University of Wyoming

19420

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Clair McFarland, Cowboy State Daily

Using private donations, the University of Wyoming spent nearly $38,000 on tickets, dinners and gifts for elected officials in three years.  

According to documents from the secretary of state’s office, the university’s lobbyist Meredith Asay gifted about $37,572 in sporting events tickets, dinners, events and small gift bags to Wyoming public servants from autumn 2017 to the spring of 2020.

The money for the gifts all came from donations to the university’s foundation, UW spokesman Chad Baldwin told Cowboy State Daily.  

“We’re not using state block grant funding for any of this,” he said.  

Dinners, tours and events were responsible for the biggest share of the expense at $17,113, including the University of Wyoming “Legislator’s Day” and legislative dinners and facility tours at various locations.  

Football tickets came in second for expense, with $14,612 in football tickets given over the three years to various legislators and executive-branch elected officials, the governor’s staff and their guests.  

Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo tickets, catering, and legislators’ gifts totaled $3,355.  

Basketball-related favors cost the university the least, at $2,492 over the three years.  

“For a public university like ours, it’s important to have strong relationships with policymakers,” said Baldwin. “And that’s very much in line with what similar universities do when it comes to gifts for legislators and others.”  

Baldwin said generally, there’s a “widespread offer for legislators who want to come to ball games.” 

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

18158

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Jim Angell, Cowboy State Daily

The latest water dispute between the City of Laramie and the University of Wyoming has made its way to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

An appeal filed with the Wyoming Supreme Court by Laramie stems from the city’s efforts to drill on land given by the university to the city. It follows a dispute university wells that led to the creation of a new law blocking cities and counties from restricting how the UW uses its water.

At issue is a city plan to drill a well in an area called “Painted Point” in northeast Laramie.

The land in question was given to the university in 1965 by Union Pacific Railroad, which kept for itself the area’s mineral rights and the exclusive rights to drill for water for any reason other than domestic purposes.

In 1981, the railroad gave the city permission to drill for water on land in the area. The railroad’s permission was required because of a 1946 agreement that neither the city nor the railroad would drill new wells without the consent of the other.

In 1982, the university gave the land in question to Laramie for use as a street, alley or easement.

Laramie applied for a well permit in April 2017 and the university sought a court order in May 2021 to stop the city’s work on the well.

The university argued it had an interest in the property where the well would be located that would be harmed if the city was allowed to drill. A state district court ruled in favor of the university in July 2021.

But the city argued the university’s interests could not be harmed because it had no interest in the land or the water to be produced from the well.

“Simply put, the university does not own any water drilling rights at the Painted Point whatsoever, and consequently, the city’s exercise of those water drilling rights cannot constitute an injury to the university,” the city’s brief to the Supreme Court said.

As a result, the university lacks the proper authority to challenge the city’s plans, the brief said.

The brief also said the state district court failed to adequately consider the Union Pacific’s agreement allowing the city to drill for water.

The university has until Monday to file its response.

The dispute is the latest between the university and the city over water. Previous arguments resulted in 2021 in a new state law that prohibits any city or county from restricting the university in the construction of water systems or the use of its own water.

The law stemmed from Laramie’s decision in 2007 to begin charging for water it provided the university for the irrigation of Jacoby Golf Course. The decision reversed a policy in place since the 1950s that saw the city give the water to the university at no charge.

In response, the university drilled two wells on land next to the golf course and planned to irrigate the course with that water. But the city adopted an ordinance that blocked the university from crossing city land to deliver its water to the golf course.

The bill that nullified the city ordinance was adopted only after legislators criticized both the university and the city for failing to work toward a solution to the dispute.

“In all candor, this bill is a disgrace,” Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, said at the time. “(The UW and Laramie) have chosen to fight, chosen to lawyer up and brought a mess to us. But if we don’t pass this bill, there will be an extensive lawsuit and further difficulties and we may have to spend money on both the university and the city getting things right.”

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

17919

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Jimmy Orr, Cowboy State Daily

It’s expensive to go to college. 

And once parents and students start focusing on it, there’s a lot of sticker shock, Cheyenne financial advisor Bryan Pedersen said.

So to help get that college expense conversation started in advance, Pedersen — as he has for the last 10 years — has posted the NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket along with the average cost for getting a four-year degree for every school that has qualified.

And while Wyoming’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament this year might be a bit of a surprise to some, Pedersen’s figures will be less of a surprise — they show the University of Wyoming is among the best bargains of any of the tournament-bound schools.

Pedersen, who serves as senior vice president for RBC Wealth Management, says his annual post gets a lot of attention because of the interest in March Madness.

The tournament bracket, combined with comparisons of the costs of different schools across the country, gets parents focused on college costs and how much they are going to have to dole out for their college-bound children, he said.

“It’s fascinating when you see these costs in black and white,” he told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday, noting college costs increase by 7% each year, compared to an annual inflation rate of 3%. “People are always getting sticker-shocked.”

He doesn’t just post the bracket for fun, although he says people enjoy looking at it. It’s also good for business.

“We help people plan for college savings,” he said. “Maybe open a college savings account for their kid where can they take money from current investment strategies to move into college costs. This helps to start having those conversations.”

There’s even more interest this year because, for the first time since 2015, the University of Wyoming is included and Pedersen, a UW grad, took the time to promote his alma mater.

“My wife and I both went to the University of Wyoming and I’d like to see my kids go to UW,” Pedersen said.  “I got a great education there.”

UW A Great Bargain

By going to the University of Wyoming, a student can save a lot of money compared to most of the schools in the tournament.

