UWYO Magazine Vol.24 No.2

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

A World of Possibilities

a legacy of helping others

Like many legacies, this one begins with a love story—a story of two teachers who changed the lives of so many. Archie and Lois Jurich leave behind generations of young people they taught, mentored, and coached. ey also leave behind a legacy at UW with their estate to support students who have nancial need. Two people united forever for their love of helping young people and supporting UW. We can

A Big, Wide World

Education abroad is nothing short of life changing, offering students new perspectives and experiences.

Research Around the World

Students and professors from across campus engage in fascinating international studies with a global community of colleagues.

Welcome to Wyoming Meet students, faculty and alumni from around the world.

Global Partnerships

Strong connections with universities and organizations the world over improve research, curriculum and understanding.

International Initiatives

From visiting artists to community tours and international law programming, UW brings the world to Wyoming and Wyoming to the world.

Professor Mark Clementz and UW Geological Museum Collections

Manager Laura Vietti interact with visitors at the Department of Geology and Geophysics table during the STEM Carnival and Science Initiative Building Grand Opening in September.

UWyo

The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the University of Wyoming Winter 2023 | Volume 24, No. 2 UWYO.EDU/UWYO

University President: Edward Seidel

Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing: Chad Baldwin

Editor: Micaela Myers

Design: Michelle Eberle, Emily Edgar, Hallie Davis, Casidy Mittelstadt, Brittny Wroblewski, Audrey Merwin

Photography: Ted Brummond, Kyle Spradley, Andrew Wee unless noted

Video: Ali Grossman, Mary Jung, Kyriessa Lane

Contributing Editors: Chad Baldwin, Tamara Linse

Contributing Writers: Maia Marces, David Stotzer, Michelle Sunset

AlumNews/WyoGrams: Heather Baker, Payson Birkeland, Jennifer Kirk, Micaela Myers, Emma Petersen, Nora Plant, Tanner Russell, David Stotzer, Mary Wee

UWyo is published three times per year as a partnership between UW Institutional Marketing and the UW Alumni Association. UWyo is supported by UW Research & Economic Development, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs and the Office of the President. ©2023 by the University of Wyoming. All rights reserved. Excerpts from this magazine may be reprinted with permission, provided appropriate credit is given to the University of Wyoming and copies of reprinted materials are provided to the editor.

UWyo

University of Wyoming

1000 East University Ave., Dept. 3226 Laramie, WY 82071-2000 (307) 766-2379 | uwyomag@uwyo.edu

The University is committed to equal opportunity for all persons in all facets of the University’s operations. All qualified applicants for employment and educational programs, benefits, and services will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, creed, ancestry, political belief or any other applicable category protected by law and University policy.

On the Cover: Camryn Leland, a physiology major (honors and psychology minors) from Parker, Colo., in front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Courtesy image.

UW: Wyoming’s Portal to the World Around Us

By Ed Seidel

Our world is increasingly interconnected. In every sphere, from commerce to entertainment, from social activity to research and scholarship, the people of the world interact with one another in ways we couldn’t have imagined 50 or even 20 years ago. As the world’s oldest modern democracy, the United States plays an international leadership role in many areas. In particular, our nation’s universities continue to lead the world in research and education, and we at the University of Wyoming are proud to be among those institutions that are visible and revered around the globe.

In preparing our graduates to be successful in this increasingly competitive global marketplace, it is essential that we expose them to international ideas, challenges, cultures, languages and practices. We are fortunate here at UW to continue attracting and building strong international partnerships, which enrich our state while helping provide top-notch education for our students. This issue of UWyo Magazine explores a number of these connections.

Not the least of these is our educationabroad program, which is anchored by the Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment — the largest land-grant university study-abroad scholarship endowment in the nation. Dozens of UW’s students annually receive robust financial support to visit and study in countries across the world, and they return with expanded perspectives and experiences that make them more informed citizens and future employees, better prepared to engage in the global environment in which we live. I’ve talked to many students who say these opportunities are among the best

that UW, or any university, has to offer, and they feel excited and fortunate to be able to take advantage of them. The pandemic made studying abroad difficult, but we’re working to encourage and make it possible for more of UW’s students to have opportunities for international experiences — some of which you can read about in this issue.

The pandemic had a similar impact on the numbers of international students attending UW, but those numbers are beginning to rebound. We have students, faculty and staff from over 80 countries around the world, immeasurably enriching our community. We’ve made an institutional commitment to grow international enrollment, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, enhancing the experience for all UW students, sharing their perspectives and cultures while they soak in all that Wyoming has to offer. Even if they themselves do not go abroad for their studies, our Wyoming students have told me that their interactions with our international communities have helped prepare them for their careers and future studies. Our international students, a number of whom you can read about in this issue, go on to become ambassadors for UW across the globe — and some even stay and apply their talents and skills in Wyoming to develop their lives and careers.

Many of our UW faculty and staff bring expertise obtained from their studies and experiences from around the world. They have made Wyoming their home and are proud citizens of the Cowboy State, and many of them are working on innovations to improve the state’s economy, to enhance its cultural resources and to address Wyoming challenges. Likewise, a good number of

our faculty members conduct research at international locations, gaining insights that benefit Wyoming and the world. You can read about a number of these faculty members in this issue as well.

During my professional career, I have spent a significant number of years overseas, learning from and absorbing a broad perspective on so many topics. And my partner, Gabrielle Allen, is from the United Kingdom. While I couldn’t be happier to be here in the Intermountain West leading Wyoming’s flagship and land-grant university, my international experiences have helped shape who I am and how I see the world. They also have informed my belief that UW has the potential to become an even stronger force for Wyoming’s future economy — and contributor to solving national and international challenges.

In many respects, UW is our state’s portal to the world around us — a place where Wyoming meets the world and where the world meets Wyoming. That is as it should be. Our challenge is to strengthen this international role to provide even more benefits for our students and our state, and we are working to do just that.

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

YAZMIN MCNEELY

Ceres, Calif.

Interior Design

Edinburgh, Scotland, near Arthur’s Seat

“Studying abroad was meaningful for me because I got to experience places I always wanted to go. There are so many personal and academic benefits from my experiences, and I am very grateful to have studied abroad.”

JENNA HOLYFIELD

Montrose, Colo.

Interior Design

Summit of Aiguille du Midi near Chamonix, France

“During my time in Europe, I visited the French Alps. I found myself inspired by the architectural and design style of the quaint French chalets that lined the streets of Chamonix. When I start my career as an interior designer, I will draw from this inspiration and weave it into my work, creating a style influenced by my experiences abroad.”

EMA KURBOS-COOPER

Laramie, Wyo.

Environmental Systems Science and Environment and Natural Resources

Belfast, Northern Ireland

“Traveling to Northern Ireland allowed me to meet with individuals whose experiences were something I’d only read about. I felt well-informed from the studying I’d done before the trip, but the surprises and opportunities travel brings are unmatched. Participating in education abroad was the highlight of my past year and supplemented my education here at UW.”

MIKAYLA MORRISON

Casper, Wyo.

Secondary English Education Tampere, Finland

“This faculty-led trip abroad was incredibly impactful on my life as a future teacher. Learning about another culture’s educational system by being there and hearing from teachers and students themselves will aid in my goal of being the most effective and caring teacher I can be.”

RYEN HEDGE

Bismarck, N.D.

Psychology

Rome, Italy

“Studying abroad allowed me to experience another language and culture outside the states, which positively impacted how I view the world.”

Powell, Wyo. Art Education Venice, Italy

“During this trip, we were able to attend art exhibitions highlighting the artwork of individual countries. It was amazing to see the diversity present as well as explore concepts of gender, race, age, ethnicity, sexuality, etc., through an abundance of varying art forms.”

PATRICK HAMILTON

Sheridan, Wyo. Accounting/Finance Prague, Czech Republic

“The ability to travel abroad and immerse oneself in foreign cultures is the most valuable experience a young college student can undertake. It piqued an interest in foreign cultures and foreign affairs that I would never have otherwise.”

MAKAYLA KOCHER

Monument, Colo. English Diamond Beach, Iceland

“Studying abroad and conducting research in Iceland while being completely immersed in the culture and environment made me become a more aware and curious individual. I have learned that each new place impacts your perspective of the world and the places you travel to become a part of who you are as a person.”

ANGELA ZHU

Laramie, Wyo

Zoology and Environmental Systems Science

Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, Nanyuki, Kenya

“I learned of the ecological research being conducted in Kenya, and I will take away invaluable field skills that will be useful to me in future careers. I also saw so many cool animals!”

International and Religious Studies Glasgow, Scotland AUTUMN CHAVEZ

Riverton, Wyo.

“This opportunity for education abroad was significant for me because it allowed me to visit a country I wouldn’t have thought I’d ever see in my lifetime. This trip allowed me to broaden my horizons beyond what my family or myself have ever expected.”

ELSIE SPOMER

MCKENNA HACKETT

Scottsbluff, Neb.

Microbiology with minors in German and Psychology

Ranies, Germany

“Education abroad is important to me because it allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and experience German culture.”

LINDSEY BAKER

Torrington, Wyo.

Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

Edinburgh, Scotland

“Education abroad was meaningful to me because it allowed me to see new and different cultures. Without this trip, I would not have been able to meet other UW students and share unique and meaningful experiences.”

JORDAN SWAYZE

Cheyenne, Wyo.

Psychology

Vatican in Rome, Italy

“This education abroad experience was the most thrilling and wonderful time I’ve ever had. It was the first time I left the country, and to have an opportunity to tour Europe playing my instrument was incredibly meaningful and has motivated me to pursue jazz going forward.”

Buffalo, Wyo.

Elementary Education Turku, Finland

“Education abroad was meaningful to me because I was able to explore a new country while also learning more about education in a different part of the world.”

Casper, Wyo.

Criminal Justice, Honors London, England

“A once-in-a-lifetime experience like nothing before with strangers who quickly become your friends.”

McKenna with her host sister, Liesa Perlberg

MARIE IHNAT

ISABEL RIEKER

YouRgaTewayGLoBaL

Supporting the international students and faculty of today. Preparing leaders for the challenges of tomorrow’s world. Creating life-changing international experiences. Building Wyoming’s global community.

Apply for a scholarship!

Contact us to learn about Fulbright opportunities.

| Intercultural community engagement

| Education abroad opportunities

| Grants, fellowships, awards

| Transdisciplinary exploration

| Workshops

| Faculty resources

| Student & scholar immigration support

| Language classes

| International research

| Global partnerships

| Student leadership opportunities

| Outreach

Learn about our programs at www.uwyo.edu/global

GRANT CREATES NEW CAREER TRACK IN COMMUNITY HEALTH

A new program that will train professionals in one of the nation’s fastest-growing health careers soon will be offered at UW, thanks to a $3 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. Wyoming Community Health Worker Training Consortium will establish a formal training and credentialing program for community health workers in Wyoming through UW’s College of Health Sciences. As nonclinical professionals who live in and represent the communities they serve, community health workers provide patient education, serve as patient advocates and help community members navigate the health care and social services systems to achieve and maintain health. This emerging profession is particularly impactful in rural communities, but many states do not have formal statewide training and certification programs. The grant will establish a formal community health worker training and certification program at UW and create apprenticeships across the state in collaboration with the state of Wyoming and a broad network of partners. It will also provide scholarships and other financial support to Wyoming residents wishing to enter the health care workforce as community health workers.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Zebadiah Hall, who has been an advocate for inclusivity in roles at multiple institutions during his career, has been appointed as UW’s first full-time vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Bryant Smalley, an accomplished researcher, scholar and research administrator with extensive experience in securing research grants, has been named associate vice president for research at UW.

Matt Griswold, an experienced higher education administrator who has developed distance education programs at multiple institutions, has been appointed as UW’s vice provost for online and continuing education.

Alex Kean, who has filled several roles in UW’s Division of Budget and Finance, has been promoted to the position of vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer.

Katie Li-Oakey has become the first female full professor in UW’s Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources received a $1 million planned gift from an anonymous donor that will establish the International Wildlife Conservation Chair, which will support John Koprowski, dean of the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.

News & Notes

RESEARCH UNDER WAY

Undergraduate’s Research Leads to Invention of Technology for Telerehabilitation

Assistant Professor Receives $2M Grant for Alzheimer’s Study

Working in a UW lab six years ago, undergraduate computer science student Russell Todd of Baggs, Wyo., sought to merge a state-of-theart virtual-reality system with a cutting-edge motion-capture system to understand human-computer interaction. He and his colleagues in the Perception-Action-Cerebral-Executive lab not only helped create a breakthrough telerehabilitation technology — which could be used to treat and rehabilitate patients remotely — but Todd himself co-founded a startup company to market this technology in diverse health sectors throughout Wyoming. Their efforts resulted in a software program receiving a registered copyright.

Zhang Receives $1M Grant to Study How Forests Naturally Recover After Disturbances

Yun Li, an assistant professor in UW’s Department of Zoology and Physiology, recently received a $2.25 million National Institutes of Health RF1 grant to advance her Alzheimer’s disease research. The RF1 grant provides the initial three years of support for her research titled “Loss of TDP-43 disrupts the prefrontal neural activity and circuitry: Relevance for TDP-43 linked ADRD.” The project will determine the earliest changes to neural activity and the brain network of Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s-related dementias associated with TDP-43 pathology.

Professor Ye Zhang, UW Department of Geology and Geophysics, received a U.S. Department of Energy $1 million grant to study how forests in the Rocky Mountains of North America recover naturally — with the help of wetlands — after disturbances such as drought, insect outbreaks and wildfires. Andrew Parsekian, an associate professor of the Department of Geology and Geophysics, and Brent Ewers, a professor and head of the Department of Botany, will serve as co-principal investigators along with a colleague at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Researchers Advance Knowledge of Microscopic Creature’s Durability

UW researchers have gained further insight into the biological processes that allow microscopic creatures called tardigrades to survive extreme conditions, including being completely dried out in suspended animation for years. Thomas Boothby, an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Biology, and colleagues discovered how a sugar called trehalose works with proteins to allow tardigrades to survive a severe lack of water. Their research appears in the journal Communications Biology

Russell Todd and Qin “Arthur” Zhu, a professor in the Division of Kinesiology and Health.

