The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the University of Wyoming
Miss Laramie Jubilee Days Tanner Rogers studied elementary education at UW.
See how UW is helping Jubilee Days thrive on page 63.
FEATURES
14 ON / ALUMNI MVPS
Get to know 24 alumni MVPs who are leaders in their industries, organizations and communities.
30 / ATHLETIC MVPS
Meet former UW student-athletes still playing, coaching and leading their respective sports.
40 / UWAA AWARD RECIPIENTS
Read about this year’s impressive Distinguished Alumni and Medallion Service awardees.
65 / THE FARM BOY WHO CONQUERED SILICON VALLEY
MVP Gene Humphrey’s journey from rural Wyoming to global entrepreneurship proves that hard work and Wyoming grit can take you anywhere.
82 / A NEW HOME FOR FUTURE MVPS
UW’s new North Hall and South Hall provide modern living-learning spaces and enhanced dining.
SPECIAL SECTIONS
48 / Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation 84-87 / AlumNews
Departments
04-6 / Welcome Letters
08 / News & Notes
12 / Facts & Stats
29 / Art Museum
68 / Giving
88 / By the Numbers
ON THE COVER
Top left clockwise to center: Gaurdia Banister (pg. 70), Douglas Owsley (pg. 18; photo by James Tiller, Smithsonian Institution), Kali Fajardo-Anstine (pg. 24), Stephen Newton (pg. 14), Katie Hogarty (pg. 74), Aaron Vigil (pg. 36; photo by Sydney Rocz-NASA), Josh Allen (pg. 30; photo by the Buffalo Bills).
UWYO / University of Wyoming
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UWyo
THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
Fall 2025 | Volume 27, No. 1 uwyo.edu/magazine
University President: Edward Seidel
Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing: Chad Baldwin
To access past UWyo publications, visit bit.ly/uwyo-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.
A Testament to Wyoming’s Culture of Opportunity, Merit and Excellence
By Ed Seidel
Since University of Wyoming alumnus Josh Allen was crowned the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in February, the university hasn’t been just celebrating the triumph of one of its own. We also are reaffirming a powerful truth: Excellence is built where opportunity is given, merit is recognized and hard work is rewarded.
Josh’s journey from an overlooked high school recruit to the pinnacle of professional football is well known. UW was proud to highlight the university’s role in his incredible success story with a 30-second video ad that was seen by millions of people in key student recruitment markets around the country during the Super Bowl.
But Josh’s story is not just a football story. It’s a Wyoming story. It’s a story about what happens when students — whether in athletics or academics — are given the chance to prove themselves based on merit.
In Josh’s case, we were the only university in the country that saw what others missed — a young man with potential, relentless determination and a tremendous work ethic. The same tenacity that made him a Cowboy football legend carried him to the Buffalo
Bills, where he has become one of the most electrifying players in the NFL, culminating in the MVP honor.
In fact, UW has been shaping MVPs — leaders, innovators and changemakers — in every field for many years. In this issue of UWyo Magazine, you can read about many of these accomplished alumni — and how the university helped put them on the road to success.
Wyoming has always been a place where raw potential is recognized — where those willing to put in the work are rewarded. UW is a university that doesn’t cater to just privileged or the predetermined stars — it lifts up those with ambition and gives them the tools to thrive. Here, success is not about where you come from, but about what you’re willing to do to achieve it. The state’s only fouryear university is small enough to know its students by name and bold enough to make an impact on the world stage.
In a time when personal responsibility, perseverance and self-reliance are sometimes undervalued, Wyoming stands as a testament to the principles of hard work and achievement. Discipline, commitment and accountability — values that are embodied by Wyoming and the Code of the West
— are embedded in the university’s culture and reflected in the success of its graduates.
Josh’s success should remind prospective students and families that Wyoming isn’t just a place to attend college — it’s a place where you can launch a legacy. It’s a place where talent, drive and dedication are cultivated and celebrated. It’s a place where those who rise to the challenge and demonstrate their worth are recognized and rewarded. Josh is living proof. Beyond athletics, UW stands as a beacon of academic excellence. Wyoming faces unique challenges — including geographic isolation and a relatively small population
— but it thrives by fostering innovation, recognizing merit and encouraging academic rigor. From groundbreaking research in energy and natural resources to leading advancements in agricultural sciences and business, UW students and faculty excel on the national and global stage.
Our university cultivates a culture of achievement that extends far beyond the football field. UW champions a wellrounded educational experience. Our graduates don’t just leave with a degree — they leave prepared to lead in their chosen fields.
When Josh steps onto the field, now as an official MVP, he carries Wyoming with him — its work ethic, its resilience, its recognition of merit and its commitment to excellence. And he serves as proof that at UW, opportunities aren’t just handed out to the select few. They’re earned by those ready to embrace the challenge.
As our video ad emphasizes, UW truly is the place where underdogs come to shine — and where real MVPs are forged. And it’s why we continue to proudly proclaim that The World Needs More Cowboys.
Ed Seidel is the 28th president of the University of Wyoming. TUNE IN
NOVEMBER 16 @ 11:00 AM (MST)
UW is the o cial home game sponsor of Bu alo Bills Nov. 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BUFFALO BILLS
WATCH A VIDEO
Where MVPs Are Forged, Not Found
UW Alumni Making an Impact
By Jane France
This publication of UWyo Magazine showcases just some of the University of Wyoming’s most valuable players (MVPs) — alumni who excel both on and off the field. Currently, there are perhaps more professional athletes who are graduates of UW playing at a professional level than ever before. That is a testament not only to the quality of students who attend UW but also to the institution for the education and mentorship it provides. It sure makes following professional sports more fun, too!
What makes an MVP? An MVP isn’t just a standout athlete.
UW’s MVPs inspire others and are leaders in their professional fields and communities. They represent their alma mater with integrity and pride and set an example for current and prospective students. They do it from boardrooms, classrooms, auditoriums, courtrooms, fields and stadiums across the globe. Their legacies reach far beyond their few years in Laramie and are often well recognized outside the UW and Wyoming communities.
The alumni featured in this publication constitute what I consider best in class. UW provided them with a strong foundation to work hard, think outside the box, lend a hand and use common sense. They have a deep sense of commitment to their chosen fields and excel under pressure. Their time at UW has paid dividends, and they regularly lead the way and outshine their competition. We are well represented on a global scale with Cowboy and Cowgirl engineers, scientists, teachers, nurses, lawyers, musicians, accountants, professional athletes and others.
Serving as president of the UW Alumni Association Board of Directors has been an honor. One of the most enjoyable and inspiring parts of my role is to learn about the outstanding graduates UW has and continues to produce. I sincerely
enjoy learning about our alumni, whether they are celebrating their 50th reunion at Homecoming or are new graduates in search of their first jobs. We all share a deep sense of pride in UW and easily bond over shared experiences in Laramie, many of which are timeless. Surely every reader can relate to the alumni highlighted in this issue in some way, whether it be through strolls across Prexy’s Pasture, freshman classes in the Classroom Building, dorm room stories or the sound of the Western Thunder Marching Band on a crisp fall day.
I hope you enjoy reading about UW’s MVPs as much as I have. These stories are certainly inspiring and highlight our alumni’s passion, hard work and winning attitudes. While there are many others worthy of recognition, this issue gives you a unique glimpse into the lives of many successful graduates. Please join me in celebrating these individuals, and I hope reading this publication will encourage you to do something “most valuable” and reflect fondly on your own time at UW.
My best in brown and gold, Jane M. France President, University of Wyoming Alumni Association Board of Directors (B.A. ’08, History, J.D. ’11)
UW FOUNDATION SETS ALL-TIME FUNDRAISING RECORD
The UW Foundation has achieved a historic milestone, raising a record $69.5 million on behalf of UW in the fiscal year ending June 30 — its highest total ever and the third straight year surpassing $60 million. More than 30,000 donors contributed, another recordbreaking show of support. This achievement was fueled by strong academic partnerships, state matching
REDESIGNED WEBSITE ENHANCES USER EXPERIENCE
This summer, UW launched a redesigned website that offers a more modern, user-friendly and visually engaging digital experience. The redesigned site marks the culmination of a comprehensive, multiyear effort led by Institutional Marketing aimed at improving navigation, accessibility, mobile performance and alignment with UW’s brand
and strategic goals. It can be viewed at www.uwyo.edu
“We’re excited to unveil a cleaner, more intuitive website that better reflects the excellence of UW and the people we serve,” says Chad Baldwin, associate vice president for marketing and communications. “This redesign strengthens our ability to connect with future students, share our research and teaching mission, and address the needs of Wyoming communities.”
NEW STEWART FAMILY PROFESSORSHIP PROMOTES PUBLIC SERVICE
funds, significant planned gifts, asset-based giving and solid annual giving support, including UW’s 10th annual Giving Day.
The record year reflects an enduring and growing commitment to the university’s key fundraising priorities of student success and faculty excellence.
To learn more, visit giveuwyo.org
A gift from the Stewart family to UW establishes the Stewart Family Professorship in Public Service in the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies. It honors Clyde and Jerrine Stewart of Sheridan and their legacy of public service. The inaugural Stewart Family Professor is Jean Garrison, a professor of international studies and political science and director of the Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program. During her 25-year career at UW, Garrison has built a long legacy of programs that advance public service opportunities for students, led UW’s successful effort to see UW designated as a Carnegie Community Engaged University, co-founded the Center for Global Studies, and directed the International Studies Program.
Clyde and Jerrine Stewart
Jean Garrison
FIRST ROBOT-ASSISTED BRONCHOSCOPY IN WYOMING
Kyle Mikel, a graduate of the 2020 cohort of the Master of Science in Health Services Administration Program in the UW School of Pharmacy, and Dr. Rage Geringer, a 2018
RESEARCH UNDERWAY
Researchers: Sharp-Tailed Grouse in South-Central Wyoming Potentially a Distinct Subspecies
Researchers Receive NSF Award to Explore How Brain Regulates Temperature Through Social Behavior
Researcher Receives NSF Grant to Protect Nuclear Reactors from Seismic Activity
graduate of the Wyoming WWAMI Medical Education Program, recently completed a bronchoscopy using robotic surgical technology. It was the first such procedure in Wyoming and the Front Range medical community, including Nebraska.
For decades, a population of grouse in south-central Wyoming and northwest Colorado has been identified as Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, but new research led by recent Ph.D. graduate Jonathan Lautenbach and Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Professor Jeff Beck has found that the sharp-tailed grouse found in the shrublands and high deserts of southern Carbon County and northwest Colorado are not Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Rather, the birds potentially represent a distinct subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse that has been isolated from other populations. The discovery could have major implications for wildlife managers.
Adam Nelson and Nicole Bedford, both associated with the Department of Zoology and Physiology, received a three-year research award of $425,000 for a project that investigates huddling behavior. While much is known about how the brain controls automatic responses to cold, the neural mechanisms underlying behavioral thermoregulation remain poorly understood. This is especially true for huddling, a behavior commonly used by mice to share warmth.
Ankit Saxena, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received a two-year research grant from the National Science Foundation for $199,064 to study the protection of nuclear reactors and other infrastructure from future seismic activity. His goal is to revolutionize the design of particle dampers using topology optimization, an advanced engineering design technique.
Professor Publishes Study on Temperature’s Impact on Energy Demand
Tim Considine, a School of Energy Resources professor of energy economics, recently contributed an article to the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists that examines the effect of daily temperature on monthly energy demand for all major fuels — including electricity, natural gas and petroleum products — and end-use sectors in the United States. Based on over three decades of monthly state-level data, the article further investigates the measurable human response to the impacts of increased fuel consumption resulting from higher temperatures.
PHOTO BY CHEYENNE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
NEW ONLINE MASTER’S DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES AND SOCIETY
UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources is expanding access to its interdisciplinary graduate offerings with the launch of a fully online Master of Science in environment, natural resources and society. Designed to meet the needs of working professionals and career-changers, the new online format provides a flexible path to advanced education without requiring relocation. The program equips students to lead in the environmental and natural resource sectors through applied learning and real-world engagement. The school also added two new certificates — one in environment and natural resources law and policy and another in collaborative practices.
APPOINTMENTS
Anne Alexander, the assistant dean of the College of Business, assumed the role of interim provost, UW’s chief academic officer.
Carolyn Pepper, an associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of psychology, was named interim dean of the School of Graduate Education.
Gene Humphrey — a veteran, eminent engineer, global entrepreneur and philanthropist — joined the UW Foundation Board of Directors.
Image: Where The Heck Is Yucca Fountain? installation at the UW Art Museum
UW Alumni
With more than 158,175 total alumni around the world, the University of Wyoming has no shortage of MVPs. They are most valuable players in their fields — leading companies, nonprofits, innovation, sports and all variety of industries. In this list and throughout UWyo Magazine, you will read about a small sampling of these impressive alumni.
• Alan Simpson — U.S. senator and philanthropist (B.S. history 1954, J.D. 1958, honorary degree 1999)
• Art Howe — Major League Baseball player (B.S. business administration 1969)
• Caitlin Long — blockchain and bitcoin pioneer (B.A. political economy 1990)
• Mohamed Al Mady — Saudi business leader (M.S. chemical engineering 1975)
• Nancy D. Freudenthal — U.S. Senior District Judge for the District of Wyoming (B.A. philosophy 1976, J.D. 1980)
• Peter Schoomaker — four-star U.S. Army general, 35th chief of staff (B.S. physical education teaching 1969)
• Reggie Slater — National Basketball Association player (B.S. social science 1992)
• Samuel C. Phillips — U.S. Air Force four-star general and director of NASA’s Apollo program (B.S. electrical engineering 1942, honorary degree 1963)
• Solomon Trujillo — global business executive (B.S. business administration 1973, MBA 1974, honorary degree 2000)
• Susan Pamerleau — U.S. Air Force Major General and U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas (B.A. sociology 1968)
• W. Edwards Deming — author, scholar, business consultant, statistician (B.S. electrical engineering 1921, honorary degree 1958)
• Zenobia Powell Perry — composer, professor and civil rights activist (M.A. music 1954)
Note: This is not a comprehensive list but rather a sampling of impressive alumni.
ALUMNI BY STATE
50,000+
5,001-50,000
3,001-5,000
1,001-3,000
50-1,000 >1,000 living outside the U.S.
Laramie County School District 1 Superintendent STEPHEN NEWTON
Growing up in Guernsey, Wyo., Stephen Newton remembers family trips to University of Wyoming Cowboys games.
“It was just bigger than life,” he says. “I was from a town without a stoplight, and so going to War Memorial Stadium was a pretty good introduction to the university.”
When it came time to go to college, Newton followed in his brother’s footsteps and chose UW, earning a degree in biology in 1995 with honors.
“My UW education laid very strong foundations for whatever the next challenge was,” he says. “I felt like there were opportunities around every twist and turn at UW. I tell my own kids that my only regret was not getting involved in even more things. UW has been an incredibly positive, beneficial and powerful force in the lives of a lot of folks.”
joining Central High School as associate principal and then head principal. Newton went on to earn his doctorate in education, curriculum and instruction at UW 2012 and served as the UW director of curriculum and instruction for eight years. In 2023, he was appointed as interim superintendent of Laramie County
change with thousands and thousands of kids.”
His leadership roles have included directing LCSD1’s Pre-Service Professionals Development Program and influencing curriculum design and instructional strategies across the state. Newton has written books on educational leadership, earned honors and served as an educational consultant. He helps educate the next generation of future teachers by serving as an adjunct professor at UW. Newton also serves on Laramie County Community College’s President’s Advisory Board and is a former member of the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors and Cheyenne LEADS. His wife, Amanda, is a two-time UW graduate and works as an attorney. Together, they have six children.
“I felt like there were opportunities around every twist and turn at UW. I tell my own kids that my only regret was not getting involved in even more things.”
— Stephen Newton
After working as a teacher in Arizona, Newton considered how he could impact even more students. Returning to UW in 2005, he graduated with a master’s degree in education focused on educational leadership. He became an assistant principal at Cheyenne’s McCormick Junior High School before
School District 1 (LCSD1) before being named superintendent in early 2024.
“We are the biggest district in the state with more than 13,000 kids at any given time and more than 2,500 employees,” Newton says. “I’ve been blessed to lead a system that’s very complex but also one where we can effect incredible
“I’ve had the great benefit of working in other places, living in other places and traveling professionally, and there are so many things about Wyoming that continue to make it an incredibly special place to live, work and raise a family,” Newton says. “It’s got to be one of country’s best-kept secrets. It delights me to no end when somebody gives Wyoming a chance and sees for themselves. I see example after example of people falling in love with it and wondering where Wyoming’s been their whole life.”
Wyoming Association of School Administrators
Executive Director
BOYD BROWN
Boyd Brown’s father worked as a ranch hand in Midwest, Wyo. As one of six kids, Brown saw education as a way to better his life. He attended the University of Wyoming, earning his bachelor’s degree in physical and health education. Brown also played football for the Cowboys and even wrestled for a semester.
“It was a great opportunity to be on a team, be part of something bigger and learn some leadership skills,” he says. “My professors believed in me, so even as an undergrad I had the opportunity to do some graduate teaching for them.”
After graduation in 1987, Brown went to work as a teacher in Campbell County, but two comments from co-workers set him on a path to leadership.
“One of my mentors told me I needed to get
a master’s fairly quickly so to move up the salary schedule,” he says. “Then a kindergarten teacher came over and said, ‘You’re going to make a great principal someday.’ I thought I could impact a lot more kids if I did — that was the biggest draw for me.”
Brown went on to earn his master’s degree in educational leadership in 1992, his education specialist in educational leadership in 2006 and his doctorate in educational leadership in 2008 — all from UW.
“I learned a lot about leadership and improving the educational process for students,” he says.
Brown served as an associate principal, principal and eventually superintendent.
“I’ve been the superintendent in Cheyenne and Clearmont — the largest and smallest districts in the state,” Brown says. “Education gave me the opportunity to change my life. Seeing kids come back and tell you how much you helped them is so impactful. Sometimes you don’t know you made a difference until they come back years later and tell you.”
Along the way, he earned the Superintendent of the Year and the Dr. Myron Basom Leadership Award. The chance to impact larger numbers of students kept Brown on his upward trajectory, which ultimately led him to his executive director role with the Wyoming Association of School Administrators. This organization supports educational leaders to ensure Wyoming students receive a top-notch education.