Looking at out-of-state costs for the 68 schools in the tournament, Wyoming is in the lower price quadrant with a four-year education (including tuition, fees, room and board), costing an estimated $133,001.69.

That tops Wyoming’s opponent on Tuesday, the University of Indiana, by just less than $1,000 as the total cost to be a Hoosier is $132,144.04.

The most expensive school in the tournament is Duke at a cost just over $326,210, with Yale right behind clocking in at $325,278.

On the other end, South Dakota State is the most economical school at $87,283 followed by Murray State ($103,000) and Jacksonville State ($121,116).

The average cost for college of all four-year universities is $109,320.

The real way to save money though, Pedersen said, is for Wyoming students to take advantage of the “super-low” cost of in-state tuition which is about half the cost of out-of-state tuition.

“The University of Wyoming is extremely underrated in its value,” Pedersen said. “It’s a great bargain. It’s a great school.”

Pedersen said paying extra at a more prestigious college for an undergraduate degree is probably not cost-effective.  

He said going to a top-tier school for a graduate degree may be worth the expense, however.

“When you pursue a graduate level degree, it could be worth it to spend the money,” he said. “People can make some pretty good connections and employers are much more apt to pay attention to the schools at the graduate level.”

As for Pedersen’s kids, he prefers the lowest cost option. “All of my kids need to get scholarships so I can save money wherever they go.”

As for the brackets, the Wyoming native has the Cowboys going all the way in the tournament.

“I’ve got the Pokes winning it all because you have to believe,” he said.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

17647

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

The University of Wyoming Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2022 today.  A three-time All-American basketball player, a record-breaking runner, a two-sport star, two all-conference football players, a beloved staff member, and a championship football team make up this year’s class. 

This year’s inductees are Walter Goffigan (Football, 1980-83), Wayne Jensen (Track, 1969-71), Mary Johnson (Administration, 1983-2010), Erin Kirby (Volleyball and Track, 2011-2015), Grant Salisbury (Football, 1984-88), Les Witte (basketball 1931-34), and the 1988 Western Athletic Conference Champion Cowboy Football Team.

The 29th annual induction ceremony will be held at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center on campus on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.  Ticket information will be announced at a later date.

A total of 180 individuals and 21 teams have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1993.

The Hall of Fame Committee met in January to make its final selections for this year’s class. The inductees must fit into one of five categories: student-athlete, coach, team, athletics staff member or special achievement.  The special achievement category includes individuals who have contributed to the ideal of sports at the University.  Each nominee must receive at least 75 percent of the committee’s vote to be eligible for induction.  Nominations are encouraged and must be submitted by Sept. 1 in order to be considered for the following year’s class.  For more information, check out the UW Athletics Hall of Fame website at www.wyohof.com.

Members of the committee are Gary Crum (chairman), Tom Burman, Casey Campbell, Mike Hamel, Jim House, Rob Jarosh, Kevin McKinney, Dale Ann Meeker, Bill Schrage, Sally Ann Shurmur, Reggie Slater, and Taylor Stuemky.

Following is the Class of 2022: 

WALTER GOFFIGAN

Football, 1980-83

Hometown:  Virginia Beach, Virginia

A bruising running back/fullback, Goffigan earned All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 1981, 1982, and 1983.  He led the team in rushing yards in both 1982 and 1983, averaging 4.8 and 5.0 yards per carry, respectively.  He scored 26 total touchdowns for the Cowboys, still the fifth-best total all-time.  A team captain in 1983, he led the Cowboys in scoring that year with 62 points (ten touchdowns and a two-point conversion). He signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys in 1984 before embarking on a long career as a college athletics academic advisor, mentoring countless young student-athletes over the years.

WAYNE JENSEN

Track & Field, 1969-71

Hometown:  Leadville, Colorado

Competing for four years for the University of Wyoming in both Cross Country and Track, Jensen lettered eight times.  As a freshman, he took second in the mile and fourth in the three-mile at the Western Athletic Conference championships and set four new UW records.  His sophomore year, he again finished second in the mile at the WAC Championships and was on UW’s record-breaking mile relay team.  In 1970, Jensen was the WAC champion in the outdoor mile.  He was the WAC champion in the indoor mile in 1971, breaking the conference record in the process. As a junior, Jensen was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd section for holding the mile record in three states (Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah).  He finished his career at Wyoming holding five records.  His records and times are even more remarkable because he ran on cinder tracks. After graduating from UW, he had a long and distinguished career as a chemical engineer. 

*MARY JOHNSON

Administration, 1983-2010

Hometown:  Laramie, Wyoming

Mary Johnson served as the administrative assistant in the men’s basketball office at Wyoming for over 27 years.  She was the person who kept the office running and was always there for the players and coaches alike when they needed a sympathetic voice.  Mary was a constant over the years, a familiar face spanning the tenures of six different head coaches, countless assistant coaches and student-athletes.  Former UW Coach Larry Shyatt said that Mary “provided advice, insight, and support”.  Many former Cowboy players from over the years shared their feelings about Mary.  Fennis Dembo said that Mary “was the sweet and controlled voice in the basketball office when all seemed upside-down after a tough loss”.  To Bill Garnett, Mary “was the calming, helpful, caring person for all of us”.  To Gregg Sawyer, Mary was “the Mom away from home for many of us and the glue that held the program together”.  Reggie Slater recalled Mary’s “calming, steady voice . . . her empathy and wisdom”.  