Ye Zhang (left) and two drillers from Watson Well.

Shraddha KC, a UW graduate student from Nepal, works in Thomas Boothby’s lab.

PHOTO CREDITS (TOP TO BOTTOM): UW; ZHAOJIE ZHANG; UW; THOMAS BOOTHBY

ANNUAL POTATO HARVEST BENEFITS FOOD BANK OF WYOMING

More than 10,000 pounds of potatoes from the second annual potato harvest at UW’s James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center were distributed across the state via Food Bank of Wyoming. The potato harvest is a partnership among two UW Extension programs, the center, the Cent$ible Nutrition Program and Food Bank of Wyoming. The goal is to provide Wyoming-grown produce to families facing food insecurity.

MANUFACTURING PROGRAM LAUNCHES CONNEX WYOMING

In October, UW and other partners launched CONNEX™ Wyoming, an online software platform designed to strengthen the state’s local and domestic manufacturing supply chain. Through the CONNEX platform, Wyoming manufacturers will be able to better connect with one another, find local suppliers, discover new business opportunities and manage their supply chains. The platform is part of the national CONNEX Marketplace program that is rolling out across the country to help solve many of the manufacturing supply chain issues and to bring more manufacturing opportunities to U.S. suppliers.

FIFTH ANNUAL WYOMING BLOCKCHAIN STAMPEDE

The annual Wyoming Blockchain Stampede took place this past September at UW and featured renowned speakers and events. Experts included Charles Hoskinson, a world leader in digital asset technology and entrepreneurship; UW alumna Caitlin Long, the CEO and founder of Custodia Bank, a Wyoming special-purpose depository institution; and Tamara Haasen, Input Output (IOHK) president. Featured events included the WyoHackathon, 307 Startup Challenge winners, Wyoming Cybersecurity Conference, Fincon, a luncheon address by Gov. Mark Gordon and a celebratory concert.

CNP Program Manager Kali McCrackin Goodenough

• Class schedule planning

• Early class registration

• One-on-one and small group tutoring

• Applications for free federal financial aid

• Access to key college staff and offices

• Help balancing life challenges

Interested in applying? Contact us at sss@uwyo.edu or scan this code

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

14 MILLION

UW has joined seven other universities in the newly awarded National Science Foundation Innovation Corps Great Plains Hub — a $14 million five-year effort to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs in rural economically underserved regions.

307

Three companies, including two started by UW students, were selected as recipients of $25,000 in seed money resulting from pitches at the 307 Startup Challenge during the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede in October.

4 MILLION

A total of 6,293 donors from all 50 states and 10 countries gave a total of $4,107,408 during Giving Day 2022, spearheaded by the UW Foundation. The funds will go directly to support students and programs across UW.

BY THE NUMBERS

1ST

The debut issue of an open peerreviewed journal, The Journal of Open Educational Resources in Higher Education, published by UW Libraries, launched in October.

325 6

Six Sweetwater County startup companies won $37,500 at the first Sweetwater County Innovation Launchpad Pitch Night in Rock Springs this past September.

A record 325 Latina students, representing 22 schools in nearly a dozen Wyoming communities, attended this fall’s Wyoming Latina Youth Conference.

1 MILLION

For 50 years, Rocky Mountain Power has supported UW, giving over $1 million to programs and aiding hundreds of students and faculty.

CERTIFICATE IN CARBON CAPTURE, UTILIZATION AND STORAGE

• Provides a cross-section of disciplines covering the technology, economics and policy of CCUS

• Designed for a broad, multidisciplinary audience with an interest in energy, sustainability and climate change mitigation

• Requires completion of 21 credit hours

• Utilizes existing courses from SER and the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

• Can be completed online synchronously or in person

Designed for working professionals or current students

www.uwyo.edu/ser | email: seracad@uwyo.edu | (307) 343-0509

• Provides understanding of land management processes important to conservation efforts, government policies and energy production

• Prepares students for careers ranging from land management, to public affairs, to rights of way

• Requires completion of 16 credit hours

• Utilizes existing courses from SER, the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources

• Can be completed online synchronously or in person

CERTIFICATE IN LAND ADMINISTRATION

Hundreds of University of Wyoming students study abroad each year. They travel to every corner of the world, buoyed by one of the largest education-abroad endowments of any public land-grand university. UW Education Abroad offers over 30 faculty-led programs annually as well as 400 other options, including 38 bilateral exchange partner programs. Students can study abroad for a full academic year, a semester or over winter or summer break.

“UW seeks to graduate students who receive a well-rounded education and are competitive in the job market,” says Education Abroad Director Shelley Jewell. “We live in an increasingly interconnected world and, in order to be successful, students should have awareness not only of our nation but of other cultures around the world. Studying abroad even on our short-term programs can impact students in so many positive ways by gaining flexibility, cross-cultural awareness, independence, empathy and problemsolving skills. These are the tools that not only give students a competitive edge when job seeking or applying to graduate school but also make them better human beings with a sense of mutual understanding.”

A Big, Wide World

EDUCATION ABROAD IS NOTHING SHORT OF LIFE CHANGING, OFFERING STUDENTS NEW PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES.

BY MICAELA MYERS

UW students explore the Canary Islands during a 10day education abroad course.

Making ConnEctions

Sitting in his middle school French class, Karson Potter dreamed of studying abroad. As he was growing up in West Jordan, Utah, and Casper, Wyo., the dream never left him.

“UW and its offerings for programs and funding abroad were the biggest factor in deciding where to pursue my education,” says Potter, now a senior.

As an accounting major with minors in French and honors, he decided to do a direct exchange at École de Management Strasbourg, France. After COVID delays, he finally landed in August 2021.

“I lived in Strasbourg for four months. In that time, I genuinely feel that my life changed,” Potter says. “Primarily, for me, it was the relationships and the people. I was sharing space, words and good memories with people from all over the world. I learned about the Spanish government from a Spanish friend, I discussed U.S. politics with someone who was Russian and German, and I discussed apartheid policies with someone from South Africa. I stared in awe as Czech and Ukrainian friends explored the similarities and differences in the languages they spoke and understood. My global network of friends is my most valued and prized souvenir from my experience living abroad, and it continues to have a beautiful return of benefits as my semester came to a close and I embarked upon another education abroad experience with the College of Business.”

These intercultural encounters, dynamics and friendships shaped who I am in such a short amount of time. — Karson Potter

allowed him to join friends in Belgium and to continue his international experiences as he worked.

In January 2022, Potter took part in the faculty-led class “Cities of the Future,” which was based in Prague and Berlin. He quickly reconnected with international friends during the course. This past summer, he landed an internship with the finance and operations team of a Wyoming-based software company. The remote position

Potter says: “These intercultural encounters, dynamics and friendships shaped who I am in such a short amount of time and taught me so much about the world, about the people in it and about myself — that is what I hope people are inspired by when I share my stories from my time in Europe. Yes, the castles and monuments are amazing, yes, the cities are teeming with amazing things to do, but truly, at the end of the day, being able to navigate a foreign country and intercultural friendships turns you in a strong, empathetic and brave soul who leads with love.”

Student Karson Potter at the Arc de Triomphe Wrapped exhibit in Paris. COURTESY IMAGE

stUdy AbroAd reUnitEs ArApAho stUdEnt With tribAl heAddrEss

Imagine traveling all the way to England to view one of your culture’s important artifacts. That’s just what happened to UW College of Law student and Northern Arapaho member Alyson White Eagle-SoundingSides this past summer when she began working with law Professor Darrell Jackson and UW Art Museum Director Nicole Crawford to bring home from the British Museum a headdress that belonged to her great-great grandfather, Northern Arapaho leader Chief Yellow Calf.

The journey began when White Eagle-SoundingSides applied to take Jackson and Crawford’s summer 2022 course to Europe, called “Stealing Culture: The Intersection of Criminal Law and Museums.” Jackson and Crawford work with museums and universities around the world as they begin repatriating cultural items that were often taken without a community’s knowledge or permission.

In the case of the headdress, White Eagle-SoundingSides’s tribal elders told her it was likely taken from the tribe during the filming of the 1923 silent film The Covered Wagon. Her research shows that it was donated to the British Museum in 1939. It hasn’t been on display since 2001, so White Eagle-SoundingSides had to receive special permission for her, Crawford and Jackson to view the headdress at a storage facility outside London this past July. She became the first Arapaho to see the headdress in 100 years.

“I felt that sorrow in my heart because the headdress is not where it belongs,” White Eagle-SoundingSides says.

Yet she was incredibly grateful to be able to see it and speak with the curator in the department of Africa, Oceana and the Americas at the British Museum, who graciously made the experience possible.

“I walked in, and I was in awe,” White EagleSoundingSides says. “It was beautiful. The feathers and beadwork were perfectly intact. I leaned in close to look — I didn’t touch it. There was a long strand of black hair by the tail. I kept thinking about Yellow Calf and the life he led. I thought about what pride he took in the headdress, because these are sacred objects to us. I thought about how it must have hurt him to have lost it. I thought about how the taking of it was another thing done to our people.

“The day I got to see it was the day our big ceremony, the sundance, was starting, so I thought about my people and how all of these things have affected our lives and where we’re at today,” White Eagle-SoundingSides adds. “I said a prayer for my people and a prayer for Yellow Calf. I introduced myself in Arapaho, and I told this headdress that I came a long way to see it. I said, ‘I’m sorry you can’t

Chief Yellow Calf’s headdress at the British Museum. Below: Art Museum Director Nicole Crawford, Alyson White Eagle-SoundingSides and Professor Darrell Jackson at the Ethete Celebration Powwow.

PHOTO BY DARBY CLARK

COURTESY PHOTO

go home today, but you’re going to someday.’ I was so thankful, humbled and filled with gratitude.”

Chief Yellow Calf (1861–1938) is considered one of the Northern Arapaho Tribe’s most important and respected historical leaders. The Northern Arapaho are one of four groups of Arapaho who originally occupied the headwaters of the Arkansas and Platte rivers. After signing the Treaty of 1851, the Arapaho and Cheyenne shared land encompassing one-sixth of Wyoming, one-quarter of Colorado and parts of western Kansas and Nebraska. Later, when the Treaty of 1868 left the Northern Arapaho without a land base, they were placed with the Shoshone in west-central Wyoming on the Wind River Reservation.

White Eagle-SoundingSides’s husband works for the Northern Arapaho Tribal Historical Preservation Office, so she has seen firsthand how repatriation affects their community in a positive way.

“It’s almost like a piece of us gets put back together when these things come back to us,” she says. “When they come home, it’s like we get to heal. That’s what I want for my people. That’s why I’ve done what I’ve done so far.”

4-h: taking yoUth AbroAd

Thanks to 4-H, which is administered by UW Extension, Wyoming high school students also have the opportunity to study abroad. Approximately two trips are offered each year.

Crawford and the Art Museum went the extra mile to help White Eagle-SoundingSides make the trip, funding her flight and working with the curator at the British Museum to get permission to see the headdress. Now comes the hard work of further research as well as relationship-building with the British Museum to perhaps one day bring the headdress home.

WATCH A VIDEO

“STEALING CULTURE”

BIT.LY/STEALING-CULTURE

“This is the impetus behind Stealing Culture as a class and an organization,” Jackson says. “From the day we’ve started, it’s been about getting communities behind it.”

Jackson and Crawford have been working on the Stealing Culture project for several years. They taught an on-campus version of the class with law and honors students in 2019, and this summer was the first educationabroad version of the class. They visited museums and historical sites in Scotland, England and Greece. They hope to continue the project but need time set aside for it and funding. The developments with the headdress are exactly why they do this work, and they found the entire experience very moving and motivational.

The Northern Arapaho Tribe honored Jackson, Crawford and UW President Ed Seidel at the Ethete Celebration Powwow, where they were presented with honorary blankets.

“That was something I’ll never forget,” Jackson says. “It was one of the top experiences of my entire career.”

“The International 4-H Exchange Programs are designed to advance cultural understanding, to prepare youth leaders to become responsible citizens, to spark an interest in learning about foreign cultures and to develop a cadre of Americans with cultural understanding who can advance international dialogue and compete effectively in our global society,” says Carbon County Extension Educator Emily Haver, who took a group of seniors to Belize this December.

The trip is part of a grant-funded partnership between Wyoming 4-H and a vocational agricultural high school in Belize. Twelve youth attended from eight counties. They stayed in Belize for 10 days, where they explored Mayan culture, interacted with host families and students, and learned about large-fruit cultivation.

This summer, another group of Wyoming high school students from across the state will visit Ireland, led by Laramie County Extension Educator Dawn Sanchez. “Youth will get their hands dirty as they experience the farm-to-table journey — an important part of life in Ireland — by visiting a variety of local farms around the country,” Sanchez says. “They will learn about the business of farming and organic and sustainable farming practices. They will also engage in hands-on projects.”

Haver says the trips let students experience new ideas, solutions and ways of looking at the world: “If we can fill our state with citizens who think without boundaries because they’ve been given a wider perspective to do so, our potential is limitless.”

American participants engaging in the traditional Finnish method of stacking and drying hay in Vieremä, Finland.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WARREN CRAWFORD

internAtional soCiAl WelfArE: A British PersPeC tivE

By social work student Maia Marces

Organized and led by Associate Professor Neely Mahapatra, the education-abroad course International Social Welfare: A British Perspective, took UW students to London for two weeks in late May 2022 to learn about the history of social welfare in Britain.

“In an increasingly multicultural and interconnected world, our studyabroad program offers UW students an opportunity to immerse in a diverse culture’s worldview and understand

different perspectives as it aligns with the internationalization efforts at UW,” Mahapatra says.

The group of 14 students drawn from social work, political science, nursing, sociology and anthropology visited a number of iconic and lesser-known London sites. Each location was rich with history and the stories of different individuals who either worked for, created or experienced different forms of social welfare throughout history.