“I help mentor new superintendents, provide leadership and lobbying to the Legislature — whatever I need to do,” he says. “We put on workshops and conferences, and then I represent the organization at the national level as well. Having the opportunity to give back to the organization that always supported me while I was a superintendent feels great.”
Brown stays connected with UW and visits regularly, and he appreciates living and working in Wyoming.
“I love the varied experiences you can have — from Yellowstone National Park to the Red Desert to the plains,” he says. “I grew up on ranches, so I love the ranching lifestyle and small-town feel. It’s still affordable to live here, and you’re able to affect things at your local level all the way up to the governor.”
COURTESY PHOTO
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CTE teaching is a high demand career with potential to grow over the next 8-10 years
Rewarding career with direct impact on the state and local communities
Smithsonian Curator of Biological Anthropology
DOUGLAS OWSLEY
It was at the University of Wyoming that Douglas Owsley first learned bones can talk — they can tell you how a person lived, what ailments they suffered and how they ultimately died.
He’d never considered anthropology growing up in the small town of Lusk, Wyo., where he met his future wife in line at their elementary school.
“At UW, I was introduced to things that I did not know existed,” says
Owsley, who graduated with his zoology degree in 1973. “At the end of my junior year, I took Introduction to Physical Anthropology. The professor, George Gill, took an interest in me. He invited me to go out into the field, including a 1,000-year-old site in Mexico.”
At a conference, Gill introduced Owsley to a leading professor of anthropology at the University of Tennessee, where Owsley went on to pursue his master’s degree and doctorate in anthropology. He joined the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History as curator of biological anthropology in 1987.
“It’s a profession that I’ve been in for more than 50 years, and I’ve had a wonderful career teaching in universities as well as my work here as a forensic anthropologist, as a museum curator and as a research scientist,” he says.
Owsley earned the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service from the U.S. Department of Defense for his work identifying 60 federal and civilian victims who died when American
Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon in 2001. He also earned the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service for his forensic anthropology work.
“It’s a public service helping families determine what happened to a loved one,” says Owsley, whose work has also included victims of serial killers. “The person can’t speak for themselves, so you are their voice.”
His current project involves studying early European arrivals to the Americas.
“I’ve worked on individuals who are from early colonial sites from the 1600s such as Jamestown and St. Mary’s City — people who really helped shape America,” Owsley says.
He’s been studying remains from St. Mary’s City, Md., for the past 35 years, including identifying a man, woman and child buried in rare lead coffins. The information they can extract is all possible due to technological advancements that Owsley never dreamed of as a student.
“We’re working on a volume that ties 17th and 18th century sites together,” he says. “We’re looking at the process of becoming America.”
In addition to their health and cause of death, modern-day testing can reveal what these folks ate and, based on that, where they came from and how long they lived in the New World. Through DNA and genome testing, they can even find living relatives alive today.
“This will be my last major contribution to this field,” Owsley says. “I want the data to be accessible to future scholars and students. I want students to be able to go into questions that we’re not even thinking about and use our data to advance the scientific field. I would be ever so happy if I could see another UW student come here and work in this office one day.”
PHOTO BY CHIP CLARK, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Field Research Biologist, Educator, Conservationist NINA ZITANI
By Brooke Ortel
As a graduate student at the University of Wyoming, Nina Zitani discovered and named 15 insect species previously unknown to science. Fellow entomologists have named another nine newly discovered species in her honor.
Throughout her career, Zitani has led or co-led more than 30 expeditions to remote tropical ecosystems. She’s taught field courses in the Amazon, collected thousands of research specimens and served as an expert for 16 Smithsonian Journeys travel programs, including an “Around the World by Private Jet” program. In 2021, she was elected a Fellow International of the Explorers Club in New York City. But her career as a scientist and international educator began at UW.
Originally from Moorestown, N.J., Zitani moved to Laramie in 1993 to pursue a graduate degree in entomology. She’d always been fascinated by insects and, after a four-year stint working at two prominent science museums on the East Coast,
Zitani was eager to expand her teaching and research skills. She immediately hit it off with Professor Scott Shaw in the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources “I could tell he was passionate about teaching as well as research,” she says. “He was looking for someone to send to Costa Rica to do field research on parasitic wasps. The rest is history.”
With Shaw as her adviser, Zitani earned her master’s degree in 1997, followed by a doctorate in entomology in 2003. She was also a member of the first graduating class in UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.
On field expeditions in Costa Rica, Zitani supervised undergraduate students in addition to conducting her own research. In these lush tropical forests, Zitani’s passion for biodiversity — and biodiversity education — blossomed.
In the field and as a graduate teaching assistant on campus, Zitani quickly became known for her innovative, enthusiastic approach to education. In 2000, she received the John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award.
Faculty mentors in UW’s entomology, botany and zoology departments played a key role in her success, she says. They were “top-notch professors, challenging but also understanding and forgiving at times when I made mistakes.”
Zitani also helped Shaw launch the UW Insect Gallery, an on-campus resource that’s still open to students and researchers today. “We had K–12 students from all over Wyoming come to learn about insects,” Zitani notes. “It was something we did as a public service — that was part of being a grad student under Dr. Shaw.”
Later, Zitani became a teaching faculty member and curator of the zoological museum at Western University in Ontario. Inspired by her experience with UW’s Insect Gallery, she created the Biodiversity Gallery, an exhibition showcasing animal species from around the world at risk of extinction.
In recognition of her efforts to expand access to the collection and raise awareness about global biodiversity loss, Zitani received the Green Award, Western’s highest sustainability honor, in 2022.
Whether she’s teaching in a classroom or on an international trip, Zitani strives to share her passion for biodiversity with students of all ages and backgrounds. “I want people to understand the complexity of global biodiversity, that it is essential for our survival, how incredibly beautiful and wondrous it is, and, importantly, that it is in decline due to various human activities,” she says.
PHOTO BY OSCAR OVEIDO
Agricultural Counselor DAVID LEISHMAN
David Leishman was destined for an international career. Raised in Italy by an Italian-American mother and Scottish father, he attended high school in Germany and university at the London School of Economics. But it was his time working at a think tank in Washington, D.C., that ultimately led him to Wyoming.
“My wife, Karin, is originally from Sheridan,” he says. “At that time, she was working for the late Sen. Alan K. Simpson.”
The pair married in Moose, Wyo., then enrolled in master’s degree programs at University of Wyoming — Karin in English and David in agricultural economics.
Wyoming hard red winter wheat and on a project for the Wyoming Wool Growers Association. Leishman also worked as a legislative intern. After UW, he began his Ph.D. in applied economics at the University of Minnesota, eventually finishing the
degree at Italy’s University of Bologna.
Along the way, Leishman took a job as an agricultural economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in D.C. After short-term assignments in Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Italy, he joined the foreign service full time.
“In my first assignment at the U.S. Mission to the European Union, I spent four years in Brussels helping to negotiate agreements with European counterparts,” he says.
From there, Leishman served as the senior U.S. Agricultural Attaché for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He then joined USDA’s trade policy team, helping to lead bilateral negotiations with South Korea and Morocco. In 2014, Leishman was recruited to serve as director of the U.S. Agricultural Trade Offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Vladivostok.
“I served in Russia for almost five years, living though one of the most challenging periods in U.S.–Russian relations,” Leishman says. “Our work in agriculture was immensely rewarding, and I helped forge many lasting relationships, including with one of the largest meat companies, Miratorg. A group of Wyoming cowboys went there to work side by side with Russians, teaching them the basics of ranch management.”
Leishman also served as senior director for Africa and the Middle East and agricultural counselor at the U.S. Embassy in France before retiring from the USDA in March 2025 and moving back to Laramie.
“We wanted to return to our roots, to be closer to family and also to embark on a new adventure,” he says. “I am so grateful to have had an unbelievable 23year career with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, but truly all credit goes to UW. My UW mentors went the extra mile — believing in me, encouraging me, pushing me and inspiring me to dream big and to never give up. I am now working for ST Genetics, a global leader in livestock breeding. I still travel the world, only now I fly out of Laramie Regional Airport. I am involved in numerous partnerships, and I am especially focused on education. Our world needs more cowboys!”
COURTESYPHOTO
King Ranch Owners MARK EISELE AND KENDALL EISELE ROBERTS
Mark Eisele started working at the King Ranch in the 1970s as a hired hand. After years of hard work, he earned a partnership in the ranch and brought his whole family into the business. The King Ranch, located near Cheyenne, is co-owned by Eisele, his wife, Trudy, and their children Colton Eisele, Kaycee Eisele and Kendall Eisele Roberts.
The Eisele family could easily keep themselves busy year-round managing their private, state and federal land. But they aren’t content with running cattle and growing alfalfa.
During Eisele’s time as a ranch hand, the owners of the King Ranch emphasized the importance of a good education. Eisele graduated from UW in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural mechanization, and Eisele Roberts followed in his footsteps, earning her bachelor’s in agricultural business in 2009 and her master’s in agricultural economics in 2011.
Eisele and Eisele Roberts have built on the King Ranch’s legacy by supporting UW research and advocating for Wyoming agriculture.
By Maya Gilmore
The ranch regularly hosts students studying subjects from range management to agricultural economics. By exploring the operation’s inner workings, UW students, faculty and staff can get a practical sense of what it means to work in agricultural production — and see the real-world impact of research projects.
The Eisele family helps UW stay on the cutting edge of ranching research and natural resource conservation. Asked what kinds of conservation projects they’ve carried out on the King
Left: In 2024, King Ranch donated beef to create snack sticks for the Beef for Backpacks program launch. Above: Mark Eisele leads his granddaughter on a ride around the pasture. Below: Kendall Eisele Roberts with a herd of Angus cattle at the King Ranch.
Ranch, Eisele says, “I’m trying to think of what we haven’t done.” They’ve experimented with rotational grazing, wildlife-friendly fencing, predator management strategies, renewable energy and much more.
Adapting to new ideas is a core part of the Eisele family identity, but they also appreciate tradition. Both Eisele and Eisele Roberts are leaders in state and national livestock organizations, including the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust, Wyoming Livestock Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Serving in state and regional ranching
organizations is a way to support other members of your community, Eisele Roberts says: “It’s coming together for bigger things than yourself. I love the sense of working together and collaborating to address issues that everybody has concerns about.” Eisele adds, “I want to be involved, and I need to be— because if you’re not at the table, you end up on the menu.”
The King Ranch team also takes any chance it gets to appear in the media, podcasts or panel discussions. “People want to know who we are, what we raise, what they’re consuming when they have a steak on the plate,” Eisele Roberts says.
Connections matter to the Eisele
family. They’ve stayed involved with UW because they value the tight-knit community it offers. “It’s a privilege to be able to tell our story. There’s so many other alumni out there that are doing great things, and it’s great to be a part of that network,” Eisele Roberts says.
Through the decades, the Eisele family has built up a business whose impact reaches far beyond their fences. Their efforts help new producers flourish, bring together communities and lead to new scientific understanding.
UW was a launchpad for their accomplishments. “A good education didn’t ensure success, but it sure helped,” Eisele says.
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Successful Author KALI FAJARDO-ANSTINE
Originally from Denver, Kali Fajardo-Anstine earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Wyoming in 2012. In 2020, her debut book “Sabrina & Corina: Stories” was a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction and went on to win the prestigious American Book Award. Her 2022 debut novel “Woman of Light: A Novel” became a national bestseller and won the 2023 WILLA Literary Award in Historical Fiction. In 2022–24, Fajardo-Anstine served as the Endowed Chair in Creative Writing at Texas State University and a 2023 Guggenheim Fellow. We sat down with Fajardo-Anstine to chat about her time at UW and what’s next for her.
How did your writing grow during your time in UW’s MFA program?
One of the ways my writing grew is how often I utilized Coe Library and the abundance of resources there. Libraries are such an important aspect of my process, and Coe is an exceptional institution. I really love that Coe Library offers library cards to community members who aren’t affiliated with the university. Many years after my time at UW, I moved back to Laramie for several years. I was one of those community members who often used the library, and I wrote there too!
How did the program help you on your very successful journey? During my time at UW, I began to deeply understand how my ancestral connection to the region is foundational to my voice as a writer. In graduate school, I volunteered at the Wyoming Girls’ School in Sheridan, and I met many young women from small towns across the state. Later, as my love of the wilderness grew, I even tried my hand at fly fishing and got to know more about myself in relation to the landscape.
How was the experience of writing and publishing your first two books?
I love that both my books have their own readers and fans. “Sabrina & Corina” is a collection of short stories, and I receive many notes from teachers and students that they study these stories in the classroom. With my follow-up novel, “Woman of Light,” I hear from readers that the characters rooted to the Rocky Mountains remind them of their own ancestors. It’s such an honor to have passionate readers and from so many different backgrounds and experiences.
What are you working on now?
I recently signed a two-book deal with Penguin Random House for two new novels. The first novel is currently titled “Mountains South” and is set in both Colorado and Wyoming in the near future after a second civil war. My protagonist is a young archivist who was involved with a genetics experiment as a child. The book deals with themes of class, regionalism, the quest for immortality and the deep bonds of sisterhood.
American Trucking Associations President
CHRIS SPEAR
for Honeywell International, where he earned Honeywell’s Premier Achievement Award.
Throughout his international career, Spear and his wife, Michelle, maintained a close connection with Wyoming, keeping a home in Centennial and establishing two endowments at the university.
The trucking industry moves 73 percent of the freight in the United States and accounts for one in every 18 jobs. At the helm of this vital industry is University of Wyoming alumnus Chris Spear.
“I’ve been in this role for 10 years, leading an industry that’s 8.5 million strong that maintains our place as the No. 1 economy,” he says. “Everything we eat, drink and wear touched a truck, and I’m very proud to represent this hard-working industry.”
Spear led the industry through the COVID pandemic, ensuring the nation’s supply chain stayed intact.
“I attribute a lot of my success to UW,” says Spear, who grew up in Auburn, Neb., and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1992 and a master’s degree in public administration in 1995.
At UW, Spear learned about organizational and personnel management as well as legal and regulatory considerations, which were instrumental in helping him succeed in public service and in the private sector across five continents.
In the federal government, Spear worked for U.S. Sen. Al Simpson and Mike Enzi, served as the assistant secretary of labor for policy under former President George W. Bush and then became deputy representative for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. He received the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Civilian Service Medal. In the private sector, Spear was vice president of government affairs for Hyundai Motor Co. and vice president of emerging markets and vice president of global government relations
“Al Simpson was someone who always set an example for how important it was to give back to the university,” Spear says. “That’s an example that we want to live, too. Wyoming is a special place for us. Two of our four children go to UW, and we have one more considering her undergraduate degree in Laramie.”
Spear also maintains a professional connection to UW through the American Trucking Associations’ Trucking U program, which invites top business students to receive mentorship and to learn about leadership opportunities in the industry.
“Since 2018, we’ve had 140-plus students attend, including students from UW,” Spear says. “A lot of those students were hired by my industry, and they’re doing very well.”
In addition to his professional work, Spear serves on the board of the Laramie-based Louisa Swain Foundation. The foundation is named for the first woman to cast a democratic electoral ballot in the United States — in 1870 in Wyoming — and is dedicated to fostering education in the areas of democracy, human rights and suffrage. In 2020, the American Trucking Associations created a Louisa Swain truck to commemorate the 150th anniversary.
“We had four of our women drivers drive it from the U.S. Capitol to Cheyenne, where Gov. Gordon received them,” says Spear, who also serves on the Transportation Research Board and Trucking Cares Foundation. “I think it’s important to remain engaged with organizations that really make a difference in people’s lives. I learned a lot of that when I was going through school in Laramie, and it remains with me today.”
Judge M. MARGARET M c KEOWN
Casper native M. Margaret McKeown earned degrees in international studies and Spanish from UW in 1972. She went on to study law at Georgetown after working for U.S. Sen. Clifford Hansen. For more than 25 years, Judge McKeown has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, earning national honors along the way including the American Inns of Court Lewis F. Powell Jr. Award for Ethics and Professionalism. We spoke with McKeown about her time at UW and her impressive career.
What are some of your best memories from your time at UW?
I was a “joiner” and loved student government and other organizations. I organized a campus-wide debate between two candidates for the U.S. Senate that was covered by the New York Times. My standout experience was a semester at the University of Madrid. Having the international exposure and becoming fluent in Spanish led to a law practice that included international law and also to my judicial work in rule-of-law issues around the world. I now serve on the board of the World Justice Project and as vice chair the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative.
What have been the highlights of your career?
Following law school, I joined the law firm of Perkins Coie in Seattle and became the firm’s first female partner. I also co-founded the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and, on returning to Seattle, established the intellectual property and antitrust group. It was the beginning of the digital age, and I was fortunate to represent clients as diverse as Boeing, Nintendo and Amazon.
As White House Fellow, I served as special assistant to the secretary of interior and also special assistant in the White House Office of Policy Development.
I dreamed of going into public service, and my appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in 1998 was a dream come true. The opportunity to participate in such a dynamic and important court — which stretches from Alaska to the Mexican border and from Nevada to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands — is an honor every day. Our court is in the slipstream of the digital economy and in the middle of significant constitutional, environmental, administrative, intellectual property, immigration and other challenges.
What motivates the other facets of your career?
I have always enjoyed teaching, and it is energizing to work with students and to keep current on legal trends. I am an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and the University of San Diego, where I am jurist-in-residence.
Writing a book was another dream, but I couldn’t find the time until COVID. Through an unexpected discovery at the Murie Ranch at Teton Science Schools, where I serve on the board, I learned about Justice William O. Douglas’s connection with conservationists Olaus and Mardy Murie in the Tetons. That sent me on a mission to UW’s American Heritage Center, the Library of Congress and various university libraries. Apart from Douglas’s career as the longest-serving justice, he set the stage for the conservation movement of the 1950s–70s. In 2022, my book “Citizen Justice: The Environmental Legacy of William O. Douglas: Public Advocate and Conservation Champion” came out, and I’ve enjoyed speaking about it at UW and many other venues.
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UPS CEO CAROL TOMÉ
When Carol Tomé came to the University of Wyoming to study communication, she planned to take over the family bank in Jackson upon graduation in 1979.