ERIN KIRBY

Volleyball and Track, 2011-2015

Hometown:  Evanston, WY

An extremely talented two-sport athlete, Erin Kirby earned honors and set records in both Volleyball and Track at UW.  As a middle blocker in Volleyball, she earned all-Mountain West Conference honors four times, and was named Player of the Week four times during her career.  She holds the UW career records for blocks and sets-played and is second in hitting percentage.  She had a single-season record-setting 225 blocks in 2013, leading the Mountain West Conference and second in the nation.  She also earned Academic All-Conference honors four times and was one of thirty NCAA Division I women student-athlete candidates for the Senior Class Award in college volleyball.  In Track, she was the Mountain West 400 meter hurdles champion as a freshman.  Over her career, she earned all-Conference honors in the Indoor 4×400 relay, the Outdoor 400 meter hurdles (twice), the Indoor 400 meter hurdles, and the Outdoor 4×400 meter relay (twice).  She holds nine top-ten marks in the UW record books.  Following graduation, she played one year of professional volleyball in Sweden. 

GRANT SALISBURY

Football, 1984-88

Hometown:  Auburn, Washington

Salisbury was the center for the Cowboy football team during one of its most successful eras.

An honorable mention All-America in 1988, he was a two-time all-conference selection and was a major part of two championship teams.  He anchored an offensive line equally skilled in run and pass-blocking.  His head coach Paul Roach said of him at the time “he’s the main spoke, the heart of our offensive line.  Grant has developed into one of the best centers in college football, and he’s one of the finest guys I’ve coached”.  His offensive line coach, Joe Tiller, said “Grant is tough and he’s smart.  I don’t know that he’s smarter than he is tough or tougher than he is smart, but that combination makes him a fine football player and a heck of a guy.”  

*LESLIE PAUL “LES” WITTE

Basketball, 1931-34

Hometown: Lincoln, Neb.

Wyoming’s first nationally-recognized student-athlete, Les Witte dominated the college basketball world in the early 1930s.  A three-time All-American, he led Wyoming to the Helms Foundation national championship in 1934 and thrust Wyoming into the national spotlight.  Playing for his brother, Coach Willard “Dutch” Witte, Les Witte was Wyoming’s first 1,000-point scorer, first basketball All-American, and first consensus All-American in any sport.  He was a four-time, first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honoree, and led UW in scoring each of his four years (rewriting the UW record book in the process). The Cowboys were 82-15 during Witte’s playing career and won four RMAC Eastern Division titles and two outright RMAC championships, finishing second the other two times by a total of three points.  The 1932 RMAC title was Wyoming’s first conference championship in a major sport.  Witte graduated from UW with a degree in Geology and went on to a distinguished career with the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. 

1988 FOOTBALL TEAM

The 1988 football team finished the season with an overall record of 11-2, winning the Western Athletic Conference with a league record of 8-0 and playing in its second straight Holiday Bowl.

With a high-scoring offense led by first-year starter Randy Welniak at quarterback and a ferocious defense, the Cowboys won their first ten games, including the first night game in the history of War Memorial Stadium, a 24-14 victory over Brigham Young University, and a remarkable 48-45 comeback win at Air Force.

Ranked as high as 10th in the nation, the Cowboys had eight players named to the All-Conference team, as well as the offensive player of the year (Welniak), the Defensive Player of the Year (DT Pat Rabold), and the Newcomer of the Year (RB Dabby Dawson). 

Nine Cowboys earned honorable-mention All-America honors with one (Rabold) being named Second Team All-America. Head Coach Paul Roach was named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight year. Wyoming’s defensive front four (Dave Edeen, Craig Schlichting, Rabold, and Mitch Donahue) accounted for 48 quarterback sacks on the year. 

Previous inductees by class:

Class of 1993: Dick Ballinger, (wrestling, 1958-60); Fennis Dembo (men’s basketball, 1985-88); Mike Dirks (football, 1965-67); Jerry Hill (football, 1958-60); Glenn J. “Red” Jacoby (athletic director, 1946-73); Jay Novacek (football and track, 1982-84); Kenny Sailors (men’s basketball, 1941-46); Everett Shelton (men’s basketball coach, 1939-59); Johnny Winterholler (football, baseball, and basketball, 1936-39); 1943 National Champion basketball team.

Class of 1994: Paul Carlin (track, 1951-53); George “Duke” Humphrey (president, 1945-64); Everett Lantz (wrestling coach, 1937-65); Flynn Robinson (men’s basketball, 1963-65); Mary Shea (volleyball, 1980-83); Bill Strannigan (men’s basketball, 1941-42); Ken Sturman (football, 1937-39); Eddie Talboom (football, 1948-50) Bowden Wyatt (football coach, 1947-52); 1950 Gator Bowl football team.

Class of 1995: Jack Aggers (trainer, 1958-84)); Jim Crawford (football, 1954-56); John Corbett (administration, 1915-39); Bob Devaney (football coach, 1957-61); John Kosich (football, baseball, 1946-49); Dewey McConnell (football, 1949-51); Pat Miller-Davis (track and field, 1980-82).

Class of 1996: Larry Birleffi (broadcaster, 1947-86); Charles W. “Tub” Bradley (basketball, 1979-81); Glenn R. “Bud” Daniel (baseball coach, 1951-61, 1963-71); Michele Hoppes Daum (basketball, 1984-87); Jim Kiick (football, 1965-67); Mark Miller (swimming, 1985-88); Milward L. Simpson (football, basketball and baseball, 1917-21).