“Before going on the trip, my understanding of social work was

restricted,” says criminal justice major Cody Johnson of Laramie, Wyo. “Having the ability to see social work firsthand made a world of difference than reading it out of a textbook.”

Social work student Rachael Riter of Cheyenne, Wyo., adds: “This trip has made me a better student and a better person and will make me a better social worker. Being able to immerse myself in a different culture and learn different ideas, ways of living and approaches to social challenges and their solutions has enriched my journey of cultural competence and creativity.”

Students toured British museums as part of their International Social Welfare course.

PHOTO BY DARRAH SHORT

From Wyoming to indiA

Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center Research

Scientist Ramesh Sivanpillai’s work with five universities in India has led to memorandums of understanding, allowing UW students to customize their education-abroad and research experiences in the country.

“The topics and the scope of research are all selected by the students,” he says. These topics have included human-elephant conflict, genetically modified crops and invasive weed impacts, among others, which the students write about at uwyo-enr3300.blogspot.com. Some of his students were so inspired, they decided to continue their studies in graduate school.

Recent wildlife and fisheries biology and management graduate Dylan Sollenberger from Peoria, Ill., took Sivanpillai’s Environmental Policy, Development and Conservation in India course in 2019 and went on to study at Amrita University in Coimbatore, India. There, he studied the connection between spirituality and conservation work.

“I had never traveled outside of the United States,” Sollenberger writes. “Whether spending my days studying the different plant and animal species near campus or learning from spiritual gurus who taught insight into the appreciation of these life forms … I was really starting to understand how having a certain view spiritually can affect how you treat other living organisms and subsequently acts of biological conservation. I received enormous help from students on campus, who I now consider good friends. Without my trip to India, I would never have had the opportunity to do research on such an important subject, and my own personal spirituality would never had been jumpstarted in such a way that continues to push me today.”

With support from UW’s Global Engagement Office, Sivanpillai will now take a cohort of UW students to India every summer, where they will take part in Live-inLabs, a multidisciplinary experiential learning program through Amrita University. Each student can select a topic based on their interest and study at one of 300 sites. In addition, he is also expanding partnerships so that Indian students can participate in UW drone work and artificial intelligence projects.

Building a school in Peru

Not all education-abroad opportunities are built on research or a course. Some are crafted on making a difference. For example, this past summer, Shane Epping, who holds the Bobby Model Professorship in Photojournalism, took two students to help build an elementary school in a remote part of Peru that is only accessible by boat. There, they served with Be the Change Volunteers, a development aid nonprofit organization dedicated to creating better education opportunities worldwide.

“Three of the four goals for global engagement at UW are driving excellence, inspiring students and impacting communities,” Epping says. “Our work in Peru fulfilled all of these.”

Epping and seniors Vanta Coda III (an environment and natural resources and communication major from Duluth, Minn.) and Emily Smith (a communication major from Lakewood, Colo.) spent nine days helping build the school and documenting the experience via video and photography. (See Coda’s photos at vanta-coda-the-3rd.squarespace.com.)

“Not only did we connect with a very remote community in high need of educational resources, but we also experienced what the Amazon has to offer: tarantulas, piranhas, electric eels, leeches, sloths, monkeys, river otters, pink dolphins, etc. The students and I proved that we could do hard things in an uncomfortable environment. But, more importantly, we spent quality time and shared sweat equity with people very different from ourselves in the spirit of learning from one another and advancing the well-being of all involved.”

UW senior Emily Smith, left, works with a high school student to twist rebar as they build the foundation for a new elementary school in Chino, Peru.

PHOTOS BY SHANE EPPING

Research Around The World

Students and professors from across campus engage in fascinating international studies with a global community of colleagues. By

Micaela Myers

Booking It to the Netherlands

History Assistant Professor Melissa Morris is spending the spring semester in the Netherlands researching her next book — thanks to a Fulbright award.

Morris’s biography subject is Juan Rodriquez, a free man of African descent who lived in the western half of the island of Hispaniola, or presentday Haiti. “Although he was a Spanish subject, Rodriguez was likely involved in illegal trade with the Dutch and others who visited the island regularly,” says Morris. “In 1612, Rodriguez boarded the Dutch ship Jonge Tobias.

The ship was bound for the Hudson Valley, a region that the Dutch had recently explored and were then starting to colonize. When the ship departed, Rodriguez stayed behind, becoming the first non-Indigenous person to live in what later became the colony of New Netherland. He formed a crucial link between Dutch traders and Indigenous peoples of the Hudson Valley, serving as a middleman in their trade. Rodriguez stayed in the area for at least a couple years and maybe longer. By that time, the Dutch had established Fort Nassau near present-day Albany. A Black man from Hispaniola was a key player in the birth of New York City.”

Morris’s work as a historian focuses on 17th century Americas and is particularly focused on cross-cultural encounters. Her research impacts her teaching, where she expands the cast of characters for her students, showing them how diverse the continent is and was.

“Students are often surprised and interested to learn about this, because it’s not often covered in high school,” Morris says.

She is also using her Fulbright to expand international opportunities for UW students.

“While I am in the Netherlands, I will work with professors there

History Assistant Professor Melissa Morris is spending the spring semester as a Fulbright Scholar in the Netherlands, researching her book.

on creating virtual exchanges — where students in Wyoming and the Netherlands studying similar subjects will be able to connect and learn from one another without leaving home,” Morris says. She is also working to establish more opportunities for Dutch students to come to UW and designing a UW education-abroad course to the Netherlands.

Morris says that international research is common among her history colleagues — this past summer alone, UW history professors traveled to Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Canada, the UK, Uruguay and more.

Birds and Ants, Oh My

Building upon many years of work in Panama, Department of Zoology and Physiology Associate Professor Corey Tarwater is joined by UW Research Scientist Patrick Kelley and Professor of Practice Bethann Garramon Merkle, as well as colleagues at the University of Illinois and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, as they study species interactions in tropical forests. The project also includes more than 20 UW students and is funded by a National Science Foundation grant. In addition to research, the project also creates educational materials and includes an education-abroad field course to Panama.

“Natural species interactions are being disrupted globally, and these disruptions are expected to get worse as anthropogenic change intensifies,” Tarwater says. “But we still know very little about what leads to these changes or how the loss of species interactions impacts communities.”

To better understand these issues and interactions, the team is studying flocks of birds that follow army ant swarms in Panama.

“Army ants form large raids on the forest floor, flushing up arthropods and eating them,” Tarwater says. “As the arthropods flee the army ants, up to 80 different bird species take advantage — the arthropods trying to flee the ants also get eaten by these birds. Army ants are considered keystone species and ecosystem engineers, meaning that they play a large role in influencing biodiversity and in altering their environment, similar to prairie dogs in Wyoming.”

Changes in species interactions can reduce biodiversity and change what nature looks like and how it works.

Merkle and two UW students are also working with Chad Hutchens of UW Libraries Open Education Resources to produce interactive video-based educational resources that will share the research with more students, filling an educational gap in undergraduate biology courses.

Zoology undergraduate Elizabeth Howard in Panama. COURTESY IMAGE

Examining the Past

Like lots of kids, Jim Ahern liked digging in the dirt as a youngster. Little did he or his parents know that one day it would become his career as a biological anthropologist. Professor Ahern also serves as UW’s vice provost and dean of the School of Graduate Education. The foundation of his work started when he was in graduate school and his adviser invited him to study Neandertal fossils in Yugoslavia.

“I’ve been working there ever since,” Ahern says. “My current research in Croatia is in collaboration with colleagues and institutions all over Europe and America. It’s a project looking at the people of the last ice age and how they adapted to changing landscapes, environments and new populations over the past 100,000 years up through the origin of agriculture about 7,000–8,000 years ago.”

Ahern’s specialty is the analysis of human remains and is largely focusing on the Neandertal-to-modernhuman transition. Croatia is home to the largest sample of these fossils from a single site, Krapina Rockshelter.

“Doing fieldwork is very different than how I spend the rest of the year,” he says. “It’s a very nice change. You never know what you’re going to find next.”

Large research questions he looks at include how

modern-day humans evolved into our current diversity, early Neandertal and human interactions, and how these issues were impacted by changing climates. Many summers, you can find Ahern in the field in Croatia with a group of UW and international students.

“The field school is something I’m really proud of because it’s not about just my site or what I’m researching,” Ahern says. “Because of the long collaborations and friendships I have in Croatia, our students get to work at a variety of archaeological sites.”

This hands-on research is critical to students, just as it was to Ahern.

“Doing research and teaching internationally has really transformed what I know,” he says, adding that experiencing different ways of understanding, different linguistic environments and differences in thinking is enlightening to him and his students.

Left: Professor Jim Ahern excavating at Abri Kontija rock shelter in Lim Channel, Istria, Croatia. Below: Main chamber of Ljubićeva Cave, a prehistoric dwelling.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JIM AHERN

Saving Endangered Dogs

In 2015, Dedan Kabuu Ngatia earned a scholarship to take UW Professor Jacob Goheen’s field course in Kenya, which invites UW and Kenyan undergraduate students to learn methods in wildlife ecology and conservation. It was this course that ignited Ngatia’s passion for studying the globally endangered African wild dogs in his home county of Laikipia in central Kenya. He’s now finishing the third year of his Ph.D. in zoology at UW.

“I was really attracted to the social structure of the wild dogs and how they hunt and live,” he says. “They have suffered massive decline from half a million individuals 50 years ago to

approximately 6,000 individuals today. We’ve identified the main causes of mortality to wild dogs to be infectious diseases and persecution by people.”

Soon after he began studying the dogs, they suffered an outbreak of canine distemper, taking his area’s population of 300 dogs down to just three. But the population is starting to grow again.

The research touches on a larger issue: the fact that conservation areas are not enough to maintain large carnivores. To thrive, these species must coexist with humans.

“The most amazing thing about the region is the wildlife, plants and

landscape,” he says. “It attracts a lot of international researchers and tourists. Our ecosystem has the second largest population of wildlife in Kenya, but it occurs outside of protected areas. We have people, livestock and wildlife sharing space. This creates lots of interesting questions about coexistence.”

He hopes to help create a safe environment for the wild dogs where they can recover and thrive.

Choosing UW was a great decision, Ngatia says, allowing him to spend time researching in Kenya while also gaining teaching experience. He believes international students bring diversity and new perspectives to Wyoming.

African wild dogs swimming in Kenya.

PHOTO BY SAMBURU-LAIKIPIA WILD DOG PROJECT

The Final Frontier

“Imagine you are the very first person to step foot on the top on the Medicine Bow Mountains,” geophysics Professor Mike Cheadle likes to say to prospective graduate students. It’s his analogy for the seafloor explorations he and structural geology Professor Barbara John conduct around the world.

“The seafloor makes up 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, but because it’s under approximately 6 kilometers of ocean water, it’s hard to get to — and so it’s relatively unexplored,” Cheadle says. “To explore it in detail, one has to use submarines. This means we actually know the topography of the moon and Mars better than we do the seafloor on Earth.”

The rocks they collect from the ocean floor are brought back to UW in order to better understand the geological processes going on at the bottom of the oceans. In particular, they’re working to understand how the ocean crust is created. This crust makes up 60 percent of the Earth’s surface.

“We have sailed on U.S., French, German and Japanese research vessels and have taken many UW graduate and

Above: Professor Mike Cheadle. Below: Rocks and animals on the seafloor. Right: A hydrothermal vent from an expedition to Pito Deep in the Pacific Ocean that Cheadle and Professor Barbara John led in 2016.

The research vessel RV Sonne in Cape Town, South Africa.

PHOTO BY MIKE CHEADLE

PHOTO BY HENRY DICK

COURTESY IMAGE

PHOTO BY WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION, CHEADLE & KAVANAGH

undergraduates to sea as part of these studies,” Cheadle says. “We’ve worked in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and the Caribbean Sea and have participated in over 25 research expeditions on at least 10 different research vessels.”

This past spring, John set out on a French research vessel to investigate peridotite-hosted hydrothermal vent systems and tectonics at slow-spreading ridges. Hydrothermal vents are found on underwater volcanoes and commonly host complex biological communities and critical elements such as cobalt, nickel and manganese that are required to support future energy needs.

“Some think hydrothermal vents may have been the place where life first started on Earth,” John says.

The Atlantis Massif is a prominent undersea massif in the North Atlantic Ocean. A massif is a section of a planet’s crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures or a group of mountains formed by such a structure.

Next spring, John will participate in the International Ocean Discovery Program to Atlantis Massif in the North Atlantic Ocean with an international science party sailing out of the Azores — an autonomous archipelago region of Portugal.

“The aim of this expedition is to study the processes of formation of the Atlantis Massif, as well as the microbes living within the rocks, to help better understand this little-recognized host to extreme biodiversity,” she says.

Summing up this pioneering work, Cheadle says: “We’ve probably only mapped in detail 15 percent of the world’s seafloor, so for geologists, it is the final frontier, and we excitedly go where no one has gone before.”

Into the Arctic

A Q&A with Assistant Professor Jamie McFarlin

What do you research and where? The broad focus of my research is to understand how aspects of the environment are altered by climate warming. I am particularly interested in the Arctic because it is undergoing rapid changes, and I have worked at field sites across Greenland, arctic Canada and Alaska. As a geoscientist, I largely use geologic records from the Arctic that date back tens to hundreds of thousands of years ago and were deposited during past periods of warmth to observe via materials like molecular fossils preserved in these archives changes in biology, geology, chemistry and climate through time. One of the major questions my current work is focused on is understanding how conditions important to the microbiome of Arctic lakes changed with past warming and how that impacted carbon cycling and methane production in these complex systems. There is a need both to understand what is happening within Arctic landscapes and to predict what will happen in the future because as warming continues it will have global impacts.

How does this work benefit students? While many of my field sampling sites are in the Arctic, most of the research will be performed in the organic geochemistry laboratory on the UW campus. This research will provide students at UW opportunities to learn about and be involved in climate research and exposure to techniques used widely in organic geochemistry, including mass spectrometry. These techniques can also be applied to a myriad of scientific questions, including, for example, questions in modern ecology or questions related to understanding changing landscapes across Wyoming.

