborating with more entities in Wyoming now than in the past. We are on an upward

trajectory to become a research university that students and Wyomingites can proudly brag about being part of.

In October, we achieved the distinction of being designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) institution by the Association of Public and Landgrant Universities. This is no small accomplishment. It puts us in somewhat rarified air among the thousands of four-year universities and colleges in the United States. This designation is validation that UW rigorously and effectively engages all of its internal and external stakeholders to understand key issues, track progress, and inform and deliver significant positive contributions to Wyoming’s communities and economy. It is recognition of our incredible ability to contribute to economic growth, opportunity and competitiveness.

In November, the Center of Innovation for Porous Flow Through Media formalized a partnership with scientific instruments leader Thermo Fisher Scientific to co-develop systems to, among other things, tap into previously impervious oil and gas reserves throughout Wyoming. That same partnership has goals and ambitions for improving carbon sequestration methods, optimizing underground water resources, digitalizing geosystems and expanding underground hydrogen storage. Each of these has major implications for the economic future of Wyoming, particularly when it comes to energy resource development.

Of note, our participation in the National Science Foundation’s Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) yielded a substantial grant to study weather extremes and water security in a project led by UW Professor Bart Geertz. We also established an exciting new partnership with the Argonne National Laboratory and its Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Lighthouse Initiative, which provides UW student and faculty researchers with access to some of the most powerful and leading-edge computing resources available.

Now that we’re in first quarter of 2025, we have new and renewed ambitions for REDD and its contributions to student success, faculty and graduate research and economic prosperity in communities throughout Wyoming. Our focus remains tightly focused on experiential learning and research excellence.

Parag Chitnis is UW’s vice president for research and economic development.

INTELLIGENCE Master of Science

Research Projects, Immersive Seminars & Career Opportunities

CONTACT: SURESHM@UWYO EDU New! Cutting-edge program that combines advanced mathematics with AI techniques to solve real world challenges across disciplines.

ACCELERATING RESEARCH TRANSLATION

UW is one of 18 universities to receive a $6 million grant from National Science Foundation to build infrastructure and change culture for translating research to commercial and societal use.

WYOMING RESEARCH SCHOLARS

Forty-six undergraduate students conducted funded research as Wyoming Research Scholars in the 2023–24 school year, with 24 scholars hailing from Wyoming.

$151 MILLION IN SPONSORED FUNDS

During fiscal year 2024, the annual funding brought in for research, education or service projects was $151 million.

NEW BUSINESSES STARTED

Wyoming Small Business Development Center staff served 1,383 clients, reported more than $276 million in annual sales with $476 thousand in sales revenue growth, and supported 1,786 jobs.

THE RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION IS GROWING INNOVATION, LEARNING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT UW AND ACROSS THE STATE.

BIGPROGRESS

BY MICAELA MYERS

The University of Wyoming Research and Economic Development Division — which includes several programs, offices and services — works to expand research and innovation activities, provides experiential learning opportunities for students, and supports economic development across Wyoming. Here are some of the division’s recent accomplishments.

K–12 OUTREACH

UW’s Science Initiative Roadshow brought active STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning to 6,737 K–12 students through 37 events across the state during the 2023–24 school year.

ACTIVE LEARNING

The Science Initiative’s Learning Activity Mentoring Program trained educators at UW, impacting 3,653 students in 118 active-learning classes. Since 2016, 104 LAMPtrained educators at UW have impacted 28,880 students in 717 active-learning classes.

SBIR/STTR SUCCESS

The Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative helped Wyoming small businesses with more than $6.3 million in Phase I/II awards from various federal agencies.

PATENTS GRANTED

UW is one of the top 100 universities in the number of patents issued, with 17 new patents issued in the 2022–23 school year.

$28.3 MILLION IN INDUSTRY AND FOUNDATION SUPPORT

Gifts and grants totaling nearly $30 million came into UW from foundations and industry in 2022–23.

UNIVERSITY CENTER

UW’s five-year U.S. Economic Development Administration University Center project will offer a concierge structure, where personnel direct interested parties to appropriate state and local agencies that support economic development, small business development and entrepreneurship. This concierge service is closely tied to the entrepreneurshipecosystem-mapping project in partnership with the Wyoming Business Council and through Gov. Gordon’s Wyoming Innovation Partnership. When a founder or business owner needs help with a business plan or finding other resources that will help their business advance, the concierge helps connect them. When it comes to creating referrals and interconnectedness between small-business supports in the state and the businesses that need them, the University Center will be the place to start. The concierge and ecosystemmapping projects are under development and aim to launch in spring 2025. Additionally, the project provides funding to offset costs of technical training. It also offers business and economic analysis for Wyoming businesses through UW’s Manufacturing Works and the Center for Business and Economic Analysis.

ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING RECEIVES DOE ZERO ENERGY DESIGN DESIGNATION

UW’s architectural engineering Bachelor of Science program earned a Zero Energy Design Designation from the U.S. Department of Energy. The new designation — awarded to 14 educational programs from nine collegiate institutions — recognizes the growing importance of zero-energy design, which means a building produces as much energy as it consumes in a year. The designation honors postsecondary academic programs that require students to apply the best practices of zero-energy design in their projects.

UW SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH TUNISIAN UNIVERSITIES

UW students and faculty members will have new opportunities to study abroad and conduct research along with universities in Tunisia following the signing of new agreements. A delegation from UW, led by Center for Global Studies Director Caroline McCracken-Flesher, traveled to the North African nation to sign four separate memoranda of understanding with the Universities of Tunis, Sfax and Jendouba, and the National Institute of Agronomic Studies of Tunisia and the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Tunisia. The agreements build upon a 20-year partnership between Tunisia and Wyoming through the U.S. Department of State’s State Partnership Program. They will facilitate sharing knowledge and expertise, conducting joint research, increasing student and faculty exchanges, and building academic and cultural ties between Tunisia and UW.

$4M STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH COMPUTING SYSTEM

UW’s ability to use artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing is taking a major step forward. A nearly $4 million National Science Foundation grant to acquire state-of-the-art computing infrastructure will help solve problems in areas including the environment, energy, agriculture and public health. The three-year $3.9 million award includes $3.25 million for UW to acquire a specialized high-performance computing testbed. This computing infrastructure is composed of 24 nodes of NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchips with 400 terabytes of data storage — cutting-edge technology that currently is not available in the Rocky Mountain region. An additional $340,000 will be used for system support and student training.

SPECIALTY CROP DIRECTORY PROMOTES LOCAL FOODS

UW Extension released an updated publication promoting the local food movement across Wyoming and connecting consumers with producers. The 2024 Wyoming Specialty Crop Directory has nearly 1,100 listings, including many for producers and the specialty crops and products they offer. These offerings include fresh vegetables and fruits; culinary herbs and spices; honey; homemade goods such as jams, jellies, salsas, barbecue and hot sauces, pickled and fermented vegetables, and fruit pies; hard cider; and wine. View the publication at bit.ly/extension-publications .

BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE JOINS HAUB SCHOOL

The UW Biodiversity Institute has merged within UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. This strategic move reaffirms the institute’s mission to foster the understanding, appreciation and conservation of biological diversity in Wyoming and beyond while enhancing academic and community engagement.

The Downtown Laramie Farmers Market attracts hundreds of shoppers looking to purchase locally produced items.

Kelly Crane was appointed dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources in October, after leading the college as interim dean since December 2023. He previously served as senior associate dean of the college.

Scott Turpen, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was appointed interim provost of UW effective Nov. 25.

UW BLOCKCHAIN STAMPEDE

The seventh annual Wyoming Blockchain Stampede presented by the UW Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation took place in September with the theme of

Growing Wyoming. Featured topics included innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, economic development, startups, fintech, cybersecurity, bitcoin mining, and digital assets, regulation and law.

HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

CONNECTING WYOMING TO THE WORLD

RESEARCH UNDERWAY

Professors Receive NIH Grant to Study Brain Circuitry Changes During Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease

Wild Horse Overabundance

Harms Sage Grouse, Researchers Find

Researchers Explore Producing Low-Carbon Hydrogen from Wyoming Natural Gas

Bruns Receives Funding for Research on Diabetic Heart Failure

Rongsong Liu, a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and in the Department of Zoology and Physiology, and Yun Li, an associate professor of neuroscience in the Department of Zoology and Physiology, recently received a two-year $385,610 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the microcircuit changes that occur in the brain’s prefrontal cortex during normal aging as well as disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease. Microcircuits in the brain’s prefrontal cortex play essential roles in planning, reasoning, decision-making and problem-solving. Disruptions in prefrontal microcircuits are associated with behavioral abnormalities in a variety of brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease.

When wild horse populations are allowed to grow beyond numbers set by the Bureau of Land Management, sage grouse numbers suffer, according to newly published research. After 15 years of study involving more than 1,000 sage grouse in central Wyoming, the researchers concluded that managing free-roaming horses at or below the BLM’s maximum appropriate management levels within herd management areas would be highly beneficial to sage grouse populations. Members of the research team include Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Professor Jeff Beck and current or former UW scientists and graduate students Kurt Smith, Christopher Kirol, Caitlyn Wanner, Jacob Hennig and Derek Scasta. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon State University and the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville, Okla., also were involved.

Haibo Zhai, the Roy and Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering and a UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences professor, led a study examining Wyoming’s potential to take a lead role in the advancement of low-carbon hydrogen production from natural gas. The study, titled “Unlocking Potential for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production from U.S. Natural Gas Resources,” was published in Environmental Science & Technology and examines the resource availability — and environmental, economic, policy and societal impacts — of pairing low-carbon hydrogen production by steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage in Wyoming and other natural gas-rich states.

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes was the eighth leading cause of death in the United States in 2021, with heart failure in the presence of diabetes adding significantly to those statistics. Danielle “Nellie” Bruns, an associate professor in UW’s Division of Kinesiology and Health, has embarked on research aimed at specifically identifying factors that contribute to development of heart failure in diabetic patients. A National Institutes of Health grant totaling $323,277 will support the work of Bruns’ HEART Lab, located in the Science Initiative Building.

PHOTO BY JACOB HENNIG

UW recent alumna Ana Acevedo and her spouse, Army National Guard Sgt. Jesus Acevedo, took home the 2024 Ellbogen $50K Competition grand prize. FINA Custom Work, their tactical gear company, produces gear for law enforcement and military.

UW and community college students get hands-on entrepreneurial education and experiences.

Right: Susan Noah of Casper College, founder of UniquiClay Creative Studio, earned the 2024 Ellbogen $50 Entrepreneurship Competition’s Top Female Entrepreneur Award. Below: Competition judges James Garland and Alexis Garrett take part in a Q&A.

By Micaela Myers

The University of Wyoming helps entrepreneurs across the state with a host of offerings while also helping students learn to launch businesses. Programming includes an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship minor, an educational entrepreneurship competition and the Venture MBA.

Entrepreneurship Minor

The UW College of Business offers an entrepreneurship major and an interdisciplinary minor, which is open to all majors.

As part of the minor, students take three entrepreneurship courses within the College of Business. Those courses cover innovation, ideation, value proposition, and business-model creation and launch. That final course includes teams participating in the annual entrepreneurship competition.

John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition

This year, the annual Ellbogen $50K Competition celebrates its 25th year of encouraging college students across the state to act on their talents, ideas and energy to produce tomorrow’s leading businesses.

Teams often include students from UW and that state’s community colleges. As they compete for cash prizes, they also learn to create a business plan while receiving mentorship, business consulting expertise and a strong entrepreneurial network of investors and potential partners. In 2024, the competition added an entrepreneurial ecosystem fair, which will continue this

year. The fair connects students with statewide resources and networking.

The 2024 grand prize went to FINA Custom Work, a Wyoming-based tactical gear company owned by UW student Ana Acevedo and her husband, veteran Jesus Acevedo. As a police officer, Jesus noticed that officers had nowhere to put the personal belongings of those they arrested in the field. Things were often lost or damaged. The Acevedos addressed this by creating a bag that quickly clips and unclips from the officer’s belt.

“We want to make law enforcement and military jobs a little bit easier,” says Jesus, who grew up in Yakima, Wash., before serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. “They already have stressful jobs, and the amount of things that they have to deal with is tremendous. We have two officers in the field now doing field testing with the bags. I get calls from law enforcement officers who want to know when these will be on the market.”

The Acevedos are using the competition money to launch a website, to ramp up their production and to expand into military products. During the competition, they found feedback from teachers, judges and local businesspeople invaluable.

“We really learned a lot about taking our vision and turning it into a viable business,” says Ana, who grew up in Laramie and graduated this December with her degree in marketing and sales. “It teaches you how to get a business going from the bottom up.”

Everyone was willing to help, even other business owners in similar industries.