Class of 1997: Joe Alexander (rodeo, 1968-69); Keith Bloom (basketball, football, baseball, 1947-50); Stig Hallingbye (skiing, 1974-77); Ronda K. Munger (volleyball, 1984-87); Joseph Nzau (track and field, 1977-82); 1967 Sugar Bowl football team.

Class of 1998: Curt Gowdy (broadcaster, basketball, tennis, 1940-42); Eric Leckner (basketball, 1985-88); Bob Jingling (baseball, 1952-55); Kathleen Van Heule Romsa (track and field, 1983-85); Joe Mastrogiovanni (football, baseball, 1953-55).

Class of 1999: Darcy Cudaback-White (volleyball, 1986-89); Paul Roach (football coach, 1987-90); Paul Toscano (football, 1965-67); John Pilch (basketball, 1947-49); Galand Thaxton (football, 1984-87); Tony Windis (basketball, 1957-59).

Class of 2000: Jim Brandenburg (basketball coach, 1978-87); Amy Burnett (basketball, 1992-95); Bill Ewing (baseball, 1974-76); Lee Kizzire (football, 1934-36); Larry Nels (football, 1967-69); Curtis and Marian Rochelle (special achievement).

Class of 2001: Nick Bebout (football, 1970-72); Joe Capua (basketball, 1954-56); Ken Cook (special achievement); Mickey Dunn (track and field, 1949-51); Bill Garnett (basketball, 1979-82); Jean Jackson (administration), 1956 football team.

Class of 2002: Greg Brock (baseball, 1976-79); Mitch Donahue (football, 1987-90); Christine Fairless (basketball, 1986-89); Margie McDonald (basketball coach, 1975-83); George “Moe” Radovich (basketball, 1950-52); Reginald Slater (basketball, 1989-92).

Class of 2003: Ken Fantetti (football, 1975-78); Norma Hughes Scifres (swimming, 1990-92, 1994); Willard A. “Dutch” Witte (basketball and football coach, 1930-39); John Wodny (cross country/track, 1986-90); Ryan Yarborough (football, 1990-93); Bill Young (sports information director, assistant athletics director, 1960-81); 1959-60 wrestling team.

Class of 2004: Reese Andy (wrestling, 1994-96); Leon Clark (basketball, 1963-66); Marcus Harris (football, 1993-96); Bill Levine (football, 1961, 1963-64); Jimmi Jo Martin Ripsam (rodeo, 1988-90); Pat Rabold (football, 1984, 1986-88); Andy Welsh (diving, 1981-85).

Class of 2005: Ryan Butler (track and field, 1995-96); Phil Dickens (football coach, 1953-56); Joe Dowler (wrestling coach, administrator, 1973-87); Ann Melander (skiing, 1984-85); Theo Ratliff (basketball, 1992-95); Vic Washington (football, 1965-67); 1989 Cowgirl Volleyball Team.

Class of 2006: Ryan Christopherson (football, 1991-94); Jerry DePoyster (football, 1965-67); Stan Dodds (basketball, 1968-70); Robert S. “Bob” Hammond (sportswriter); Milo Komenich (basketball, 1940-43); Stacey Ward Straley (skiing, 1979-84); 1956 Cowboy Baseball Team.

Class of 2007: Brenda Graham Gray (track & field, 1980-84); Elsie Jo Bonger (football secretary, 1962-78); Jerry Jester (football, 1953-55); Dave McCleave (golf, 1989-92); Dick Sherman (basketball, 1963-66); Randy Welniak (football, 1985-88); 1968 National Champion Ski Team.

Class of 2008:  Thomas “Rupe” Garrison (track, 1987-91); Walker “Sonny” Jones, Jr. (football, 1948-49); Geir I. Kvernmo (skiing and track, 1977-80); Brian J. Lee (football, 1994-97); Dave Myers (wrestling, 1989-92); Steve Scifres (football, 1994-97); 1978-79 Women’s Basketball Team.

Class of 2009:   Jesseca Cross (basketball and track, 1994-97);  Sean Fleming (football, 1988-92); Quincy Hayden Howe (track, 1999-2002); Gene Huey (football, 1966-68); Mike Jackson (basketball, 1980-83); Al and Pete Simpson (special achievement); 1961 Rodeo Team.

Class of 2010:  Staale Engen (track, skiing, 1971-74); Jerry Frude, (wrestling, 1959-60, 1962); Steinar Hybertsen (skiing, 1973-75); Bob Jacobs (football, 1968-70); Chuck Lamson (football, 1960-61); Karen Sanford Gall (track, 1979-82); 1966 football team.  

Class of 2011:  Mike English (women’s volleyball coach, 1986-90 and 1992-93), Wesley Maiyo (track, 1974-75), Robert L. Mason (wrestling, 1949-51), Shauna Smith (track, 2003-05), Scott Usher (swimming, 2002-05), Jim Walden (football, 1958-59), and the 1986-87 “Sweet 16” men’s basketball team.

Class of 2012:  Dick Campbell (football, 1948-50); Len Kuczewski (football, 1957-59); Jordan Lintz (golf, 1997-2000); Selmer Pederson (football, 1949-51); Ray Sanchez (wrestling, 1967-68); Chris Lull Terjeson (volleyball, 1985-89); and the 1985 National Champion ski team.

Class of 2013:  Carrie Bacon (women’s basketball, 1999-2003); Josh Davis (men’s basketball, 1999-2002); Jason Gervais (track and field, 1999-2001); Jim House (football, 1966-68); Mike LaHood (football, 1965-67; deceased); Kevin McKinney (administrator/special Achievement); and the 1959 football team.