Assistant Professor Jamie McFarlin’s Greenland fieldcamp. COURTESY IMAGE

Bringing Archeology to Students Everywhere

Not all students can travel to international archeology sites, so UW Coe Library Makerspace Coordinator Jane Crayton and UW Extension Instructional Technology Education Specialist Derek Osterlund are working to bring the experience to them by developing a virtual field experience game where participants can use 3D models to perform archaeology tasks as if they were working with real artifacts.

The work is part of the larger Rio Verde Archaeology Project in Oaxaca, Mexico, that several universities take part in, including Professor Arthur Joyce from University of Colorado – Boulder, who received a National Science Foundation grant. Crayton and Osterlund also earned a UW Center for Global Studies grant. In 2022 alone, the Center for Global Studies awarded grants to 22 students and 18 faculty in support of international research.

artifacts and archaeology sites. She will then develop the virtual field experience using Unity Game Engine technology, allowing students to engage in excavations, artifact collection, core sampling and more using a virtual reality headset or basic computer.

“The opportunity to develop new ways to use emergent technologies for student engagement using virtual technology is exciting,” Crayton says. “This will provide a greater number of students an opportunity to experience what it is like to work in the field of archaeology.”

Over the next three years, Crayton will visit the site regularly to gather spherical photography, a type of panoramic photo, and photogrammetry, which uses photography to create a 3D model of an object. These images will allow them to build 3D assets of

Osterlund sees the work as putting a large puzzle together. “We are working with over-4,000-year-old artifacts that can tell a story of the past and future,” he says. “The work can unravel deeper understanding of climate change and how it led to past migration. We also benefit from the development of new technology that can be applied to other projects down the road.”

Two educational travel opportunities offer a chance to see the world with UW! Our tours have been organized by faculty and staff who have personal expertise in these locations, giving you unique insight into the history, culture, and contemporary life of every place we visit. Join us!

NEW IN SPRING 2023: Explore and Learn with Cowboys Abroad

Uzbekistan: March 2023

At the heart of the historic Silk Road, Uzbekistan offers unparalleled cultural experiences, from architectural treasures at UNESCO world heritage sites to contemporary artists’ studios and extraordinary culinary adventures. Meet local educators in hands-on master classes, and explore the geography and natural world of Uzbekistan.

Scotland: May 2023

Explore museums of art, science, and industry, historic houses, monuments and gardens, working tartan mills, distilleries and breweries, canals, coal mines, castles, trains, and ships. Highlights include Abbotsford, the historic home of Sir Walter Scott, the bustling Princes Street in Edinburgh, and Scotland’s beautiful west coast.

For information or to sign up for one of these trips, contact the Global Engagement Office global@uwyo.edu

Formative era pot rendered in 3D as photogrammetry model from the Rio Verde Archaeology Project 2022, Lower Rio Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico.

welcome to wyoming

meet students, faculty and alumni from around the world.

By Micaela Myers

stand with ukraine

When the spring 2021 semester began, Anastasiia Pereverten was just like any other international student on a semester abroad. But a month later, war broke out in her home country of Ukraine.

“The initial reaction you have is fear and uncertainty about what your family is going to do and how they feel,” she says. “How will the situation unfold? The moment you face that fear, you know you have such little influence on the situation over there. You have to put your mind toward what you can change right here, right now.”

What she could do, she decided, was help people understand the war and stand with Ukrainians. She helped organize events and began speaking to the press, including USA Today.

“Since the first day, I’ve been concentrating the efforts on spreading awareness about Ukraine and disseminating truthful information because Russia is actively disseminating false information,” says Pereverten. “Standing with Ukraine is standing for democracy in this world.”

Pereverten hosted booths in the Wyoming Union and helped organize panel discussions, speakers and two local rallies — one downtown and one on campus.

“We had a great turnout,” she says. “I didn’t expect the community to be so engaged. People started donating. In total, we’ve raised more than $9,000 for Ukrainian military support funds.”

Pereverten also worked with UW Libraries and UW’s administration to create a collection of English-language literature about all aspects of Ukrainian culture.

She hasn’t seen her parents or siblings since the war broke out and hopes to finish her degree at UW.

“For me, it’s a life-forming experience,” she says of her time here, adding that international students bring an important perspective to campus. “I see how even the tiny bit of knowledge and background I’m bringing to my classes changes the educational experiences of my classmates.”

I see how even the little bit of knowledge and background I’m bringing to my classes changes the educational experiences of my classmates. — Anastasiia Pereverten

Anastasiia Pereverten in New York City. COURTESY IMAGE

serial entrepreneur

Christoph Geisler attended UW for his Ph.D. in molecular biology and stayed to help drive Wyoming’s economy forward. He is now on his second startup company. Geisler was born in Germany to a Dutch mother and German father. He attended university in The Netherlands, with research in Australia before coming to UW in 2004. Here, he met his wife, fellow international student Pooja Gupta, who is from India. They now have two children and appreciate Wyoming’s good schools and quality of life.

“I simply love living here,” Geisler says. “There’s no way I’d have a 2-minute commute by bike if I lived in a tech mecca like San Francisco. Running a business here is much more affordable. Lab space would be 10 times more in California. We couldn’t have made this progress elsewhere.”

After graduation, Geisler co-founded the biotech company GlycoBac, whose products are distributed by MilliporeSigma and are used in research and development worldwide. Geisler then launched his next startup, Unlocked Labs Inc., which engineers next-generation probiotics that safely remove toxins from the body through the gut. The startup is based in UW’s IMPACT 307 Laramie business incubator.

“It’s exciting to work on disruptive technology — products that address the root causes of kidney stones, gout and heart attacks. We figured out what probiotics’ natural superpowers are, and we enhanced those, taking advantage of their metabolic abilities,” Geisler says. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for UW. I learned everything I know about science and fundraising — getting my Ph.D. here and launching my first startup.”

Unlocked Labs will sell directly to consumers, and its products can be used as a preventative as well as a treatment. It has benefitted from Small Business Innovation Research grants matched by the state, as well as private investment.

“There are a lot of people from around the world who bring different perspectives and skill sets,” Geisler says. He hopes the United States can make it easier for international entrepreneurs such as himself to stay and contribute to the economy.

While Geisler loves Laramie, he can’t help but miss his favorite dish from The Netherlands: “Mussels steamed in white wine with homemade thick-cut fries with mayo and a glass of beer.”

WATCH A VIDEO “CHRISTOPH GEISLER” BIT.LY/UNLOCKED-LABS

The Unlocked Labs team: Caleb Price, Michal Luczak, James Francis and Christoph Geisler. COURTESY IMAGE

world-class program

Perhaps no department at UW is as international as the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, which attracts faculty and students from around the world. This includes new department head and Le Norman Endowed Leadership Chair in Petroleum Engineering Vamegh Rasouli, whose entire career has been international. Rasouli is from Iran, earned his doctorate from the Imperial College London, then taught in Australia and North Dakota before joining UW in 2022.

“If you really want to make your program diverse and benefit from different ideas, thinking and opportunities, then having people from different places around the world will be very helpful,” he says. “You will be surprised how many great ideas will come from that environment and not just having one nationality in the program. Also, you learn different technical things because we have varying reservoirs and formations. So when you bring in different people and discuss, that adds value to the education, research and opportunities.”

In addition to living in different countries, Rasouli travels extensively as an instructor for Schlumberger’s NExT (Network of Excellence in Training) program, which delivers industry short courses.

“When you travel, you learn to understand things you didn’t even know existed,” he says. This means taking the time to understand cultural differences.

One thing that’s unique about his home country of Iran is the emphasis on higher education. “Everyone wants to get a doctoral degree, which is not the case in a lot of places,” Rasouli says.

His research and teaching interests center on petroleum and unconventional reservoir geomechanics, wellbore stability, hydraulic fracturing and drilling.

“Wyoming is an energy-dominated state — that was important to me,” he says of his decision to join UW. “I saw great opportunities here for the development of this program. I want to help make this program well-known around the world.”

bringing excellence in teaching home

Recent doctoral graduate Libni Berenice Castellón wants people to know that Honduras, located in the heart of Central America, is a beautiful tropical country rich in natural resources with white sand beaches, coral reefs, mountains, and stunning Mayan and Spanish architecture. Her favorite local food is fish from Lake Yojoa.

“The whole fish is deep fried in oil and served with pickled onions and pickled cabbage, usually accompanied by fried green bananas or plantains,” she says.

Castellón attended an educational conference at UW and decided to pursue her Ph.D. here in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis in mathematics education and a minor in quantitative research methods.

“I was impressed with the program and the work graduate students were doing,” she says. “I saw UW as a great institution to get my degree and grow professionally.”

Castellón earned a grant through UW’s Social Justice Research Center to help fund her dissertation research on an intervention protocol to develop mathematical reasoning and language to support multilingual students.

“Being a graduate student at UW has been a wonderful experience,” she says. “Professors are knowledgeable, supportive and care about their students. In the future, I want to return to my home country and work as a professor at the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University. I believe UW prepared me to become a leader in my university and to strengthen research. I would also like to start a professional development program for some schools in Honduras where my colleagues and I can offer ongoing support in the classroom for teachers and students to experience problem solving in mathematics.”

Vamegh Rasouli in the Drilling & Completions Simulator Lab.

Libni Berenice Castellón in the College of Education.

all the way from algeria

Q&A with Cilia Abdelhamid, Ph.D. candidate in petroleum engineering from Algiers, Algeria

favorite food: rechta (thin flat noodles, often served with a spiced chicken or meat sauce) and couscous.

what would you like people to know about your home country? “Algeria is the largest African country and is home to many well-preserved Roman ruins. Algeria is also one of the biggest oil producers in the world and has abundant natural gas reserves. Algerians speak Arabic, Berber and French. Algerians are famous for their warm and friendly demeanor, especially toward guests. It’s customary for Algerians to invite visitors or friends into their home for a few cups of tea and good company.”

tell us about your time at uw: “I chose UW because of its quality of education. I’m excited to learn from the teachers who have created such a fantastic program.

“I have the chance to be advised by and work with

Associate Professor Minou Rabiei and Associate Research Scientist Kalyan Venugopal, who are working on data mining and machine learning applied to petroleum engineering.

“I also joined the Middle East and North Africa Cultural Club, which is formed by students interested in the region’s culture, tradition and history. They are planning for many interesting events that I’ll be part of during my time at UW.”

how does internationalization benefit you and uw?

“I believe that international students bring a unique skill set to UW, help its growth and make it more diverse and developed. It also helps students learn to avoid stereotyping and build more informed opinions about other countries.

“By attending a school outside my country, I have the opportunity to hone my language skills, experience a different way of teaching, and discover a new culture and perspective, all of which allows me to enrich my worldview and expand my network.”

Cilia Abdelhamid in Algeria.

learning to ski

Yuening “Heidi” Shen is a competitive table tennis player in her home country of China, but she’d never cross-country skied until arriving in Laramie as part of the UW Division of Kinesiology and Health’s partnership with Shanghai University of Sport. As a master’s student on a school-year exchange, Shen is taking part in an immersive Nordic ski program as well as taking courses.

“The Nordic skiing team is like a family,” she says. “The coaches have the most professional experience and knowledge. Together with my teammates, they make it feel like home. I love my team very much. When I go back to my home country, I can teach this sport to others. I’m lucky I have a chance to come here and learn about Nordic skiing.”

Shen says each province of China has its own unique cuisine. Her favorite is hot pot known for its spiciness. She also loves dumplings, a lake crab known as hairy crab and milk tea.

As a future physical education teacher, Shen says her UW coursework, including hands-on experience in the local schools, is invaluable.

“My UW courses have taught me how to be a teacher,” she says. “Coming to UW is a totally new environment. I’ve made great friends and am experiencing a lot. I love the Cowboys and Cowgirls. I go to the football games, and we sing and dance together. I’ve learned a lot about American culture. It’s a very meaningful experience.”

Yuening “Heidi” Shen enjoying the snow. COURTESY IMAGE

BY DILNOZA

from norway, with love

When Jørgen Waaler attended UW for his bachelor’s in business (’82) followed by his MBA (’83), there were 60 Norwegian students, a number of them drawn by the competitive Nordic ski team. They had such an amazing experience that up to 30 Norwegian UW alumni still get together every December, with Waaler as their alumni network leader.

Waaler believes his UW education was invaluable in his successful career, which included serving as CEO of the public tech company StrongPoint ASA for 16 years. StrongPoint develops and sells retail technology solutions for e-commerce and in-store operations. Now semi-retired, Waaler serves as board director at 10 different companies within the information technology and life science fields.

“Learning American culture was very valuable,” Waaler says of this UW education. “At StrongPoint, we had a lot of relations with American companies. That’s one of the advantages UW gave me, in addition to the language, of course.”

An international education is even more important in today’s world, he says: “Globalization is increasing. International trade and global relations are very important for business. When cultures start to isolate, it’s very bad. The more you interact internationally, the more stable the world will be, and the more peace there will be because we understand each other in a much better way.”

Waaler says his home country of Norway is a leader in several areas, including as a peacemaker and in the world of sustainability. The country has a strong NATO presence, all electric power comes from renewables, and 70 percent of cars sold being electric. Norway is also famous for its salmon, Waaler’s favorite food.

He hopes to see UW’s Nordic ski team return to Division 1 status — it is currently a club sport — and believes it would do much to recruit in countries such as Norway.

global presence

Last year, the molecular and cellular life sciences and molecular biology programs welcomed several graduate students from Ghana, including doctoral molecular biology student Jesse Kaleku from Accra.

“Ghana is a very peaceful country and full of hospitable people who are very welcoming,” he says. “I miss the food. There’s lots of variety. One can go 30 days without eating the same type of food. My favorite is called kenkey. It’s made from fermented milled corn, wrapped in corn husks and eaten with fried fish, ground pepper and vegetables and tomatoes.”

UW was well known at his undergraduate institution. Graduates have returned home and made a big impact, which is why Kaleku and 15 of his fellow Ghanaians chose UW.