“Lean on other people’s strengths and knowledge,” Ana says to those considering

starting a business. “Wyoming has created a very supportive entrepreneurial culture.”

Hannah McLean-Leonard, UW Venture Mentoring Service program manager and program coordinator for the Venture MBA and John P. Ellbogen $50K Competition, says that the College of Business is continuously striving to create opportunities — not only for business students but for students from across UW and the state of Wyoming. “While the John P. Ellbogen $50K Competition serves current students from UW and community colleges, our newly launched Venture Mentoring Service is available to anyone affiliated with UW or a community college in the state. This includes students, faculty and alumni. I feel incredibly proud to be involved in so many fantastic entrepreneurial-based initiatives.”

Venture MBA

For aspiring entrepreneurs, the College of Business launched a Venture MBA track in 2023. It’s aimed at students who want to launch or join a startup, to work for innovative companies with highgrowth ambitions, or enter in the venture capital sector, explains Senior Assistant Dean Benjamin Cook.

“The Venture track has additional entry requirements, higher program expectations, mentoring for venture

Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows

ideas, masterclasses with successful entrepreneurs and several co-curricular activities such as domestic and international travel to explore other entrepreneurial ecosystems and develop a global mindset,” he says. “Rather than take electives, Venture MBA students take three courses that help them generate ideas and advance them into real businesses, help them understand the fundraising process and how to get investors, and best practices for existing companies to innovate and stay on the cutting edge.”

Venture MBA students also participate in internships with Wyoming companies.

“The Venture MBA program is designed to inspire and equip students with an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset, fostering a ‘can-do’ attitude that encourages them to remain in Wyoming,” says Assistant Professor of Practice Quique Girones.

“By nurturing these entrepreneurial and innovative thinking processes, we aim to retain talent and contribute to the growth and dynamism of Wyoming’s business ecosystem. Whether launching new ventures, driving innovation in established companies or supporting startups through venture capital, the Venture MBA program is committed to providing the skills and mindset necessary for success.”

The program grew out of state initiatives, including Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming (ENDOW) and the Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP). The positive impact of students on the state begins well before graduation.

“Venture MBA students are actively engaged in various impactful projects and partnerships that are shaping the future of business and innovation,” Girones says. “One significant area of focus is the development of business feasibility plans for scientific and engineering ideas. By collaborating with companies and research institutes, students assess the business viability and customer demand, ensuring these ideas can be successfully brought to market.”

Supported by the Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP) and UW’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, a new cohort of Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows launched this year. The fellows include six UW faculty and nine Wyoming community college faculty.

The fellows started off getting to know the state’s entrepreneurial programs, including the Small Business Development Center, IMPACT 307, the UW Technology Transfer Office, the gBETA Wyoming accelerator and the Wyoming Business Council. Then they continued to meet virtually and in person to develop entrepreneurial mindset methods and projects for their classrooms.

The students work closely with venture capital firms to conduct due diligence. They also partner with the state’s Manufacturing Works program — which assists manufacturers — to enhance its communication platform. “These projects provide students with invaluable handson experience and contribute significantly to the local and regional business landscapes,” Girones says. “Through these efforts, Venture MBA students are making a meaningful impact on the community and beyond.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF VENTURE

Venture MBA students met with the Kansas City Chiefs’ business team on their domestic trip.

Student-Athlete Entrepreneurs

WRESTLER RILEY DAVIS AND KICKER ERIK SANDVIK PLAN TO HARNESS THEIR UW ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.

By Micaela Myers

The culture of entrepreneurship at the University of Wyoming touches all corners of the state and campus, including the football field and wrestling mat, where you’ll find two future entrepreneurs.

Wrestler Riley Davis

“I chose UW because it was a perfect fit for the desires I have,” says Davis, a sophomore majoring in business management and marketing from Amarillo, Texas. “It was a great place for me to succeed in school and wrestling.”

Davis is enjoying his early marketing coursework, learning how products are marketed and what makes them a success.

“It’s really interesting to me to get a jump on things in that field and knowing what to put out there,” Davis says. “In the future, I want to start my own medical device sales business and be my own boss.”

He balances academics and athletics by getting his coursework done early, especially during competition season.

As a redshirt freshman on the wrestling team last year, Davis made his first career start at CSU – Bakersfield and won via pin. He compiled a record of 7–6 at 174 pounds before sustaining a season-ending injury. His hope for this season is to become an NCAA qualifier and All-American.

“The team is made up of really cool

guys who are very close,” Davis says. “All the coaches are great too, and they always want what’s best for you.”

Kicker Erik Sandvik

Growing up in Steamboat Springs, Colo., Sandvik played football and soccer. When it came time for college, he chose UW, joining the football team as a backup kicker and majoring in entrepreneurship.

“One day I hope to start my own business and work for myself,” says Sandvik, who comes from a family of entrepreneurs. “I think UW offers a great opportunity to try to achieve that.”

Like Davis, he’s especially enjoying his marketing coursework.

“I’m really interested in how you connect with your customers, and I think that plays a huge role in owning your own business and creating those relationships,” Sandvik says.

Knowing UW has an outstanding business school and competitive football team made the choice to attend UW easy.

“As a member of the Wyoming football team, I have honed valuable skills such as leadership and teamwork and the ability to perform under pressure,” Sandvik says, adding that the athletics department provides excellent resources to help studentathletes succeed.

PHOTO BY UW MEDIA RELATIONS

Riley Davis

Erik Sandvik

PHOTO BY JOHN DURGEE

The National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program supports research and outreach. By Micaela Myers

The National Science Foundation recognizes up-and-coming faculty members with the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. Read more about research and outreach from three recent UW winners.

= Nga Nguyen

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Our nation’s power supply is changing quickly as more renewable energy sources come online. Assistant Professor Nga Nguyen earned a CAREER award to further her research on the stability and reliability of power grids.

“My research for the award will investigate the application of energy storage systems to improve stability and reliability,” Nguyen says. “Renewable energy resources have intermittent and low inertia characteristics, which make it harder for our power grids to maintain stability. Therefore, power systems need support from energy storage systems, as they have high capacity and fast response. Our work will optimize the operation of energy storage systems to increase the system’s stability while maximizing the integration of renewable resources.”

Nguyen has studied power systems

for more than a decade, driven by a desire to bring clean reliable power to more users.

Two summer camps are planned to introduce K–12 students to concepts related to STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics —and to train UW graduate students in teaching and mentoring.

“We hope to support and provide training to the younger generations of Wyoming so that we will have a strong and sustainable STEM workforce in the future,” Nguyen says.

The project includes working closely with UW colleagues, Sandia National

Laboratories, Moser Energy and Powder River Energy Corp.

“This project also fosters economic development by providing optimal operation and energy management of the power grid,” Nguyen says. “It strengthens the stability and reliability of the grids, which are the spine of our industry.”

= Diksha Shukla

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

It seems like every day there’s a new cybersecurity threat or breach. Despite our best efforts at pins, passcodes and authentication software, it’s a constant game of staying one step ahead of hackers and malware.

Assistant Professor Diksha Shukla is addressing this challenge through her CAREER award, studying whether brain signals could serve as a unique,

secure and reliable way to authenticate users on computing devices.

“Our research focuses on the foundational science and development of algorithms to understand user brain behavior and making it possible to leverage brain signals for user authentication, with a special focus on implementing these systems for augmented reality and virtual reality technologies,” Shukla says. “This involves understanding how brain signals can uniquely identify individuals and creating the technology to use these signals effectively for secure authentication. Another key aspect in this research is developing a threat model and evaluating the authentication system’s resilience to various possible security and privacy threats.”

Shukla envisions the integration of EEG-based

authentication systems into emerging technologies, a key outcome of the work. That will pave the way for future additional advances such as using brain signals as a novel means of interacting with technology.

The outreach component of the work will include cybersecurity and machine learning modules with a special focus on brain-computer interaction technologies for UW courses. It also includes offering research experiences for UW students and K–12 rural students and teachers.

= Bree Doering Department of Anthropology

In 2023, Assistant Professor Bree Doering became the first UW anthropologist to earn the prestigious CAREER award.

For the project, Doering is studying the historic diet of interior Alaskan Indigenous communities using a sophisticated chemical sampling technique. The sampling allows her to

Left page: Assistant Professor Nga Nguyen demonstrates a small-scale wind turbine she uses in her K-12 outreach presentations. This page: Assistant Professor Diksha Shukla attaches a brain monitoring device to undergraduate Zachary Nelson, who interns in the lab.

identify fish and birds in the remains of ancient cooking pits, which will shed light on how much these communities fished and what fish they ate. Doering will work with local communities to better understand different cooking traditions and use that information to analyze the results.

“This project is unique because I will look at archaeological material that has been sampled over the past decades, gather more material from important sites, and use Indigenous knowledge and partnership to interpret the results,” she says.

“Fishing has become really threatened in the last decade — to the extent that Alaskan Native communities are no longer able to fish for salmon in the rivers that they have for millennia,” she says.

When the project is complete, the results may help Indigenous communities reestablish fishing rights.

“This project is providing paid hands-on scientific opportunities for Alaska Native youth and applied training to dozens of UW students inside and beyond the classroom,” Doering says. “Ultimately, this research will explore one way that Western theory and Indigenous ways of knowing might be meaningfully integrated in our understanding of past environments.”

Doering grew up in Alaska. Each year she travels to “fish camp” in the community of Nenana, where Indigenous elders and children come together over traditional practices of preservation, canning, smoking and filleting fish. The experience inspired her work.

Assistant Professor Bree Doering’s CAREER research focuses on Native Alaskan’s historical diets and fishing.

The College of Arts & Sciences o ers a distinct and well-rounded education in Fine Arts, the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Programs. Whether you're interested in pursuing a degree in A&S or looking for ways to unlock your creativity, nationally-ranked degree programs and courses with A&S provide an opportunity to gain valuable education and skills. Our programs involve work in the creative fields, using data, learning new languages, understanding the world around you, and much more.

Courses, programs and degrees o ered in:

The Neltje CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE

IN CREATIVITY AND THE ARTS

FINE ARTS

Music Theatre and Dance

Visual Arts

SOCIAL SCIENCES Anthropology Communication and Journalism Criminal Justice and Sociology Psychology

INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS

School of Culture, Gender and Social Justice

School of Politics, Public A airs and International Studies

Humanities

English

Modern and Classical Languages

Philosophy and Religious Studies

History

uwyo.edu/as

UW’s Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility, located in the Science Initiative Building, is equipped with state-of-theart technologies, including hydroponic vertical towers.

TRANSFORMING AGRICULTURE

UW becomes a leader in controlled environmental agriculture.

By Micaela Myers and UW Communications

The University of Wyoming is quickly becoming a leader in controlled environmental agriculture, or CEA, thanks to research funding, state-of-the-art facilities, industry collaboration and institutional leadership.

In a way, controlled agriculture goes all the way back to 14–37 A.D., when Roman emperor Tiberius Caesar had the first moving plant beds built, allowing him to eat his doctor-prescribed cucumbers year-round. Today, CEA uses a technology-based approach to growing crops indoors, including optimizing temperature, lighting, air flow and watering as well as farming in vertical spaces.

Growing Expertise

In 2023, UW launched the Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility located on the fifth floor of the Science Initiative Building, which includes a sprawling 6,400-square-foot advanced complex of research spaces and greenhouses.

The same year, the state of Wyoming invested $20 million in the vertical farming company Plenty Unlimited Inc., which is expanding its Wyoming operation. In response to this growing industry, UW launched the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center to build a curriculum in CEA and work closely with related businesses around the state. These efforts receive crucial support from the Wyoming Innovation Partnership to help build a skilled workforce.

“This is an exciting new industry that has tremendous potential to boost Wyoming’s economy, to diversify the state’s important agriculture industry and to drive job creation and innovation,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “Our new Controlled Environment Agriculture Center is poised to become a destination for research, training and workforce development in this

THE FUTURE OF CONTROLLED AGRICULTURE

As part of Wyoming Innovation Partnership efforts to grow the economy and create a trained workforce in controlled environmental agriculture (CEA), Carmela Rosaria Guadagno, associate director of UW’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, coordinated the first interdisciplinary course in CEA this past summer. The course integrated expertise from seven departments on campus and other business stakeholders in partnership with the vertical farming company Plenty.

Isaiah Spiegelberg of Laramie fell in love with CEA while working as a technician at UW’s Plant Growth and Phenotyping facility. After earning his undergraduate degree in wildlife and fisheries biology and management in 2022, he continues to work with Guadagno to pursue a master’s degree in botany with a focus on CEA.

rapidly growing sector in the fresh produce industry.”