Class of 2014:  Dennis Baker (football, 1975-77); Rebecca Simning Erikkson (skiing, 1979-81, 1984-85); LeRoy Gabriel (administration, 1958-99); Harry Hall (basketball, 1966-69); Duane Schopp (track & field coach, 1984-97); Mark Smolinski (football, 1958-60); Jack Weil (football, 1980-83); 1933-34 men’s basketball team. 

Class of 2015:  Marcus Bailey (basketball, 1999-2003), Ashley Elliott (women’s basketball, 2002-05), David Hearn (men’s golf, 1998-2001), Jeff Huson (baseball, 1984-85), Don Miller (wrestling, 1965-68), Joe Ramunno (football, 1981-84), Quentin Skinner (ski coach, 1971-80), and the 1980-81 WAC Champion men’s basketball team. 

Class of 2016:  Jerry Durling (football, 1965-66); Aaron Kyle (football, 1972-75); Frank Shepperson (rodeo, 1961-64); Lynn Stetson (men’s swimming, 1980-83); Dave Walsh (special achievement); John Watts (football, 1954-56), Hanna Zavecz (women’s basketball, 2005-08); and the 1976 Fiesta Bowl Team.

Class of 2017:  Dr. Robert Curnow and Dr. David Kieffer (special achievement); Vince Guinta (football,1949-50); Mike Hamel (wrestling, 1983-86); C.T. Hewgley (football, 1949-50); Jim Weir (basketball, 1941-43 and 1946); the 1991 National Champion women’s rodeo team; and the 2007 WNIT National Champion Cowgirl basketball team. 

Class of 2018:  Sean Dent (men’s basketball, 1984, 1986-88); Jessica Fox Rasby (track & field, 2003-05; Art Howe, (baseball, 1967-69); Steven Suder (wrestling, 1975-79 and wrestling coach, 1989-2008); Cory Wedel (football, 1994-97); and the 1987 Western Athletic Conference Championship Football Team.

Class of 2019:  Andrea Everett Blocher (cross country, track & field, 1982-83); Wes Gasner (wrestling, 1983-84); Jay Martin (skiing, 1965-67); Mack Peyton (basketball and baseball, 1947-49); Courtney Stapp Pool (basketball, 1995-98); Larry Zowada (football, 1955-57); 1966-67 Men’s Basketball Team.

Class of 2020-2021 (Combined class due to Covid pandemic):  Jon Cogdill (football and wrestling, 1986-90); Dennis Dreher (special achievement); Brandon Ewing (basketball, 2005-09); Wiles Hallock (administration, 1949-60); Kevin Mannon (track and field, 1998-99); Mike Schenbeck (football, 1985-88); Tom Wilkinson (football and baseball, 1963-65).

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

17128

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The University of Wyoming will end its campus-wide mask mandate Monday, months after it was reimplemented in the spike of Delta variant COVID cases.

The university’s Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to rescind the mask mandate. The university was the last education system in the state to have such a mandate in place.

Longtime mask critic Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne, celebrated the decision.

“I’m glad that UW is finally following real science,” he told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.

University spokesman Chad Baldwin told Cowboy State Daily that he could not find an initial date of masks being required, but noted it was “quite early” in the pandemic.

He did note that there was a period where the mandate was lifted last May, but was reinstated after Delta cases increased.

The board voted that masks would only be required in campus offices when requested by the office occupant, for employees in UW’s Early Care and Education Center and in medically-related units.

Masks will also still be required on UW Transit Service buses, in accordance with federal rules.

“We continue to recommend masks as a way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community but, by action of the board, we are moving to a new phase in the pandemic that will not include a mask requirement in most indoor spaces, including classrooms,” UW President Ed Seidel said. “Those who choose to continue wearing masks have the board’s and the university’s full support.”

The board’s decision on Wednesday followed its vote in December to extend the mandate. However, masks have not been required this academic year at voluntary public events such as athletics and music, theater and dance performances; voluntary social events, at private, by-invitation events that involve rental and/or use of UW spaces on campus and for patrons of Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center when participating in recreational activities, sports or fitness.

As of Monday, there were 14 active COVID cases among the UW community, six students on campus, three students off campus and five employees.

“The COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are recommended, even for those who have had COVID-19, as people who have not been vaccinated are up to two times more likely to get COVID-19 again as those who have been vaccinated,” Student Health Service Director Mary Beth Bender said. “While COVID-19 infection does provide some natural immunity, the level of protection from prior infection is lower than the protection from COVID-19 vaccinations.”

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

16442

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

The University of Wyoming’s Anthropology Building now bears the name of George Frison, a Worland native and UW graduate who achieved international acclaim as an archaeologist during a lengthy career as a university faculty member.

The UW Board of Trustees voted Friday to name the building in Frison’s honor, at the request of the university’s Anthropology Department, the university’s naming committee and President Ed Seidel.

The George C. Frison Building, a 53,000-square-foot facility that was completed in 2007, houses the Department of Anthropology, the State Archaeologist’s Office, the cultural records section of the State Historic Preservation Office, the Frison Institute, the State Archaeological Repository and the Anthropology Museum.

“Naming of buildings for certain individuals is a very rare honor at UW, but this is clearly a case when it’s absolutely appropriate,” Seidel said. “Dr. Frison was a huge figure in archaeology and put Wyoming and UW on the map in this important field of study. This is a great way to honor his legacy.”

Frison, who founded the Department of Anthropology and was the first state archaeologist, is the only UW faculty member ever elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

He died Sept. 6, 2020, at the age of 95.