“International students greatly help in putting UW on the map in the research we do,” he says. “It’s seen all over the world.”

Kaleku’s research focuses on plants and their response to increasing temperatures, including the evolution of new pathogens in polar regions such as Antarctica. These pathogens could evolve and spread, causing problems around the world. After completing his program, he wants to remain in the field of research.

He appreciates President Ed Seidel’s frequent communication with students and the fact that his professors are demanding yet approachable.

“My time here has been great,” Kaleku says. “I’ve made lots of friends. Laramie is full of welcoming people. You have the opportunity to broaden yourself at UW.”

Norwegian alumni Jørgen Waaler, Knut Harto and Tore Tajet (back row).

PHOTO

KHASILOVA

Jesse Kaleku. PHOTO BY ASHLEY PARK

international student clubs

UW is home to over 200 student clubs, a number of which highlight regions of the world to provide students with camaraderie and the chance to share their culture with the wider community. Here, we spoke to a few of the club leaders about their offerings.

Central Asian Student Association: “Our club focuses on promoting cross-cultural understanding,” says club adviser Dilnoza Khasilova of Tashkent-Fergana, Uzbekistan. Khasilova graduated with her doctorate in 2020 and is now a global engagement fellow at UW. The club’s activities include international education week each November, nonformal learning classes around world language and cultures, and Central Asian Awareness Day.

Muslim Student Association: The club organizes an annual Islamic Festival Week, with events including “Ask a Muslim”

and a banquet dinner complete with guest speaker. “Living as a minority in a place like Wyoming — it is my responsibility to bring awareness to the public of what Islam really is,” says chemical engineering senior Amel Ksaibati, whose parents hail from Jordan. “I want our club to be a safe place where Muslims can make friends and feel understood.”

Friends of Nepal: “Our mission includes assisting incoming international Nepali students, fostering friendly relations and promoting Nepali culture among the diversified global community,” says Ph.D. petroleum engineering student

Samir Budhathoki of Manpur, Dang, Nepal.

WATCH A VIDEO “BANGLADESH NIGHT” BIT.LY/BANGLADESH-NIGHT

“We celebrate the major Nepalese community festivals and host Celebrate Nepal, which is considered our grand event that we do every year during Nepali New Year in mid-April.”

Bangladesh Students’ Association: With a whopping membership of 60 students, the club puts on several events.

“Bangladesh Night is our annual showcase event of culture and cuisine,” says Nafis Bin Masud, a doctoral student in civil engineering. This year, the club will also host Pahela Baishakh in celebration of the first month in the Bengali solar calendar. “It is one of the most important festivals for the Bengali community and is celebrated with cultural dance, music and food,” he says.

Bangladesh Night.

PHOTO BY TIGE WILSON

Left: Central Asian Awareness Day with dancer Zamira Salim, Dilnoza Khasilova and Anne Alexander. Right: Muslim Student Association. COURTESY IMAGES

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

6 7. 6 %

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

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR FULLY FUNDED GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

AVERAGE STARTING SALARY FOR CEPS GRADUATES $

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

10 OF CEPS GRAD STUDENTS ARE OF A DIVERSE BACKGROUND

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

John Annor Graduate Student College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Global Partnerships

Strong connections with universities and organizations the world over improve research, curriculum and understanding. By

Micaela Myers

Center for Global Studies

In a historic home in the Scottish Highlands, an argument of sorts broke out between UW College of Law Professor Darrell Jackson and UW Art Museum Director Nicole Crawford about how museums historically obtained cultural artifacts. That discussion led to an impressive partnership between the two titled “Stealing Culture.” In the years since, Jackson and Crawford have been working with museums to repatriate selected cultural items and developed a study abroad course around the subject (read more on page 20). This type of interdisciplinary partnership is exactly what UW Center for Global Studies Director Caroline McCracken-Flesher had in mind when she developed the UW in Scotland program. The Center for Global Studies works to build international relations and fund global projects for UW faculty and students.

“University faculty have the responsibility to keep learning and building new knowledge and opportunity for our students and for Wyoming,” she says. “One way to boost that opportunity is to engage our faculty abroad and build faculty networks.”

UW in Scotland began less than a decade ago, with the support of visionary donors. It takes 12-16 faculty from across the disciplines to Scotland every five years.

“We’ve found that that leads to the most remarkable conversations and projects moving forward,” McCracken-Flesher says. “Faculty cohorts go on to form interdisciplinary projects, to conduct research and to lead education abroad courses. Students learn to think outward from experience and to pursue cross-disciplinary and new strategies to understand the unexpected.”

This January, the center launched a similar program in Jerusalem, and they hope to expand to other countries as well.

The Center for Global Studies also offers grants for student and faculty international research. Those funded then share their work with Wyoming via programs such as the Centennial Speaker Series and International Education Week.

One of the center’s important funding sources is the Harris International Research Endowment, which supports students’ international research around sustainable development and natural resources, applied economics, and rural and community development.

“It’s a pleasure to support international research at UW,” says Martha Harris, the fund’s donor. “What a wonderful way to open ourselves to the world and develop skills of analysis, empathy and resilience.”

Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.

PHOTO BY SCOTT E. TEDMON-JONES

Global Perspectives

In the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, globalization efforts are supported by a generous donor via the Global Perspectives program. Seed grants, managed through the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station, help faculty and programs create international partnerships.

“The hope for this fund is to increase scholarship and grant opportunities for faculty within the cooperating universities that will enhance agriculture research projects, which will lead to a more productive, sustainable and profitable agriculture production,” says Associate Dean Eric Webster, who also directs the experiment station.

In the past seven years, the Global Perspectives fund has been used to support research projects in Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belize, China, Guatemala, Italy, Kosovo, New Zealand, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, Serbia, southern Africa, Uganda, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

“This has allowed our faculty at UW to gain an international presence and expertise and enhanced the visibility of UW across the globe,” Webster says. “Research projects include plant and animal pathogens, animal production on rangelands, soil health, the impact of university life on young adults and many others. The Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station encourages our faculty to develop these relationships, and we will continue to support these endeavors financially.”

UW Extension Interim Associate Director Bridger Fuez is working with Swiss researchers to better understand rangeland systems in both countries.

PHOTO BY BRIDGER FUEZ

Cardiff University Partnership

Thanks to strong relationships built by UW President Ed Seidel and School of Computing Director Gabrielle Allen, UW has developed a strategic partnership with Cardiff University in Wales to cultivate academic and cultural interchange between the two institutions. One area of strength Cardiff brings to the table is software engineering.

In 2021, the partnership kicked off in Wyoming with a software development project in conjunction with a local corporation and the state’s community colleges.

“This partnership with external partners such as Cardiff, Wyoming community colleges and industry is an example of the type of program that can make a real difference in workforce and economic development in the state,” Seidel says.

The partnership and expanding software engineering curriculum will help Wyoming prepare residents to participate in the 21st century workforce and diversify the state’s economy.

“This partnership, like our other global initiatives, brings the teaching and research happening at UW into conversation with groundbreaking work being done around the world, increasing the scope and impact of the work,” says Vice Provost for Global Engagement Isadora Helfgott. “It gives students opportunities for impactful study abroad experiences, allowing them to see higher education from a different cultural and intellectual perspective. And it gives them a broader experience within their chosen field. Wyoming and Wales also share a number of key economic attributes, including transitioning economies, and we are looking to see how we might build economic ties between the two places.”

Faculty at the two institutions are collaborating in a number of ways. For example, Helfgott and American Heritage Center Director Paul Flesher, together with English and computer science faculty at Cardiff, received a digital humanities grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to develop computer vision tools to analyze large quantities of digitized book illustrations, focusing on identifying themes about place and identity in both Wyoming and Wales.

Flesher says, “Teaching artificial intelligence software to recognize images and their elements provides new ways of investigating trans-Atlantic cross-cultural impact, placing holdings in the AHC’s Toppan Rare Books Library in conversation with works at Cardiff University, as well as volumes in the British Library and Lambeth Palace.”

Helfgott says that this strategic partnership with Cardiff enabled the connections that led to the grant and is “just one example of how global partners can expand capacity for external research funding and research projects that push disciplinary boundaries — in this case bringing together humanities and computing research methodologies.”

Cardiff University researchers Julia Thomas, Alison Harvey and Marcus Holscher visit the American Heritage Center as part of a collaborative digital humanities project.

PHOTO BY ISADORA HELFGOTT

Guthrie Endowed Chair of Banking and Financial Services Ali Nejadmalayeri

International Leaders in Blockchain

Blockchain — one word for a complex technology that may be the way of the future. Simply put, blockchain is a digital record of transactions, where each transaction added to the chain is immutable and validated by multiple computers. Blockchain technology enables cryptocurrencies and digital assets but also has many other uses, such as supply chain management and payment systems. Many large companies already use the technology, but blockchain and cryptocurrencies are becoming much more ubiquitous in our everyday life.

In recent years, Wyoming passed groundbreaking legislation to create a regulatory environment to foster the growth of blockchain applications and to diversify the economy. UW is helping lead the way with global expertise, including Ali Nejadmalayeri, the Guthrie Endowed Chair of Banking and Financial Services. His expertise in network economics, credit risk and corporate finance led to Nejadmalayeri being tapped to serve as co-chair of the global Decentralized Treasury Working Group of the Blockchain Governance Initiative Network (BGIN). The group aims to provide a platform for blockchain stakeholders to deepen common understanding and to collaborate to address issues in the sustainable development of blockchain.

Already this year, Nejadmalayeri presented at BGIN conferences in Zurich and Vancouver.

“Our expertise at UW is shaping up the global conversations on business applications and policy guidelines of blockchain technology,” he says. “The proof is in the pudding. A close look at the speakers and sponsors of the Zurich conference shows a roster of who-is-who of central banking, stablecoins, blockchain legislation, cybersecurity and cryptography. I believe we can safely say that UW students have access to a unique wealth of information that is unmatched in all our peer and aspirant schools.”

Our expertise at UW is shaping up the global conversations on business applications and policy guidelines of blockchain technology. — Ali Nejadmalayeri

In Good Company

UW and several top schools are part of a $35 million euro grant with the Free University of Berlin. The efforts are led by Jean Garrison and Stephanie Anderson of the UW School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies and Free University of Berlin faculty Tanja Borzel and Thomas Risse, and the two universities have enjoyed close relations, including student exchange and faculty research collaboration.

“Over the past two years, UW has been a partner, along with Berkeley, Princeton and Stanford, in a major international research project on the quality of democracy around the world, spearheaded by Borzel and Risse and funded by the German government’s Cluster of Excellence grant,” Anderson explains. “UW and Berlin have cohosted several workshops on the subject, several faculty members have been invited to Berlin to discuss their research on the subject, and a book project is in the works. Moreover, this partnership has also resulted in public talks in Wyoming, such as this September’s presentation on Putin’s wars.”

EducationUSA advisers visit Laramie’s murals.

Right: adviser Lobna Alsrraj of Saudi Arabia.

Education USA

When international students consider studying abroad, they often start by contacting EducationUSA advisers in their home countries. These advisers, based in places such as U.S. embassies and consulates, promote all accredited U.S. higher education institutions and assist students with logistics. EducationUSA regularly calls upon partner institutions to host advisers and information sessions to expand awareness.

UW often answers the call. The university participates in webinars and welcomed advisers for in-person visits in 2019 and 2022. The advisers came from as far away as Burkina Faso, Serbia, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Indonesia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Brazil and Chile.

“This is an opportunity for us to highlight our campus,” says Jill Johnson, director of UW’s International Students and Scholars office. “These are key decision influencers — helping students find the right fit for them. International students often know about California, New York and Texas, but they don’t really know what’s happening in other states. The advisers said we’re a hidden gem. They love UW.”

During the multi-day visits, each UW college has an opportunity to present. The advisers are also shown around campus and the area, such as Vedauwoo and UW’s observatory on Jelm Mountain.

“Having a diverse perspective in the classroom really enhances a student’s education,” Johnson says of the efforts to recruit more international students. “The international students get a lot out of this experience as well. They get to experience a different school of thought by coming to the U.S. and experiencing classes with American students — and vice versa. It’s mutually beneficial to all parties. It helps prepare all students for a global workplace.”

Laramie International Flavor Festival

Food is an international language, something that readily draws us in, excites us and expands our horizons. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, you crave a delicious meal. Inspired by this universal calling, Laramie Main Street Alliance partnered with UW International Students and Scholars this past spring to launch the Laramie International Flavor Festival.

Approximately 20 area restaurants partnered with 80 international community members and students from more than 40 nations to create menu items inspired by their home countries. The special menus ran throughout March 28 to April 3.

“This event has so much potential to foster human connections and draw new communities to downtown Laramie to celebrate our diverse international residents and influences,” says inaugural Flavor Festival co-chair Ali Grossman, a video producer for UW Institutional Marketing. “The whole experience has been delicious. If you want to get to know your neighbors, ask about their foods and traditions.”

Stay tuned for this year’s second annual Laramie International Flavor Festival April 3–8.

IMAGES COURTESY OF LARAMIE INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR FESTIVAL

Kazakhstan: A Decade of Partnering

Ten years ago, Mike Brown, now a UW emeritus professor of journalism, traveled halfway across the world to develop a partnership between UW and the Kazakh National University (KazNU).

“The result has been an ongoing relationship with the journalism department at KazNU,” he says. “The U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan recently recognized our cooperation as a particularly productive partnership. Our expectation is that the relationship will continue to flourish.”

Continuing the tradition, UW hosted students in the KazNU international journalism master’s degree program for their summer international internships again this year.

“This internship was very crucial and interesting for me,” says KazNU student Ayazhan Oralbekova. “I gained a lot of useful information on various topics of communication and journalism. I’m deeply thankful for all professors for their interesting presentations.”

In addition to talks from UW faculty, the KazNU students met with UW

journalism students and experienced American culture with visits to various sites and activities, including Cheyenne Frontier Days.