National Science Foundation Collaboration

In 2024, the National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused Collaborations program awarded UW a $2.08 million grant aimed at exploring the potential of indoor farming practices to address climateresilience challenges. Carmela Rosaria Guadagno, director of the Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility and associate director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, leads UW’s core science research, which examines how plants and microbes interact in hydroponic systems and affect crop yield. The University of New Mexico will oversee the socioeconomic aspects of the project. Other institutions collaborating on the grant include the University of South Dakota, New Mexico State University and the Santa Fe Community College.

Spiegelberg plans to make CEA his career and to work in research and development. He hopes to own a small hydroponic farm someday.

“With growing climate concerns, developing a skilled workforce in CEA and advancing CEA technology is important for long-term food security,” he says. “Opportunities in CEA are also important for diversifying Wyoming’s economy.”

“CEA can be strategically leveraged to foster food safety and to build economic sustainability within our regions,” Guadagno says. “By partnering with states facing similar challenges, we aim to empower communities to thrive under future climates while driving tech innovation and workforce development in CEA.”

UW will collaborate closely with tribal communities, including those on Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation, to develop targeted education while building infrastructure and outreach activities for CEA development. Planned efforts will include food and agricultural workshops for Native

American high school students and community members and educational experiences through UW’s Native American Summer Institute.

Professor Cynthia Weinig, a coinvestigator from UW’s Department of Botany, highlights the significance of microbial research in CEA settings.

“CEA provides many advantages in food production over conventional field agriculture, such as improved efficiency in water use,” she says. “We will investigate the distribution and function of microbes in improving plant productivity in CEA settings, offering a potential avenue to increase yields and crop quality for all communities.”

Associate Professor Jill Keith, a coinvestigator from UW’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, emphasizes the importance of engaging stakeholders: “Innovative efforts to address food and nutrition security in rural communities are vital. Engaging stakeholders, especially tribal community members with traditional ecological knowledge, to guide work around climate resilience is key to this project.”

Above: Director Carmela Rosaria Guadagno Left inset: Graduate student Isaiah Spiegelberg transplants seedlings into a tower.

Big Opportunities

UW UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS TAKE PART IN GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH. BY SUNNIE LEW

Introducing Rashmi Thapa, Ph.D. Rashmi Thapa can see a future eradicated of Alzheimer’s disease. A recent neuroscience Ph.D. graduate of the University of Wyoming, her research focused on uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind this devastating condition. Now, she’s pursuing a postdoctoral position at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

Originally from Nepal, Thapa embraced the opportunities and community at UW, where she participated in the Friends of Nepal, International Student Association and university councils.

“This university and this town have given me so much,” Thapa says. “It gave me a new identity as Dr. Rashmi Thapa. I’ve been lucky to be part of such a strong, supportive network.”

Ty Hults Tackles Bighorn Decline

While moose hunting just north of the Denali Range, Air Force veteran Ty Hults spotted what looked to be dots of snow traversing along the Alaskan mountainside. What he was seeing were migrating wild sheep. Captivated, he decided then and there to study them.

Now a senior at UW, Hults is majoring in wildlife and fisheries biology and management, and studying bighorn sheep in Wyoming’s Dubois area. His work focuses on nutrition and its link to habitat decline, disease and population loss.

“UW’s wildlife program is one of the best for undergrads in the nation,” Hults says. “The resources and opportunities here are unmatched, and it’s been incredible to be a part of it.”

PHOTO BY AUSTIN JACKSON

PHOTO BY AUSTIN JACKSON

Exploring Fungi with Kate Good

Kate Good is making her mark at UW with a double major in molecular biology and microbiology, complemented by a minor in religious studies. Currently, she is researching fungi and plant recovery.

“I examine plant roots that have been collected post-Mullen Fire,” Good says. “Some plants have been treated with an herbicide to combat an invasive grass. I grow fungal endophytes from the roots and go through a DNA sequencing process to identify the fungi. The goal is to better understand microbial and plant communities post-fire and to see if the herbicide impacts growth or microbial communities.”

Additionally, Good is a member of UW’s Western Thunder Marching Band and holds a leadership role in her sorority, Phi Sigma Rho. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in infectious diseases and contribute to breakthroughs in antibiotic resistance and vaccine development.

BY

Freshwater Mussel Conservation with Samantha Poratti

Samantha Poratti, a master’s student in zoology and physiology, is conducting pivotal research on native freshwater mussels in Wyoming’s Bear River watershed. Hailing from Vermont, she is focused on two species: the California floater — a Wyoming “species of greatest conservation need” — and the Western pearlshell mussel. Through snorkeling and field surveys, she aims to gather essential data on their distribution and survival.

“Conservation of freshwater mussels in general has been overlooked and also underfunded,” says Poratti. “They’re hard to see in the bodies of water that they’re found in — like rivers, lakes and reservoirs. I believe they necessitate more attention since they’re so important to the ecosystem.”

With little prior research on these mussels in Western rivers, her work is not only groundbreaking but crucial for informing conservation efforts and managing native species.

BY

PHOTO

AUSTIN JACKSON

PHOTO

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Interested in applying? Contact us at sss@uwyo.edu

Boosting the Creative Economy

UW’S NELTJE CENTER AND PARTNERS OFFER TRAINING AND STARTUP FUNDING FOR CREATIVE VENTURES ACROSS THE STATE.

By Micaela Myers

When we think of growing the economy in Wyoming, tech or energy or manufacturing usually come to mind. But many small businesses are part of the creative economy, ranging from film production and music to literary and visual arts.

The University of Wyoming Neltje Center for Excellence in Creativity and the Arts — along with community college partners Sheridan College and Northwest College — received $1.1 million to help grow the creative economy. The funding comes from the Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP) for “artsWork,” an innovative program focused on supporting artists and investing in Wyoming’s creative economy.

Throughout the artsWork program, participants learned from arts and business experts. Webinars were held on topics including fundraising, choosing a business format, community outreach and community engagement. Participants especially benefited from one-on-one mentoring.

“We had 33 mentors in disciplines

Mark Pedri and Carrie McCarthy film at the Red Desert Roundup Rodeo.

across art and business, and all participants had unfettered and free access to these specialists, which turned out to be invaluable,” says Neltje Center Executive Director Beth Venn.

Workshops — open to anyone in the state — were held in Laramie, Sheridan, Fort Washakie, Powell and Rock Springs. One hundred people participated in the workshops, and each was eligible to compete for the startup challenge funding. In July, 10 businesses were selected to receive $25,000 each.

“The 10 awardees and their enterprises will provide new opportunities for the arts and culture industries across the state and will be an emerging force in revitalizing our communities,” UW President Ed Seidel says.

Meet two winners of the startup challenge.

Burning Torch Productions

Carrie McCarthy grew up in Rock Springs, earned her UW bachelor’s degree in chemistry (2012) and went on to earn her doctorate in materials chemistry from the University of Southern California. McCarthy combined her love of science and filmmaking, breaking into the industry as a scientific film consultant on documentaries.

Now, she runs Burning Torch Productions in Rock Springs with her partner, Mark Pedri. They produce character-driven nonfiction stories across different formats. Their films have appeared nationally on PBS stations, won awards at film festivals and earned regional Emmies.

McCarthy jumped at the chance to meet other creatives and to learn from experts in the workshops.

“The content was phenomenal,” she says. Many creatives start a business

on the side or aren’t sure how to make a living from their art. The workshops taught them how to write business plans and create sustainable initiatives.

“This whole experience opened my eyes to how many creative people are in Wyoming,” McCarthy says. “We have animators, sound professionals, filmmakers, visual artists all right here in Wyoming.”

A new directory of project participants was created to foster connectivity and encourage future collaborations, and McCarthy plans to call on her fellow Wyomingites for future projects. With the startup funding, Burning Torch will hire additional help to grow its business. Currently, the company is working on two Wyoming-based films, including one about trona mining.

“I grew up here in Wyoming, and I didn’t know being an artist was an option as a career here,” McCarthy says. “The more we build the creative economy, the more it becomes an option, and those projects also foster close and connected communities.”

Chandlar and Company

Art House

Korinne Ryan is an artist based in Thermopolis. She’s inspired by personal stories and loves to incorporate colors, textures and a variety of materials in her work. Already the sole proprietor of Chandlar and Company, she was inspired by the creative economy workshops to expand her offerings with the addition of Art House. The startup funding was key to launching the space.

“Art House will become a vibrant visual arts hub in downtown Thermopolis,” Ryan says. “It will offer art classes for all ages, as well as fellowships and skill-sharing sessions for artists. The space will feature a rotating

“Art provides a vital outlet for balancing the demands of life and appreciating its beauty, making it as crucial as oil, minerals and a strong work ethic.”

– Korinne Ryan

selection of local artwork for sale and will be available for private events.”

Ryan believes art enhances life and community. “Art provides a vital outlet for balancing the demands of life and appreciating its beauty, making it as crucial as oil, minerals and a strong work ethic,” she says. “Currently, there is no central hub for visual arts in our area. My goal for Chandlar and Company Art House is to create a vibrant center for community creativity and artist networking, serving as a focal point for visual arts in Thermopolis and the surrounding region.”

Room to Grow

The remaining eight businesses funded include Lander-based SB Productions

BY SHAWN DAY

PHOTO

An Engine Like No Other

THE COLORADO-WYOMING CLIMATE RESILIENCE ENGINE WILL HELP ADDRESS CLIMATE ISSUES WHILE GROWING RELATED INDUSTRY IN THE STATE.

By Micaela Myers

Costly natural disasters are increasing around the world. According to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 2023 was a historic year for costly disasters, with 28 weather and climate disasters — surpassing the previous record of 22 in 2020 and tallying a price tag of at least $92.9 billion.

But what if research and startups could advance climate resilience technology while substantially driving economic development, essentially helping solve two problems at once? That’s exactly the idea behind the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) — one of 10 groundbreaking initiatives nationwide selected to receive funding from the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program. With an initial award of up to $15 million over two years and potential funding of up to $160 million over 10

years, the CO-WY Engine is set to be at the forefront of environmental and climate technology innovations.

“This initiative is not just an investment in our future but also a strategy to harness innovation and foster collaboration,” says Mike Freeman, CEO and principal investigator of the CO-WY Engine. “By creating new job opportunities and strengthening our economy, the engine acts as a catalyst for transformative growth, turning regional challenges into opportunities for prosperity.”

In addition to UW, the collaborative effort includes major research institutions such as the Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, the University of Colorado – Boulder, the University of Colorado – Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Northern Colorado. In Wyoming, the state’s community colleges, the Wyoming Business Council, the Department of Workforce Services and UW’s High Plains American Indian Research Institute

UW Assistant Professor Stefan Rahimi and Professor Bart Geerts conduct atmospheric data analytics at the NCARWyoming Supercomputing Center as part of their research project.

New King Air Atmospheric Research Aircraft

UW’s Department of Atmospheric Science accomplishes state-of-the-art research in areas including cloud physics, aerosols, air quality and energy exchange thanks to the new National Science Foundation UW King Air Atmospheric Research Aircraft and unparalleled access to the NCAR – Wyoming Supercomputing Center. The department and new plane will play a key role in the CO-WY Engine’s research.

“No other university around the country has an airborne research facility of the scale as the NSF UW King Air,” says Jeff French, an associate professor and head of the UW Department of Atmospheric Science. “Having such a facility at UW now means we are the only university where graduate students can go and have hands-on experience working with airborne instruments. Access to that type of expertise is one of a kind in our field.”

Learn more at www.uwyo.edu/atsc/uwka .

also play critical roles. Moreover, UW is partnering with the National Center for Atmospheric Research – Wyoming Supercomputing Center to support this extensive project.

“UW can be known for developing these new industry sectors,” says Parag Chitnis, UW’s vice president for research and economic development and a co-principal investigator on the project. “We identified five areas of focus: water, fire, methane, analytic tools, and carbon sequestration and capture. Our efforts address these areas and help communities, entrepreneurs and industry take advantage of new markets as they emerge.”

For example, new technologies may also help predict where fires are more likely to start or years when water levels will be lower.

“Predictive tools are really needed by communities, so

the engine is about developing tools for monitoring, modeling and monetizing environmental data,” Chitnis says.

Funding is set aside for software development and patents as well as seed funding for startups. For example, Bart Geerts, UW professor of atmospheric science, garnered $300,000 for a research project on atmospheric data analytics in conjunction with UW Assistant Professor Stefan Rahimi and Colorado State University Associate Professor Kristen Rasmussen. The award was announced in October as part of $3M in funding for COWY Engine by Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

term changes in climate parameters, especially precipitation, snowpack, flooding events and droughts.”

“Climate resilience problems are at the forefront of needs to be addressed throughout the U.S., especially in the Rocky Mountain region,” Geerts says. “In this first year of funding, we will build a framework that can deliver tailor-made projections of long-

Other research projects with practical applications are also being funded. UW and community college students can learn software development and take advantage of paid internships through the engine, and K–12 students across the state will benefit from expanded robotics programming that is currently available in Laramie (see page 66).