“In my last year of graduate school, my father sold the bank, but when one door closes, another one opens,” Tomé says. In fact, she went on to open many doors: starting at Colorado’s largest bank and going on to serve as chief financial officer of The Home Depot for nearly two decades before taking on the role of chief executive officer of United Parcel Service in 2020.
“My UW degree focused on organizational communication, which was really helpful to me,” says Tomé, who went on to earn her MBA in finance at the University of Denver. “When I went into the workplace, I understood how organizations work and how to optimize those organizations, which has been instrumental in running large companies. I really credit UW for that learning.”
Tomé also made lifelong friends and networks in Laramie and met her husband, Ramon. Ramon worked for more than two decades at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Air Protection Branch and is now retired.
Taking over UPS at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic brought
unprecedented challenges and opportunities.
“We kept essential goods moving while people were sheltering in place,” Tomé says. “We were the first carrier to deliver COVID vaccines, and we delivered a billion vaccines in a year commercially as well as from a philanthropic perspective, including delivering vaccines in Rwanda using drones.”
UPS delivers 6 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and 2 percent of the world’s GDP daily. The company operates in over 200 countries and territories worldwide and employs more than 400,000 people. Tomé plans to grow UPS in strategic areas, including internationally and in complex health-care logistics.
“I think the impact that I’ve had on people and their development is my No. 1 accomplishment,” she says of her career. This includes 21 former employees Tomé mentored who are now either CFOs or CEOs of publicly traded companies.
Her honors include UW’s 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award, the 2009 CFO of the Year Award by the CFO Roundtable, and ranking No. 16 in Forbes magazine’s 2008 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
Throughout their impressive careers,
Carol and Ramon have always stayed connected to UW. “We think that the university is doing some really wonderful things for students, and it’s critically important to the state,” she says.
The Tomés have generously supported a number of initiatives at UW, including establishing the Carol and Ramon Tomé Student Admissions Center in the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center and contributing to the Mick and Susie McMurry High Altitude Performance Center and the UW Alumni Association. They also created the Tomé Scholars to Fellows Program, which provides full-ride scholarships and transformational experiential learning experiences to multiple students in UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.
“We met at the university, and it’s very important to us. My parents, sister and one nephew also went to UW,” Carol says, adding that she and Ramon plan to spend more time here upon retirement. “Our heart is in Wyoming.”
Where the Heck is Yucca Fountain?
EXPLORE A NEW IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION AT THE UW ART MUSEUM.
By Michelle Sunset, Director of Curatorial Affairs
“Where the Heck is Yucca Fountain?” — part of the University of Wyoming Art Museum’s exhibition “Sympoiesis: Co-Creating Sense of Place” — invites visitors to step into an immersive installation exploring an atomic-age desertscape, personal obsession and the power of place.
In the 1950s, at the edge of the Yucca Flat atomic blast zone was a thriving community diner and soda fountain: Yucca Fountain. Yucca Fountain was a desert watering hole for ranchers, tribal members, scientists, conspiracy theorists and passersby out in the desert of the American Southwest. In 1958, it was destroyed
in a suspicious fire and never reopened. Most would have forgotten it entirely — if not for Bert Tuttle.
A devoted patron and researcher, Tuttle salvaged remnants of Yucca Fountain, including an original neon sign and the original soda fountain. He stored them in his workshop and his camper-trailer, or “mobile research lab.” He spent years investigating what he believed to be a government miscalculation — that Yucca Fountain was not simply destroyed by fire but by fallout from nuclear testing gone wrong. In 2018, artists Helen Popinchalk and Andrew Bablo recovered Tuttle’s trailer, brimming with ephemera, sketches and speculative documents, and brought his story to life through this interactive and collaborative art installation situated
outside the Centennial Complex.
Inside the UW Art Museum, visitors can explore Tuttle’s desert workshop. The gallery is a fully immersive experience, transporting visitors to a remote desert at nighttime through audio, lighting and an authentic old building. The workshop is filled with artifacts and archives from the lost diner interpreted through the artists’ lens. The careful inspector is rewarded with atomic-age nostalgia in every drawer and corner of the space.
The UW Art Museum has also partnered with Sunshine Coffee in the Laramie Plains Civic Center to install a satellite pop-up exhibition. Sunshine patrons can enjoy their coffee and snacks in a Yucca Fountain diner booth while taking in Tuttle’s story through a cabinet-of-curiosities-style display of curated ephemera.
“Where the Heck is Yucca Fountain?” is more than an art installation. It’s a co-created myth that blurs the lines between memory and invention, archive and dreamscape. It reminds us that places — especially the ones we remember most fondly — are made through relationships, stories and shared meaning. “Where the Heck is Yucca Fountain?” is on view at the UW Art Museum through May 23, 2026. Visit the museum to explore the many dimensions of collaborative placemaking.
ATHLETIC
Meet former UW student-athletes still playing, coaching and leading their respective sports.
Buffalo Bills quarterback and University of Wyoming alumnus Josh Allen took home the NFL’s 2024 Most Valuable Player (MVP) award after a historic season in which he led his team to the AFC championship game. Allen also holds the record for the most touchdowns in a player’s first seven seasons. The list of accolades goes on, but it all started right here at UW — the only Division 1 school to take a chance on Allen.
Buffalo Bills Quarterback
JOSH ALLEN
“There was a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat, a lot of blood that was poured into our practice facility to go out there on game day and have some really special games,” Allen says, adding that the lifelong friendships he made with teammates at UW are the greatest legacy. “It’s a really cool feeling
knowing that we worked so hard but we developed a lifelong bond in Laramie and at the University of Wyoming.”
Allen stood 6-foot-5 and weighed 235 pounds as a Cowboys quarterback, but as a senior in high school, in the small farming community of Firebaugh, Calif., Allen topped out at 185. He received almost no interest from NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools and ended up playing his freshman season at a community college near home before joining the Cowboys in 2015.
At UW, Allen flourished, helping take the Cowboys to the Mountain West Conference division title and on to the 2017 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. In 2018, he
MVP s
By Micaela Myers
was drafted in the first round and has stayed with the Buffalo Bills, earning multiple Pro Bowl berths. This fall, Allen will be inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame and will appear at the Nov. 22 Cowboys game against Nevada.
“To have the support that I do in Wyoming, it’s really unbelievable,” Allen says. “This will be my first time back to Laramie since Pro Day, so hopefully I get to see a lot of No. 17 jerseys and some Bills jerseys in the stands. It’s going to be a special night. It’s always fun — sometimes you see those maps of where games are being played or who fans are rooting for and you look at Wyoming and it’s (Bills) blue, not orange. It’s an honor to have that support that I do.”
He is just one example of the many future MVPs whom UW has welcomed, mentored and sent out into the world to flourish.
Carl GrandersonNew Orleans Saints
More Cowboys in the NFL
Marcus Epps - Philadelphia Eagles
Chad Muma - Indianapolis Colts
Andrew WingardJacksonville Jaguars
John Hoyland – Ravens
Treyton Welch – New Orleans Saints
Tyler Hall – Seattle Seahawks
Frank CrumDenver Broncos
Josh Allen led the Cowboys to the 2016 Mountain West division title. In 2024, he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL C. HEBERT / NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BUFFALO BILLS
Ravens’ Senior Secondary Coach
CHUCK PAGANO
When Chuck Pagano graduated from UW, he began his football coaching career in the college ranks. By 2001, he’d joined the NFL, serving in coaching positions with the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens before being named head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2012–17. Along the way, he dealt with leukemia. After working with the Chicago Bears, he rejoined the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year.
Cincinnati Bengals Linebacker LOGAN WILSON
Casper native played Cowboys football from 2015–20 before he was drafted in the third round as a linebacker by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he has flourished as a starter.
“Wyoming was and still is the best place a Wyoming kid can play,” he says. “I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”
“The No. 1 thing that probably helped prepare me for life after graduating from UW was self-motivation that came from having to walk-on to the Wyoming football team, earn a scholarship and
earn playing time,” says Pagano, who grew up in Boulder, Colo. “It taught me discipline, resolve and perseverance. There were over 100 walk-ons on the team, and there were only a handful of us left at the end of that first season in 1979. I had great mentors like Coach Al Kincaid and Rocky Long who gave me the opportunity to begin my career in coaching as a student assistant for Wyoming after my playing days were over. I learned at a young age the sacrifices necessary to have a chance to
succeed in a very competitive field.”
But his time at UW wasn’t all hard work. Here, he made lifelong friends and standout memories that he carries with him to this day.
“We had some great victories — like beating the Colorado Buffalos in Boulder,” Pagano says. “I scored a touchdown on an interception made by Darnell Clash who, at the end of a great return, lateraled me the ball while being tackled near the goal line. That was a ‘can’t-make-this-kind-of-thing-up’ story! Also, I remember beating BYU in a snowstorm in Laramie and watching their quarterback, Jim McMahon, throw temper tantrums and curse out his offensive linemen. I will also always remember my final two years living in ‘the Bunkhouse’ with 27 other upperclassmen on the football team. We had some great get-togethers and Nintendo tournaments and watched a lot of ‘M*A*S*H’ and ‘Young and the Restless’ episodes! I am so grateful and thankful for my time and experience at UW. Go Pokes!”
PHOTO COURTESY OF
THE CINCINNATI BENGALS
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BALTIMORE RAVENS
Gainbridge Super League President AMANDA VANDERVORT
Amanda Vandervort came to UW from Tucson, Ariz., in 1997, only the second year of the women’s soccer team.
“My experience as a student-athlete was pretty special — feeling the support of the community and of the university,” she says.
Vandervort graduated with her degree in communication in 2001 and went on to hold positions with Women’s Professional Soccer, Major League Soccer and FIFPRO — the global players association based in Amsterdam — before being named president of Gainbridge Super League, a USL Property, in 2021.
“I do a lot of public speaking and interviews with the media, and my degree really prepared me,” says Vandervort, who went on to earn
a master’s degree in educational technology.
“In my current role, I oversee the women’s professional soccer league in the U.S.,” she says. That includes the league’s nine teams and governance, administration and oversight.
“My North Star is positively affecting people’s lives through the sport of soccer,” Vandervort says. “To be able to provide a platform for more women, girls and communities across the United States to have that experience is a gift and an honor.”
As president, she hopes to take her league to new heights as one of the best in the world. Vandervort also serves on the board of U.S. Soccer, which is preparing for the men’s World Cup next summer and the women’s World Cup in 2031. She also stays in close contact with her former UW teammates.
Cleveland Cavaliers Forward-Center
LARRY NANCE JR.
Larry Nance Jr. arrived at UW in 2011 from Akron, Ohio, and became a legend in UW basketball, culminating in his 2014–15 season when Nance helped lead the Cowboys to a Mountain West tournament title and its first NCAA Tournament since 2001–02.
“At UW, I met my wife, my best friend and my dog, so Wyoming will always be near and dear to my heart,” Nance says. He met swimmer Hailey Pince of Shoshoni, Wyo., while they were student-athletes, and the couple now have two children.
“On the court, my highlight at UW was definitely the NCAA Tournament and beating fifth-ranked San Diego State at home.,” Nance says. “That was fun for our home fans. I am incredibly thankful for Larry Shyatt and Wyoming for allowing me to grow there.”
The new revenue-sharing model for college sports can put smaller schools
“We go on vacations together, we’re on a group chat — it’s honestly my main support network,” Vandervort says. “We’ve been through divorces and deaths and marriages and kids and all the things you can imagine together.”
like UW at a disadvantage, but Nance says he wouldn’t change a thing if he had it to do over again.
“I could have gone to a bigger program or transferred to a bigger program with more attention and maybe gone to the tournament more times, but I wouldn’t have gotten to grow into a player and person that I am today,” he says. “I’m very thankful for my time there. If I had the chance to do it all again, I’d go straight back to Laramie.”
Upon graduation, Nance was drafted 27th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, he’s played for the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks and now, once again, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Ten years in the NBA is pretty good,” Nance says. “I got to be a Los Angeles Laker, and I got to go to the finals. I’ve surpassed my wildest dreams so far. I’m only 32, and I think I’ve got more years left and would love to play until I can’t anymore. I’ve done some really cool things that I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t gone to Wyoming.”
International Basketball Star
JOSH ADAMS
Josh Adams’ favorite memory of playing with the Cowboys is winning the 2015 Mountain West tournament final to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. For his efforts, Adams claimed MVP honors.
“We had a lot of guys on the team who stayed there for four years, so those friendships that I made are still active today,” says Adams, who graduated in 2016 with his degree in criminal justice after coming to UW from Parker, Colo.
He’s been playing professional basketball ever since in countries around the world, including Russia, Turkey, China, Spain, Italy, Australia, Slovenia and Greece.
“Istanbul is one of the most amazing cities I’ve ever been able to live in,” Adams says. “Spain was one of my favorite locations, clubs and leagues. Slovenia’s small capital city, Ljubljana, is a fairytale with all the old castles and structures. It’s a really beautiful place. However, it was hard to beat living on the southern coast of Spain, especially when you have a good team.”
With the Tasmania JackJumpers in the National Basketball League’s 2022 season, Adams led the team to a Grand
Final appearance and earned a spot on the All-NBL Second Team for his outstanding performances.
“For an expansion team to get to the finals was kind of unheard of,” he says.
Last season, Adams played for the Brisbane Bullets. He’s still considering outstanding contract offers, but after a decade of competing he’s now looking toward a future in sports psychology and is completing his master’s degree in clinical psychology.
“My business, P.I.V.O.T. Growth Strategies, is going to focus on consulting with athletes and teaching the mental skills required to navigate high-level basketball and be as effective as they possibly can be,” he says.
Cowgirls, Cowboys, and World Travelers Your Next Adventure Awaits!
Set sail on an unforgettable adventure with our 2026 alumni cruises! Discover breathtaking destinations with every detail expertly arranged, so you can relax and focus on making lifelong memories. Whether you’re venturing solo or traveling with friends, your next great escape starts here.
The following 2026 Alumni Cruises are now available for booking!
• MAORI HERITAGE ROUTE | AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND (JAN. 25 - FEB. 8)
• TULIPS & THE RHINE (APR. 26 - MAY 3)
• ISLES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN (MAY 11-22)
• ITALIAN & IBERIAN RADIANCE (JUNE 1-11)
If you would like more information about any of the Alumni Cruises, please visit our website! uwyo.edu/alumni/travel
NASA Engineer AARON VIGIL
By Micaela Myers
As a NASA engineer, Worland native Aaron Vigil is just one of many young University of Wyoming alumni making headlines right out of the gate.
Growing up, Vigil attended the Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp hosted by the UW Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium. There, he gazed at planets through a telescope for the first time and fell in love with outer space and all that it offers.
Studying mechanical engineering at UW, Vigil took part in UW’s Western Thunder Marching Band and also conducted undergraduate research, working to 3D print aerospace grade composite structures in Assistant Professor Xiang Zhang’s lab. This gave Vigil a leg up when he applied for a NASA internship, where he used 3D modeling software to render models of early Soviet spacecrafts.
“UW gave me a good foundation for my career and taught me the ins and outs of various fields of mechanical engineering so when I got to NASA, I could really dive deeper into the specific areas of engineering I use on a daily a basis,” Vigil says. “Having that foundation has really helped me a lot.”
Vigil was hired as a mechanical engineer at Goddard
Space Flight Center in Maryland, where he works on the Solar Array Sun Shield for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. His role includes integration and testing, logistics and day-to-day operations. It’s his dream job, he says.
“I love the idea of the spacecraft that we’re building — it’s just incredible to me and very interesting,” Vigil says. “I get to work with all sorts of great people who I learn a lot from on a daily basis. Every day we’re making progress toward the end goal: our launch date. To see the progress is really fascinating to me.”
Vigil hopes to have a long career at NASA, working on everything from large scale projects to smaller instrumentation.
While he misses Wyoming, he’s still an avid fisherman, only now it’s saltwater fishing.
“I would just like to say a big thank you to not only the university but also the state in general,” Vigil says.
“I get a lot of banter with folks around here because I’m the guy from Wyoming, but the values I grew up with always shine through — the way we were raised and the ideologies. That was ingrained in me through my communities in Wyoming and then again at the university. It’s something that’s important to me and something that I’ve carried with me. I’m very grateful to the state and community back home.”
PHOTO BY MICHAEL GUINTO-NASA
Basketball Stats Guru KEN POMEROY
A love of predicting things led Ken Pomeroy from Virginia to the University of Wyoming, where he earned his master’s degree in atmospheric science.
“I liked predicting things, and predicting the weather seemed to be the ultimate challenge because it affects everybody,” he says. “It’s the first time in my life I had really branched out and did something different, and it turned out to be really rewarding.”
After graduation in 1999, Pomeroy went to work as a meteorologist. But as the years went on, he found himself diving more and more into his hobby: basketball statistics.
“Basketball is my favorite sport, and I like dealing with numbers, math and programming,” he says. “It became another outlet for those passions. It started out as a hobby. I didn’t think I would ever earn a living doing it, but eventually it became big enough that it turned into a full-time job.”
From his home in Salt Lake City, Pomeroy runs his website, kenpom. com, which offers college basketball
statistics for every Division 1 men’s team. In addition, he writes a basketball blog and has written articles for The New York Times, ESPN.com and Sports Illustrated. He’s also worked as an NBA consultant. Pomeroy’s rankings and accuracy have earned the attention of national news channels as well as many coaches and fans. In fact, coaches have called him a genius and said that a great deal of their planning is conducted using his site.
“Most of the financial support comes from fans, but the media and coaches are extremely important because they talk about my site on air,” Pomeroy says.
As noted in Sports Illustrated, the kenpom.com rankings break down stats on a possession-by-possession basis and help users analyze March Madness matchups, among other things. They’re also used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.
UW Atmospheric Science Department Head Jeffrey French
says: “Pomeroy is a great example of a student who learned analysis skills during his master’s degree that he then applied to something completely different. He truly has become an MVP of advanced statistics, and he was one of the early pioneers of using advanced statistics in sports.”
Pomeroy says he plans to continue innovating: “I’ve been doing it full time for over a decade. There’s always room for more innovation in my work, and that’s another reason why I enjoy the job. Every day can be a little bit different, and I can make my own path in terms of exploring new areas of research or creating new displays for the website.”