“It’s only right that the university honor Dr. Frison’s decades of service to UW and the state by putting his name on the building that houses the programs that would not exist if not for his efforts,” said Professor Todd Surovell, head of the Department of Anthropology. “He easily ranks among the greatest field archaeologists in the history of American archaeology. His contributions to the field of archaeology, the Department of Anthropology, the University of Wyoming and the state of Wyoming cannot be overstated.”

Frison was born Nov. 11, 1924, in Worland and grew up on his grandparents’ ranch near Ten Sleep. He spent his early years working sheep and cattle and spent his spare time collecting arrowheads, exploring caves in the Bighorn Mountains while developing a love for the history and prehistory of Wyoming.

He enrolled at UW in 1942, but his education was cut short when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving in the forces of the South Pacific during World War II.

After being honorably discharged in 1946, he returned to the family ranch.

While operating the ranch, Frison joined the Wyoming Archaeological Society and was an avocational archaeologist, discovering numerous artifacts including atlatl and dart fragments.

His interactions with UW Professor William Mulloy prompted Frison to enroll at UW in 1962 at the age of 37 to finish his undergraduate work.

After earning his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Michigan, Frison returned to UW in 1967 to head the new Department of Anthropology and serve as the first state archaeologist, a position he held until 1984.

During his decades of work at UW, Frison made major contributions to the understanding of the prehistory of the northwestern Great Plains in the areas of chipped stone technology, bison bone beds, Paleoindian systematics and Plains chronology.

His many books and papers, which include “Prehistoric Hunters of the High Plains,” made him an internationally recognized figure in archaeology.

More than 70 students graduated with the Master of Arts degree in anthropology during his tenure at UW, and many more students attended his classes and graduated with undergraduate degrees from the Department of Anthropology.

His many awards include the lifetime achievement award from the Society for American Archaeology, a Regents’ Fellowship Award from the Smithsonian Institution, UW’s George Duke Humphrey Distinguished Faculty Award, UW’s Medallion Service Award and the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award.

Frison retired from the Anthropology Department in 1995, but continued to serve as professor emeritus.

He was named to the National Academy of Sciences in 1997.

Among his legacies is the George C. Frison Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at UW, which funds archaeological research, supports student and faculty participation in international research and education opportunities, sponsors an annual lecture and public talks and provides for volunteer participation in field and lab programs.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

14871

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

University of Wyoming officials have proposed delaying the elimination of some programs and staff positions until 2023, it was announced on Friday.

Officials will present the proposal to the UW board of trustees later this month. The proposal, which follows months of development informed by thorough review and feedback from internal and external stakeholders, aims to position the university for a vibrant future at a time of uncertain state revenues, economic shifts and a changing higher-education landscape.

“We must consider where we are headed at the same time we make changes to budgets of our various units in response to reductions in recent years,” UW President Ed Seidel said. “The academic reorganization plan, combined with new initiatives to improve the student experience and higher education’s role in Wyoming’s economy, sets the stage for new synergies, scholarly coherence and efficiencies that aren’t possible under the university’s current structure. Overall, the plan aims to better serve our students and better position us for increased revenue streams from research agencies and corporate partnerships.”

Specifically, the proposal going before the trustees would, effective July 1, 2022, reorganize the College of Education, move and/or consolidate several academic departments and eliminate four low-enrollment graduate degree programs.

Additional academic reconfigurations, including movement of several academic departments from the current College of Arts and Sciences, and restructuring and renaming of the current College of Engineering and Applied Science and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, wouldn’t be implemented until July 1, 2023, pending further refinement.

“After careful consideration of the feedback that we have received from faculty, students, staff and stakeholders, I believe additional time is needed for consideration of how best to implement the major reorganization of the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Engineering and Applied Science,” Provost and Executive Vice President Kevin Carman said. “I plan to engage in a robust discussion over the next year to carefully consider optimal alignments while minimizing unintended negative consequences of restructuring.”

While the proposed reorganizations were driven, in part, by budget considerations, they would not achieve the reductions necessary to respond to the drop in state funding and reallocate resources for the new initiatives: establishment of a School of Computing, a Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality Initiative, which are integral to the new Wyoming Innovation Partnership involving UW and the state’s community colleges.

As a result, working with UW college deans, the Office of Academic Affairs has separately developed a budget reduction plan that achieves a $5.3 million reduction to academic programs, with work continuing for a total $13.6 million budget reduction.

Final details on reductions will come later, but the plan does include eliminating 20-25 faculty positions that have been vacated by resignations and retirements.

“We worked extremely hard with the deans to find ways to achieve our budget targets, continue to be strategic and not harm faculty who dedicate their careers to serving our students,” Seidel said. “We have succeeded in not eliminating faculty positions that are currently filled. And, by folding in final implementation of the reorganization with strategic planning, we will ensure strategic outcomes with faculty, staff and student input throughout the process.”

The proposal going to the Board of Trustees this month would:

• Reorganize the College of Education effective July 1, 2022. The plan is for the college to have three divisions: one focused on educator preparation; one for graduate education; and one for innovation and engagement. A review committee would examine a proposal to discontinue two graduate degree programs, the Ph.D. in counseling and the Ph.D. in learning, design and technology.
• Reorganize the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Engineering and Applied Science to better align the life and physical sciences, and the humanities, social sciences and arts, with full implementation by July 1, 2023.
• Discontinue these degree programs: the Master of Arts in philosophy, the MBA in finance, the MBA in energy and the Ph.D. in statistics.