Chitnis adds, “Economic growth in these industries can provide high-paying jobs for graduates in the state as well.”

The new research aircraft is a King Air 350i base model.

FOSTERING

Donor-created endowed positions promote faculty

excellence.

By Missy Samp

Endowed deanships, chairs and professorships are powerful catalysts for faculty excellence. Funded by donors, these positions provide faculty with dedicated resources for research and teaching and help universities attract and retain exceptional scholars. Funding supports graduate assistants, conference travel, equipment, specialized laboratories and much more. It allows faculty to pursue an even more ambitious research agenda and more innovative teaching methods. Moreover, the prestige associated with these positions helps faculty secure external grants and national and international research partnerships.

Vamegh Rasouli

The Le Norman Endowed Leadership Chair in Energy and Petroleum Engineering

In fall 2022, Vamegh Rasouli became the first-ever University of Wyoming Le Norman Endowed Leadership Chair in Energy and Petroleum Engineering. The position was established through a gift — that was matched by state matching funds — from UW alumnus David Le Norman, an energy and investment entrepreneur, to the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences in 2018. This endowed position is intended to be held by the head of the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering.

Rasouli and his research group are focused on studying geomechanics aspects of shale oil and gas reservoirs in Wyoming for drilling, completion, stimulation and production applications.

“The rich oil and gas industry in Wyoming and complexity of shales, such as the Mowry Shale, deserve deep and longterm research studies for better characterization of the

producing formations,” Rasouli says.

Rasouli works on the Mowry Shale Project, which is spearheaded by UW’s School of Energy Resources. The project aims to study the Mowry Shale in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin and to assess the potential of unlocking and producing the hydrocarbons locked within. Mowry Shale is an Early Cretaceous geologic formation named for a creek in Wyoming.

The oil and gas industry is a major economic driver for the state. Educating qualified students who can join the workforce and developing advanced technologies through innovative research studies will ensure the long-term production of oil and gas in the state and, hence, sustainable growth of the economy for many years, Rasouli says.

Providing a high-quality education in petroleum engineering requires support for major lab resources and facilities to offer applied teaching and research education to

Vamegh Rasouli, the Le Norman Endowed Leadership Chair in Energy and Petroleum Engineering

EXCELLENCE

students. Additionally, hiring graduate students also requires funding. The endowed chair position provides a flexible source of funding to support students, faculty and research in the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering.

“I would like to offer my great thanks and appreciation to Mr. David Le Norman for his generous support to our students through this endowed fund, which has had a significant impact in the growth and reputation of the department and will continue to have in the future,” Rasouli says.

Rasouli also is working on the Top 5 in 5 Initiative. The goal of this initiative and fundraising campaign is for the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering to reach a top-five ranking in the nation in the next five years, targeting a total of $30 million to support the initiative. This target can help attract top students and the best faculty who perform world-changing research in a superior environment.

Francois Jacobs

The Roy L. and Caryl L. Cline Distinguished Professor in Engineering

Francois Jacobs is passionate about providing students with a platform for success once they graduate. He also is passionate about helping provide opportunities for construction companies and their workers to thrive in the state.

Jacobs, the inaugural Roy L. and Caryl L. Cline Distinguished Professor in Engineering at UW, teaches and performs research that focuses on construction workforce development. A professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, he not only educates UW students, but he also has developed training programs for high school students and for those already working in the construction industry.

Jacobs’ work impacts the state’s economy through workforce training and development. Initiatives offered through the Construction Management Program help address the shortage of construction workers in the state.

“Through our program’s initiatives, Wyoming construction

Francois Jacobs, the Roy L. and Caryl L. Cline Distinguished Professor in Engineering

companies are able to recruit talent from within the state versus recruiting from across our borders,” Jacobs says.

Jacobs’ endowed professorship is supported by a generous gift from Roy and Caryl Cline. The gift’s purpose is to support the careers, education and research of faculty and students in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Roy Cline earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UW. He had a long career with Morrison Knudsen Construction Group before retiring as executive vice president for Peter Kiewit Sons Inc. in 2002.

“I have had the privilege to meet both Mr. and Mrs. Cline,” Jacobs says. “They are a humble, kind and engaged couple who continue to demonstrate their passion for construction progress across Wyoming.”

Jacobs says his endowed position allowed him to expand his research vision to the international arena. He delivered the keynote address at last summer’s Construction Education Summit at Nelson Mandela University. He spoke on the impact of workforce training and the various initiatives deployed across Wyoming. Four other UW faculty members traveled to South Africa to attend the summit.

Jacobs notes the significance of an endowed position: “An endowed position not only benefits the recipient, but it far extends in the areas of state-focused research and program and student support.”

Haibo Zhai

The Roy and Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering

Haibo Zhai is dedicated to inspiring his students to make a difference. He also is dedicated to challenging himself in research to make new impacts.

Zhai serves as the Roy and Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering and as a professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor in the School of Energy Resources and the School of Computing at UW and in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

Zhai conducts systems research in low-carbon energy and environmental sustainability, which addresses technical, economic and policy issues related to energy and the environment. His areas of research include carbon capture and sequestration, low-carbon energy systems, hydrogen energy, nuclear energy and the energy-water nexus under carbon constraints for climate change mitigation. His current research projects on deep carbon capture and clean hydrogen have been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Wyoming Innovation Partnership and the UW School of Energy Resources.

Haibo Zhai, the Roy and Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering

Zhai’s Laboratory for Low-Carbon Energy and Environmental Sustainability promotes a long-term vision for the role of both technology and policy to cope with complex energy, environmental and natural resource challenges in Wyoming — to foster a sustainable energy transition in the state. He has extended his research to workforce development, innovation and entrepreneurship to help support Wyoming’s energy-driven economy.

His laboratory pioneers the development of the Integrated Environmental Control Model (IECM), a computer-based tool for power plant modeling and techno-economic analysis. The IECM has been adopted by users from more than 40 countries for a wide range of applications since being housed at UW in 2022. His lab will soon release a new version of the IECM — version 12 — to support research, teaching and workforce development on clean energy.

Funding from the Cline Chair has supported graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, IECM development, and computing facilities in the laboratory.

“Roy and Caryl’s unwavering support serves as a pivotal force in shaping a better future for our university and students,” Zhai says. “Thanks to their generosity, I am empowered to make profound impacts in both research and education, transforming challenges into opportunities that drive innovation and growth.”

Shane Epping

The Bobby Model Photojournalism Professor

Stories matter. That’s the philosophy that drives Shane Epping, the first-ever Bobby Model Photojournalism Professor, named in honor of the late Bobby Model, a UW graduate and a former National Geographic photographer from Cody.

“I’m exceptionally grateful for this position — it is the exclusive reason that I am at UW,” says Epping, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism.

In 2019, Bob Model, Bobby’s father, created the Bobby Model Photojournalism Professorship and the Bobby Model Excellence Fund in Photojournalism to honor the legacy of his son, who died in 2009 at the age of 36.

Epping, who joined the UW faculty in 2021, teaches photojournalism courses, including introductory photography and entrepreneurship as it relates to professions focused on creativity. Additionally, he works on a number of photography projects.

Last summer, he traveled to a remote area of Perú known as El Chino, which is located on the Tahuayo River, where he interviewed and photographed women who belong to an organization called Manos Amazonicas. The artisans use their art of weaving to generate income to support their families, which empowers women to have a strong voice in their communities.

Epping’s photographs will be exhibited at a solo juried show at D’art Gallery in Denver. His creative research project was made possible by a grant from UW’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Epping documented U.S. Highway 287 between Colorado and Wyoming for three years. The resulting photo essay was published last fall in Visual Communication Quarterly, a peerreviewed journal, with one of the photos serving as the cover image. This project is a public service announcement about the dangers of traveling on the highway.

“The photo essay serves as a tribute to all the lives lost on the road and a reminder of life’s fleeting nature bounded by beauty and loss,” Epping says.

Funding from the professorship and the excellence fund has been used to support students in their storytelling, including by purchasing photography gear, updating the computer lab, subsidizing international travel and hosting regional photography exhibitions.

Epping notes that the spirit of his professorship’s namesake lives on in his classes: “Bobby Model’s photos and, perhaps more importantly, his passion for telling stories with a camera are the fuel that keeps the fire burning in my classes at UW.”

Shane Epping, the Bobby Model Photojournalism Professor

One of a Kind

THE UW RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT AMK RANCH IN GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK OFFERS UNPARALLELED OPPORTUNITIES.

By Micaela Myers

The University of Wyoming provides many unique opportunities to students and researchers. One great example is the UW Research Institute at AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. The institute, established in 1977, is a cooperative effort between UW and the National Park Service — one of only a handful and the oldest such field station in the United States. The field station aims to advance the frontiers of knowledge by offering a one-of-a-kind facility for scholars. UW students and faculty members partner with the National Park Service and others to increase opportunities for research, creative and cultural activities, and courses connected to Wyoming’s ecosystems, its Native American culture, and its traditions from ranching to recreation.

“This is a really fun partnership where we get to think about priorities for the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and facilitate research,” says Department of Zoology and Physiology Associate Professor Sarah Collins, the station’s

director. “It’s a beautiful setting on Jackson Lake, straight in the heart of the Tetons, and a great place for students to get their feet wet doing field research.”

Researchers and students from UW and other universities can apply for housing at the station and the use of its lab spaces if their projects meet its mission and vision.

“We also have a small grant program,” Collins says. “We fund about a dozen projects every year.”

A wide range of research takes place at the station, including projects focused on sagebrush, water conservation, pollinators, archaeology, economics, light pollution, and work to create signs that help tourists and wildlife stay safe. A summer music festival brings composers to the station, and a summer speaker series draws large crowds. AMK also hosts workshops and UW classes.

“There’s been so much interest in this station that we’re looking to expand our facilities in the future — if we can fundraise to do so — because our demand typically outweighs our capacity,” she says.

Collins is a freshwater ecologist who monitors Jackson Lake and the Snake River. She based her research at the station for years before taking on the director role.

“Working at field stations as a student inspired me to become an ecologist,” Collins says. “I think a lot of students find that at AMK. They get an amazing immersive experience in this place where everyone’s doing such diverse research.”

Zoology graduate student Tristan Blechinger of Sauk City, Wis., spent the past two summers at the station studying water-level fluctuations, habitat changes and competition among Snake River cutthroat trout, brown trout and lake trout in Jackson Lake.

“AMK Ranch has benefitted me greatly by providing me with a home base that is close to my study site,” Blechinger says. “Being able to go out on the lake makes it convenient for sampling around weather. Having lab space at the station is perfect for being able to quickly take care of samples without worrying about preserving them for travel. The community at the station is also wonderful, and it’s been fun to make new friends and learn about others’ research each summer.”

Graduate student Tristan Blechinger utilized AMK Ranch to study trout.

Our classroom is planet Earth.

Haub School students are the next generation of environment and natural resource professionals and leaders. Our students bring creativity, innovation, and collaboration to natural resource and environmental challenges, beginning with a strong sense of place and open-minded curiosity. Field courses across the West and around the world:

• Medicine Bow National Forest

• Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

• Colorado River Basin and Grand Canyon

• French and Italian Alps

• Queensland, Australia

• Patagonia, Chile

• Canary Islands, Spain

• Coastal Belize

Find your future with the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming.

bit.ly/becomeahaubie

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

UW’s new Industry and Strategic

Partnerships

Office connects industry, government and nonprofits with the university to create mutually beneficial relationships.

By Micaela Myers

One year ago, the University of Wyoming launched the Office of Industry and Strategic Partnerships, a collaborative venture between UW’s Research and Economic Development Division and the UW Foundation to establish dynamic alliances between academia and industry, with a goal to foster innovation and economic impact throughout the state and beyond.

The office aims to connect companies with UW to create meaningful partnerships. These partnerships highlight opportunities for faculty and subject-matter experts, foster cuttingedge research, direct curricula and hands-on learning, enhance graduate hiring, and generate investment to support the university.

The offices’ industry-focused activity is led by Angela Ver Ploeg, senior director of corporate engagement. The office recently welcomed EmmaJane Alexander, associate director of industry engagement, and Katie Schlomer, industry engagement coordinator, to the team.

UW has been engaged with industry, agency and the government, arguably since 1886. However, this new office creates a formalized hub for that activity to take place and for UW to accelerate and accentuate that work — whether it’s research and development, philanthropic support or with students directly.

The office works to build mutually beneficial partnerships, to deliver resources and to manage information. For example, a company may attend UW job fairs looking to hire graduates, but it may also be interested in other types of partnerships such as connecting UW alumni from that company to current students interested in the field, partnering on research, supporting programs of interest or guest-speaking in related courses. Large companies partner as well as smaller local companies.