“He truly has become an MVP of advanced statistics, and he was one of the early pioneers of using advanced statistics in sports.” — Jeffrey French
Merrick & Company President and CEO TAMMY JOHNSON
When Sheridan native Tammy (Lupiezowietz) Johnson graduated with her architectural engineering degree in 1991, she wasn’t sure how to begin her job search. Browsing through the American Council of Engineering Companies handbook, the employee-owned Merrick & Company caught her eye.
“I think it was dumb luck, really,” Johnson says, “just being at the right place at the right time.”
She was hired and began her long career, much of it based at the company’s Colorado headquarters.
With offices in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, Merrick provides engineering, architecture, surveying and geospatial
solutions to clients around the globe. Johnson started out as a structural engineer and then used her excellent communication skills to become a project manager. Merrick encourages employees to set long-term goals, and after successfully opening and running a Texas branch of the company, Johnson dreamed of one day becoming CEO. Leadership encouraged the pursuit, and Johnson earned her MBA at the University of Denver. She served as senior vice president and business unit leader of Merrick’s high-performance facilities team before being named president in 2023 and chief executive officer in 2025.
“It’s a dream come true,” Johnson says. “What I love about my work is engineering and designing the built environment that makes people’s lives better. It’s really inspirational to me, and I get to help people do that every day.”
As CEO, she strives to do right by the employee owners and leave the company better than she found it.
“We do that by embracing smart growth of the company — constantly monitoring the market and our clients’ needs, then making certain that we’re positioned to help them effectively, creatively and efficiently,” Johnson says.
Creating challenging and rewarding careers for Merrick’s employees is another goal and
one she invites University of Wyoming students to learn more about — the company actively participates in UW career fairs and internship programs. Johnson also serves on the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences National Advisory Council and was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame.
“Hands down, the architectural engineering program prepared me for my entire career,” Johnson says. “It was an array of disciplines — from planning to designing, engineering, architectural, cost estimating and construction management. Having that full complement really gave me a lot of insight into projects, helping respond to clients and leading a team.”
Johnson is active with the Society of Women Engineers and serves on Merrick’s board of directors. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as snowboarding, golf and clay shooting with her husband and their son, who is studying mechanical engineering at UW.
“I encourage people to stay involved and connected to UW in any way, shape or form they can,” Johnson says. “I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and having discussions with the students. It just gives me so much energy. I am honored to be associated with so many fine professionals who love and support the university.”
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, 2026, to be considered. Nominations can only be submitted online at www.pokes.org/awards.
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Riding for the Brand
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA
MAGGIE SCARLETT EMBODIES THE WYOMING VALUES OF SERVICE AND PHILANTHROPY.
When Maggie Scarlett speaks of “Riding for the Brand,” her voice carries conviction. For this 2025 Distinguished Alumna, the brand isn’t just UW — it’s the entire state that shaped her family for generations and launched her into a life of extraordinary service.
“We particularly resonate with that part of the cowboy ethics that says, ‘Ride for the Brand,’” Scarlett says. “Wyoming and the University of Wyoming have provided us with a foundation for so much of what we have been able to accomplish in our lives.”
Born in Cody, Scarlett is Wyoming through and through. Her family settled in northwestern Wyoming in the late 1800s, building lives as ranchers, farmers, small-business owners and educators. Her parents graduated from UW in 1935, establishing a
family tradition that continues today. “It was always very clear to my brothers and me that indeed we would be Cowboys,” Scarlett says.
At her father’s businesses, the young Scarlett learned the value of hard work and community investment. “We all were involved in the family business enterprises,” she says. This formative experience would later inform her own business acumen.
Scarlett discovered her calling early in her college career: “I took an introductory course to speech correction. It just became clear that that was the career I was going to pursue and enjoy.” She earned her bachelor’s degree in speech-language and hearing sciences from UW in 1963. But UW gave Scarlett more than a profession — it gave her the arts. A freshman survey course launched her lifelong passion for supporting art museums and cultural institutions.
It also was at UW where she met her future husband, Dick Scarlett — at the freshman steak fry, where they were both wearing the traditional brown freshman beanies. “As I always say, seven years later, we rushed into marriage,” she laughs.
After earning her master’s in audiology and speech pathology from Colorado State University, she worked for over 20 years as a speech-language pathologist in both medical and educational settings across Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Her rural Wyoming experience would later drive her philanthropic efforts to strengthen UW’s speechlanguage pathology program.
“I loved working with clients, with patients and particularly with children,” she says. “Language is really such a defining part of our persona, our personality. It provides us with a vehicle to accomplish so much. To make a difference in someone’s life in that way has always been so meaningful to me.”
While building her clinical career, Scarlett also served as director, vice president and secretary of United Bancorporation of Wyoming — the state’s largest financial institution at the time — and later
Isabella Mijares and UW Speech and Hearing Clinic client Kinsey Jaap engage in articulation therapy.
participated in the management of Webster Motors after her father’s passing.
In Jackson, Scarlett played a pivotal role in establishing the National Museum of Wildlife Art. As a founding member in 1987, she helped transform an ambitious vision into reality, serving on the board for over two decades, including a term as president from 2001–03.
“I love Western art — that makes sense, because I grew up right across the street from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West,” she says. The Whitney Western Art Museum became her “backyard,” fostering an appreciation for landscapes that “resonated with my feelings about Wyoming and the West.” She has also served in leadership roles for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the Whitney Western Art Museum and the McCracken Research Library, as well as serving on the boards of the University of Wyoming Art Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In 2002, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to the board of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Perhaps nowhere is Scarlett’s commitment to “Riding for the Brand” more evident than in her
transformative philanthropy to UW. She and Dick have established multiple endowed chairs, funded critical programs, and supported infrastructure improvements that have elevated the university’s reputation and capabilities. They established the Maggie Scarlett Summer Speaker Series, the Maggie and Dick Scarlett Excellence Fund in SpeechLanguage Pathology, and funding for the UW Speech and Hearing Clinic relocation to Mountain View Medical Park.
In 2004, Scarlett received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Arts and Sciences, and in 2018, she received an honorary doctorate from UW. Maggie and Dick have three children and eight grandchildren — the fourth generation of Cowboys in the family. “The most important chapter of my life is my family,” Scarlett says.
U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, a longtime friend from Cody, captured Scarlett’s essence in his nomination letter: “Maggie Scarlett is truly a living symbol of everything that makes the University of Wyoming great. Her exemplary life’s work embodies the spirit of this distinguished award.”
ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENT
DISTINGUIS HED ALUMNI
ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENT MEDALLIO N SERVICE
The Perfect Way for a Community to Celebrate Itself
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA LYNNE SIMPSON’S LIFELONG
MISSION IS TO BUILD COMMUNITY THROUGH THE ARTS.
When Lynne Simpson received word that she would be honored as a University of Wyoming Distinguished Alumna, her first reaction was classic Simpson — humility mixed with a touch of imposter syndrome. “All I can think of is everybody to whom I owe deep gratitude for joining with me to make things happen,” she says.
But those who know Simpson’s remarkable five-decade career building arts communities and championing the issues of our aging population across Wyoming know better. Simpson is a visionary who sees not just what is, but what could be — and then makes it happen.
Simpson graduated from Cody High School and Cottey College, where she was student body president. Then, with a packed suitcase and $100, she headed to New York City to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional actor. She lived in the Rehearsal Club — the setting of the movie “Stage Door” — and studied theater at the American Theater Wing and at the Actors Center
while working on Wall Street. She was Miss Congeniality in the Miss New York City contest and won a chorus role on the Perry Como Show.
But fate intervened. After a whirlwind courtship of 13 days, Lynne and Pete Simpson became engaged during a Christmas visit to Cody. Though she hated to leave New York and her budding career, Simpson chose love. It would prove to be a fortuitous decision. In Pete, she found a true partner who shared her passions. Like Lynne, he loved theater, music and the humanities: “That makes a very magical marriage when you’re married to a partner who loves what you love.”
Together, they became a formidable team, moving from Eugene, Ore. — where Pete earned his Ph.D. and Lynne performed at the University of Oregon — to Jackson, Casper, Sheridan and finally Laramie. Wherever the Simpsons landed, they quickly became active in public service and community theater.
Lynne and Pete Simpson
While living in Jackson, Simpson was awarded one of the first Wyoming Arts Council grants for the production of “The Little Prince,” and she inaugurated the famous Walk Festival Hall with a production of “Mame.” In Casper, she received a federal grant to celebrate the bicentennial and produced “1776,” among other activities. Another highlight was her production of “Oliver” at the local children’s home, which involved all 100 residents and the broader community. In Sheridan, Lynne directed five plays per year for the Civic Theater Guild and placed in two national theater competitions sponsored by the American Community Theater Association. She became a board member of that organization, traveling and speaking internationally.
When Pete became the UW vice president for advancement in 1986, Lynne saw her chance to complete her formal education. At age 50+, she earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities and theater, a master’s in public administration, and a master’s in education and adult learning. Working with the College of Education, she developed The Wyoming Project, a theater-in-education program that took her to England, touring rural schools in Yorkshire and teaching about the Oregon Trail and Wyoming’s natural habitat. Simpson then became a fellow at the National Endowment for the Arts as an assistant for the chairman during the 1991 Mapplethorpe controversy. Simpson became the director of senior services for Albany County in 1992. Under her direction, the first Wellness Center for Seniors was founded with its Life Long Learning Center. The partnership with UW retirees provided rich learning experiences for the county’s railroaders, businesspeople, ranchers and more. As a result, Simpson was invited to speak at the National Conference on Aging.
Perhaps Simpson’s greatest skill has been her ability to write grants and to build public-private partnerships. She’s written over $1 million worth of grants that have helped several institutions: “All my projects were funded by five entities: city, county, state, federal and private funds.” This approach created what Simpson calls “the perfect way for a community to celebrate itself” — when both public will and private investment align behind a shared vision. Now retired, Simpson has been teaching workshops on creativity for retirees and the elderly in Cody. The entire Simpson family toured the state with a production of “John Brown’s Body” several years ago. Also accomplished
“Our creative talents have a way of healing us and making us bloom again in life.”
–Lynne Simpson
artists and performers, Lynne and Pete’s children are the “projects” that matter the most, the most inspiring and the most loved.
“The arts are a very necessary part of blessing and developing our humanness,” she explains. “Without them, you don’t die, but your humanness has less expression. Our creative talents have a way of healing us and making us bloom again in life.”
DISTINGUIS
Proving the Doubters Wrong
DISCOVER DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS DON SNYDER’S REMARKABLE JOURNEY.
When Don Snyder’s high school counselor advised him not to go to college, she couldn’t have imagined she was talking to a future bank president and a university and community leader. The first of many “no way in hell” predictions — Snyder has spent his lifetime proving them wrong.
“I’ve heard it in so many projects,”
Snyder says. “When somebody tells me something can’t be done, I find that to be incredibly motivating.”
Growing up, Snyder worked on the family farm near Aberdeen, S.D., and then in Wyoming in his father’s tire shop. One particularly rainy summer in Jackson Hole, Snyder worked road maintenance for $1.25 an hour. He
befriended a grease monkey who lived in his 1957 Nash Rambler down by the river. “I decided that maybe I wanted to make a little bit more of myself than that, and that’s really when I got serious about studying,” Snyder says.
After a year at Sheridan College, Snyder transferred to UW with renewed determination. The change was dramatic — he made the dean’s list and graduated in business administration with honors.
Fresh out of UW, Snyder joined United California Bank with a simple philosophy: “I was going to work harder than the person in front of me, the person behind me, the person to my left and the person to the right.”
In his first 18 years, he managed the Taipei branch and opened offices in Bangkok and Seoul. The Latin American debt crisis in the early 1980s placed him in charge of the Latin American branches. His willingness to tackle unfamiliar territories — whether geographic or professional — became a hallmark of his career and fueled his meteoric rise. It led to him achieving his goal of being a bank president before 40 years of age — president and CEO of First Interstate Bank of Nevada in 1987.
When Wells Fargo was acquiring First Interstate in the early 1990s, Snyder faced a choice — relocate elsewhere or stay in Las Vegas. He chose Las Vegas. Gaming industry pioneer and major bank customer Bill Boyd approached him about revitalizing downtown Las Vegas. Fremont Street, the historic heart of the city, was struggling to compete with the rapidly developing Strip and suburban casinos.
“There’s no way in hell that you’re going to get this thing done,” Snyder was told. Many doubted that eight
fiercely competitive legendary casino owners could work together, but Snyder insisted on a comprehensive strategic planning process and brought them to the table. The result was the Fremont Street Experience, a groundbreaking public-private partnership that transformed downtown Las Vegas into a major tourist attraction.
Bill Boyd then approach Snyder again to join his company’s board and to serve as president. After a successful nine years, Snyder chose to retire and to turn his attention to public service and community engagement.
Perhaps no project better exemplifies Snyder’s ability to achieve the impossible than The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Many dismissed the idea of Las Vegas’s first world-class performing arts center as unrealistic. Snyder agreed to chair the effort, but only under his familiar conditions, his successful formula — a comprehensive
business plan, new board members and professional staff dedicated to the project.
Snyder has been deeply engaged with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) over the past 37 years. He joined the UNLV Foundation when he first moved to Las Vegas and served as its chair, leading the university’s first comprehensive capital campaign, which raised $537 million. He was then asked to serve as dean of the UNLV College of Hospitality and then as acting president. He helped UNLV achieve Research 1 status, secured approval for the university’s medical school and facilitated the first-ever U.S. presidential debate on campus.
Snyder’s Wyoming roots remain central to his identity. He is being recognized as a UW Distinguished Alumnus. His autobiography, “Taking the Lead,” chronicles his remarkable journey from farm boy to community leader.
Snyder and his wife, Dee, have contributed approximately $10 million to various causes over the years. Their generosity has touched education at every level — from the elementary school named in their honor to major university initiatives. In a particularly meaningful moment, the couple made $1 million commitments to both UNLV and The Smith Center on the same day.
“We both said this has to be the best day in our life,” Snyder says. “To be able to do two $1 million gifts on the same day is pretty significant for people from humble beginnings.”
Looking back at his high school counselor’s prediction, Snyder has no regrets. His life’s work has provided all the response necessary. The doubters, it turns out, couldn’t have been more wrong.
Don Snyder was key in bringing The Smith Center for Performing Arts to Las Vegas.
Greg Dyekman’s Lifetime of Service
THIS MEDALLION SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT EMBODIES THE VALUES OF SERVICE LEARNED IN BOY SCOUTS.
When Greg Dyekman was 13 years old cleaning out the stands at Cheyenne Frontier Days with his Boy Scout troop, he discovered something that would shape the rest of his life — the profound satisfaction that comes from serving others. “There was just that intrinsic good feeling of serving others,” Dyekman says. “It was the first time I realized how much I enjoyed doing it.”
That realization would become the foundation for a lifetime of extraordinary service to the University of Wyoming and to the state. Dyekman is this year’s well-deserved recipient of the UW Medallion Service Award, the university’s highest honor for volunteer service.
“Service is a requirement for advancement in scouting,” Dyekman says. “You can’t be an Eagle Scout without having done several service projects. But it also was the first time I realized how much I enjoyed doing it.”
More than five decades later, Dyekman continues to serve on the Boy Scouts board for his local council — a commitment spanning 30 years. He has chaired the Scout Committee for the Kiwanis pancake breakfast for over two decades and organized high-profile fundraising events, including a dinner featuring President Gerald Ford, who also was an Eagle Scout.
At East High School in Cheyenne, Dyekman joined the debate team — which turned out to be
foundational for his future. The topic that year focused on the jury system, which immersed him in legal research. “Debate makes you synthesize all the other skills you were learning into a competitive framework,” Dyekman says. The experience was so powerful that, by high school graduation, he knew he wanted to attend law school — eventually.
His strategic thinking — another Scout value — led him to seek advice about college: “I asked judges and lawyers if there was some subject matter that you would have gotten more of in college, if you knew then what you know now. Every single one said accounting.” And so, for undergrad, he majored
COURTESY PHOTO
in accounting. He then graduated from the UW College of Law in 1980 in the top 10 percent of his class, returning to Cheyenne to practice with Dray, Thomson & Dyekman.
The combination of accounting and legal expertise made him invaluable not only for his career, but also to the nonprofit organizations he serves. “I started getting on boards right away out of law school,” he says. “I started in leadership roles in nonprofits. And then I became involved in raising money for nonprofits.”
Jaden
Campbell and other members of the UW Speech and Debate Club take part in a mock debate at their weekly meeting.
Dyekman’s deep involvement with UW began with a chance encounter in Jackson in the mid-1990s. Secretary of State Thyra Thomson beckoned him over to her table: “Greg, I loved that event (with President Ford). I’m on this board at the university — the A&S Board of Visitors — and I think they could use your help.”
That invitation launched Dyekman’s extensive university service. He served on the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors, chairing it for six years. The College of Law lacked an advisory board, and so he helped form one and served on it as well. Later, he joined the UW Foundation board and eventually the College of Business board — completing service to all the colleges where he had studied. “The running joke on campus was that I was a business graduate and had chaired the A&S board, but I had never been on the business board,” Dyekman laughs.
His Scout training in leadership has proven invaluable: “There’s just not that many people who are doing nonprofit leadership at the level I’ve done it. I’ve always appreciated being asked — so much that I feel like, if it’s something I can do, it’s probably something I should do. Service has brought me tremendous fulfillment, friendships and joy.”
Today, Dyekman’s service portfolio reads like a who’s who of Wyoming organizations: UW Foundation board chair, College of Arts and
“Debate was the greatest educational experience I had in high school and in college.” –Greg Dyekman
Sciences Board of Visitors chair, Boy Scouts Board president, College of Business Advisory Board chair, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra president, church treasurer for 39 years, countless campaign leadership roles, and much more.
His total giving to UW exceeds $2.4 million, including the recent establishment of the Gregory C. Dyekman Fund for Debate — a transformational gift that, with state matching funds, totaled $500,000 to support the program that helped shape his career. “Debate was the greatest educational experience I had in high school and in college,” Dyekman says. His previous funds include the Debate/Forensics Excellence Fund and the Dyekman Law Professorship.
For Dyekman, the Scout Oath’s promise to “help other people at all times” isn’t just a childhood memory — it’s the principle he lives by.