“The world has become a smaller place in a way because of communication forms,” says Cindy Price Schultz, department chair and associate professor. “Therefore, students need to be exposed to globalization. These visiting Kazakh students help our students learn more about the bigger picture of journalism in the world.”

Twenty-six KazNU students have interned at UW in the past decade, and UW students are now interested in studying at KazNU as well.

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

HUMANITIES RESEARCH

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

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

UW Emeritus Professor Mike Brown (center) with Kazakh graduate students and KazNU faculty member Karlyga Myssayeva.

PHOTO BY CINDY PRICE SCHULTZ

Saturday, February 25, 2023

2111 E. Willett Dr., Laramie, WY 82071

Come support UW student artists and their incredible works of art displayed in the UW Art Museum Gallery.

6-8 p.m. - Reception Hors d’oeuvres provided by UW Catering

6:30 p.m. - Award ceremony

Scholarships Support EDUCATION ABROAD

By David Stotzer

Students are one of the primary reasons that friends and alumni support the University of Wyoming. And there are few things as fulfilling as knowing that your gift has given a student the opportunity to study abroad or an international student the opportunity to come to UW.

The university is home to the largest endowment for education-abroad funding of any land-grant public institution, thanks to the Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment. Moreover, there are many other scholarships, awards and grants that have given countless students the chance to study abroad during their time at UW. The following inspirational stories are just a sampling of the impact that donors have had on UW students.

Katie Johnson

Katie Johnson of Casper, Wyo., is no stranger to studying abroad. As an international studies and philosophy major, she has traveled to Iceland, South America and the Middle East to pursue her degrees. It was her first-year seminar trip to Iceland that kicked off her love for international studies and gave her the confidence to travel.

This past spring, Johnson spent the semester studying abroad in Ecuador. During her time there, she ended up visiting Peru and trekking to Machu Picchu — by herself.

“I think it’s really important to make a journey out of traveling, instead of just being a tourist,” she says. “If I didn’t have that confidence, I never would have taken that risk.”

Scholarships such as the Honors Program Scholarship, the UniWyo Credit Union Study Abroad Scholarship, and the Dick and Lynne Cheney Study-Abroad Faculty-Directed Grants were also an important factor in Johnson’s experience.

“It’s a super unique opportunity being at a university where you can travel abroad almost for free,” she says. “There’s no way I would have been able to do all of those trips without receiving scholarships.”

She encourages students who are considering traveling abroad to take that bold first step, no matter how scary it may seem.

Donor support helps broaden students’ horizons.

Josh Gaither

During the spring semester, Josh Gaither of Casper, Wyo., spent six months studying abroad in Strasbourg, France. His classes in the Certificate of European Studies Program explored the formation of modern European politics, which is right up his alley as a double major in history and political science.

Gaither also earned several scholarships, including the Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Study Abroad Scholarship Fund and the Jade Walsh Fellowship for Russian and International Studies, which ended up covering a substantial portion of his expenses.

But the most impactful part of his time abroad was the relationships he made.

“I made a lot of lifelong friendships, and the community that was built there for the international students was really well done,” he says.

In all, Gaither visited 15 countries while abroad, which gave him the opportunity to explore many famous historical sites.

“Studying abroad is something you’ll have with you for the rest of your life,” he says. “And scholarships give students the opportunity to do stuff like this, so don’t let money stand in the way.”

Daniela Garzón

Music is life for Daniela Garzón. Growing up in Bogotá, Columbia, she spent her time singing, dancing and playing various instruments, including clarinet and bassoon. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in bassoon performance.

In August 2021, Garzón moved to Laramie to pursue a master’s degree in bassoon performance.

The most surprising part about UW — aside from the Wyoming winter — was how friendly everyone is. “The music world is normally so cutthroat, but that’s not so here,” she says. “I love that. I feel so free, and I feel more comfortable and confident because everyone is so nice.”

Garzón is the recipient of several scholarships, including the Music Talent Award and the UW International Scholarship.

She encourages everyone to study abroad if the opportunity arises, saying, “If you don’t have money, it is so hard. But the scholarships make it possible.”

Dilnoza Khasilova Encourages Alumni to Stay Connected It’s a Great Day To Be a UW Alum

Dilnoza Khasilova ventured to UW to earn her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction in 2014 and her doctorate in education/literacy studies in 2020. She represents fortitude, courage and ambition — traits that international and global students and alumni often bring to UW.

“I originally came to Wyoming because of family,” Khasilova says. “Once arriving in Laramie, I attended the university to obtain a master’s degree. Campus resources and connections led to

my involvement growing. I wanted to bring the world to Wyoming, and I was able to through the World Language and Culture Program — a program developed by a student and conducted through alumni and faculty volunteer work.”

Khasilova continues to serve UW and particularly UW’s WyoGlobal alumni, both international and education abroad. She utilized her life experiences and degrees to achieve several roles on campus, including UW’s first student ombudsperson. She continues to serve the UW community as the postdoctoral engagement fellow in WyoGlobal alumni relations and partnerships.

As a representative of UW, Khasilova has traveled to Poland, Belarus, Morocco, France, Andorra, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. She has also made efforts to bring Wyoming to the world through professional and educational programs in Spain, Germany,

England, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia.

“I loved everything about UW when I was a student,” Khasilova says. “I particularly loved that, although our campus is composed of a smaller community, the support, care and guidance for students enables them to accomplish their dreams with the help of special mentors, staff and faculty. UW has people with big hearts and unique personalities that encourage entrepreneurial work from students and alumni.”

Khasilova lives by her words, as she remains a lifelong learner. UW serves as a foundation on which to build her goals, including earning a credential in public leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

While beckoning in a new year, Khasilova wanted to encourage alumni, and especially international alumni, to set a resolution of remaining engaged with their alma mater. UW depends on unique perspectives, diverse cultures, and creative and inclusive minds to grow.

“It’s important that international alumni remain connected with their alma mater and students in various capacities. International alumni serve as ambassadors of their own culture. Graduation does not mean ending one’s connection to an institution; it means becoming further involved through service programs, community engagement, partnerships and, for those who have the means, donations,” Khasilova says.

The UWAA’s mission is to “Build pride, loyalty and future sustainment among the UW community through communication, involvement, engagement and celebration.” For more information or to become a member of the UWAA, visit www.uwyo.edu/alumni. For students or alumni interested in international opportunities including study abroad, research or domestic programs, email global@uwyo.edu. To hear Khasilova’s recent podcast, visit https:// blog.hivebrite.com/brite-ideas-podcastleveraging-lifelong-learning-to-engagealumni.

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and Dilnoza Khasilova at Homecoming 2022 Cowboy Coffee. COURTESY IMAGE

A Wyoming Experience Abroad

Are you a UW alum? Do you miss the great conversations and the great things you learned in class but not the tests or the homework? Come study abroad with UW professors who are experts not only in their fields but in the areas you will be visiting, which have similarities to Wyoming you might not have guessed. For example, on a trip to Scotland you take in coal mines, trains, sheep raising and breweries.

Here are just two of the trips you could enjoy.

• UW in Uzbekistan in March 2023: At the heart of the historic Silk Road, Uzbekistan offers unparalleled cultural experiences — from architectural treasures at UNESCO world heritage sites to contemporary artist studios and extraordinary culinary adventures. Meet local educators in hands-on master classes and explore the geography and natural world of Uzbekistan.

• UW in Scotland in May 2023: Explore museums of art, science and industry; historic houses, monuments and gardens; working tartan mills, distilleries and breweries, canals, coal mines, castles, trains and ships. Highlights include Abbotsford, the historic home of Sir Walter Scott, the bustling Princes Street in Edinburgh, and Scotland’s beautiful west coast.

For more information, email the Center for Global Studies at global@uwyo.edu.

2023 UWAA BUILDING A BETTER WYOMING AWARDEE FIRST LADY JENNIE GORDON

By Micaela Myers

At last count, about 86,000 people in Wyoming — including 23,500 children — were struggling with food insecurity, meaning they don’t have enough to eat or aren’t sure where their next meal will come from. Food insecurity affects everything from long-term health to school outcomes.

In 2019, first lady Jennie Gordon, a 1985 University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences alumna, decided to do something about this issue, launching the Wyoming Hunger Initiative to help coordinate efforts and fill gaps. The effort was just in time to meet a rising need brought on by COVID followed by skyrocketing inflation.

“It’s really easy for people in need to feel a stigma when they access resources,” Gordon says. However, it’s important to look at the issue with compassion and to give people grace. “Everyone is just one emergency from being in need,” she adds.

The issue is close to her heart. Gordon’s parents struggled with food insecurity when they were growing up. While she and her nine siblings never missed a meal, they were taught to never waste food, to always be grateful and to help others.

Traveling the state as her husband, Gov. Mark Gordon, campaigned, Jennie Gordon saw firsthand the wonderful work being done by community food pantries and school backpack programs and wanted to ensure such efforts were successful and

reached every county and the Wind River Reservation.

To help programs in financial need, the Wyoming Hunger Initiative started out offering grants and quickly added several Wyoming-centric partnerships, including Food from the Field, in which hunters donate game for processing.

“Proteins and produce are two of the least donated and most expensive things for a pantry to purchase,” Gordon says.

Food from the Farm and Ranch also helps meet this need, processing donated or reduced-cost beef or lamb via a joint initiative with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.

“We also have a garden program called Grow a Little Extra, where people who are already doing a personal garden or community garden can grow an extra row or donate any extra produce,” Gordon says. “We received about 10,000 pounds last year.” This included extra produce grown at the Wyoming Honor Farm.

Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative efforts earned her the UW Alumni Association Building a Better Wyoming Award for 2023, which recognizes alumni who make a difference in the lives of people in Wyoming and are a source of UW strength and pride.

“I was very surprised and honored,” Gordon says of earning the award. “This work really is an example of Wyoming coming together.”

She encourages others to follow the “four Ps” when looking for ways to get involved and give back to their communities.

“First, you have to have passion for what you’re doing,” Gordon says. “Next, you have to bring

We also have a garden program called Grow a Little Extra, where people who are already doing a personal garden or community garden can grow an extra row or donate any extra produce.

— Jennie Gordon

people together who are like minded and really have a servant’s heart. Partnerships are also very important. Then perseverance: Don’t let the first roadblock cause you to turn around. Find a way to get through.”

Learn more about the Wyoming Hunger Initiative at www. nohungerwyo.org.

2023 UWAA RISING ALUMNI AWARDEE CHAUNDRA SEWELL

By Heather Baker

The University of Wyoming’s pharmacy program taught Chaundra Sewell, a College of Health Sciences 2016 graduate, skills that led to her role as a pharmacy information specialist with Bryan Health. Her ability to build relationships through personal interactions, coupled with her advocacy for the well-being of her patients, were major reasons she chose patient care.

2023 UWAA NETWORK LEADER AWARDEE HOLLY MILLER

By Heather Baker

Holly Miller (M.S. nursing, ’96) shows exceptional leadership in the UW Alumni Association’s Nursing Network. From organizing chapter roles to promoting membership, Miller encourages alumni to remain involved with the university after graduation.

Miller earned the UW Alumni Association’s Network Leader Award for 2023. The award recognizes active members of the UWAA who serve as leaders and who actively engage in a network. The awardee also displays significant volunteer contributions to UWAA that advance the organization’s mission.

“Miller has been instrumental in membership development, new and innovative programming and professional development opportunities,” says Jeanine Niemoller, a member of the Nursing Network and 1981 graduate of the College of Health Sciences. “She is an exceptional alumna of UW, and she deserves kudos from UWAA and all of us who have been blessed to work with her.”

Sewell earned the UW Alumni Association’s Rising Alumni Award for 2023. The award recognizes recent graduates who have distinguished themselves in their professional careers.

“I have known Chaundra since she was a student-athlete for UW,” says Keener Fry, former executive director of the UWAA. “Following her graduation, Chaundra stayed connected with her alma mater through a variety of ways, including speaking at the College of Health Sciences commencement ceremony and participating in UWAA’s 2020 pregame pep talks.”

As a student, Sewell handled a rigorous academic schedule along with the time demands of being an athlete. Joe Legerski, former UW head coach, noted that in her pharmaceutical position, Sewell is an example of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s campaign Going Pro in Something Other than Sports.

From single-handedly taking on a capstone mentoring event to reaching out personally to potential members, Miller inspires many through her volunteerism and commitment to UW.

Claire Hitchcock, who recently retired from the school of nursing, notes, “She worked tirelessly to find alumni mentors for students and meticulously translated everything to a database that could be used for upcoming years.”

“As I put in my master’s application for UW’s nurse educator program, I aspire to become the next Holly Miller,” says Jenna Hluwood (M.S. nursing, ’17). “Miller is meticulously organized, willing to dedicate time and inspires fellow Nursing Network members to fulfill their potential for the benefit of UWAA.”

2023 UWAA LIFE MEMBER SERVICE AWARDEE JOHN RHODES

By Heather Baker

For over 30 years, John Rhodes, graduate from the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (’78), has consistently given time, talent, resources and more to support UW and the UW Alumni Association. Rhodes became a life member of the UWAA in 1987.

Rhodes earned the UWAA’s Life Member Service Award for 2023. The award recognizes a UWAA Life Member who has shown outstanding and exemplary service on behalf of or for UWAA and UWAA’s community.

“We so often hear the words ‘They bleed brown and gold’ when talking about a person who loves the University of Wyoming,” says Adrienne Loveland, UW’s assistant director of admissions. “I even use this term to describe incoming students when they are fervent about starting their college journey in Wyoming. But when I

think of how this term began, or why we say this, I instantly think of the deep affection and admiration John Rhodes has for this incredible institution.”

Among a long list of services for the university, Rhodes advocates for prospective students to attend UW. He has worked closely with the Admissions Office to represent UW at high school college fairs, hosted receptions for prospective students and their families, and written personal notes to prospective students, encouraging them to become Pokes.

“John not only ‘bleeds brown and gold,’ but John is exactly the reason this term came to fruition,” Loveland continues. “He truly respects and admires UW in a way I have never seen before.”