“Navajo Transitional Energy Company is a great success story,” Ver Ploeg says. “Having acquired the assets of Cloud Peak Energy in 2019, NTEC became the third-largest producer of coal in the United States. With their coal playing an essential part of our work in the Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion, we have worked closely in recent years to understand their needs and introduce programs of interest on campus. They have since engaged in projects with our 3D Visualization Center at the School of Energy Resources, recruited on campus and are establishing an endowed fund to support energy programs at UW.”

Continental Resources is another great success story. “Having purchased Chesapeake Energy’s Powder River Basin assets in 2022, they became a major player in the state,” Ver Ploeg says. “We’ve worked closely with their team to understand how UW can best meet their needs. Continental Resources is a regular visitor to campus, is part of

an industry advisory board, recruits UW students, has hosted engineering students at their headquarters in Oklahoma City and is engaged in research projects on campus.”

In addition to philanthropically supporting research or programs, members of industry often provide letters of support, serve on boards or serve as advisers on curriculum and program development. The office also works with the state’s community colleges and government entities.

The office helps to coordinates efforts across campus.

“Through our work with our colleagues across campus, we are able to provide an individualized, companycentered experience for our industry partners.” Ver Ploeg says.

The office gathers data and coordinates efforts across campus.

“We’ve deployed a pretty comprehensive process for identifying our top partners and creating holistic strategies around how we engage those companies and grow those relationships,” Ver Ploeg says.

Wyoming Business Council Business Recruitment Manager Wendy Lopez says the new office makes it easy to connect companies with UW. “I can call and say, ‘I have a lead coming into town,’ and they can put me in touch or set up meetings with exactly who I need to get those people in front of at the university,” Lopez says. “That’s been super helpful in terms of being able to take a company to the university, to give them the tour and meet with professors and talk about the talent pipeline, or if the company is interested in doing some type of research.”

Interested in engaging on campus? Visit industry.uwyo.edu to learn more.

CONNECTING CREATORS

A Network for Alumni Entrepreneurs

A new Entrepreneurship Alumni Network is made possible through funding from the Wyoming Innovation Partnership. It is an opportunity for entrepreneurs at UW and across the state to come together and to connect to build their careers while also building a strong Wyoming business community.

From mentorships to networking to casual meet-and-greets, the Entrepreneurship Alumni Network brings UW alumni together to build relationships in meaningful ways. Whether you want to be a mentor, find a mentor, extend your professional network or simply stay in the loop on happenings at UW, this network has something for every entrepreneur.

• All networks are completely free to participate in, including networking and campus events.

• You can participate in mentorship programs for entrepreneurs as a mentor or as a mentee.

• All networks have one annual signature event, and the Entrepreneurship Alumni Network’s inaugural get-together is planned for the spring of 2025.

Keep reading to meet the leaders of this exciting new network — Hayden Hassinger and Tucker Norman. Both are 2023 graduates of the UW College of Business who founded Veron Media (veronmedia.com), a visual marketing agency based in Cheyenne that launched in January 2024. The company provides comprehensive marketing and visual media services, including video production, website development, graphic design, print marketing and brand redesign for businesses lacking the time or expertise to handle these all-important aspects of their business on their own.

These impressive young entrepreneurs are not only building their own business. They also are working to strengthen Wyoming’s entrepreneurial community. Their commitment to their home state and to helping other business owners is particularly inspiring.

Hayden Hassinger

Hayden Hassinger exemplifies a new generation of Wyoming entrepreneurs who are choosing to invest in their home communities rather than leave the state. Born and raised in Cheyenne, Hassinger recognized the unique value of Wyoming’s tightknit community during his education at Laramie County Community College and UW. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, economics and sales from the UW College of Business.

Hassinger’s early passion for visual media and gaming as a child would later shape his professional trajectory in unexpected ways. “As a kid, I thought I’d follow suit with everyone in high school and just leave Wyoming behind,” Hassinger says. “Something that a lot of young people miss when they leave Wyoming is the tight-knit community — especially those who attended UW, because it seems like most alumni mesh really well. I think a lot of alumni really miss that once they leave Wyoming, and it seems like they always come back at any opportunity they get.”

In 2023, alongside business partner Tucker Norman, Hassinger co-founded Veron Media,

Hayden Hassinger

a company whose name combines the concepts of “true” (verity) and “image” (icon). The venture emerged from a conversation at a UW football game that built upon their long-term collaboration and friendship as leaders in UW’s Ethics Club as well as their shared love of photography. Despite both Hassinger and Tucker maintaining other fulltime commitments, the partners are building their

business from the ground up, dedicating countless evening and weekend hours.

Video and photography are Hassinger’s specialties: “I’ve always loved visual things, whether that’s photography or graphic design. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so when you have 30 frames a second, that’s a thousand words per frame. I dig that visual media can convey a wide range of emotions.”

Hassinger adds, “I think it’s important to outsource some of those things (marketing) to people who are passionate about it so that you can remain passionate about what your business is.”

Hassinger has taken on a leadership role in fostering Wyoming’s business community as one of the inaugural leaders of the UW Alumni Association’s Entrepreneurship Network. His vision for the network emphasizes the importance of supporting both introverted and extroverted entrepreneurs. He believes that success comes from taking action rather than overthinking. Whether Hassinger is working on his marketing agency, playing golf or building business communities, his commitment to Wyoming and its entrepreneurial ecosystem exemplifies his belief in the power of local communities and meaningful connections.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Hassinger says. “Facilitating a way to network with business leaders and other alumni who have wanted to start their own businesses is super exciting. The university is the spoke on the wheel to get everyone connected. That’s really powerful.”

Tucker Norman

Tucker Norman embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that drives Wyoming’s next generation of business leaders. He was born in Pine Bluffs, just 40 miles from Cheyenne and a stone’s throw from the Nebraska border. Norman graduated in 2023 from the UW College of Business with degrees in marketing and professional sales.

During their time at the college, both Norman and Hassinger were very involved in the college and built strong relationships. “We both were super-involved in the College of Business,” Norman says. “We often joked about being the ‘mayors’ of the College of Business, thanks to our strong connections with professors and fellow students.”

After graduation, Norman quickly put his sales education to work — first as a sales development representative at a tech company and then in roofing sales at PRQ Exteriors in Denver, his current position. His entrepreneurial journey took a decisive turn during a UW football game, where a conversation on the sidelines with his friend and future business partner, Hayden Hassinger, led to the creation of Veron Media.

“Hayden and I invested significant time planning before launching the business,” Norman says. “Our past projects proved we worked well as a team, and we both felt a strong drive to help owner-operators who can’t always focus on marketing. By taking on that role, we’re not only filling a gap but actively helping these businesses grow and succeed by adding effective marketing to their toolkit.”

Norman is one of the inaugural leaders of the UWAA’s Entrepreneurship Network, where he works to create meaningful connections among UW alumni entrepreneurs across all industries and disciplines. Norman believes in the importance of both physical and mental fitness, having completed the challenging 75 Hard program, as has Hassinger. Norman also believes in the power of community and continuous learning. His vision for the entrepreneurship network reflects his personal philosophy — creating not just a social club but also a valuable resource where entrepreneurs can share ideas, seek advice and learn from one another’s experiences to avoid common pitfalls in business.

“The entrepreneur alumni network is a powerful platform for reconnecting with peers and engaging with professionals from diverse fields,” Norman says. “It’s a place where entrepreneurial talent can come together, exchange fresh perspectives, and collaborate across disciplines, driving new ideas and opportunities.”

He continues, “One of the most exciting aspects of entrepreneurship is learning from such a diverse range of experiences. The field includes everyone from marketing professionals to ranchers, oil and gas experts to insurance agents. This diversity benefits everyone involved, bringing together unique perspectives and skills that enrich the entrepreneurial community.”

Tucker Norman

ALUMNI OF THE Entrepreneurship Network

Ben Cook – UW Senior Assistant Dean of the College of Business

“The Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP) initiative has put us in a position to launch multiple collaborative efforts around entrepreneurship that genuinely make the whole more significant than the sum of the parts and, over time, will help power the future of Wyoming. A prime example is the College of Business launching a Venture Mentoring Service based on the MIT framework alongside the UW Alumni Association launching an Entrepreneurship Alumni Network. The Alumni Network brings together UW alumni who have experience as entrepreneurs with those who may just be getting started with entrepreneurship. The more experienced alum can also choose to become mentors in the UW VMS @ COB program, and those alumni needing mentors can join VMS as a mentee and be paired with a team of three to four mentors that guide 90-minute sessions with no strings attached. Again, this is just one example of the collaborative efforts made possible by the WIP initiative from Gov. Gordon and the state Legislature.”

Jeff Hanesworth – Pivot Structures LLC

“I’m extremely excited and humbled to have the opportunity to help coach and mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs at UW. The value of serving these young business professionals as they shape their mission, vision and definite purpose is something that will hopefully inspire them as their aspirations reciprocally inspire me. Accomplished entrepreneurs understand that their successes are indicative of learning from failures, continuously improving, having a relentless pursuit of a purpose, and building associations with people and organizations that promote the best in themselves. My goal is to help cultivate these behaviors of success and to give to them what has been given to me throughout my own career by the many mentors and inspirational people in my life.”

Kate Mysse – Big Sky Baked & Loaded

“Entrepreneurship is about creating value and building connections within our communities. At Big Sky Baked & Loaded, we’ve seen firsthand how a simple concept can grow into a thriving business that brings people together. The UW alumni network feels like the perfect complement to this entrepreneurial journey — it offers support, insights and endless opportunities for growth. I’m excited to engage with fellow Pokes who’ve ventured into business ownership, sharing our experiences and learning from each other’s successes and challenges. Much like curating the right partnerships for our business, I see the alumni network as a rich ecosystem for fostering inspiration, cultivating mentorship and sparking collaborative opportunities. Together, we can innovate, problem-solve and help each other’s ventures flourish. This network has the potential to be a catalyst for turning our individual passions into collective progress.”

Lloyd Baker – Gold Super Outfitters

“Entrepreneurship is daunting, exhausting, unpredictable and unstable — but, without a doubt, it is one of the most fulfilling and transformative things I’ve ever done.”

Luke Macy – Power Theory

“I’m excited to be part of UW’s Entrepreneurship Alumni Network because it offers a unique opportunity to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and innovators. I’m looking forward to gaining insights, exchanging ideas and collaborating with others who share the same passion for creating value and making an impact. The network will be a great resource to help Power Theory grow while also giving back to the UW community that has supported my entrepreneurial journey.”

Orlando Molano – CitixFood

“As an alumnus of UW and now one of the founders and CEO of CitixFood, I’m inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit that thrives within our alumni network. It’s exciting to see how innovation and collaboration continue to shape industries. I believe that, by leveraging our shared knowledge and resources, we can create transformative solutions that not only drive business success but also foster positive change in our communities and the world.”

Parag Chitnis – UW Vice President for Research and Economic

Development

“UW’s alumni include many successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Their mentoring through this exciting network will help UW student success in ideating and implementing new startups and growing them successfully. We are committed to support the Entrepreneurship Alumni Network seeding and nurturing the next generation of successful UW entrepreneurs.”

Scott Beaulier – UW H.A. (Dave) True Family Dean of Business

“We’re grateful for the Entrepreneurship Alumni Network and view it as a critical component to our venture mentorship activities within the College of Business. The diversity of experiences our alumni bring to the table and the breadth of experience make this a great program for our students and allow our alumni to meaningfully engage with the College of Business and university.”

Zoë Worthen – Uplink Robotics LLC

“I am looking forward to networking with fellow entrepreneurs and seeing how we can help each other in our businesses. As I have learned over the years, ‘Iron sharpens iron,’ and it is nice to know that I am not alone in starting my own business, especially in Wyoming. With these connections, I look forward to improving my skills and business. To me, entrepreneurship means using your unique skills to help others around you and create an environment that you enjoy working in.”

BUILDING A BETTER WYOMING: Ray Fleming Dinneen

By Micaela Myers

Looking at her life and accomplishments, it’s easy to see how Ray Fleming Dinneen earned the 2025 UWAA Building a Better Wyoming award. Among other things, Dinneen is the founder of Climb Wyoming, a statewide nonprofit that serves low-income single mothers with the goal of discovering self-sufficiency through career training and placement. In the last 35 years, Dinneen and her team saved the state of Wyoming millions of dollars from decreased dependence on public assistance programs among graduates. In 2020, Climb was recognized nationally as one of the top 10 best programs for helping women and families escape poverty.

“My business management degree (1978) from UW was important for me because it provided a good foundation for running a statewide nonprofit,” Dinneen says. At UW, she also gained leadership experience as president of her sorority, serving on the Panhellenic Council and interning

for a U.S. senator. But it was her psychologist mother Pat Fleming, also a UW graduate, who inspired Dinneen to become a psychologist and focus on the potential of those who struggle the most.