INNOVATION FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Robert Macy brings leadership and academic expertise to his role leading the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
By Micaela Myers
Last year, Robert Macy joined the University of Wyoming as director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI). The center aims to propel UW to the forefront of entrepreneurship and innovation. It leverages coordination, collaboration, promotion and support to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset and to enhance the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Robert Macy brings a comprehensive blend of academic, venture capital and creative industry experience to UW,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “His expertise is key to the success of the
CEI and supports our mission to connect theory with practice and enhance innovation and entrepreneurial endeavors that serve the state of Wyoming.”
A Seattle native, Macy pursued law school at the University of Oregon with the goal of helping entrepreneurs with their startup ventures. He then added an MBA and a Ph.D. In addition to being an entrepreneur and angel investor himself, Macy worked as an innovation and entrepreneurship director and professor at Pennsylvania State University, served as the Bill and Sharon Sheriff Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship at New Mexico State University and, most recently, served as an associate professor of entertainment
Vice President for Research and Economic Development
Parag Chitnis and Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Director Robert Macy
management at the University of Central Florida.
When Macy was an undergraduate in the 1990s, he started a multiplayer online role-playing game company, which he and his partner later sold. It was that experience that led Macy into academia.
“My partners and I did well, but mainly it was a lot of luck,” Macy says. “It would have been nice to have had some mentoring and programs, which didn’t exist as much back then. I really like working with students.”
Now, Macy gives UW students the resources he once hoped for. The CEI supports numerous initiatives, including the University Student Entrepreneurship Club, NSF I-Corps for startups, Technology Commercialization Fellowship Program, University Venture Capital Fund, Venture MBA Program Instruction, Engineering Senior Design Assistance, CEI Faculty Fellows Program, Innovation Consulting Course and the Master Craftsman Program.
“We’re currently working on taking entrepreneurship university-wide and reaching colleges that we haven’t been able to assist yet as well as reaching out to community more,” Macy says.
One of the CEI’s newest programs for students is the Engineering Senior Design Assistance Fund. Companies and organizations contact UW with products or projects they need help with, and UW engineering seniors form teams and gain handson experience. However, sometimes materials are costly, and the new fund will take these projects to the next level.
Macy also wants to reach entrepreneurs in the creative economy, which the Master Craftsman Program will help achieve. The program offers students real-world experience creating functional art to help secure careers in industries such as manufacturing, design and fabrication.
Because UW doesn’t offer a film or television program, Macy — himself a film producer — has brought in guest speakers on these topics.
“I want to help students see that there’s more to the film industry than acting,” he says. “There’s a business side, and those positions tend to be easier to get into and pay better. For example, line
producers are always in demand. I want more opportunities for our students who are not as technologically or business-minded.”
Macy also wants to offer hands-on learning opportunities to UW College of Law students. There are many legal aspects to starting a business, and law students are key to the Technology Commercialization Fellowship Program, which hires UW graduate and honors students to look through the university’s patent portfolio and help move those ideas to commercialization.
Macy also works closely with IMPACT 307, which offers business incubators in Laramie and Casper.
“We are working to integrate our various programming rather than having stand-alone offerings,” he says. “This not only cuts costs but
also provides better end-to-end services. We want to cover everything from brand-new student ideas through nurturing businesses in academic and extracurricular programs and on into the incubators.”
You can read about many CEI initiatives on the following pages.
Macy’s wife, Marisa Macy, serves as the John P. Ellbogen Foundation Professor of Early Childhood Education. Together with their daughter, they enjoy all the outdoor recreation Wyoming has to offer. “From winter sports to hiking, there’s more than any human being could ever possibly do,” Macy says.
Gene Humphrey, left, from the 9H Research Foundation, presents a Senior Design Challenge award to College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students Cedric Bond, Jay Matter, Mason Tomac, Zachary Woith and Jayden Riley.
MEET THE NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Assistant Director Alexander Hegeman-Davis shares why he’s passionate about helping Wyoming businesses thrive.
This spring, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) welcomed its new assistant director. We sat down with Alex Hegeman-Davis to learn more about his background and passion for entrepreneurship.
Tell us a bit about your background in entrepreneurship: Before stepping into this role, most of my background centered on business and entrepreneurship. I grew up working in my family’s bike shop in Champaign, Ill., which is really where my love of customer service and small business started. I went to the University of Wisconsin and earned a degree in history while working full-time in restaurant management. After college, I worked in several management roles at a large e-commerce company before returning home to run our family’s bike shop as president. That role gave me firsthand experience in leading a small business and growing it from the inside out.
What are your responsibilities as CEI assistant director?
In this role, I help promote everything the center is doing and work on launching new programs and events that support entrepreneurship at UW and across Wyoming. That includes building relationships on and off campus, working with students and faculty, and helping shape workshops, speakers and resources that make a difference. I’m excited to support a wide range of entrepreneurial activities — whether that’s helping students pitch their first business idea or strengthening ties with local business partners.
What drew you to this position?
I’ve always been interested in all things business, but what really drives me is helping others succeed in their own ventures. While running my bike shop, we were able to grow sales and streamline operations, and over time I started helping other shop owners around the country do the same. I found that I truly loved the mentoring side of things — helping people work through challenges, improve what they’re doing and grow stronger businesses. After I sold my own business, I knew I wanted to keep helping others in this space, and this position at UW felt like the perfect fit.
What do you hope to accomplish?
In the short term, I want to help strengthen the center’s
role on campus — connecting students, faculty and the broader community with great resources, mentorship and programming. Long term, I’d love to see UW become a real hub for entrepreneurship in the state. Wyoming’s economy depends heavily on small businesses — about 65 percent of the workforce is employed by them, which is pretty incredible. I want to help support those businesses and also encourage new ideas and startups that will help shape the future of Wyoming in exciting ways.
“There’s something really special about helping someone take a spark of an idea and watching it grow into something meaningful.”
– Alex Hegeman-Davis
What do you love about this field?
Wyoming was really built on the spirit of entrepreneurship, and I love that. Whether it’s a new product, a service or a totally fresh idea, I’m always inspired by the creativity and problem-solving that people bring to the table. Being part of a university setting where students are constantly coming up with new ideas — and getting to help turn some of those into real businesses — is just a really exciting place to be. It’s energizing, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
What do you love about living and working in Wyoming?
I love how easy it is to feel connected — both to the land and to the people. In my role as CEI assistant director, I get to work with students, faculty and community members who are full of big ideas and genuine drive. There’s something really special about helping someone take a spark of an idea and watching it grow into something meaningful. Outside of work, you’ll usually find me on a trail — hiking in the mountains or biking quiet gravel roads. The open space here clears my head and brings me peace. Wyoming has a way of slowing things down just enough to notice what matters. It’s a place that encourages creativity, resilience and grounded ambition — and I feel lucky to call it home.
A Venture in
UW’S NEW VENTURE CAPITAL CLUB GIVES STUDENTS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDING WHILE AIDING WYOMING EARLY STARTUPS.
By UW Communications and Micaela Myers
Emerging companies in Wyoming need venture capital — private equity financing — to get off the ground. In addition, business students need to learn hands-on about private equity funding and due diligence.
Teaming up with the University of Wyoming Foundation, Robert Macy — who is director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation — put the two needs together to create an entrepreneurial finance class that will now morph into a year-round club.
“There’s a funding gap between the startup phase of a company and when it becomes suitable for institutional capital from a large venture capital firm,” Macy says. “We aim to fill that gap.”
The program is generously funded by the Fisher Incentive Funds in Entrepreneurship, an endowment established in 2017 by Donne and Sue Fisher. The Fisher funds are aimed at creating a lasting legacy by empowering students through real-world entrepreneurial experiences.
“This is a mission-based seed fund, which means it’s designed to do something other than just make money
for investors,” Macy says, adding that it’s specifically geared to promote UWaffiliated startups.
Investment from the fund requires a UW touchpoint such as a student, staff, faculty or alum or a startup using intellectual property generated by UW. Businesses that wish to work with the program as a source of funding need to contact Macy directly before the process of evaluating the investment opportunity begins with the students. Macy serves as the managing director of the fund.
“Qualified businesses will be invited to pitch the fund, and there will be startups referred by various sources in Wyoming’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Macy says.
Once prospective startups are lined up, they will make their pitches to students in the club. Students then perform due diligence on the companies and vote whether to invest. Typical investment amounts are expected to be about $100,000, depending upon funding availability each year.
“We conducted due diligence on one company to potentially invest in them,” says Venture MBA student Emily Jarrell of Sanford, Fla., who took part
in the initial course this past spring. “It was such an eye-opening experience to see things from the venture capital side. This class is not something students would typically get to participate in. When it comes to venture capital firms, it’s extremely hard to get into without any background. Internships are particularly difficult to secure, so it’s a great resume builder.”
Jarrell is currently launching a business — Cowboy Country Milling (see page 57) — with two other UW students in the College of Business and College of Law. The class has helped the team evaluate whether seeking outside investment is the right path.
Startups that are invested in through the UW venture capital fund will receive in-kind business services such as training, legal and accounting consultations. If or when a company goes public, gets sold or is acquired,
“IT WAS SUCH AN EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE TO SEE THINGS FROM THE VENTURE CAPITAL SIDE. THIS CLASS IS NOT SOMETHING STUDENTS WOULD TYPICALLY GET TO PARTICIPATE IN.”
Emily Jarrell
Capital
the fund will retrieve any returns on the investments, allowing larger or additional investments to be made in the future.
“Our students are getting invaluable hands-on experience with an important aspect of business
funding and growth before they even graduate,” says Parag Chitnis, UW’s vice president for research and economic development.
“It’s this type of experiential learning that helps set UW apart — giving students real-world
learning opportunities to be more competitive as graduates of UW. It’s a win-win because venture capital from this fund can provide qualified businesses with a critical injection of capital to grow and thrive in our Wyoming economy.”
Venture MBA student Emily Jarrell (center) took part in the inaugural entrepreneurial finance course. Stuart Lerwick (left), J.D. Corson (right) and Jarrell started Cowboy Country Milling, which brings to market quality, Wyoming-grown wheat.
PHOTO BY J.T. CATTELAN
Next-Gen Entrepreneurs
For 25 years, the John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition has encouraged and rewarded the next generation of entrepreneurs.
By Micaela Myers
For 25 years, the John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship
Competition at the University of Wyoming has been encouraging students across the state to turn their ideas into thriving businesses. Open to all UW and community college students, the competition awards cash prizes to top ventures with strong business potential. Participants gain access to business consulting, mentorship from C-level executives, financial guidance and a network of investors and partners. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged, fostering diverse skill sets essential for success.
“The Ellbogen Entrepreneurship Competition was a transformative experience for our team,” says MBA student Chooi Kim Lau, whose team was a 2025 finalist. “It provided the structure and mentorship needed to refine our business model and build a strong foundation for Carbonado Technology. We developed a fullscale business plan including marketing strategies, financial projections and a competitor analysis. Most importantly, we gained valuable training in delivering a compelling business pitch — an essential tool for attracting investors and engaging community partners. This experience helped us transition from concept to company with clarity and confidence.”
Competition Evolution
In 2000, the competition launched with contributions from First Interstate Bank and the Woodson Family Foundation. It grew in 2005, when First Interstate made another commitment that was matched by the state of Wyoming. Five years later, the John P. Ellbogen Foundation made a donation that was also matched by the state of Wyoming. In 2011, the prize money increased to $30,000, and the event was renamed the John P. Ellbogen $30K Competition. In 2017, First Interstate and the John P. Ellbogen Foundation made additional commitments matched by the state of Wyoming that increased the cash prize given each year, so the name changed once more to become the John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition.
The competition has also grown in entries and business types.
“We were delighted this year with the broad range of entrepreneurs,” says College of Business Senior Assistant Dean Ben Cook. “Entries ranged from a business that created a clothing brand focused on the waterfowl hunting industry to a business focused on repurposing spent nuclear fuel to generate additional power.”
The competition also adjusted its scheduling, reducing from two days of spread–out events to one streamlined day to make it easier for interested parties to observe and participate.
“One of the guiding principles we had this year was to make the event all-encompassing — one event that everybody comes and sees, from the business pitches all the way to the awards. In order to do that, we needed to make sure that the event was constrained to a reasonable time, so we were very diligent about making sure that the individual participants had an explicit amount of time to pitch and to address questions.”
A resource fair benefits participants and the public, offering tabling for entrepreneurial resources such as the Small Business Development Center, the Wyoming Business Council and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Lunch was served while the judges deliberated, and then the winners were announced.
“We wanted to make it a highproduction value,” Cook says. “It was very professional, with an amazing stage setup and environment.”
To make sure students from Wyoming community colleges and various majors could participate, the competition also changed the previous course requirement to a series of workshops that cover everything from marketing and operations to financing and pitch practices with coaching.
“This year we had 28 applicants in round one,” says College of Business Entrepreneurial Activity and Events Coordinator Hannah McLeanLeonard. “They were all expected to do a written summary with the key points about the business idea. The top 16 progressed to round two, where they
wrote a full business plan and gave a six-minute virtual pitch.”
Each round utilized a different set of judges, who all volunteer their time and expertise. In December, the eight finalists were announced. All the finalists went through the educational workshops and pitch practices, received mentorship and coaching, and completed a full business plan before the May competition.
Another aspect of the competition that evolved is how the award money is distributed.
“In the past, some entrants would walk away with nothing from the competition, and we felt like that didn’t really reward the level of effort,” Cook says. “Under the new format, all businesses that make it to the second round receive some funding.”
All finalists receive additional funding that can be used for things like product prototypes or graphic design for a business logo. In addition to the top three prizes, there are a number of individual prizes, such as audience choice, small-to-medium enterprises, innovation and ethics awards. Half of the prize money is given up front, and the other half is given several months later after a progress report.
The mentorship continues after the end of the school year. “Every participant is encouraged to apply for our Venture Mentoring Service, which we launched this year,” Cook says. “It brings in entrepreneurs from our alumni network and other businesspeople to offer virtual mentoring. Teams can get three to four businesspeople to serve as confidential guides and mentors for them to continue developing.”
Cook is grateful to the many entities that support the competition, including the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
DeWitt AeroTech Inc.
DeWitt AeroTech Inc. specializes in advanced drone technology for industrial inspections and earned this year’s honorable mention and thirdplace awards. The company is led by College of Business student Korbin DeWitt of Shoshoni and College of Engineering and Physical Sciences students Nolan Nachbar of Evansville and Nile Young of Laramie. DeWitt serves the energy, infrastructure and agricultural sectors. The company enhances safety and efficiency through its cutting-edge micro-drone, the MicroScout. Compact, modular and highly adaptable, the MicroScout is designed to access tight spaces and gather critical data with precision.
“MicroScout was born out of countless conversations with our friends and family — many of whom work in emergency response such as firefighters, EMTs, law enforcement officers, and search and rescue professionals,” DeWitt says. “These are people we’re close to, and they kept telling us the same thing: They need something small, fast and simple that gives them intel before they enter dangerous or unknown environments. That’s what drove us to build MicroScout.”
The Ellbogen Entrepreneurship Competition gave the team pitch experience and helped it communicate the value of MicroScout more clearly in a high-pressure setting. The team plans to continue development, testing and refinement of the platform as it prepares for early field deployment.
Prene Outdoors
John Beier
Led by College of Business student John Beier of Sidney, Neb., Prene Outdoors is an emerging waterfowl brand that produces high-quality apparel and gear for hunters. The company’s product line includes field drinkware, dry bags and call lanyards, all designed for durability in harsh outdoor conditions. While currently focused on waterfowl hunting, Prene is exploring expansion into deer, turkey and upland bird markets. The company took home the Daniels Fund Ethical Startup Award and the Micale Community Award.
“The idea for Prene came from the desire to create gear and apparel that is specifically designed and made for waterfowl hunters and to create a company that had a strong community feel and not just another disconnected brand,” Beier says. “I gained tons of knowledge from the Ellbogen competition, including speaking skills that I never had before. I also gained business knowledge and access to incredibly smart mentors.”
Beier plans to double the product line within a year.
Korbin DeWitt, Nile Young and Nolan Nachbar
Cowboy Country Milling
This year, Cowboy Country Milling took home the first place and First Interstate Audience Choice awards. The team is made up of College of Business students Stuart Lerwick of Pine Bluffs, Emily Jarrell of Sanford, Fla., and College of Law student J.D. Corson of Baggs.
“The idea came from the roots of a fifth-generation family farm in Albin, Wyo.,” says Lerwick, the team’s leader. “I was concerned with the lack of Wyoming representation in the flour industry and wanted to change that. This turned into understanding the process of how flour is made and realizing how over-processed and chemically treated wheat is through the process of milling.”
Cowboy Country Milling brings Wyoming-grown wheat to bakers, offering flours crafted to meet the needs
of artisanal and home baking. Using traditional milling techniques and a variety of wheat types, the company aims to celebrate Wyoming’s agricultural heritage while providing high-quality products.
“Through the competition, we’ve gained lots of experience with preparing for meetings and pitches, along with invaluable lessons and feedback from those who know best,” Jarrell says. “Experiential learning is arguably the best way to gain knowledge, and this competition really taught us that. The people we’ve met along the way continue to positively impact us as people and business owners.”
Corson adds, “Expect to have flour on your table soon!”
Stuart Lerwick harvesting wheat on his family’s farm
Carbonado Technology LLC
This year’s runner-up, Carbonado Technology LLC, is pioneering coal-derived materials to sustain Wyoming’s communities amid the state’s evolving energy landscape. The company has developed 12 patented construction materials, including char bricks and stone veneers. While breaking into the construction market requires significant investment, Carbonado is currently focusing on small artisanal products with fewer regulatory barriers.
It was founded on years of dedicated research and development by MBA student and School of Energy Resources Research Scientist Chooi Kim Lau and College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Professor Kam Ng. Motivated by a shared mission to repurpose Wyoming’s abundant coal resources in an environmentally responsible way, they applied their engineering expertise to develop a process that transforms coal byproducts into eco-friendly construction materials. These innovations are protected under patents licensed through UW and are ready for commercialization.
The core innovation behind Carbonado originated from Lau’s master’s thesis, which earned the UW 2024 Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award. Titled “Investigating the Lifecycle and the Techno-Economic
Analysis of Coal-Derived Carbon Building Materials for Low-Rise Buildings,” it laid the technical and economic foundation for Carbonado’s mission. Her work is a compelling example of how academic research can drive real-world innovation and economic development in Wyoming and beyond.