Among the changes that would take place by July 1, 2022:

• Consolidation of the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
• Movement of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and consolidation of that department with the Department of Atmospheric Science.
• Consolidation of the agricultural communications degree program with the Department of Communication and Journalism.
• Movement of the American Studies Program into the School of Culture, Gender and Social Justice.

Among the changes that would take place by July 1, 2023, pending further refinement:

• Movement of other physical sciences departments — Chemistry, Geology and Geophysics, and Mathematics and Statistics — from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
• Renaming of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, possibly to the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
• Movement of the Department of Zoology and Physiology, the Department of Botany and the Life Sciences Program from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. With the additional time, work will be done to determine the optimal structure for the consolidated program and to consider alternative placement of life sciences faculty with discipline-specific expertise that aligns better with other academic units, such as those in the College of Health Sciences.
• Renaming of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, possibly to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
• Restructuring of the College of Arts and Sciences to emphasize and elevate humanities, social sciences and arts. With the additional time, work will be done to, among other things: possibly launch a Ph.D. program in English; explore opportunities for other Ph.D. programs; and explore partnerships with the planned School of Computing.
• Movement of the Nutrition Program to the Division of Kinesiology and Health in the College of Health Sciences.
• Movement of the Human Development and Family Sciences Program, and the Early Care and Education Center to the College of Education. With the additional time, work will be done to consider alternative placement of the Human Development and Family Sciences Program and faculty with discipline-specific expertise that aligns better with other academic units; consider the appropriate academic home for the Design, Merchandising and Textiles Program; and consider discontinuation of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

The additional year also would allow careful review of the potential implications of the proposed reorganizations of the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Those considerations include reallocation of staff support and academic advising, redistribution of operating budgets, assignment and stewardship of endowments and administrative structure.

A number of degree programs initially targeted for elimination would be maintained under the provost’s recommendations: bachelor’s degrees in German and French, as well as in Spanish, German and French secondary education; master’s degrees in political science, international studies, sociology and architectural engineering; graduate degrees in entomology; and the master’s degree in family and consumer sciences, pending potential reorganization of that department.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

13624

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The COVID pandemic is largely to blame for a 3% decline in the University of Wyoming’s enrollment in the last year, a UW spokesman told Cowboy State Daily.

According to census data collected on the 15th day of classes, UW has enrolled a total of 11,479 students this semester, down 3% from the overall enrollment of 11,829 last fall. The 15th class day is used because it falls after the class drop/add deadlines, and after the first tuition and fee payment is due.

University spokesman Chad Baldwin said that there were various reasons for students leaving the university, but all of them were related to the pandemic in some way.

“Regarding the overall enrollment decline, we know that we lost hundreds of students last year because so many classes were taught online due to COVID-19 and because of the campus pandemic restrictions, not to mention the financial difficulties the pandemic caused for students and their families,” he told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday. “We’re working to re-recruit as many of them as possible, but research shows that once students pull out of college, a good number of them don’t return.”

The drop in nonresident students has been most pronounced, with a total of 3,644 students from out-of-state attending UW this fall, compared to 3,844 last fall.

There are 568 first-time nonresident students in this year’s class, down 6.7% from last fall’s 609.

During the 2020-21 school year, the university had limited in-person classes and events due to the pandemic. This year, the university board of trustees has implemented and indefinitely extended a mask mandate for anyone on campus.

The university has not implemented a vaccine mandate for either employees or students, but have created an incentive program for those who are vaccinated and also report it.

The university reported this week that the number of first-time students from Wyoming attending the university has grown by 11.5% this fall, contributing to an overall 3.7% increase in UW’s first-time student enrollment.

Some 909 students from Wyoming have enrolled in the state’s university for the first time, up from 815 the year before and topping the pre-pandemic number of 902 in fall 2019. As a result, the total number of first-time students this semester has grown to 1,477 from 1,424 last year.

“Our favorable in-state, first-time numbers are a reflection of intensive recruitment efforts and a return to a traditional fall semester with fewer pandemic restrictions, among other things,” Baldwin told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

13567

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The University of Wyoming saw a 3% drop in enrollment for the 2021 fall semester, the university announced this week.

According to census data collected on the 15th day of classes, UW announced Monday it has enrolled a total of 11,479 students this semester, down 3% from the overall enrollment of 11,829 last fall. The 15th class day is used because it falls after the class drop/add deadlines, and after the first tuition and fee payment is due.

However, the university also noted the number of first-time students from Wyoming attending the university has grown by 11.5% this fall, contributing to an overall 3.7% increase in UW’s first-time student enrollment.

Some 909 students from Wyoming have enrolled in the state’s university for the first time, up from 815 the year before and topping the pre-pandemic number of 902 in fall 2019. As a result, the total number of first-time students this semester has grown to 1,477 from 1,424 last year.

“We’re excited that our class of new freshmen, particularly those from Wyoming, has increased. It’s a sign that we are on our way to recovering from the losses incurred by higher education institutions nationwide,” UW Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Kyle Moore said. “After we enrolled the two largest freshman classes in UW’s history in 2018 and 2019, the financial and other uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been impactful and significant. We’re working hard to rebound as quickly as possible.”

The drop in nonresident students has been most pronounced, with a total of 3,644 students from out-of-state attending UW this fall, compared to 3,844 last fall.

There are 568 first-time nonresident students in this year’s class, down 6.7% from last fall’s 609.

At the same time, the number of nonresident transfer students enrolling this fall rose to 251 from 223 last year, a 12.6% increase.