“My mom helped conduct death-row evaluations and worked with the inmates in the Wyoming Women’s Center in Lusk,” she says. “I learned what is possible for those who are often dismissed as being invaluable if provided the right opportunity.”

In 1986, Wyoming’s Department of Employment asked for help to evaluate their programming for those most at risk. Ray and her mother applied for the first grant, which gave birth to Climb and its success and expansion, which Ray orchestrated over the next three decades.

The Climb model tackles the complex issues of poverty through a therapeutic environment. Participants address what has gotten in their way in the past so that they are set up to succeed in the industry-demand-driven training and employment they receive through Climb.

Rather than touting its impressive numbers or accolades, Dinneen is most proud of constantly growing right alongside the mothers in the program and making sure Climb and its staff are always functioning optimally. After 35 years of leadership and careful succession planning, Dinneen stepped down from her position as executive director in 2021. As a managing partner at Practis LLC, Dinneen currently consults in the human services field, where she continues to improve outcomes in Wyoming and beyond. Ray and her spouse Jim have two children and live in Cheyenne.

Over the years, Dinneen served on the Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming (ENDOW) executive council, the governor-appointed Wyoming Workforce Development Council, the Wyoming Supreme Court-created Equal Justice Wyoming Board of Commissioners, and the board of the Wyoming Children’s Society.

“I appreciate the university for recognizing the value of Wyoming families with this award,” Dinneen says.

“My business management degree (1978) from UW was important for me because it provided a good foundation for running a statewide nonprofit.”

By Micaela Myers

Shane McDonnell fell in love with Wyoming on a family trip to Yellowstone National Park in high school. When it came time for college, UW stood out as his top choice to study anthropology, given its ideal

RISING ALUM: Shane McDonnell

location and stellar faculty.

Upon graduating in 2021, McDonnell returned to his hometown of San Diego and started a career in the environmental services and planning field for HELIX and Dudek, companies that work on a broad range of projects that improve communities’ infrastructure and natural environment. He enjoys working in the field and collaborates with construction and Native American personnel to identify cultural materials.

McDonnell also remains closely tied to Wyoming, serving as an instructor in 2022 and then crew manager in 2023 at the Archaeological Field School at the Hell Gap archaeological site near Guernsey.

RISING ALUM:

Dean Jackson

By Micaela Myers

When Dean Jackson chose UW to study business administration (2016), he also chose UW’s Army ROTC Cowboy Battalion, becoming a Distinguished Military Graduate ranked in the top 2 percent of over 6,000 cadets.

“Earning a commission through UW immediately set me on my career path,” Jackson says. “The education broadly — and my experience with ROTC — were absolutely crucial to landing me where I am today.”

Jackson currently serves as a civilian senior intelligence analyst for a test evaluation squadron in the United States Space Force. Now on reserve duty, he also works as a space officer

in the U.S. Army, where he integrates space capabilities into Department of Defense operations.

“The space industry in general is super interesting, and I’m constantly learning new things,” he says.

While on active duty, Jackson also served as a military intelligence officer in Afghanistan. Through it all, he remained an avid volunteer. Using expertise learned at UW, he consulted with small businesses to help them succeed during the COVID pandemic. Since 2013, Jackson also served as a dedicated volunteer at the Colorado Mountain Ranch youth summer camp and horse rescue.

“In 2018, I was in Afghanistan,” Jackson says. “It was after my first

“Hell Gap is a federally protected and nationally recognized site, so it was really cool to be able to participate in a very important study and write a technical report,” McDonnell says.

These opportunities are part of the reason McDonnell is applying to UW to earn his master’s degree in anthropology so that he can continue to progress in the field. These accomplishments also helped earn McDonnell the UWAA Rising Alumni Award.

He encourages students and recent graduates to follow their passion. McDonnell says, “If you find a job like I have where I enjoy going to work every single day, that’s worth way more than money alone.”

firefight. All I could think about was my time at camp. That was when I realized how impactful my experience there was. To see what a place like that can do for someone is my inspiration to keep going back. I would encourage all alumni to be the change in somebody else’s life, to be the person to lend that helping hand.”

By Micaela Myers

When Sherrod France graduated with his business administration degree (1971), he used his last $100 to join the UWAA — not only as a lifetime member but for a lifetime of service.

“Joining the UW Alumni Association was a beginning of giving back to the university that has

LIFE MEMBER SERVICE:

Sherrod France

extended over 50 years,” France says. In the years since, he wrote letters to prospective students, supported scholarships and the Heritage Circle, served on the College of Business Advisory Board and served on the UWAA board, including a term as president and more than 20 years as treasurer. As UWAA treasurer, he oversaw a portfolio that more than doubled in value during his tenure.

France says that it all started with Sigma Chi Fraternity. “I feel I learned as much about life and living with other people as I learned in the classroom those first couple of years,” he says.

While a student, he flew planes during the summers to earn extra money. But when it came time to choose a career, France followed in his

NETWORK LEADER:

Jake Eitzen

By Micaela Myers

When Jake Eitzen (marketing, 2014) and his wife Alise moved to Tucson, Ariz., in 2016 from Colorado, they didn’t know anyone outside of his family.

“I knew that using the Wyoming bond in Tucson would be a great way to meet people,” he says.

That bond runs strong. Eitzen and his brother, mother and father all attended UW.

“I spent four years on the wrestling team and made some of my best friends during that time,” he says. “Wyoming instills hard work, honesty and pride in its students, and I take that with me every day when working with my clients.”

Eitzen works as a financial adviser at Oppenheimer & Company Inc. Upon relocating to Arizona, he decided to build a Tucson Alumni Group.

“I used an old Wyoming alumni directory and started cold calling and emailing alumni people, and there was strong interest right away,” he says. He connected with additional alumni on LinkedIn.

father’s footsteps and chose banking. A bank president and fellow Sigma Chi alumnus encouraged him to get involved with the UWAA.

France served as president of Rawlins National Bank from 1978 to 1984 and then as president of the Bank of Commerce from 1984 to 2011. Sherrod and his wife Janet France still live in Rawlins and raised three children there.

Upon retirement, France embarked on a new adventure: president of the ID Ranch company, a cow-calf producer northeast of Rawlins.

He encourages other alumni to get involved, just as his family has done. Sherrod’s niece, Jane France, is the current UWAA president, and his brother, the late Dwight France, served on the UWAA board.

Eitzen began organizing football watch parties, happy hours and other get-togethers, sometimes attracting 100 alumni. This dedication earned him the UWAA Network Leader Award.

“I really enjoy meeting new people and introducing those people to other alumni,” Eitzen says. “I have a sense of

pride in coordinating events that people enjoy. Through this process, we’ve seen many people become close friends who otherwise may not have met. People are proud of their Wyoming roots.”

Eitzen encourages other alumni to start chapters in their areas. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and spending time with Alise and their young son Brody.

Distinguished Alumni and Medallion Service Award Nominations

THE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD recognizes alumni who are distinguished in their business, profession, or life’s work; are persons of integrity, stature, and demonstrated ability; reflect upon and realize the importance of their UW education.

THE MEDALLION SERVICE AWARD recognizes alumni or friends of the university who have given unselfishly of their time, talent, or support to the university, and are a person of integrity and stature. This award may not be given annually, but nominations are accepted each year, and MSA nominees need not be UW alumni to be eligible.

Completed nominations must be submitted online by Feb. 28, 2025, to be considered. Nominations can only be submitted online at www.uwyo.edu/alumni/awards.

Welcome T. Pursel

By Sunnie Lew

The UWAA is proud to announce it newest team member, T. Pursel of Lander, Wyo. Pursel serves as special events coordinator. She is a 2017 UW alum with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Before joining the UWAA, Pursel had relocated to Washington state, where she worked in the brewing industry as an events coordinator and community liaison. While in Washington, Pursel began to miss her Wyoming home. “In that position, I realized what you can accomplish as a community through events,” Pursel says. “I had a lot of fun, but at the end of the day my partner and

I really missed Wyoming. All our family and friends live here, so in November 2023 we decided to move back. It’s exciting to be back home.”

Pursel and her partner Ross have two border collie/blue heeler mixes, Ollie and Rooster, who go everywhere with them. When asked what Pursel missed the most about Wyoming, her answer was, simply, the people: “I missed the folks. There’s an easiness to us.

I always tell people we kind of mosey but we get stuff done, and I love that. Everyone will always say ‘howdy’ to you and wave, and that always feels great. Laramie’s a great scene. I feel really lucky to be back.”

2025

ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAM

Your UW Alumni Association invites all alumni and friends of the University of Wyoming to explore the Alumni Travel Program which aims to provide opportunities to connect with fellow adventurers.

The following 2025 Alumni Study Tours are now available for booking!

• ICELAND April 4 - 14

• LONDON May 22 - May 31

If you would like more information about any of the Alumni Travel Program trips, visit our website using the QR code or link below!

uwyo.edu/alumni/travel

In the summer of 2023, the UWAA launched the Steamboat Stories project to celebrate and preserve the personal stories of our alumni and to create a shared history of UW. Over the past year, the UWAA has gathered over 8,400 accounts from UW alumni around the world. These stories are more than just memories — they reflect the shared history and enduring spirit of our community. Each account highlights the experiences and achievements that define our alumni, showcasing the powerful connections and lifelong bonds formed at UW. Through these narratives, we celebrate the vibrant legacy that makes the UW community special, and now we want to share these stories with you.

Rebecca J. Oertel, B.S. ’84, biochemistry

I’m proud of the time I spent in the biochemistry department at UW. Professor Randolph Lewis took me under his wing and gave me a technician job in his lab. He was encouraging and an excellent mentor. He understood how I thought and knew how to foster my curiosity. I learned a lot of incredible things that solidified my intent to be in science and do basic research. I also remember Professor Boyd Haley’s lab, where we invented new compounds to treat cancer. I was asked to come with the whole staff to a new cancer center in Kentucky. My time there gave me confidence in myself and my goals. My professors kept challenging me to do more and to learn more to broaden my horizons. I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to be at UW and to have had such great professors.

Sara Ray, B.A. ’06, M.A. ’10, communication

Spencer Ramsay Pelton, Ph.D. ’18, anthropology

I’m originally from Tennessee, but I chose to pursue my doctorate at UW because I love the Rocky Mountains, and the faculty in the anthropology department is really great. My Ph.D. required a lot of research, so I was able to serve as a research assistant in Mongolia for the Dukha Ethnoarchaeology Project. I lived with the Dukha nomadic reindeer herders in the northern end of the country for a couple of months and used a portion of the research I conducted there in my dissertation. I got my Ph.D. in archaeology, and it was hugely instrumental in helping me get the job of Wyoming state archaeologist. I had the chance to work in Wyoming for several years doing research as a graduate assistant for UW’s archaeological field school, and the job required a Ph.D. It also required all the hands-on experience I had prior to applying for it. Getting a Ph.D. at UW has opened up a lot of professional doors for me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

I landed in Laramie upon being recruited to play volleyball at UW. I have so many wonderful memories from my time as a studentathlete, and my roommate was also a volleyball player. My experience as a Cowgirl prepared me for my career — first as an assistant coach with the volleyball team and eventually into intercollegiate athletics administration. I worked in student-athlete development and academic services at Arizona State University and then back to the University of Wyoming, Colorado State University and the University of Washington. My husband was a football player at UW and also works in intercollegiate athletics. We have been blessed with the opportunity to work together within the athletic departments of every university I worked at. We are currently at the University of Pittsburgh, where my husband is a strength and conditioning coach for the football team. I’m so grateful for all of the experiences I had at UW, and I’m especially grateful for meeting my husband there.

CAREER CELEBRATIONS

By Michael Blaney

Alumni, we want to hear about your professional successes! Mail career, publication, art, certification and other professional accomplishments to: Career Celebrations, UW Alumni Association, 222 S. 22nd St., Laramie, WY 82070, or email us at uwalumni@uwyo.edu. Photos may also be sent to uwalumni@uwyo.edu for consideration.

Ben Vetter, B.S. ’14, mechanical engineering, was recently promoted to lead engineer at Bobcat Co. Vetter’s career at Bobcat began in 2014, when he joined as a design engineer on the loader new product development team while still a senior at UW. Over the years, he’s received three promotions and now leads a team of engineers on small to medium-sized projects. He credits UW’s Department of Mechanical Engineering for equipping him with a solid foundation in engineering principles and a dependable work ethic that have been instrumental in his success.

His advice for UW students? “Focus on being exceptional at the basics. Having a broad range of skills and knowledge base will set you up for success no matter what field or job that you are in. The non-tangibles like dependability, honesty, communication skills and people skills are things that will set you apart throughout your career.”