“Our patented product line — developed in partnership with UW — includes bricks, stone veneers, block pavers, aggregates, mortars, grouts and carbonbased structural units,” Ng says. “These materials are non-combustible and lightweight and offer superior thermal insulation, making them ideal for modern sustainable construction.” Thus, they are well-suited for resilient, sustainable and energy-efficient construction.
“Our immediate goal is to establish a small-scale manufacturing facility in Wyoming to produce lightweight customizable stone veneers for local builders and contractors,” Lau says. “This pilot production phase will help us meet initial demand, validate our product in real-world settings and generate early revenue. At the same time, we’re actively pursuing partnerships to scale our operations, broaden our product offerings and expand into regional and national markets. We’re excited to continue building a cleaner carbon-smart future — one stone at a time.”
Kam Ng and Chooi Kim Lau
Skála
Winner of the Small-Medium Enterprise Award, Skála created the Truck Bed Hammock System, which is designed to transform truck beds into versatile comfortable spaces. With a quick-install stake pocket design, the system maintains access to the truck bed and hitch while providing a durable lightweight relaxation solution for camping, tailgating and outdoor events.
“The idea for Skála came from a place of frustration,” says Zachary Pinc of Moline, Ill., who entered the competition with fellow College of Business student Sarah Drewry of Lander. “As someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, I was tired of how complicated and limiting traditional outdoor gear could be, especially rooftop tents and bulky setups that take over your truck bed. I wanted something simple and intuitive, something that hooks up easily to the bed of your truck so you can start relaxing in nature comfortably, simply and often.”
Over the next year, the company is focusing on growth and validation. It plans to file for a provisional patent, to secure additional funding and to begin building a marketing campaign to generate brand awareness. Once it gains traction, it plans to begin scaling manufacturing and preparing for a broader product launch.
“The Ellbogen competition gave me access to incredible mentorship that I know will continue to benefit me long after the competition,” Pinc says. “More importantly, it taught me to chase my ideas and trust the entrepreneurial process. I found that I genuinely love seeing an idea come to life, and having a platform to share it with others was a powerful and validating experience.”
RenU Fuel Solutions
College of Business student Jacob Kirby of San Marcos, Texas, teamed up with College of Engineering and Physical Sciences student Anh Hoang Minh Nguyen of Vietnam to earn the Benson Impact and Innovation Award for their concept, RenU Fuel Solutions.
RenU delivers nuclear fuel cycle and spent fuel supply chain solutions to U.S. government agencies and commercial nuclear power providers. The company is committed to building critical nuclear infrastructure in Wyoming, which will create high-quality stable jobs in both the federal and commercial sectors.
The idea was born when a group of international nuclear scientists came to UW for the 2024 Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp. “We had two weeks to solve some of the biggest problems in the nuclear industry, and that is where the concept was born,” Kirby says. “Our mission is to solve the problem of nuclear waste by turning it into a revenue-generating asset. During the Ellbogen entrepreneurship competition, we received exceptional guidance from our coach, Steve Hanlon, and insightful feedback from the entire coaching team. The competition helped us transform our idea into a detailed business plan and provided seed funding for our logo and early startup costs.”
They are now exploring partnerships with institutions to support their experimental work. They also plan to pursue additional contests to generate funds and onboard high-caliber talent.
Sarah Drewry and Zachary Pinc
Corey Billington and Jacob Kirby
PetNet
PetNet is developing an all-in-one platform for pet owners, integrating social networking, expert advice and a curated marketplace. The app will allow users to create pet profiles to track health records, milestones and care preferences and will connect owners with veterinarians, groomers and pet service providers.
“PetNet came from my love for animals and the chaos of trying to care for them in today’s world,” says College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources student Josephine Walton of Sheridan, who teamed up with College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources student Lilly McGever of Phoenix, Ariz., and College of Business students Karsten and Keaton Stone of Cody.
“As a lifelong pet owner, I know how much a pet can change your life — coming home to that wagging tail, that unconditional love,” Watson says. “I truly believe pets make us better people — happier, more grounded and far more present. I wanted to build something that supports that bond. That’s where PetNet began: a one-stop platform where everything from pet profiles to a dedicated marketplace could come together. More than just a tool, it’s a community rooted in passion, built with purpose and designed to make pet care feel less overwhelming and more connected.”
The team is currently developing the app and reaching out to local small pet businesses.
“The Ellbogen competition was extremely transformative,” Watson says. “It gave my team the structure, mentorship and opportunity to take our idea seriously and grow our business. Being surrounded by so many passionate experienced professionals gave us the inspiration to dream bigger and think deeper. My team walked away with an understanding about what it takes to build a business and a plan to succeed. We are incredibly grateful to have had the chance to compete throughout the Ellbogen competition.”
Josie Walton
At Service Your
The University Center helps fund economic impact studies and launched Wyo BizLink to offer entrepreneurs a one-stop shop for resources.
By Micaela Myers
In 2023, the University of Wyoming was selected by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to receive $200,000 a year over five years to establish an EDA University Center Economic Development Technical Assistance Program.
“The EDA University Center designation will broaden the reach of and access to both university assets and other regional and statewide inclusive entrepreneurial, startup and smallbusiness resources and services in Wyoming,” Parag Chitnis, vice president for UW’s Research and Economic Development Division, said at the announcement in
2023. “As the University Center, UW’s Research and Economic Development Division will be the hub of this expansion of access to resources, focusing on advancing high-growth entrepreneurship and cultivating innovation.”
Currently, the University Center is funding two key initiatives: Wyo BizLink, which connects entrepreneurs to resources across the state, and economic studies through the UW Center for Business and Economic Analysis.
“We’re able to help enable economic impact studies for Wyoming organizations that could not otherwise afford them,” says Robert Macy, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “The other initiative
makes it easier for Wyoming businesses to navigate through the complicated entrepreneurship ecosystem when looking for resources.”
Wyo BizLink
Nationally, a website called SourceLink offers innovators and job creators networks of support, technology solutions and consulting services. The University Center helped to fund Wyo BizLink (www.wyobizlink. com), a Wyoming-focused site using SourceLink technology. The site offers resources for Wyoming businesses and entrepreneurs looking for assistance with licensing and permits, funding and grants, sales and marketing
strategies, manufacturing support, business planning and strategy, and compliance and legal guidance.
“We worked closely with the Wyoming Business Council to create the Wyo BizLink site,” Macy says. “It’s a one-stop repository for entrepreneurs to find the resources they need. Say you’re starting a company and you want to know where to find certain supply chain resources, you go to the Wyo BizLink. It’s a way to connect all parts of the business and entrepreneurial ecosystem for the state. If you want to do something innovative, creative or entrepreneurial, start here.”
Taylor Vignaroli, entrepreneur development manager for the Wyoming Business Council, explains that the team first conducted a state ecosystem map and helped resource providers create profiles on the platform. The site includes a digital searchable database that Wyo BizLink hosts.
“The Wyoming Business Council is focused on solving problems in ways that can create more successful and sustainable
“ Wyo BizLink will make it easy for businesses to find the resources and support they need all in one place.”
- Taylor Vignaroli
communities and businesses,” Vignaroli says. “A lot of companies have difficulty trying to navigate the great resources Wyoming has to offer for budding and existing businesses. That’s at the heart of the project. Wyo BizLink will make it easy for businesses to find the resources and support they need all in one place. With a hub of vetted trusted organizations in Wyoming and beyond, new and existing businesses across the state can more easily find a pathway to success.”
Vignaroli calls on state business resources to join the project and create free profiles on the site. Examples of the resources entrepreneurs and businesspeople will find on Wyo BizLink include the College of Business Center for Business and Economic Analysis, the High Plains American Indian Research Institute, Manufacturing Works, the Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services and UW Extension.
While the Wyoming Business Council spearheaded Wyo BizLink’s overall management, generous support also came from Laramie County Community College, Wyoming Libraries to Business (WL2B) and UW. The University Center is specifically investing in a second layer to the website.
“That will be a referral source,” Macy says. “So, if you go on the site looking for things and still need additional help, someone will help direct you, similar to a concierge service.”
Center for Business and Economic Analysis
The other major project the EDA University Center funds is economic studies through the College of Business Center for Business and Economic Analysis, which supports the economic growth and diversification of Wyoming’s economy through applied economic and business analytics for communities, industries and entrepreneurs who desire a thriving and prosperous Wyoming.
“We are extremely grateful for the University Center grant funds from the U.S. Economic
Development Agency,” says Center for Business and Economic Analysis Director David Aadland.
“The funds have allowed us to offset the cost of three to four research projects per year for Wyoming communities and nonprofits that would have otherwise been too expensive. Many of the groups we work with are made up of volunteers and community members who simply don’t have the means to pay for a full economic study. By using the EDA funds, we can lower the cost to Wyoming stakeholders and still provide complete and thorough analysis.”
Three recent examples are Laramie Jubilee Days, the National Outdoor Leadership School and the Big Horn Basin Dinosaur and Geoscience Museum.
For Laramie Jubilee Days, the center updated the event’s previous economic impact study using cell phone and credit card data to track visitation and spending at the event to help market Laramie to potential visitors.
With the National Outdoor Leadership School, the center studied the overall economic impact to Wyoming from the school, which is headquartered in Lander. Those impacts include
total number of jobs, contribution to gross state product and tax revenue generated.
For the City of Greybull, the center estimated the construction, operations and visitation impacts resulting from the then-proposed Big Horn Basin Dinosaur and Geoscience Museum.
Visit www.uwyo.edu/research/ economic-development to learn more about the EDA University Center and other resources.
The Center for Business and Economic Analysis, housed in the UW College of Business, conducted an economic impact study for Laramie Jubilee Days.
OuTReacH K-14 STEM EDUCATION
The UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences is excited to engage students and teachers in hands-on STEM learning. Strengthening K-14 education can increase the number and quality of students pursuing STEM programs at the University of Wyoming, leading to impactful careers in Wyoming and beyond.
WYOMING AIR NATIONAL GUARD DISCOVERY DAY » SEPT. 25, 2025
Join us at the Wyoming Air Guard base, 217 Del Range BLVD in Cheyenne for a day of STEM activities, demonstrations, aircraft, simulators and more!
COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK »
DEC. 6-12, 2025
Computer Science Education Week is a worldwide effort that aims to expose all students to the field of computer science and increase interest in computer coding. Our student ambassadors are excited to visit your classroom, introduce your students to coding, and facilitate an engaging coding activity. We even have coding activities that require no computers, if needed! To sign up visit bit.ly/cosiweek
ENGINEERS WEEK » FEB. 22-28,
2026
Professional and student engineers visit Wyoming 3rd grade classrooms to facilitate an engineering design challenge to inspire innovative thinking, design and problem solving. Over 70% of Wyoming’s third graders participated in this event last year. We would
CLASSROOM VISITS
Our team of CEPS Student Ambassadors can visit classrooms, virtually or in person, to encourage the exploration of the engineering design process.
love to have you join us! To sign up, visit bit.ly/ eweek2026
MATHCOUNTS 2026
The Wyoming State MATHCOUNTS competition is part of a national competition series that provides 6th-8th grade students the chance to compete in contests against and alongside their peers. If your child’s school does not already compete in the MATHCOUNTS series, please have them contact Dr. Jones to help get them set up.
LAND
SURVEYORS OUTREACH, NATIONAL SURVEYOR’S WEEK » MARCH 15-21, 2026
We connect educators and students in 4th-12th grades with professional land surveyors to learn more about this profession and support Wyoming state STEM objectives. Sign up for a visit from a professional in the field who will talk about the cool history of surveying and engage your students with surveying fun! To sign up, visit bit.ly/uwlandsurveyor
FIELD TRIPS TO CEPS
Led by current engineering students to provide an introduction to our programs. Enjoy tours of the engineering buildings, interactive learning in our makerspaces, hands-on activities, world-class drilling simulator demonstration, and much more!
The Farm Boy Who Conquered Silicon Valley
MVP GENE HUMPHREY’S JOURNEY FROM RURAL WYOMING TO GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROVES THAT HARD WORK AND WYOMING GRIT CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE.
By Tamara Linse
The alarm clock rang at 4:30 a.m. on the family farm outside Burns. Before school, there were chores. After school, more chores. For Gene Humphrey, this wasn’t hardship — it was simply life. What he didn’t realize then was that those early mornings and endless days of farm work were building the foundation for a career that would span combat helicopter pilot, government engineer, global entrepreneur and generous philanthropist.
“Growing up on the farm, you got up, and you did your chores before you went to school,” Humphrey says. “And then you came home from school and did your chores again. Everybody had to pull their load to get through.”
That philosophy of pulling your weight would carry Humphrey through the jungles of Vietnam, the corridors of Silicon Valley and
eventually back to Wyoming, where he’s now using his success to lift up future generations of students.
Army Veteran
When Humphrey graduated from Burns High School in 1964, college was out of reach financially, so he made a decision that would define his life — he enlisted in the U.S. Army. “We couldn’t really afford to go to college any other way but go on the GI Bill,” he says. What followed was a military career that reads like something from a Hollywood script. After flight school, Humphrey found himself in Vietnam in January 1967 as a warrant officer helicopter pilot with the 116th Assault Helicopter Company. He flew heavy troop-carrying helicopters before transitioning to B-model gunships and eventually to the Army’s new
Alumnus Gene Humphrey created the 9H Ranch and the 9H Foundation to support UW engineering students and faculty.
Cobra attack helicopters, helping develop the tactics that would define helicopter warfare.
But on Feb. 29, 1968, Humphrey’s tour took a dramatic turn when he was shot down. The bullet went through his distal femur, damaging arteries and nerves. This led to eight months of hospitalization, including periods when doctors considered amputation due to severe infection.
It was during those long months of recovery that Humphrey’s farm-bred determination truly showed. “You just keep pushing,” he says. While immobilized in a full-body cast, he read voraciously and focused on getting well. When the Army tried to give him
a medical discharge, he refused and convinced leaders to let him become a flight instructor instead.
“In Vietnam, getting up every morning at 4:30 and going out to fly another mission really is just an extension of farm life,” Humphrey says. “You work hard. You carry your weight.”
Engineer and Entrepreneur
When Humphrey finally returned from Vietnam, he used the GI Bill to attend the University of Wyoming, earning his mechanical engineering degree in 1973. It was there he discovered something that would serve him throughout his career: A UW education could compete with anyone’s.
“When I worked for the government on engineering projects with people who had degrees from MIT and all the schools that do advanced research, I realized that I could compete with them,” he says. “I just worked harder than they did.”
That work ethic led him to the Laramie Energy Research Center, where he became project engineer for underground coal gasification at Hanna. His first patent came from that work — technology for gasifying coal.
But Humphrey wasn’t content to just work for the government. An entrepreneurial spirit defines his career. In the 1990s, while still working for the Department of
Humphrey flew Cobra attack helicopters in Vietnam and created International Test Solutions, a sole-source supplier for semiconductor manufacturing.
Defense, Humphrey was touring a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Silicon Valley when inspiration struck. He saw a business opportunity that no one else had noticed and filed a patent the next day.
“I realized there was another business opportunity,” he says. “It took me about a year and a half to figure out how to make the material and get a contract with Intel, and then it became a standard industry once Intel adopted it.”
That material — a silicone compound designed to collect microscopic debris during semiconductor manufacturing and testing — became the foundation for International Test Solutions (ITS), the company Humphrey started in his garage in 1998. Over the next 24 years, ITS became the sole-source supplier to almost everyone who makes or tests computer chips, with offices spanning the globe from Singapore to Germany.
As the company’s president and CEO, Humphrey didn’t just manage — he innovated, becoming the inventor or co-inventor on more than 70 U.S. and international patents. When he sold the company in 2022, it marked the end of an era in semiconductor manufacturing.
“Don’t be afraid to fail,” Humphrey says. “Just keep your eyes open. Work hard. You can make most anything happen if you want to.”
9H Research Foundation
Success could have taken Humphrey anywhere, but his heart remained in Wyoming. While building his Silicon Valley empire, he also was developing the 9H Ranch — a 50,000-acre operation in Albany and Goshen counties running more than 3,000 head of cattle.
More importantly, he was thinking about how to give back to the state and university that shaped him. In 2020, he
founded the 9H Research Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing Wyoming students with real-world practical experience.
“I wanted to give kids an opportunity to use their applied skills so they could put something on their resume to say they’d actually done hands-on work,” he says.
The foundation’s projects read like a catalog of 21st century innovation: a 500-kilowatt solar farm for UW, geothermal stock tanks, drones for precision spraying of noxious weeds, and LIDAR technology to optimize irrigation. Each project involves UW students, giving them valuable hands-on experience while solving real agricultural challenges. The power generated by the solar farm goes back
because you actually have to work harder. And people generally have never met anybody from Wyoming, so they tend to remember you.”
But it’s more than just novelty. It’s the values instilled by the state itself — the same values learned on that farm outside Burns decades ago.
“Flying helicopters in Vietnam gave me the confidence to go out and compete and not be afraid to fail,” Humphrey says. “But the focus and commitment — those were the same thing as working on the farm. You couldn’t let somebody else do your job.”
Asked if he thinks of himself as an MVP, Humphrey deflects with characteristic humility. “I’m just very fortunate to have lived and grown up in Wyoming,” he says. Perhaps that’s
Humphrey embodies the Wyoming spirit — work hard, work smart, and never forget where you came from.
into supporting students through scholarships and internships.
“We use students at the university so they have something for their resumes,” Humphrey says.
Humphrey’s philanthropy has supported Wyoming students through direct contributions, endowed scholarships and the 9H Foundation. He’s established the Gene Humphrey Professorship in Engineering and scholarship endowments honoring his late mother and sister.
Now serving on the UW Foundation board, Humphrey remains convinced that Wyoming produces a special kind of graduate: “A Wyoming education gives you an advantage
the most Wyoming response of all — letting the work speak for itself while always looking for ways to help the next person succeed.
From a farm boy who got up at 4:30 a.m. to do chores to a global entrepreneur who built an empire one innovation at a time, Humphrey embodies the Wyoming spirit — work hard, work smart, and never forget where you came from.
“I hope we can stimulate some more young people from Wyoming to have the opportunity to do what I’ve done,” he says. In a state that has always punched above its weight, that might be Gene Humphrey’s most important innovation yet.