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; and 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, 2023, to be considered. Nominations can only be submitted online at www.uwyo.edu/alumni/about-the-uwaa/da-msa

WYOGRAMS

By Emma Petersen and Heather Baker

Alumni, we want to hear about your professional successes! Mail career, publication, art, certification and other professional accomplishments to: WyoGrams/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. Please note that WyoGrams/Career Celebrations with “Exp.” next to a name mean an alum was expected to graduate during the following date.

Career Celebrations

Alain Throo, B.S. ’12, business administration. Throo’s journey was a rather unconventional one — as a Swiss citizen, Throo required a visa to study in the U.S. Upon graduation, that visa lost validity, and he moved back to Switzerland, where he quickly secured a job with the employer that he is still with today, AXA XL. Over the past 10 years, Throo has spent two years working in Zurich and five years in New York City and is now approaching three years in London. He explains that UW had a massive impact on his journey and that, while the hard skills were of course learned, it was the soft skills that prepared him for what came after graduation: interactions with people from all around the globe, adjusting to a new culture and living in a very different environment. For example, Throo

had never been to New York City before moving there for work, and it was a chance he took that turned out to be the right choice. With that, Throo’s message to UW students is, “Don’t ‘over plan’ — things have a way of working themselves out.”

Andrew Merritt, B.S. ’18, physiology, was named Teacher of the Year at Kemmerer Junior Senior High School.

Bruce Smith, Ph.D. ’94, zoology and physiology, published a sequel to Legend Keepers: The Chosen One, titled Legend

Keepers: The Partnership. Smith is an outstanding alumnus of the UW College of Arts and Sciences.

Christine Bessert, B.S. ’15, agriculture business and accounting, M.S. ’16, accounting. Upon graduation from UW, Bessert moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where she started as a tax associate with Rylander, Clay and Clatz LLP, a local accounting firm. It merged with BKD LLP, then Dixon Hughes Goodman, to create FORVIS, a top-10 public accounting firm. After two mergers, three promotions

WYOGRAMS

and six tax seasons, Bessert can confidently say she would not be in this position today without UW. Bessert remembers the College of Business Meet the Firms event in September 2016, where she met the partners at Rylander, Clay and Clatz LLP. Bessert flew to Texas in October of that year, received her offer and hasn’t looked back since. What Bessert would tell UW students is, “Take chances, read books and embrace change.”

Colin Brinkman, B.S. ’18, civil engineering and honors. After graduating from UW, Brinkman joined an excellent group of coworkers and has since collaborated on nationwide airport civil engineering projects.

A week after graduation, Brinkman was standing on Runway 4L at the Detroit Metro Airport inspecting warranty work while airplanes took off just a few hundred feet away, heading to destinations as far away as Germany. Continuing down that runway, Brinkman has since obtained a professional engineering license in multiple states, received SUAS (drone) pilot’s certification and has moved to the gulf coast of Alabama. UW impacted Brinkman’s career through his formal engineering education, and it also sparked his interest in aviation. Experiencing constant travel

to and from Laramie, Brinkman found RS&H and his passion for aviation civil engineering. One of Brinkman’s latest projects was leading the design, construction administration and inspection of a runway rehabilitation project at the airport where his father trained for his private pilot’s certification 30 years prior. It is that passion that gets him out of bed every morning looking for ways to improve, restore and maintain airports. Brinkman’s message to UW students is, “Be willing to volunteer for every task or project there is early in your career. Don’t be a ‘that’s not in my job description’ coworker.”

Dilnoza Khasilova, M.A. ’14, curriculum and instruction English as a second language concentration, Ph.D. ’20, curriculum and instruction literacy education concentration, was recently honored with the NAFSA: Association of International Educators International Volunteer of the Year Award for region II due to her work with international programs and activities. Region II includes Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Dona Playton, B.S. ’89, administration of justice, J.D. ’93, law. Playton has shown immense commitment to UW, where she, her husband and two sons hold eight degrees, soon to be nine. Under the mentorship of

Professor John Burman, Playton forged a partnership between the UW College of Law and the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and began teaching the course Domestic Violence and the Law. The clinic is now called Family and Child Legal Advocacy Clinic. The National Jurist and preLaw Magazine ranked UW law school as the Best School for Family Law. Playton teaches family law, children and the law, and domestic violence law. Playton is active in the State Bar as a delegate to the American Bar Association and is a board member of the Wyoming State Bar and the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association. Playton, who is a professionally trained mediator, also serves on the Access to Justice Commission

and is a Certified Child Welfare Law Specialist (ABA/NACC).

James “Jim” Wilson, B.S. ’85, vocational agriculture, was inducted into the South Dakota Association of Agricultural Educators (SDAAE) Hall of Fame in 2022. He taught as an agricultural teacher for 33 years and was a member of SDAAE.

Jenna Kallas, B.A. ’21, elementary education, is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return overseas since the 2020 pandemic when the Peace Corps suspended all global operations. Kallas will serve as an education volunteer in Ecuador.

John Bradford Branney, B.S. ’77, geology, recently published his 11th book titled Beyond the

WyoGrams continued on page 63

Talk About Your Cowboy Statue Raffle

TICKET

The UW Alumni Association is o ering the chance to win a 14” Talk About Your Cowboy bronze statue by D. Michael Thomas valued at $3,500. A portion of the proceeds from the ra e ticket sales help fund the UWAA scholarship program.

Since its inception in 1906, the UWAA scholarship program has grown steadily through its coordination of the Scholarship Club, endowed scholarships, and the UW license plate program. Per academic year, approximately $200,000 is disbursed to nearly 100 students.

Calgary Stampede 2022

By David Stotzer

In summer 2022, UW alumni, faculty and staff members traveled to Calgary, Alta., to visit the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). UW has a special partnership with SAIT, wherein students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering can spend two years studying at SAIT and then finish up their last two years at UW.

Uwe Brant, the SAIT MacPhail School of Energy Academic Chair, welcomed the UW contingent. Cameron Wright, dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Vamegh Rasouli, the Le Norman Endowed Leadership Chair of Petroleum Engineering, were among those in attendance.

While in Calgary, UW alumni and representatives attended the Calgary Stampede (a weeklong rodeo and festival not unlike Cheyenne Frontier Days) and other engagements. UW alumni Mike Graham, bachelor’s in petroleum engineering (’86), and Val Graham hosted a UW/SAIT alumni dinner at their home just north of Calgary, with a turnout of over 25 alumni and UW representatives, along with Madelaine McElwee, Miss Rodeo Wyoming.

Other events included a UW/SAIT alumni lunch and the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, where alumni and representatives of both schools were hosted in the International Suite by Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley. UW is planning another trip to SAIT and the Calgary Stampede in July 2023.

Discovered and summarized by

Jennifer Kirk

Aynn Setright shops at an outdoor market in Nicaragua during her two-week visit there. Setright majored in international studies, specializing in international development with a focus on Latin America. During her visit, she worked at an agricultural co-op in the Pantasma region.

CITATION: THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING 1986 WYO. HEBARD LD6268.W86 V.68 1986 PG. 180. UW LIBRARIES EMMETT CHISUM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS.

As part of the Study Abroad and Exchange Program, Marc Homer took the chance to visit many parts of Europe, including ruins in Greece.

CITATION: THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING 1987 WYO. HEBARD LD6268.W86 V.69 1987 PG. 257. UW LIBRARIES EMMETT CHISUM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS.

The UW Ethnic Cultural Media Center was responsible for coordinating exhibits from the Smithsonian Institute and other private sources. The design shown here was part of the “molas” exhibit that came from the San Blas Islands off Panama. Molas are needlepoint works designed by the Kuna Indians.

CITATION: THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING 1976 WYO. HEBARD LD6268.W86 V.62 1976 PG. 169. UW LIBRARIES EMMETT CHISUM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS.

RETROGRAMS

Discovered and summarized by Nora Plant

In 1913, the Prince of Monaco visited the United States. On that visit, Col. William F. Cody organized a hunting party to celebrate the momentous occasion. Their excursion was 10 days in wilderness areas just outside of Yellowstone National Park. At their hunting camp, the horse wrangler removed bark from the face of a tree so that the prince’s artist could paint this dedication. Amazingly enough, the resin from the tree dripped over the art, which helped preserve the inscription.

CITATION: UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CLARICE WHITTENBURG PAPERS, ACCESSION NUMBER 400066, BOX 30.

Under George “Duke” Humphrey’s presidency at the University of Wyoming, the university began developing international programs. One of the first programs was developed around 1956 between the U.S. State Department’s Agency in International Development and the Royal Government of Afghanistan. In 1963, King Zahir Shah and Queen Humaira visited Laramie. Pictured is UW President Humphrey presenting flowers to Queen Humaira, with King Zahir Shah to the right.

CITATION: UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, PHOTO FILE: AFGHANISTAN, FOLDER 1, NEGATIVE NUMBER 30847

Westminster Abbey is one of the most iconic landmarks in London, full of history as well as national and international significance. Built in 1269 and host to many generations of royal events, the abbey was also visited and photographed by renowned Wyoming photographer Charles J. Belden, circa 19081940.

CITATION: UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHARLES J. BELDEN PHOTOGRAPHS, ACCESSION NUMBER 598, BOX 14.

UW MBA Welcomes International Students

By Mary Wee

In fall 2022, the UW MBA program welcomed more international students than ever before. Of the 34 students, seven are international students, compared to two last year.

The MBA program removed barriers for international applicants and offers continual support and resources for accepted students. Regardless, international students still face hurdles as they arrive in Laramie and adjust to a new place and culture. Two international students, Adaeze Eze of Nigeria and Batool Al-Smadi of Jordan, sat down to share their thoughts.

“It affected some laws with the U.S. Embassy,” Eze reflected, as she faced delays in her arrival due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “They had to keep moving and rescheduling visa appointments.”

While waiting, Eze took MBA courses online.

Throughout her experience, she felt the support of MBA staff, including MBA Program Director Ben Cook, who supervises her research assistantship. Without the support of program administration and other resources, the transition would be more difficult.

For Al-Smadi, the hurdles involve studying at a master’s level in a second language while raising two kids and working. She has overcome these barriers not only by working hard but also by taking care of her mental health. The MBA staff members supported her by sharing their own struggles and how they prioritize their mental health.

While working through these hurdles, both Eze and Al-Smadi joined their MBA colleagues in Jackson, Wyo., for the annual Bill Newton Jackson Leadership Summit. At the summit, MBA students gather with executives from around Wyoming. Students network with and learn firsthand from professionals in diverse fields.

“The summit was a rich experience to meet the experts and exchange ideas with them. It’s a big thing and, from my point of view, an enriching experience,” Al-Smadi says.

The summit also enabled Eze and Al-Smadi to form closer bonds with their classmates and form friendships that will add to their support network.

As they continue to overcome hurdles, both women will bring hard work and grit as alumni, no matter where their journey leads.

Adaeze Eze

Batool Al-Smadi

Campfire. The prehistorical fiction novels written by Branney are known for their impeccable research and biting realism. In Beyond the Campfire, the author transports his readers back into prehistoric Wyoming and Colorado, where readers reunite with some familiar characters from Branney’s prehistoric adventure series, the Shadows on the Trail Pentalogy

Joslyn McGriff-Bensley (B.S. ’05, sociology) and her mother Deborah McGriff (Ph.D. ’99) are proud UW alumni. McGriffBensley is the executive director of the Boone County Chamber of Commerce in Indianapolis, Ind. She has a variety of progressive experience in nonprofit and higher education, emphasizing organizational development, leadership, training and women’s leadership. McGriff-Bensley has worked for over 15 years in nonprofit and corporate environments, leading teams, managing budgets and building partnerships. In ‘building better boats’ for organizations, she credits UW for helping to instill

grit and resiliency. She adds, “As Cowboys, we are independent thinkers who firmly commit to our community.” Her advice to graduates is, “Wherever you go, be brave. To whomever you meet, be kind.”

Kade Russow, B.S. ’20, communication. Russow interned with Wyoming Sports Properties for four years while enrolled at UW and then, after graduation, had the opportunity to join the UW Admissions Office as an admissions representative, cultivating relationships across the state of Wyoming and beyond. In August 2022, Rodeo Coach Beau Clark offered Russow the opportunity to work with the rodeo program at UW, and he accepted. Moving from admissions to rodeo was quite the transition, and what helped Russow in this was having professors and advisers who encouraged him to explore every learning environment and elevate the importance of UW connections. Russow did not grow up in rodeo, which allows him to bring a unique

perspective to the UW rodeo program. Russow’s message to UW students is, “Get meaningful internship experience, and take to heart the lessons this opportunity provides.”

Liz Rader Haigler, B.S. ’10, political science and honors, was promoted to global human asset manager with the Haliburton global testing and subsea team.

Lora Sherrodd, B.A. ’20, music, released Lora Sings Markley on all streaming platforms in November 2022. The album, created to stay connected to UW during the pandemic, also features UW alumni Connor

WYOGRAMS

Koch, B.S. ’20, and Larry Shaw, B.A. ’19. The record is made up of adapted versions of Assistant Professor Ben Markley’s original compositions, with lyrics added by Sherrodd.

Louise Jackson, Ph.D. ’65, elementary education, received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Children’s Literature Award.

Randall Bower, B.A. ’14, secondary education science education, was named the Wyoming Assistant Principal of the Year.

Ryan Mackey, M.A. ’14, educational leadership, was named the Wyoming Association of Secondary School Principal of the Year.

Stephen Wadsack, B.M. ’16, music education, was named the trumpet professor and director of jazz ensembles at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Wadsack was the head drum major of the Western Thunder Marching Band during his time at UW, and he remains a proud Wyoming Cowboy.

Weddings

Eric Schlidt, B.S. ’14, B.A. ’14, MS-HSA ’16, MBA ’20, and KieLee Schlidt, B.S. ’14, M.S. ’15, married September 25, 2021, in Casper, Wyo.