Dillon Foley, B.S. ’24, finance, recently joined Northwestern Mutual as a financial adviser. Foley began with Northwestern Mutual during his last semester at UW, starting as an intern where he gained hands-on experience that deepened his understanding of finance. After graduating, Foley took proactive steps to hit the ground running — securing essential licenses, expanding his network and attending Northwestern Mutual’s fast-track training program in Denver. Now, as a financial adviser, he guides

clients through impactful financial decisions while continually expanding his expertise.

His advice for UW students?

“It’s never too early to start an internship or program you’re interested in. The sooner you begin, the more time you have to polish your professional skills before entering the workforce.”

Justine Murphey, B.S. ’19, marketing, was recently promoted to the position of marketing officer for Hilltop Bank. Murphey’s career path led her to a rewarding position with Hilltop Bank, where she found a supportive community-centered environment. After taking a leap of faith in joining the team, Murphey discovered meaningful mentorship, personal growth and a commitment to giving back to Wyoming communities — a perfect fit for her values as a Wyoming native.

Her time at UW provided a strong foundation, with dedicated professors and practical courses such as Integrated Marketing Communications. Graduating cum laude, she transitioned to her career debt-free, bringing study habits and skills that led to her certification as a certified financial marketing professional.

Murphey’s advice to students?

“Do your research when applying for jobs. Find an organization with values you can support and a reputation you respect.”

Kirby Federocko, B.A. ’23, communication and journalism, recently got a new job as an admissions representative at UW. Federocko graduated early

from UW and chose to stay in Laramie, a place he says feels like home. Now, as an admissions representative, Federocko travels nationwide, recruiting future UW students to help keep the university thriving. He credits UW with fostering a strong sense of belonging — from late-night dorm study sessions to trudging through snow in February to helping him realize his career passion lay in connecting with people rather than being officebound.

His advice for UW students? “Patience is a virtue everyone must have. I went through countless interviews and applications in the span of just a few months before I started this position, and I was told that I was everything from ‘overqualified’ to ‘inexperienced.’ The trick is to know that eventually it all works out — you just have to keep trying and have the patience to do so.”

Macey Reed, B.S. ’23, accounting and human resource management, was recently promoted as human resource assistant and payroll administrator at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Reed got her start at UW’s online program, allowing her to study remotely from Cody, Wyo., while working part time as a human resources assistant at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. This enabled Reed to apply classwork to real-world situations. After graduation, she transitioned to a full-time position.

Reed’s advice for UW students? “Invest time in networking. These relationships are invaluable when

seeking guidance or exploring new opportunities. Don’t wait for others to approach you; be confident and reach out first.”

Makayla Condie, B.S. ’19, psychology, has recently started a new job at Guide Point Security as a vendor marketing specialist. Condie’s career journey has spanned two industries and led to a recent role in marketing at

a top cybersecurity firm. Along the way, she navigated a crosscountry move to Metro Detroit, where researching various fields helped her identify what aligns with her personal and professional goals. Condie credits UW for emphasizing the value of networking and providing research opportunities that sharpened her analytical skills.

Her advice for UW students?

“Take advantage of every opportunity. Form connections, seek mentors, and embrace every chance to learn and grow — it will pay off in ways you can’t yet imagine.”

Michael Carroll, B.S. ’20, accounting, started a new job this year as a controller for Longview Capital Corp. Carroll credits UW with providing critical tools for his success and a mindset to tackle challenges: “UW equipped me with knowledge to succeed and a drive to improve myself and my community.” Graduating in three and a half years, Carroll used his senior semester for internships with Wyoming accounting firms, gaining handson experience in tax and audit work, including auditing the state of Wyoming.

Carroll’s advice to students?

“Practice authenticity, integrity and hard work. The sacrifices you make to stay true to yourself are meaningful.”

The career of Michael Cotignola, B.A. ’14, English and Englishsecondary education, has taken him from Wyoming to rural Alaska, then to teaching roles in Taiwan and back to Wyoming before transitioning out of

CAREER CELEBRATIONS

education. Now, he works with a nonprofit organization in New Jersey, carrying forward the values he developed at UW. UW helped him achieve his longheld dream of teaching, a goal he had had since the seventh grade. “Even though I’m no longer teaching, I’m proud I got to spend time in front of the classroom,” he reflects.

His advice for UW students? “Dreams and circumstances might change, but nothing can take your education away. Chase your dreams, embrace life’s changes and GO POKES!”

Morgan Smith, B.S. Ed. ’22, recently started teaching fourth grade at Rice Elementary. Smith’s teaching career has evolved from two years in fifth grade to a new role in fourth grade, where she is embracing fresh challenges and inspiring the next generation of young leaders. Smith balances teaching with her pursuit of a master’s degree in educational psychology, and she finds that applying new insights to her classroom enriches both her students’ experiences and her

own professional growth. Smith credits UW’s education program for fostering the confidence and adaptability she relies on daily in the classroom as well as a supportive network of professors and mentors who helped shape her teaching skills.

Smith’s advice for UW students? “Focus on making genuine connections. Building strong positive relationships opens doors to unexpected opportunities and provides a support network for challenges and successes alike.”

Priyansha Srivastava, M.A. ’23, molecular biology, recently started a new position as a staff research associate at UCLA.

Srivastava’s career in molecular biology has taken her from UW to research roles across India and the U.S. After UW, she gained hands-on experience with cutting-edge techniques — from CRISPR plant genomics to microbial genetics. These skills led to positions at Amity University in India and, currently, UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, where she investigates the cardiometabolic effects of air pollutants and tobacco products. Srivastava credits UW’s emphasis on lab work and mentorship for preparing her for these roles.

Srivastava’s advice to students?

“Never stop being curious and become interested in the experiences of other fields. In most cases, what you learn in one discipline will lead you to something in another discipline that is beautiful or important.”

Talia Sclafani Kutterer, B.S. ’20, kinesiology and health promotion, was recently promoted to the position of administrative assistant at Centerwell Senior Primary Care. Her career and academic journey have been driven by a passion for health care and elder support. As a student-athlete for cowgirls soccer, Kutterer learned to balance academics and athletics, build resilience, manage her time and develop a “Cowgirl tough” mentality: “I witnessed firsthand how relentless effort can lead to success, both on and off the field. There were countless moments when my commitment and determination made all the difference, whether it was pushing through a challenging practice or mastering a tough academic concept.”

Her advice for UW students? “Strive to be the hardest-working person in the room. A strong work ethic often opens doors to opportunities you never imagined possible.”

RETROGRAMS

In 1987, Glen Atkins demonstrates the extensive equipment needed to test a new hearing aid model, reflecting the cutting-edge technology of the time. The setup required multiple machines to ensure the device’s accuracy and functionality. This snapshot, captured by Tony Archer, highlights the complexity of early hearing aid innovations and the progress of auditory technology during the late 1980s.

Citation: TESTING of the new hearing aid requires a lot of equipment, as shown by Glen Atkins. WYO. (1987). WYO ’87 (p. 130). Photo by Tony Archer.

By Shelby Sinclair

In 1983, agronomy student Dolly Watson carefully takes measurements in the Ag Lab, demonstrating the precision required in her field. Her hands-on work reflects the rigorous academic standards of the Agricultural College, where attention to detail was key to understanding soil science and crop management. This moment captures the dedication of students mastering the art of agronomy.

Citation: Dolly Watson, majoring in agronomy, gets down to eye level in her measurements in Ag Lab. WYO. (1983). WYO ’83 (p. 175).

In 1986, anatomy students Barry Welch and Scott Crader engage in hands-on learning with a cadaver, preparing for a crucial exam. Dubbed ‘the best instructor I ever knew,’ the cadaver offered unmatched lessons in precision and anatomy for aspiring medical professionals. Captured in the ’86 WYO annual, this scene highlights the intense dedication of students at the time.

Citation: QUIZZING EACH OTHER - in review for an upcoming quiz, Barry Welch and Scott Crader. WYO. (1986). WYO ’86 (p. 110).

Photo by Shana LaLomia.

The UW Alumni Association is excited to o er a chance to win the newly commissioned statue by Chris Navarro, ‘Alumni Wyoming Cowboy’. This 17-inch statue is a replica of the sculpture “Wyoming Cowboy” which is a silhouette of a cowboy riding the great bucking horse, Steamboat. This replica is o ered exclusively through the Alumni Association.

A portion of the proceeds from this ra e will help fund the UWAA scholarship program which, since its inception in 1906, has grown steadily to impact many students in pursuit of their education.

BY LINDSAY

The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps Great Plains Hub helps teams commercialize their research.

By Micaela Myers

Much of the research conducted at the University of Wyoming carries industry or commercial potential. Helping researchers understand early in the process what potential customers need and want can change the trajectory of these projects and lead to greater economic development. That’s why the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program invested $14 million in the Great Plains Hub, a five-year effort at nine regional universities to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs in rural economically underserved regions.

Christoph Geisler, founder and CEO of Unlocked Labs

The program utilizes “lean innovation,” focusing on what potential customers need and want. Teams of three to five members — often including a faculty member, an entrepreneurial member and an industry mentor — sign up for the five-week course. They take virtual classes with their cohort and receive one-on-one mentoring. One of their main tasks is to interview 20 people within their industry who can share what they need and how a potential new

product could address that need. Teams can then pivot based on customer feedback.

“It increases the odds of success for new startups,” says Stephen Hanlon, director of the UW Health and Bioscience Innovation Hub. “It’s very rewarding for an instructor to see teams get excited about entrepreneurship.”

Growing Wool

College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources

Senior Project Coordinator Lindsay Conley-Stewart took part in the I-Corps program along with industry mentor Ben Hostetler of Mountain Meadow Wool in Buffalo, Extension Sheep Specialist Whit Stewart and then-graduate student Dylan Laverell. They were looking at how to address the endto-end supply chain challenges in the U.S. wool industry.

“This is particularly relevant to Wyoming’s economy, as Wyoming produces the finest wool in the country,” she says. “We want to figure out how to increase the value of our Wyoming wool that leaves on the commodity market. It’s like pieces of gold leaving Wyoming. One of the ideas we had was looking at traceability — does it matter to people that this wool is from Wyoming?”

They also looked at whether larger-scale processing of wool in-state could keep more wool revenue in Wyoming.

“The I-Corps program was excellent, pushing us to engage

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PHOTO

in critical thinking and use radical candor and the Socratic method,” Conley-Stewart says. “We also held research interviews with industry experts.”

These steps helped them look at the issues holistically. They left with a better understanding of the challenges and the motivation to solve them. The team’s future plans include working with policymakers and investors.

“Participating in the NSF I-Corps program was instrumental in helping us identify the untapped potential for innovation within the wool industry,” Conley-Stewart says. “The program pushed us to think critically and deeply about the supply chain challenges, especially in Wyoming, and showed us how strategic collaboration can drive meaningful change. For the university, this is an important step in continuing to connect academic research with real-world industry needs, ensuring that our work not only supports Wyoming’s agricultural economy but also contributes to national conversations about sustainable wool production.”

Commercializing Coal

Stefan Holberg, associate research professional at the School of Energy Resources Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion, also took part in the I-Corps training with his team.

“Wyoming produces about 40 percent of U.S. coal, and it’s used less and less in power plants,” Holberg says. “We

work on materials from coal that generate revenue without burning the coal. All products we develop, we also want to commercialize.” These products include building materials, such as coal-char-reinforced plastic decking boards.

The I-Corps program offered an excellent opportunity — one that pushed Holberg out of his comfort zone to conduct interviews with potential customers and taught him how to do so effectively. As a result, the team garnered valuable feedback on industry needs, including pricing and performance and what to test next in the researchers’ labs.

Holberg’s colleagues, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Professor Kam Weng Ng and School of Energy Resources Research Scientist ChooiKim Lau, took part in the following cohort, also working on coal-based materials.

In addition to the training, teams may receive grants of up to $2,500 to further their commercialization research efforts. Email wyominginvents@uwyo.edu to learn more.

Left: Extension Sheep Specialist Whit Stewart took part in I-Corps with his team to look at the supply chain of Wyoming wool. Below: The Wyoming Wool Initiative produces blankets made in state.

Researcher Stefan Holberg and his team study alternative uses for coal in the School of Energy Resources’ Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion.

PHOTO BY LINDSAY CONLEY-STEWART

Engineering the Future

UplinkRobotics founders mentor the next-generation of engineers through 4-H clubs and more.

By Micaela Myers

In 2022, four University of Wyoming students launched UplinkRobotics, earning support for the company in the annual Ellbogen Entrepreneurship $50K Competition and from UW’s IMPACT 307, a statewide network of innovation-driven business incubators.

The four founders are Christian Bitzas, Brady Wagstaff, Oreoluwa Babatunde and Zoe Worthen. First, they successfully launched two inspection crawler robots. Now they are expanding into robots for first responders. For example, the robots can go into burning or collapsing buildings to inspect them without endangering humans or aid SWAT teams by entering dangerous situations first.