Farm Credit Services of America Endows UW Agriculture Deanship
By UW Foundation Staff
A gift from Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) has established the Farm Credit Services of America College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources Deanship at the University of Wyoming. This commitment is transformational for the college, for UW’s land-grant mission and for one of the state’s most vital industries — agriculture. Support for the gift was provided in part by state matching funds.
“The agricultural traditions of Wyoming shape who we are,” says UW President Ed Seidel. “With this extraordinary gift, FCSAmerica is helping ensure our university remains at the forefront of preparing students and communities for the future of agriculture.”
The endowment will directly support the leadership and strategic direction of the college, empowering the dean to invest in high-impact teaching, research and community programs that elevate agriculture as a driver of innovation
in Wyoming and the Mountain West. It also will serve as a catalyst for interdisciplinary work at the intersection of natural resources, food systems, environmental stewardship and rural resilience.
“Endowed deanships are game changers,” says Kelly Crane, dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources. “They allow us to lead boldly, attract exceptional talent and respond to the complex challenges facing Wyoming communities and the industries that support them.”
This is the fourth named deanship in the university’s history. Endowed deanships are critical investments that can transform the trajectory of an entire university. These permanent funding mechanisms provide universities with the resources to attract and retain exceptional administrative leaders who might otherwise be drawn to higher-paying opportunities in the private sector or at competing institutions.
This support offers deans the financial flexibility to implement their strategic vision through discretionary funds for faculty recruitment, innovative programming, student
support or cutting-edge research initiatives. This stability allows deans to think beyond short-term budget cycles and make bold, long-term investments in their schools or colleges.
For donors, endowed deanships create a lasting legacy that touches every aspect of the academic unit — from undergraduate education to graduate research to faculty innovation — while providing naming opportunities that recognize their commitment to educational excellence. The prestige associated with holding an endowed position also enhances the university’s ability to compete for top talent in academic leadership, ultimately elevating the institution’s reputation.
FCSAmerica, a mission-driven financial cooperative serving farmers, ranchers and rural residents in the region, has long recognized the value of education and leadership to the health of rural economies. This new deanship builds on a multiyear partnership and continues FCSAmerica’s legacy of making an impact with its philanthropy.
“At Farm Credit Services of America, we believe the future of agriculture depends on strong, visionary leadership. That’s why we’re proud to support UW in preparing the next generation of leaders who will sustain and evolve this essential industry,” says Jason Edleman, senior vice president of business development for FCSAmerica.
This gift also aligns with the university’s commitment to securing strategic investments that elevate UW as a national leader in key areas of distinction.
“This deanship is a powerful affirmation of UW’s mission and its growing influence in the West and beyond,” says John Stark, president and CEO of the UW Foundation.
“We are deeply grateful to FCSAmerica for their vision and partnership.”
The new endowed deanship in agriculture is part of a larger, ongoing effort by UW, the UW Board of Trustees and the UW Foundation to invest in and support endowed
With this extraordinary gift, FCSAmerica is helping ensure our university remains at the forefront of preparing students and communities for the future of agriculture. — Ed Seidel
positions that strengthen faculty and support student success. This deanship follows similar ones in the colleges of Education, Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Business, helping set UW apart as a national leader for land-grant institutions in using endowed deanships.
“As Wyoming’s flagship university, UW continues to lead with purpose — preparing graduates not only for success, but for service to the land, the people and the economy of the state and region,” Seidel says. “The Farm Credit Services of America Deanship stands as a bold step forward in that journey.”
Nurse Executive, Researcher and Diversity Champion GAURDIA BANISTER
When Gaurdia Banister arrived at the University of Wyoming from her hometown of Casper, she wasn’t sure what to major in, so she visited an academic counselor and took several tests. They revealed an aptitude for math and science. From the list of related careers, Banister chose nursing.
“Being in the nursing school at UW was a phenomenal experience,” Banister says. “I had amazing faculty, and they poured their love of nursing into me. I felt very fortunate to have that kind of experience. I also had wonderful classmates, I was a cheerleader, and I ran on the track team for a year.”
Toward the end of her UW nursing degree, Banister completed a psychiatric nurse rotation in Evanston.
“I found my passion,” she says. “I knew that I wanted to be a psychiatric mental health nurse. It launched my whole career and passion for caring for those who are marginalized and misunderstood.”
After working in the field, Banister went on to earn her master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Texas. Her career led her to hold a number of leadership positions, including serving as senior vice president for patient care services and chief nurse at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., and then as executive director of the Institute for Patient Care at Massachusetts General Hospital, with academic appointments at the affiliated MGH Institute of Health Professions and the Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts
Boston. Along the way, Banister earned distinguished alumna awards from both of her alma maters as well as the American Nurses Association Mary Mahoney Award and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership Prism Award for her outstanding achievements and leadership in promoting the integration, retention and advancement of minorities in nursing.
Since her recent retirement from Massachusetts General Hospital, Banister is focusing on two research projects.
“I’m part of a $20 million grant to advance diversity in nursing called the Clinical Leadership Collaborative for Diversity in Nursing,” she says. The grant includes support for 400 students over the next five years.
For the second grant, Banister is researching the use of patient portals — where patients can contact their providers online — to gain insight into how this technology can become more effective.
“In addition to these projects, I love to travel and so does my husband, so we will continue to travel around the world, meet new people, eat interesting foods and learn a lot of history,” she says. “I also want to give back, so I do a lot of mentoring and I do a lot of leadership development.”
Banister also serves on Boston’s Museum of Science board, where she supports their mission of making science accessible to everyone across the world, and she’s a member of the New England Regional Black Nurses Association board.
“I’m very grateful to UW because it gave me my start in this career, and it gave me a really sound foundation to build upon,” Banister says. “It made me what I am today.”
University of Tennessee Associate Dean and Gazelle Impact Kenya Founder
MARY GITAU
Mary Gitau grew up in Kinangop, Kenya. She came to the University of Wyoming for a master’s degree in communication (2007) but went on to earn her master’s degree in social work (2012) and a Ph.D. in adult learning and postsecondary education (2011).
“I was part of three different colleges over that 10-year period,” Gitau says. “Now I use all of them at the same time. I’ve been able to pull a lot of strength from all those areas. I can look at something from very different angles.”
For nearly a decade, Gitau served on the social work faculty at Clarke University in Iowa. In 2023, she accepted a new position at the University of Tennessee, where she now serves as associate dean of access, belonging and global engagement and associate professor of practice.
“It has been a very good move,” she says. “I do a lot of programming, and I work with students, faculty, staff and the larger community. I love initiating new programs and strategizing on ways to engage different populations.”
Gitau also serves as president of the nonprofit she founded: Gazelle Impact on Women and Youth - Kenya.
“Social work led to a passion for
helping poor communities and rural people, whether here in the U.S. or globally,” she says. “Our dual mission includes empowering rural communities in Kenya while providing an opportunity for American students to travel to Kenya and experience cultural immersion.”
Gazelle Impact Kenya’s projects include providing a community computer lab and training, tutoring for youth, employment skill-building, health and wellness education and clean water. For example, in one community, the nonprofit fundraised for drilling a 270-meter-deep solar-powered borehole.
In 2018, Gitau was awarded the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship hosted at Kisii University in Kenya. While there, she initiated the establishment of the Center for Peace, Social Justice, Equality and Security. In 2022, she earned a UW College of Health Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award.
Combining her academic career with a passion for global engagement, Gitau recently developed a collaborative online international learning course with American and Kenyan students participating together.
She says that finding social work changed her life — it all happened by accident when her graduate assistantship in the UW College of Education fell through and she secured one in the Division of Social Work. Once she discovered the profession and all it had to offer, a global social work course ignited Gitau’s passion for global engagement and social justice.
“It opened another way of looking into the world, and I’ve never looked back,” she says. “I love working with people and empowering those who are struggling in different ways.”
At UW, she also gained a great deal of teaching experience, a solid background in postsecondary educational instruction and excellent communication skills.
Gitau says, “I’m so proud of the University of Wyoming and to say I got my degrees there.”
“Our dual mission includes empowering rural communities in Kenya while providing an opportunity for American students to travel to Kenya and experience cultural immersion.” — Mary Gitau
Pathologist and Educator BRIAN MENKHAUS
Working in a plant pathology lab as an undergraduate is what ultimately led Brian Menkhaus to study medicine. Along the way, though, he earned several University of Wyoming degrees, including mathematics/natural science, agroecology and pharmacy.
“I was interested in a lot of stuff, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do at first,” Menkhaus says.
After working as a pharmacist, he decided to apply to the WWAMI program. Five states participate in the program — Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho — giving the program its acronym. Students in the program begin their
educations within their state and then earn their medical degrees from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Each year, 20 seats are reserved for Wyoming students, who then spend 18 months on the UW campus before assignments at clinical sites throughout the region. Graduates who practice in the state for a minimum number of years have the cost of their education covered. For Menkhaus, who was raised in Laramie, that requirement was an incentive.
“I grew up in Wyoming, and I was going to come back to Wyoming anyway, so for me it’s more like a luxury,” he says. “I liked all the different corners of the state.”
Menkhaus’s favorite part of the WWAMI program, unsurprisingly, was his time in Wyoming. Upon graduation in 2012, he chose to specialize in pathology.
“UW plant sciences Professor Fred Gray was a mentor for me and somebody who helped me out a lot when I worked in his plant pathology lab. In his lab, we did a lot of different things with treating plant diseases in Wyoming,” says Menkhaus, who now practices pathology at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. “I’ve always enjoyed studying the human condition and how diseases manifest and are treated, so it was a natural fit.”
Becoming a doctor also led Menkhaus to another passion: teaching. He teaches pathology and histology to current UW WWAMI students as well as teaching anatomy and physiology at Sheridan College.
“In Sheridan, I get to work with pre-dental hygiene, prenursing, pre-med and pre-physical therapy students,” Menkhaus says. “There’s a pretty good diversity, and that’s a lot of fun. I’ve really enjoyed being able to take what I’ve learned over the years and teach undergrads and the medical students as well. They ask a lot of really challenging questions, so I get to go back and study it, and that’s been the best thing about it for me.”
His students recognize and appreciate his passion for teaching, which earned Menkhaus WWAMI’s 2024 Outstanding Medical Educator Award.
“The Wyoming WWAMI third-year medical students selected me, and that was really special,” he says. “It means a lot to have something like that come from the students.”
Menkhaus was also honored as a College of Health Sciences 2024 Distinguished Alumnus, which he humbly finds mystifying. But given his dedication to teaching the next generation of medical professionals, the honors are no surprise.
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Meet another pathology student, Aspen Malkuch
PHOTO BY SHERIDAN
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Climb Wyoming CEO KATIE HOGARTY
As a University of Wyoming College of Law student, Katie Hogarty took part in the Defender Aid Clinic representing people unable to afford counsel. She even argued a case in front of the Wyoming Supreme Court — something not many law students get the chance to do. Those experiences, combined with more traditional legal education, prepared her for an impactful career.
“As a law student with dyslexia, I so appreciated opportunities to engage in meaningful applied work,” says Hogarty, who grew up in Sheridan and earned her Juris Doctor from UW in 2007. “My time at UW helped me build leadership skills and kick-started my career in policy.”
Her first legal job was in Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s administration as a health and human services policy analyst. Hogarty credits that experience for introducing her to Climb Wyoming, where she then worked as program director and business liaison.
“The insight that came from shaping state-level policy helped prepare me for my work with our Wyoming communities — building relationships with employers and local leaders as well as agencies like the Department of Family Services and Workforce Services,” she says.
Serving as CEO of Climb Wyoming since 2021, Hogarty now leads national best practices in breaking the generational cycles of poverty. With locations in Teton County, Sweetwater County, Casper, Gillette, Laramie and Cheyenne, Climb provides single mothers across the state with free job training
and placement as well as holistic support. It helps women to start careers they love and to transform their lives, families and communities. The organization prides itself in being innovative and outcomes-based.
“Over the last 40 years, we’ve worked with over 12,000 moms and 25,000 of their children,” Hogarty says. “We’ve saved the state of Wyoming nearly $130 million in reduced benefits alone. Our data show that, when we combine job services with mental health support, the long-term impacts on communities and families are very strong.”
She also serves on the Wyoming Workforce Development Council and as co-chair of Equal Justice Wyoming through the Wyoming Judicial Council.
Hogarty leads Climb with UW alumna Molly Kruger, who is Climb’s chief operating officer. Their success as a leadership team comes from a shared passion for creating lasting multi-generational change. Hogarty’s law training also informs her relationship-driven leadership style.
As Climb gears up for its 40th anniversary in 2026, Hogarty wants to ensure its stability into the next 40 years as well as to grow workforce training and statewide partnerships.
“We have such strong partnerships across the state and offer solutions to Wyoming’s needs. Climb provides an educated, motivated and reliable workforce,” Hogarty says. “My experience at UW gave me access to brilliant professors who were judicial, nonprofit, policy and thought leaders. They brought me into the fold and took me seriously. Nearly 20 years later, I am so grateful for the quality of education UW provided. It has informed who I am as a leader and as a Wyomingite.”
Judge HERMAN WALKER Attorney LYNDA LIMÓN
Anchorage Superior Court Judge Herman Walker and family law attorney Lynda Limón now live 3,000 miles away from the University of Wyoming, where they first met. But they’ve remained close to UW over the years, continuing to mentor the next generation of College of Law students at the annual Summer Trial Institute.
“I really enjoy that connection, and I love teaching future attorneys because we are both products of mentoring,” Walker says.
“I get to learn from these young law students as well,” says Limón, who grew up in Cheyenne and also completed her undergraduate degree at UW. In addition to their solid legal education, they appreciated the hands-on clinics and the mentorship they received from professors.
They fondly recall their adventures as well. “I’m a city boy, so coming to Wyoming was truly a new experience for me,” says Walker, who came to UW from Arizona. “I remember hunting my first deer but getting ticketed because the hunters I went with didn’t tell me you couldn’t move it before you tagged it. There I was, a law student, and I’d already violated the law!”
Luckily, they gave Walker a pass, and he ate well the rest of his time in Laramie.
Upon law school graduation in 1992, the pair embarked on a new adventure in Alaska, where Limón chose to specialize in family law.
“I realized how important family law is and the difference
you can make for families and children,” she says.
They both worked in private practice while raising their two daughters, DuPree and Lucero. In 2015, Walker was appointed to serve as a judge on the Anchorage Superior Court 3rd Judicial District.
“Becoming a judge made me realize the importance of the separation of powers,” he says. “More important is realizing the gravity of the decisions I make on people’s lives. It’s a completely different appreciation for the rule of law.”
Walker and Limón continue their educations and participation in legal associations — such as the International Academy of Family Lawyers, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the American Bar Association — but they are also committed to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. They both love to travel, and Walker serves on the board and executive committee Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the board of the Anchorage Performing Arts Center. Limón is an endurance athlete and serves on the board of the Gold Nugget Triathlon and the board of Cyrano’s Theatre Company. She was also named Glamour
Magazine’s Inaugural Mother of the Year in 2024.
“You just can’t sustain being a lawyer or judge without taking care of yourself,” Limón says. “When I speak at UW’s Summer Trial Institute, I’m always talking about self-care.”
Limón loves seeing UW’s College of Law grow and expand, especially the new legal clinics and experiential offerings. “Our university is just so supportive of students,” she says.
Walker adds: “I wouldn’t be where I’m at if I hadn’t taken the leap of faith and moved to Laramie. I had wonderful classmates who we’re still friends with today. I learned how to hunt, ride horses and fish. I had so much fun in law school, and it was just an amazing experience.”
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Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments Director STACIA BERRY
Over 100 years ago, Stacia Berry’s family homesteaded 20 miles northeast of Cheyenne, and they’ve been working the land ever since. That connection motivated Berry to go into law, specializing in agricultural issues.
“I think the thing that brought me to this field was wanting to protect folks like my dad,” she says. “I thought about law in a policy sense — our ability to understand and craft laws that recognize their impacts on people who are maybe out on tractors or moving cattle and not able to make it to a comment session or to participate in a legislative hearing. My goal was to gain knowledge and couple that with my agricultural heritage to see what I could do to help protect an industry that has given me a lot.”
After graduating from the University of Wyoming College of Law, Berry began her career at Hageman Law, where Harriet Hageman and Kara Fornstrom mentored her in water and natural resources law.
“I was able to work with ag producers in private practice, which is really a passion for me,” Berry says.
Next, she served as the deputy director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture for seven years before returning to private practice, this time at Koch Law, where Berry again worked in natural resources and agriculture as well as succession planning, trusts and estates.
In February 2025, Gov. Mark Gordon appointed Berry as director of the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments. Her office is the administrative arm for both the Board of Land Commissioners and the State Loan and Investment Board, managing the state’s trust lands and administering grants and loans for communities around the state. It also contains the
state’s forestry division. The lands include 3.5 million surface acres of state land parcels and 3.9 million acres of mineral parcels, which are leased out for a variety of purposes, including energy development and grazing leases. The income produced by the land leases funds public institutions including the state’s schools.
“I am honored and excited to serve the people of the state of Wyoming in this capacity,” Berry says.
She hopes to provide those she serves with the best information possible to manage the state’s assets as well as to focus on customer service and common-sense application of the policies, procedures and laws.
Her time at UW gave her a strong foundation from which to achieve these goals.
“I had really great mentors, and those relationships have continued over time. I’m really grateful for them,” Berry says.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science with options in business and communications in 2008. Some of Berry’s standout experiences include being recognized with the UW Outstanding Graduating Female Spitaleri Award, serving as president of the Tri Delta sorority and taking an active role in student government. After earning a master’s degree in Colorado, she returned to UW for law school, graduating in 2012.
Berry is now raising her three boys on the same ranch where she grew up.
“I think the people make Wyoming very special,” she says. “It’s a fantastic place to be.”
PHOTO BY JANELLE ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY
Photojournalist
JOE RIIS
Growing up hunting and fishing around his hometown of Pierre, S.D., Joe Riis longed to live near the mountains and jumped at the opportunity to study wildlife biology and environment and natural resources the University of Wyoming. Supportive professors and hands-on experiences set Riis up to hit the ground running as a successful photojournalist and filmmaker after graduation in 2008. Among his many accomplishments, Riis is a National Geographic Explorer and published the award-winning book “Yellowstone Migrations.” His cinematography is featured in the BBC “Asia” TV series playing this year.
As a student, did you know you wanted to pursue wildlife photojournalism?