Obituaries

Ardis “Bunny” Ann (Picard) Mizner, M.S. ’64, mathematics, 8/26/2021. Mizner, born in Worland, Wyo., was an active member of the UW Alpha Chi Omega sorority and met her husband during her time at UW. With many years spent away from Wyoming, visiting whenever possible, she returned to her final resting place at the 2B Ranch. Survivors include her son, daughter, two grandchildren, as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Ethan Allen, B.S. ’43, electrical engineering, 4/21/2022. Allen met his wife of 72 years at UW, where he graduated with honors and participated on the wrestling team. He practiced osteopathic medicine for

65 years and received many professional accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. Survivors include his children and grandchildren.

Frances “Reta” Ralph, B.A. ’52, English with minors in journalism and education, 10/14/2022. Ralph passed away at the age of 92 in Fort Collins, Colo. She loved her Wyoming connections and always had fun stories of her education and sorority time at UW. Survivors include her husband, three children, two stepchildren, eight grandchildren, one great grandchild, and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Gary Powell, B.S. ’76, petroleum engineering, 3/26/2022. Survivors include his wife, children, grandchildren and brother.

George Mosher, B.S. ’49, mechanical engineering, 1/12/2022. Survivors include his four children.

PHOTO BY NCSD PUBLIC RELATIONS

George Zimmers, B.A. ’58, English, J.D. ’61, law, 11/7/2021. Survivors include his son and daughter.

Gilbert “Gib” Wilson, M.S. ’60, mathematics, 8/30/2021. Survivors include his daughter, grandchildren and one greatgrandchild.

Gregory Gilchrist, B.A. ’12, criminal justice, 7/19/2022. Gilchrist, a Rock Springs native, loved all music, was an avid sports fan and a dedicated dog dad. Above all else, Gilchrist was known and loved for his ability to accept all people and to respect all points of view. Survivors include his boxer Lyric, his parents, two siblings, three nieces and nephews, a grandmother, stepfather, stepmother, and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Homer Morris, B.S. ’73, wildlife conservation management, 8/15/2021. Survivors include his sons, grandchildren and sisters.

Larry Reinholtz, Exp. ’59, College of Arts and Sciences. Survivors include his wife of 61 years, daughters, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and sister.

Maj. (Ret.) James R. Singleton, B.S. ’63 , mechanical engineering, 11/27/2022.

Mary Virginia Brown Pettibone, Exp. ’49, College of Arts and Sciences, 10/30/2022. Pettibone attended the University of Wyoming her senior year and was affiliated with Delta Delta Delta.

Michael Jack Magee, University of Wyoming professor of computer science, conducted researcher in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics,

computer vision and machine learning. He taught numerous undergraduate students and mentored and taught graduate students until 1996.

Paul Lowham, B.S. ’62, animal husbandry, 4/24/2022. Lowham, a fourth-generation Wyomingite, was raised in Evanston on his family-owned ranch. He had an extensive career as a remarkable leader and was a devoted father and grandfather who enjoyed sharing stories of his Wyoming heritage. Survivors include his significant other, two children, four grandchildren and his brother, Hugh Lowham, B.S. ’65.

Robert Wallin, B.S. ’60, geology, 8/14/2021. Survivors include his wife, daughters, grandsons and his “Vallarta” friends who were more like family.

Thomas Pickett, B.S. ’89, finance, 2/10/2022. Survivors include his children, grandchild, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Tommy Tucker, Exp. ’70, College of Education, 2022. Originally from Lansing, Mich., Tommy Tucker proudly wore #68 on the

UW football team from 1967–69. Tommy was an offensive lineman and team captain for the Cowboys.

William Thomson II, B.S. ’66, business administration, J.D. ’68, law, 9/13/2021. Survivors include his life partner, children, grandchildren, brothers, numerous cousins and extended family.

‘’Wyomi ng C owboy’ ’SOLD OUT

by Chris Navarro

Latest Acquisition

A new piece at the UW Art Museum highlights Indigenous identity, culture and beauty.

By Michelle Sunset, Curator

Curators at the University of Wyoming Art Museum are excited to share the museum’s latest acquisition. The permanent collection includes a broad range of artwork from around the globe spanning different mediums and time periods, including many works considered traditional Western American art. For the past several years, the museum has been actively collecting artwork by contemporary Indigenous and women artists to highlight work that will allow for a fuller and more accurate picture of art globally and in the West. The museum’s most recent acquisition is Hip Hop NDN by artist Dana Claxton. Claxton is Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux and was born in Saskatchewan in 1959. She is professor and head of the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory, University of British Columbia. Claxton’s work exploring

Indigenous identity, culture and beauty spans decades and mediums — primarily film and photography.

Hip Hop NDN connects with Claxton’s earlier bodies of photographic work in its embrace of fashion and performativity. The figure, performed by Blackfoot filmmaker Cowboy Smithx, is posed beside a lowrider bike in a studio with a vibrant turquoise background. The studio background is a common theme in her work — earlier series feature dramatic red backgrounds to dislocate the scene from time and space. These backgrounds further serve to highlight the figures and objects in the frame. In Hip Hop NDN, Smithx is captured swinging a lasso with a cool expression on his face. Claxton dressed him in clothing and accessories that meld hip hop and Lakota culture. He wears a velvet tracksuit with large chain necklaces intermingling with beadwork. The lowrider bike features a painted buffalo head in front of the handlebars and a painted parfleche (rawhide container) on the other end. This image connects to one of Claxton’s earlier series, Lasso (2018), by situating Smithx in the stylized turquoise space. Through these works, Claxton calls attention to perceptions of Indigenous identity past and present and its possibilities. She employs recognizable symbols and a highly controlled visual environment to complicate this narrative.

The Art Museum plans to exhibit Hip Hop NDN in the forthcoming exhibition, The New West: The University of Wyoming Art Museum at Fifty, opening in summer 2023. To celebrate the museum’s 50th anniversary, it is curating an exhibition using the permanent collection to explore what Western American art is and can be and to resituate this narrative by highlighting Indigenous artists and voices.

Dana Claxton (Hunkpapa Lakota, b. 1959), Hip Hop NDN, 2022, inkjet print, edition of 5 plus 2 artist’s proofs, 54 x 72 inches. PHOTO COURTESY OF DONALD ELLIS GALLERY LTD

Our classroom is planet Earth.

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

Field courses across the West and around the world:

• Medicine Bow National Forest

• Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

• Colorado River Basin and Grand Canyon

• French and Italian Alps

• Queensland, Australia

• Patagonia, Chile

• Canary Islands, Spain

• Coastal Belize

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

uwyo.edu/haub

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES

From visiting artists to community tours and international law programming, UW brings the world to Wyoming and Wyoming to the world. By

International Community Tours

Micaela Myers

Imagine visiting a country not just as a tourist but as a student of culture, immersed in the local experience and guided by someone intimately knowledgeable about the locale. Perhaps you’re learning to make the traditional pots of Uzbekistan in a master class or visiting an amazing mining museum in Scotland. Now you, as an alumnus or community member, can experience all of that and more as part of UW’s WyoGlobal Study Tours. WyoGlobal is the home of internationalization at UW.

First up on the list are tours to Uzbekistan and Scotland, followed by Greece and Jerusalem. The tour to Uzbekistan this coming spring will be led by Uzbekistan native Dilnoza Khasilova and Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Dean John Koprowski.

“We’ll connect visitors to personal experiences,” says Khasilova, who graduated with her doctorate from UW in 2020 and is now a global engagement fellow at UW. “We won’t just read and listen to tours, but we’ll engage and have master workshops. Anyone can request to join us. We’re trying to build programming to go to different countries.”

The Scotland community tour also takes place this spring and will be led by English Professor and Center for Global Studies Director Caroline McCracken-Flesher and Vice Provost for Global Engagement Isadora Helfgott. McCracken-Flesher is the founder of the UW in Scotland program and holds awards for her work in Scottish studies, while Helfgott is internationally recognized for her work in museum studies.

In 2024, the community tours will expand to Greece — led by experts in art history and political science — and to Jerusalem — led by specialists in the ancient Mediterranean and heritage tourism. With sufficient interest, WyoGlobal hopes to expand to other countries as well. Contact global@uwyo.edu to learn more!

Fellow Dilnoza Khasilova.

Center for Global Studies Director Caroline McCracken-Flesher and Vice Provost for Global Engagement Isadora Helfgott.

BY RONALD DAVIS

African Ensemble Visits

Laramie

The Department of Theatre and Dance hosted the internationally acclaimed Zimbabwean female a cappella quintet Nobuntu this past November. Nobuntu’s inventive performances range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro jazz and gospel.

“Audiences were inspired and energized by this group of talented women,” says music Department Head and Professor Katrina Zook. They perform with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the mbira (thumb piano) and organic authentic dance movements. Nobuntu’s visit didn’t stop with a performance open to the public. Members of Nobuntu also conducted a workshop with singers from UW’s various choral ensembles and one for UW students studying music education, the department’s largest degree program, which prepares K–12 music teachers.

Zook says, “UW students learned about the history and musical traditions of Zimbabwe and gleaned a deeper understanding about music and dance from southeastern Africa.”

Members of Nobuntu.

PHOTO

Italian Vertical Dance Pioneer

While dancers often leap to impressive heights, few universities teach them to dance mid-air, suspended off the rocks of Vedauwoo, off the sides of buildings or above the stage. But thanks to innovative professors such as Margaret Wilson and Neil Humphrey, UW dance students enjoy this rare opportunity.

“UW was the first university in the U.S. to offer vertical dance courses starting in 1999,” Wilson says.

To further this work, the Department of Theatre and Dance hosted Italian vertical dance pioneer Wanda Moretti and her colleague Simona Forlani for a 12-day August residency that included a workshop for students, two keynote presentations and two vertical dance performances outside of the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts.

Since the 1990s, Moretti has created specialized techniques and site-specific explorations, conducted a variety of educational activities and founded the international Vertical Dance Network, which unites the most important vertical dance companies in the world. Moretti’s work has been performed internationally, and Wilson and Humphrey traveled to Italy in 2012 to study and collaborate. Wilson and Humphrey also danced in the August performances, with musical accompaniment from UW music faculty members Ben Markley and Andy Wheelock.

“Moretti and Forlani created a site-specific work for UW students and alumni on the north wall of the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts,” Wilson says. “Set in the early evening, the setting sun and projection of theatrical light on the wall created a most unusual space. A wide range of students, faculty and Laramie community members were in attendance.”

International Law

Whether law students plan to incorporate pro bono work for asylum seekers into their private practices, to represent global brands or to focus their careers internationally, UW’s Center for International Human Rights Law and Advocacy offers hands-on international law opportunities, coursework and the chance to help others around the world. Since the center’s founding in 2010, students have represented individuals fleeing persecution in asylum proceedings, promoted the rights of women and girls in Mozambique and Cambodia, and advised lawmakers in Uganda on best practices relating to oil governance, among other projects.

The center’s work includes the International Human Rights Clinic, a speaker series of international human rights experts in conjunction with WyoGlobal, the Jessup international moot court competition, international law curriculum and international internships.

“We live in a global world, and students need to understand how international law and human rights issues affect us,” says the center’s director, law Professor Noah Novogrodsky. “Our graduates will be dealing with individuals and companies around the world that are doing business in the U.S. and, likewise, they are going to be representing U.S. interests in a global world. In terms of the human rights component, many of our students are looking to make a difference and wed their legal skills to social justice. We provide all sorts of opportunities for them to do just that.”

Novogrodsky developed his interest in international law while a student himself and has centered his career on these issues. The center’s successes include students winning the regional moot court competition in 2017 and representing the U.S. in the international competition in Washington, D.C., where final arguments are done in front of International Court of Justice judges and other international law experts.

International Law continued on page 72

Vertical dancer Wanda Moretti.

PHOTO BY MARCO CASTELLI

Law students can also apply for international internships. This past summer, second-year law student Paige Brimhall of Provo, Utah, completed an internship in Johannesburg, South Africa, with the Southern Africa Litigation Centre.

“This internship truly changed my life,” Brimhall says. “I feel like it is simple and slightly unrealistic to just state you want a career in human rights, but to actually be a part of the work is different. I learned many valuable lessons in the work and heart that goes into international human rights work. Through this internship, I was able to assist with cases throughout southern African countries and be a part of an amazing nongovernmental organization and their work.”

Up to seven students a semester participate in UW’s International Human Rights Clinic, one of several experiential learning clinics at UW.

“We’re the only law school in the region to have an international human rights clinic,” Novogrodsky says.

A current project involves seafood slavery in Thailand. Novogrodsky says, “Between 2014 and 2019, tens of thousands of migrant workers were exploited and abused in the seafood industry of Thailand until international pressure compelled them to stop the worst abuses and clean up the supply chain. Our contribution is to try to develop a compensation fund for the workers who were enslaved on the boats.”

The International Human Rights Clinic is directed by Professor Jerry Fowler, who enjoyed a successful 20year career in human rights advocacy in Washington, D.C., before joining UW in 2020.

Law student Paige Brimhall (second from left) during her international internship at the Southern Africa Litigation Centre. Below: UW students participating in the UW Cambridge Summer Law Institute toured London’s Middle Temple.

COURTESY IMAGES

“We’ve done a wide variety of projects in the past, including reports on implementation of human rights standards in Latin America and Asia in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,” Fowler says.

“Right now, we’re in the middle of a couple of projects, including partnering with a nongovernmental organization that is working with an indigenous group in Colombia.”

For this project, students are examining the Escazú Agreement that was signed in Costa Rica and strengthens the link between human rights and environmental defense. The agreement may have relevance to the work in Colombia, where indigenous people’s culture and land are under threat from development and resource extraction.

“Another project we’re working on is a report on digital authoritarianism, which is the use of technology by governments to violate human rights and facilitate oppression — like shutting off the internet and conducting surveillance,” Fowler says.

While human rights work is intrinsically important, he notes that international exposure is beneficial to all law students, regardless of their planned careers.

It’s worthwhile in Wyoming to introduce our students to the broader world. Even if they don’t intend to work outside the state, having a broader global perspective will enhance anyone’s career. — Jerry Fowler

UWyo

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