“We’re now a team of 10,” Bitzas says. “Most folks we hired attended UW, and that’s our goal — we want to keep jobs in Wyoming.”

When Bitzas was growing up in Powell, his high school offered a FIRST Tech Challenge club.

“That’s how I got interested in robotics, and that’s why I went into engineering,” he says.

After helping to start Uplink, he learned that not all schools offer robotics opportunities and home-schooled children are also left out. Bitzas and his fellow founders decided to do something about that, partnering with Albany County 4-H to create a FIRST Robotics Club.

“We currently have kids ages 8 to 14, and we teach them how to build robots, and they compete in competitions,” Bitzas says. “So, once they’re in high school or college, they have a leg up when it comes to engineering and STEM.”

The instruction includes basic coding and various challenges where the robots perform activities such as lifting.

Twelve-year-old Kaleb Strain is a member of the FIRST Robotics Club. “One of my favorite parts of robotics is the teamwork,” he says. “I’ve also really learned a lot about coding. Now I also enjoy helping our new members with robotics.”

Uplink founders help with the club, and they hope to expand it for high school students.

“We love seeing the students come in knowing nothing about robots, then they make the robot move and do something, and they just light up — that’s what drives us to do this work,” Bitzas says. “Our long-term goal is to grow the club, bring more opportunities to students and also eventually create workshops where students can learn about things like 3D printing or how to build a drone, for example, or even how to create a startup and get engaged in entrepreneurship.”

But Uplink doesn’t stop there. It also sponsors senior design projects in the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Last year, seniors worked on a pipe inspection robot. This year, they’re challenged with making a construction robot to carry heavy building materials around job sites.

Uplink’s ultimate goal is to create more tech jobs in Wyoming. “Wyoming’s biggest export is UW graduates,” Bitzas says. But thanks to many motivated startups and alumni, things won’t be that way for long.

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UplinkRobotics

FIRST Robotics Club members practice on the mat at the Casper First Lego League Robotics Competition.

K-14 STEM EDUCATION OuTReacH

The University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences looks forward to the opportunity to engage students and teachers in hands-on learning to build knowledge and understanding in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Strength in K-14 education can enhance the quality and quantity of students who pursue STEM programs at the University of Wyoming and ultimately pursue high-impact careers in Wyoming and beyond.

Engineers Week | February 16-22, 2025

Professional and student engineers visit Wyoming 3rd grade classrooms to facilitate an engineering design challenge to inspire innovative thinking, design and problem solving.

MATHCOUNTS | Spring 2025

Part of a national competition series that provides 6th-8th grade students the chance to compete in contests against and alongside their peers. The state competition is held at the University of Wyoming campus in March 2025. To be eligible for the state competition, participants must qualify in their school competitions in January 2025 and chapter competitions in February 2025.

Land Surveyors Outreach | March 16-22, 2025

Educators and students in 4th-12th grades can connect and collaborate with professional land surveyors and GIS professionals to learn more

about these professions and support Wyoming state STEM objectives. Students will engage in an activity involving a web-based, interactive map while learning from professionals in the field.

Classroom Visits

Our K-12 outreach team visits classrooms around the state to encourage the exploration of the engineering design process through hands-on learning and discovery. Teachers are encouraged to connect with our outreach team to schedule classroom visits and activities. Sign up for your class visit at bit.ly/uwclassvisit

UW Campus Visits & Field Trips

Class groups can visit the University of Wyoming to learn about our 11 engineering programs, engage with engineering students in hands-on activities and tour state-of-the-art facilities and innovation centers. Sign up for your UW visit at bit.ly/uwfieldtrip

Mechanical engineering seniors

Ashley Criger, Kaylee Esgar and Teagan Riedel used 3D printers and computer modeling in the Innovation Wyrkshop to produce a scaled model of a tornado simulator for their systems design course.

By Micaela Myers

Each year, seniors in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences join together in groups and design projects for industry or for their own start-ups that teach them important real-life skills for the workforce. Those who have physical elements to their designs are aided by the University of Wyoming’s state-of-the-art makerspaces, which have now expanded to mobile units serving the state.

Senior Design

For their capstone project, engineering students take a yearlong senior design course.

“It gives them real-world experience and prepares them for working with others,” says Assistant Instructional Professor of Mechanical Engineering Levi Kirby. “People from industry will reach out to us and let us know about projects students could work on. We compile a list, and students get to choose.” Students also brainstorm their own projects.

Students form groups of three to eight. The first semester, they work through various iterations, plans and approaches. The second semester, they get hands-on creating the projects utilizing the college’s Innovation Wyrkshop makerspace. The makerspace offers equipment including 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, CNC routers and mills, advanced woodshop equipment, graphic design and 3D modeling software, sewing machines, woodshop tools and electronics benches for soldering and wiring.

Last year, the local company UplinkRobotics challenged one team to create a pipe inspection robot or drain drone. (Read more about UplinkRobotics on page 66.)

“The group had to go through quite a few different iterations where they were 3D printing the main body,” Kirby says. “They were able to utilize the Wyrkshop to fine-tune the actual

design and also play with different materials to see which worked best given the overall constraints. We could not do the projects we do without the makerspaces.”

Makerspaces

The UW Laramie campus is home to two main makerspaces. First, located in the library, the Coe Student Innovation Center features 2,500 square feet that provides access to state-of-the-art emergent technology for creative, collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial projects. Second, located in the Engineering Education and Research Building, the Innovation

SpaceInnovate to

WHETHER FOR SENIOR DESIGN, K–12 OR A STARTUP, UW’S MAKERSPACES OFFER STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF WYOMING.

Left: Innovation Wyrkshop UltiMaker 3D printers Below: Innovation Wyrkshop Crafting Corner

Exposure to these makerspaces will help prepare students for future careers in STEAM fields, industry, community colleges and four-year universities. — Emily Leinen

Wyrkshop offers 3,500 square feet of advanced-use makerspace with over $2 million in equipment, making it one of the largest makerspaces in the Mountain West. Both locations are open to students, faculty, staff and the public.

UW courses use the campus makerspaces, as well as hobbyists and businesses.

“We have a good mix of all of it going on in the space,” says Makerspace Manager Emily Leinen. “We have a lot of small businesses using this space.”

For example, a startup coffee company is making packaging using the Wyrkshop. About 17,000 people visit the Wyrkshop annually, and given its location near the engineering college, it’s well utilized for senior design projects.

“We have a lot of senior design students using the space, and Levi has done a fantastic job with utilizing the space with his classes and teaching students how to use the equipment,” Leinen says.

In addition to the two Laramie campus makerspaces, there are eight satellite makerspaces around Wyoming as well as a new fleet of mobile makerspaces. In 2022, startup funding from Gov. Mark Gordon’s Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP) initiative helped launch the mobile makerspaces, which include crates, trailers and mobile workshops available to rural communities throughout Wyoming.

“Instructors from around the state can request units, and I deliver to them,” says Mobile Makerspace Coordinator Tom Johnson.

In the two years since launching, they’ve already engaged nearly 10,000 students.

“The Wyrkshop Mobile Makerspace program seeks to bridge the gap between rural and remote Wyoming communities and brick-and-mortar makerspaces,” Leinen says. “Students across Wyoming can earn crossinstitutional credentials and get hands-on experience with cutting-edge STEAM technology and equipment in their own communities. Exposure

to these makerspaces will help prepare students for future careers in STEAM fields, industry, community colleges and four-year universities.”

Visual arts faculty members Ashley Hope Carlisle and David Jones led the design and fabrication of the mobile spaces along with a team of students.

“The goal is to engage students with electronics as well as craft and artmaking materials and equipment,” she says.

Dillon Weiss of Jackson was a junior majoring in mechanical engineering when he helped with the spaces in 2022. Weiss took part in a robotics club in high school and knows firsthand how access to technology can change lives. “When I first saw a robot, it was like going to space for me,” he says. “Robotics is what inspired me to become an engineer. This could inspire other kids to become engineers.”

UW now offers a fleet of mobile makerspaces for use around the state.

Learning at the Museum

STUDENTS ENGAGE IN OBJECT-BASED INQUIRY WITH THE UW ART MUSEUM’S CURATOR OF ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT.

By Michelle Sunset, Director of Curatorial Affairs

Research is critical to the work of the University of Wyoming Art Museum — from exhibition development to marketing and education. The museum’s curator of academic engagement, Alex Ziegler, plays a key role in facilitating research and exploration with the campus community. Each fall and spring semester, Ziegler curates the Teaching Gallery, collaborating with faculty across various disciplines to select objects that align with specific course curricula. She also coordinates class visits for UW courses, allowing students to view exhibitions, to engage with works from the collection and to participate in art-making experiences in the studio.

Ziegler’s favorite aspect of her role at the museum is the teaching component. She employs object-based learning strategies and inquiry-based pedagogies to inspire creativity and critical thinking, connecting students across disciplines to the artwork in front of them. Her background in art history — specifically early modern painting — has come in handy working with students in the fall 2024 Teaching Gallery. One standout example is in working with the ceramic and mixed-media sculpture “Señora de Jardin” by artist Suzanne Klotz. The sculpture is mystifying at first glance — a broad and somewhat geological formation cluttered with household items, faux flowers and seashells confronts the viewer with large eyes and bold red lips. By employing close-looking strategies including creating a visual inventory, social work students were able to collectively interpret this sculpture as an unusual representation of the Virgin Mary, a common figure in European art. Ziegler drew on her historical knowledge of art to understand that the work’s title translates to “Lady of the Garden,” a metaphor for purity. The students noticed that the sculpture’s hands are clasped together in prayer,

providing additional insight into its meaning. Ziegler notes that working with students in the galleries often shifts her perspective on the exhibitions, as inevitably they notice different details and engage in discussions about the politics of display in addition to the content of the artworks.

Looking ahead, Ziegler is excited to expand the academic engagement program by continuing to build relationships with faculty across campus. These relationships can transform a single museum class visit into a long-term partnership. She aims to integrate the museum and its resources into curricula

in ways that will allow for deeper engagement with artworks. Ziegler acknowledges the value of class time and the trust placed in her to make it worthwhile, and she is committed to enhancing the museum’s reputation as a dynamic teaching resource. By employing art education methodologies and pedagogies applicable across disciplines, she hopes to enrich the learning experience for students and faculty alike.

Alex Ziegler leads students through a visual inquiry exercise in front of Suzanne Klotz’s 1989 sculpture, “Señora de Jardin.”

COURTESY PHOTO

the Numbers

By

$61.6M

UW raised $61.6 million during the last fiscal year thanks to gifts and commitments from 27,644 individuals, corporations and foundations.

Honors

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities designated UW an “Innovation and Economic Prosperity” university, honoring its work with public- and private-sector partners to support economic development.

12,000

Nearly 12,000 pounds of potatoes were donated to Food Bank of Wyoming during the fourth annual potato harvest at UW’s James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center in September.

No 1

The Travel website named Laramie No. 1 on its “10 Best College Towns in America in 2024” list, factoring in campus offerings, vibrant downtown areas, a strong sense of community and outdoor recreation.

$28M

The U.S. Department of Education awarded GEAR UP Wyoming a $28 million seven-year grant to continue its mission of helping eligible students complete high school prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

30

The Wyoming Institute for Disabilities celebrated its 30th anniversary with a celebratory event in October.

UW’s New Residence Halls Opening 2025-26 School Year

300,000 square feet

North Hall and the connected two-story dining facility open this fall, with South Hall launching spring 2026. The halls feature large community spaces, a community kitchen, study rooms, laundry, the STEP Tutoring Center and more, providing ample resources for academic and social engagement.

920

Housing 920 students, the five-story halls offer single-use bathrooms and a variety of room types, including doubles, singles, semi-suites with a private bath and semisuites with a shared bath. They are centrally located next to the Wyoming Union and Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center.

358,688

UW’s new residence halls contain 358,688 individual pieces of sandstone — 187,643 on the North Hall and 171,045 pieces on the South Hall.

9

The new dining center features nine concept platforms, including Pan Asian, Comfort, Latin, Allergen Aware and Italian, to name just a few.

$285.5 million

Totaling $285.5 million, the new residence halls are UW’s largest construction project to date. Funding came from $205.8 million in bonds issued by the university, supplemented by $80 million in legislative appropriations.

Living-Learning Communities

The new halls are designed to better foster UW’s robust Freshman Interest Groups and LivingLearning Communities, where students share classes and activities with their residence hall neighbors around shared interests and majors.

North Hall

South Hall

Division of University Public Relations

University of Wyoming Department 3226

1000 East University Avenue

Laramie, WY 82071-2000

The University of Wyoming’s 10th annual Giving Day broke all records.

11,202 donors

$4.1 million raised $1.4+ million in matches and challenges 265 individual campaigns A lasting impact on the Wyoming’s university.

All because of your generosity. Thank you.