I wasn’t sure if it was possible to pursue wildlife photojournalism as a real job. The only real employer that I knew of was National Geographic Magazine. I figured the competition for those jobs was high, but that became my goal. I wanted to see the broader world, have experiences in nature and feel creative.
I became interested in wildlife photography while in high school taking pictures of deer in my backyard with
my mom’s old film camera I found in our basement. But I didn’t really see photography as an option as a job until I was junior at UW. That was when everything started to align for me. I received an arts and sciences independent summer study award and spent that summer photographing a tern story on the Missouri River. After I graduated, I started photographing pronghorn migration, leading to a 17-plusyear project photographing ungulate migrations in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
I love looking at pictures, and I believe in the power of the visual image to effect change in people. It’s the universal language of the world. I also like spending time alone in nature — sitting, waiting and letting time unfold. Turns out, this is important to documenting wildlife behavior in its truest form.
What have been some of the highlights of your life and career thus far?
The biggest highlights of my life have been the births of my kids in 2019 and 2023. Workwise, some highlights have been getting my first feature assignment from National Geographic in 2011 to photograph the gobi bear in Mongolia and seeing my photographs in that yellow-bordered magazine. Other highlights include the cover of Science, an Emmy award, an award from the Prince of Monaco for elk migration photography, a yearlong photo fellowship from National Geographic Society, the publication of my first book, and hearing David Attenborough narrate a gobi bear story that I filmed in 2024.
What are you working on now?
Pronghorn are my favorite animal, and I’ve continued to photograph and film them since I graduated. My current project focuses on the Bighorn pronghorn migration, and I’ve been following that herd for the past three years. I hope to release some of that work in early 2026.
Economist JOHN LIST
Why do inner-city schools continue to fail? Why do people give to charity? Why is there a gender pay gap? Why do people vote? These are the types of questions that interest professor, author and acclaimed economist John List. Standard methods can give you the numbers but don’t explain why. Understanding why is imperative to finding solutions, so List turned to field experiments.
“Field experiments give you a chance to exercise some level of control of the data-generating process to
Because his work deals with people, there are many variables. A subtle change in the environment can cause people to act differently. His work as chief economist at Uber illustrates how field experiments get to the why of what people do.
“I rolled out tipping at Uber in a nationwide field experiment in 2017,” he says. “We found that, in America, only 1 percent of people tip on every trip. Three out of five people never ever tip, but when I had them make the tip decision face-to-face with the driver, over 95 percent of those people tipped. What was really surprising was how important social pressure and social norms were on the tipping decision.”
PHOTOBYJOHNBOEHM
learn about whether the theory is correct or not and then to test the why behind your results,” he says.
List is the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago and the author of 10 books, the most recent being “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale.”
“We need to focus on interventions that will scale,” says List, who grew up in Sun Prairie, Wisc. “If we want great interventions to work at scale, we really need to understand the science of scaling.”
List is now chief economist at Walmart, where he’s heading up Project Gigaton, which helps Walmart’s thousands of suppliers share technology to reduce CO emissions. He also serves as faculty director of the University of Chicago Becker Friedman Institute for Economics through which he is engaging the more than 200 economists across campus to advance frontier research and global impact of economics. With his wife and fellow researcher, Dana Suskind, John serves as co-director of the TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health, a pioneering initiative focused on early childhood language development and its impact on brain growth and lifelong learning.
List’s awards include the Arrow Prize for Senior Economists in 2008, the Kenneth Galbraith Award in 2010, the Yrjo Jahnsson Lecture Prize in 2012, the Klein Lecture Prize in 2016, the Hartsook Growing Philanthropy Award in 2017 and the R. K. Cho Economics Prize in 2023. Still, he considers his time at UW as one of his career highlights.
“The professors all had a unified vision that they wanted to use economics to change the world,” says List, who graduated with his Ph.D. in economics in 1996. “A good mentor helps you find the path, but a great mentor helps you forge your own path, and I was lucky enough to find three really three great mentors at UW — Shelby Gerking, Charles Mason and Jason Shogren — who really helped me forge my own path, and that was really important for my career.”
Kara Calvert grew up making the trip from Riverton to the University of Wyoming for the annual Tri Delta sorority breakfast with her mom — so it was no surprise when she chose to follow in her mother’s footsteps. At UW, Calvert became a leader in student government and started the Safe Ride program, which provides free safe weekend transportation to students and community members.
“There were so many different opportunities you could take advantage of at UW,” says Calvert, who graduated with her bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2001. “It really prepared me for my career. After graduation, I went to work for U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi from Wyoming, so I still felt so connected to the state.”
With Enzi, she focused on the technology portfolio. “That really threw me eyeballs-deep into the river of technology issues that are
Coinbase VP of U.S. Policy KARA CALVERT
at the core of U.S. national and economic security,” she says. “I also had the good fortune of working closely with the Senate Banking Committee. When I left, I went to work for a tech trade association, which really gave me a broad-based view of all the different technologies that were out there.”
After helping to build a small lobbying firm — Franklin Square Group — for 13 years, Calvert joined Coinbase in 2021. As the largest U.S.-based crypto trading platform, Coinbase now boasts more than 105 million users worldwide and did over $1 trillion in transaction volume last year.
Crypto doesn’t cleanly fit into traditional financial regulatory frameworks. It requires states and countries to rethink regulations, which is where Calvert’s role as the vice president of U.S. policy becomes important. Calvert is responsible for Coinbase’s policy efforts at the federal, state and local levels, which continues to keep her connected to Wyoming.
“Right now, we’re working on federal legislation being led by Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis that would regulate how digital assets are issued, traded and sold,” she says. “It’s my dream job, to be honest. I’m part of something that is bigger than just my company. It’s groundbreaking. You get to engage
on an issue that’s brand new and ever changing. This is going to be transformative for the world.”
In recognition of her leadership, Calvert was featured in The Washington Post’s “50 People Shaping Our Society in 2025” series.
Calvert loves Coinbase’s customer-first approach, which also means a thoughtful regulatory approach. In 2018, she helped Wyoming move to improve its cryptocurrency regulations.
“Wyoming had a restriction on their money transmission license requirements,” Calvert says. “It was such a fun experience to go home and be able to lobby on something about which I felt so strongly. That was the year Wyoming crypto legislation really started to pick up steam.”
Although her career keeps her plenty busy, Calvert is excited to volunteer on the advisory committee of the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum’s Wyoming chapter. She’s also a proud mom of four children.
“I get really excited to tell my kids, ‘We’re going home to Wyoming to see Grandma Ruby and the rest of the family,’” Calvert says. “I love seeing the amazing things happening in the state, and I’m proud to show them off. It’s a great place to be from, and it’s a great place to come home to.”
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Future MVPs A New Home for
UW’s new North Hall and South Hall provide modern living-learning spaces and enhanced dining.
By Micaela Myers
The largest construction project in University of Wyoming history will be completed this school year with the opening of the new North Hall dining facility and residence hall this fall and the opening of the South Hall for the spring semester.
These new facilities provide more comfortable living accommodations, additional community and study areas, and a new dining hall — all connected to the main part of campus and designed to blend in with traditional campus architecture.
“The units are bigger with a lot more natural light,” says Associate Vice President for Business Enterprises Eric Webb. “They feature individual heating and cooling controls that will automatically shut off if windows are left open, improving energy efficiency. The hallways are big, light and bright. There are a lot more alcoves to study in and more community spaces, including an amazing lounge space downstairs with a community kitchen and meeting and study rooms.”
In addition, the laundry rooms are located on the ground floor along with a modern mailroom. A variety of room types are available, including doubles, singles, semi-suites with private bathrooms and semi-suites with shared bathrooms.
While peer institutions have built a new hall every 10-20 years, UW’s last new hall was built in 1967.
“Our old halls have very simple rooms, with limited community space, low ceilings and no air conditioning,” Webb says. “They are also tower buildings, which many students are not as comfortable with.”
The old halls were not designed in traditional UW sandstone and are set away from the heart of campus.
The new halls are only five and six stories high and located west of 15th Street, next to Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center, and near the Wyoming Union and many other key facilities. The exterior design of the halls follows UW’s trademark Collegiate Gothic sandstone architecture. Attractive green spaces and a small amphitheater provide students with areas for outdoor events and recreation.
North Hall’s new dining facility will replace Washakie and offer students, UW and community members nine concept platforms, including Pan Asian, Comfort, Latin, Allergen Aware and Italian, and others, all led by a new executive chef. The central bakery will also move to the new location with a window to see the baking in action, serving baked goods, coffee and sandwiches.
North Hall will house 409 students and South Hall another 541, offering space to the majority of freshmen living on campus. In total, the new halls offer 300,000 square feet of space, with construction by JE Dunn. Funding for the two halls came from $205.8 million in bonds issued by the university, supplemented by $80 million in legislative appropriations.
“We had a lot of support,” Webb says. “The architecture, character, detail and finish work are amazing. The legislative housing task force appointed by the governor really helped us design it and take it to this standard.”
For example, huge arched windows bathe the new dining center in natural light. A two-story art piece is also planned for the dining center, and the two new roundabouts on 15th Street will feature Wyoming-related statues.
“The sense of excitement on campus is almost palpable as we have seen the structures take shape and exterior work progress,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “These facilities will create an amazing living and learning environment for our students.”
Career Celebrations
By Tanner Russell
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.
Abby Stewart, B.S., ’10, recently promoted to Senior Manager of Business Development at UNLV Sports Properties, part of Learfield. Stewart’s career began in Denver with Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, making 100+ cold calls daily selling Nuggets and Avalanche tickets. She rose to Group Account Executive, then moved to SuiteHop. After a pandemic layoff, she returned to Laramie with Wyoming Sports Properties for three years before her new Las Vegas role. Stewart credits UW: “I believe having a degree from UW is the biggest reason I got my first job. My leaders at KSE were also UW alumni—they saw something in me.” Her advice: “Make as many meaningful and genuine connections as you can. A supportive network can open doors and help you weather any storm.”
Amina Malik, J.D., ’21, recently joined Thorpe North & Western as a Patent Attorney, marking an exciting new step in her career. After earning her UW law degree, she spent four years in Denver working at firms of all sizes, sharpening her expertise. Malik credits UW’s small class sizes and close-knit community: “The ability to connect personally with professors was a game-changer, especially in a niche field like
patent law. I’m particularly grateful to Professor Melissa Alexander for inspiring my path.” Her tip: “Never hesitate to seek help when you’re overwhelmed— it’s a sign of strength, not weakness. Embrace the supportive Cowboy community.”
Anne Fish, B.A., ’89, named one of America’s Best Real Estate Professionals by RealTrends + Tom Ferry, ranked #3 in Wyoming for individual sales volume in 2024. After UW, she pursued a Secret Service career, spending two years each in Spain and Mexico to become fluent in Spanish. She then worked as a flight attendant for United before settling in Jackson, Wyoming, launching a thriving real estate career. Since joining Engel & Völkers Jackson Hole in 2020, her business has soared. Fish credits UW: “Going to Laramie from Austin, Texas, was a big stretch, but it taught me I could try new things.” Her wisdom: “Stretch yourself. Don’t be afraid to try new things or go for outside-the-box career opportunities… you never know where it may lead you!”
Baltazar Hornedo, B.S., ’23, recently promoted to Human Resource Coordinator at WyoTech, after excelling as a Career Service Representative. Though he hoped to enter HR immediately, his detour
through career services helped students find jobs while he built skills. Encouraged by colleagues, he applied when the HR opening arose—and has thrived since. Hornedo credits UW: “The deadlines felt tough at the time, but they taught me accountability and prepared me for the real world.” His tip: “Don’t get discouraged if your path isn’t a straight line. The twists and turns are what shape you for the opportunities ahead.”
Darbi Buckmiller, B.S., ’22, recently promoted to Architectural Designer II at HFA, where she’s worked since earning her Architectural Engineering degree. After landing the job weeks before commencement, Buckmiller moved across the country twice while thriving in a remote role. She credits her success to curiosity and consistency: “I still feel like a sponge for information, just ready to dive in and learn.” Buckmiller says UW gave her an edge: “Bridging the gap between architecture and engineering has been essential to my work. Learning Revit at UW gave me a jumpstart I use every day.” Her advice: “Stay consistent and step outside your comfort zone. Small, daily achievements will carry you further than you think—quicker than you can say ‘Go Pokes!’”
Emily De Wett, B.A., ’16, recently promoted to Assistant Director of Shelter Operations at United Way of Weld County’s Housing Navigation Center. Her path since UW has included dispatching at UWPD, Colorado’s craft beer industry, and shelter services. Discovering a passion for community support as
Shelter Manager, she stepped into leadership while bartending on the side. De Wett credits UW: “From the Meat Judging Team to student government and mentoring programs, each experience built the leadership and tenacity I needed.” She shares: “Go outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You might just find what you didn’t know you were looking for.”
Kai Haukaas, B.S., ’24, recently joined Wyoming Athletics as Assistant Director of Marketing, turning passion into career. Haukaas began as a UW marketing intern, then gained experience with Villanova University in a major metro market. Now back in Laramie, he’s eager to bring that perspective home. “UW and Wyoming made me who I am today,” he says. His advice: “Participate in internships at UW—they can help you figure out what you want to do after graduation and give you the experience you need to land that first job.”
Mark E. Miller, B.A., ’74; M.A., ’76, recently published his third book, *A Sometimes Paradise: Reflections on Life in a Wyoming Ranch Family*, honored with a Bronze IPPY Award for Best Regional Non-Fiction (WestMountain). Miller earned his UW bachelor’s and master’s in anthropology, then a Ph.D. at the University of Colorado. Now retired, he lives along the Big Laramie River. His advice to students: “Follow Socrates’ maxim—Know thyself.”
Career Celebrations
Randy Rea, J.D., ’22, recently joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in Denver as an Associate Attorney specializing in litigation. Rea’s path was nontraditional—before UW Law, he worked as a sports agent, gaining negotiation and advocacy experience that later fueled his law career. Today, he brings a unique perspective to high-stakes work. “UW sharpened my advocacy, writing, and analytical skills while giving me the confidence to thrive in demanding environments,” he says. He tells students: “Be open to the unexpected. Say yes to challenges. Even the detours can become your biggest advantages.”
Stephanie Camino, B.S., ’21, recently promoted to Consultant, Data Science and Analytics at TransUnion, where she builds Marketing Mix and Attribution Models and supports R&D. After earning UW degrees in Statistics and Mathematics with a Computer Science minor, she completed a Master’s at NC State before returning to Wyoming. Camino credits UW faculty: “Michele Bird’s class introduced me to statistics, and Bryan Shader encouraged me to pursue coding—both decisions changed my life.” Her guidance: “Education doesn’t end with a diploma. Keep learning, keep dreaming. Every problem is figure-out-able—and kindness and hard work are always in style.”
Sofi Thanhauser, M.F.A., ’14, awarded a 2025 Whiting Award, one of the nation’s highest honors for emerging writers. Since earning her UW MFA in Creative Writing
and Environment & Natural Resources, she’s traveled, attended residencies, taught, and written—leading to her 2018 book deal. Thanhauser credits UW’s multidisciplinary program: “Beth Loffreda helped me craft a program that included visual arts and environmental science alongside writing. That foundation allowed me to pursue my own brand of nonfiction, combining visual and researchbased strategies.” Her insight: “The main thing is endurance. It’s one thing to do the work when people expect it—but the real challenge is to keep going when no one is watching. In any field, talent is common. The question is: who sticks with it?”
Tanner McClure, B.S., ’19, recently began a new role as CAPE Coordinator with Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities (KCCTO), leading a statewide workforce registry. His path has included Equine Director at a summer camp, zookeeper, UW Admissions Representative, Assistant Director of Admissions, and Academic Coordinator in Energy Resources. “Each step may have looked random,” he says, “but they built a career full of growth, grit, and adventure.”
He credits UW’s close-knit community and professors for opening doors. His advice: “Try everything at least once. If you’re flexible and open to change, you’ll grow faster than you expect.”
RetroGrams
Discovered and summarized by Emmett Chisum Special Collections staff and Jennifer Kirk
Senior standout Gerald Abraham helped power the Cowboys through a historic 1987 season, setting the single-season rushing record with 1,305 yards. His leadership contributed to Wyoming’s undefeated conference run, a WAC championship and a Holiday Bowl appearance — the program’s first postseason berth in over a decade. Abraham went on to play professionally in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
Citation: The University of Wyoming 1988 Wyo. Hebard LD6268.W86 V.70 1988 pg. 89. UW Libraries Emmett Chisum Special Collections.
University of Wyoming law student William Grant waves as he arrives at New York’s George Washington Bridge on August 25, 1955, completing a 2,400-mile bicycle journey from Laramie. He began the ride on July 17 to promote “The Man from Laramie,” a Western film starring James Stewart, released just days later on Aug. 31.
Citation: The Laramie Republican and Boomerang September 1, 1955 — Wyoming Digital Newspaper Collection.
Written by our own Chad Baldwin!
Fennis Dembo propelled the Cowboys to a thrilling triple-overtime win over Colorado State, scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to keep Wyoming atop the WAC standings. The 1987 season marked a high point for Cowboy basketball, with a nine-game winning streak and a run to the Sweet Sixteen that captured national attention. Dembo’s standout performances — including his appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated — cemented his legacy as one of UW’s all-time greats.
Citation: The Branding Iron February 17, 1987 — Wyoming Digital Newspaper Collection.
$165 K
UW’s Ethics Club’s SparkTank competition awarded $165,000 to local nonprofit organizations committed to making a difference in the Laramie community.
22
Twenty-two UW students received Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarships from the U.S. Department of State to study abroad this summer or next spring.
By the Numbers
500
Samantha Killmer (left), a junior from Portage, Mich., is among nearly 500 students nationwide to receive the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship award. She is the first UW student in 10 years to receive the competitive award.
79
UW Ph.D. student August Mikkelsen (right), of Mill Creek, Wash., is one of 79 graduate students — and the only one studying atmospheric science — selected from 56 universities in 29 states for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.
Three
Wyoming Public Media has been awarded three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for work in 2024.
100
UW once again made the list of the National Academy of Inventors top 100 universities in the U.S. with the most patents granted.
Excellence
Dario Grana (left), a School of Energy Resources professor and Wyoming Excellence Chair in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Felix Chayes Prize for Excellence in Research in Mathematical Petrology.