“Across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many students to stay closer to home to start their college experience. It also has resulted in large decreases in community college enrollments in Wyoming and nationwide, which impacts transfer numbers,” Moore said. “The pandemic seriously hampered our ability last year to do face-to-face recruiting out of state and bring nonresidents in for campus visits, and that is reflected in our current numbers. We’re redoubling our efforts to recruit students from outside the state while still making recruitment of Wyoming students our No. 1 priority.”

There was also a 4.9% increase in graduate and professional students, rising from 2,610 from 2,487 last year. Moore credited collaborative marketing and recruitment efforts with academic departments as factors in the increase.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

13421

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The University of Wyoming’s endowment is worth almost $800 million, an extraordinary amount for a college its size, President Ed Seidel said earlier this week.

Seidel, speaking during his “State of the University” speech on Wednesday, said the endowment, or value of the university’s investments based on donated money and financial assets, totaled $794.7 million.

The university saw almost $50 million in private donations last year alone, Seidel said.

In a wide-ranging address that also touched on coronavirus and the budget cuts faced by the university, Seidel said the university reduced its spending by more than $13 million per year by eliminating 75 positions and multiple programs at the school.

The changes will allow the university to better support its students and generate new revenue streams, Seidel said.

Programs not discontinued or reorganized will still see their budgets cut by 3%, he said.

He added the university will save another $18 million over the next 20 years by refinancing its outstanding debt.

“There are lots of things behind the scenes that are helping us save as much funding as we can,” Seidel said.

The long-term spending reductions are in addition to $42.3 million in cuts made when Gov. Mark Gordon ordered state spending cuts in the fact of dramatic downturns in the state’s mineral income.

Turning to coronavirus, Seidel said vaccination rates have steadily increased on campus, with around two-thirds of the student population having self-reported that they are vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We’ve got some more work to do there, but we’ve done relatively well,” he said.

As of Thursday, there were a number of active COVID cases among the UW population: eight employees, 14 on-campus students and 43 off-campus students, according to the university’s COVID dashboard.

The university was the first educational facility that implemented a mask mandate, with students being required to wear masks while on campus until mid-September.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

12499

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Bill Sniffin, publisher

The University of Wyoming and the state’s community colleges are partnering to help improve the state’s economy, UW President Ed Seidel said earlier this week.

Seidel, speaking in Riverton on Monday during the first of the university’s presentations on “The World Needs More Cowboys — And So Does Wyoming,” said by working together, the university and the state’s colleges can promote entrepreneurship.

“We are working with the community colleges to build the state’s economy,” he said. “We are building partnerships with the community colleges and aligning all forms of higher education. We are promoting entrepreneurship and statewide cooperation,”

Seidel cited the efforts of Central Wyoming College and its president, Brad Tyndall, to work with the university.

CWC hosted the event at the InterTribal Center on the campus.

Several current and former students spoke about the ease with which they could complete their first two years of college at CWC and transition smoothly to the UW. 

Seidel also pointed to the new School of Computing that is starting at UW that will also involve the community colleges. 

Meanwhile, he said COVID continues to be a problem at the university.

“We are prepared to do what is necessary,” he said.

He recalled some of the problems during last year’s school year with the university being open and closed.  He was proud of the fact that the UW was able to have an “in-person” graduation.  

“It meant a lot to everybody,” he said. 

Seidel also said he was happy to be the new president of UW, a position he was appointed to in March 2020. 

“I had waited until I was 63 years old to finally get the job I wanted where I wanted,” he said.

He added, however, that being greeted by a COVID pandemic and a $50 million budget shortfall were challenges. 

He invited everyone to come visit the campus to see what all is happening.  “It is a very exciting time,” he concluded.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

12403

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel touted the university’s efforts to drive energy innovation and economic development during a U.S. Senate committee hearing on Thursday in Washington, D.C.

Seidel spoke to and answered questions from the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. U.S. Sen. John Barrasso is the committee’s ranking member.

“Universities across the nation are ready to become even stronger engines for science and innovation,” Seidel said during his testimony. “However, deeper partnerships with academia and industry are still needed.”

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, with an annual budget of over $7 billion, is the nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences, and the lead federal agency supporting research for energy production and security.

Seidel also addressed the energy research occurring at the UW’s School of Energy Resources as well as plans for a new School of Computing, a Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Wyoming Innovation Partnership, in collaboration with Wyoming’s community colleges.

These efforts, focused on driving innovation and economic development, reflect the commitment and contributions that rural states such as Wyoming can make to the nation, he said.

“Great talent resides everywhere,” Seidel said, advocating that “rural areas must be embraced” in research funding opportunities because of their unique strengths.

Seidel encouraged development of a comprehensive funding plan that links science, education and innovation for growing the economy of the U.S. and competing internationally with countries that are investing more.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

12041

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The University of Wyoming has cut at least 75 positions and will eliminate multiple programs to deal with projected budget cuts, officials announced Tuesday.

A proposal from UW President Ed Seidel to the university’s Board of Trustees would reconfigure UW’s colleges, discontinue or reorganize some academic programs and launch a School of Computing, a Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality Initiative, among other changes.

“The world, Wyoming and higher education are in the midst of major changes; UW must respond,” Seidel said. “In order to better serve our students and our state amid a significant decline in state funding, we must restructure to put UW on a sustainable path for the future. The goals of this plan are to enhance the student experience and train them for success; become a better engine for innovation and economic development; and develop new revenue streams.”  

The proposed changes would reduce spending by more than $13 million annually while allowing the university to better support its students and generate new revenue streams, the announcement said.

The restructuring and budget cuts would lead to the elimination of as many as 75 faculty and staff positions at the university, including up to 10 department heads.

Programs that are not discontinued or reorganized, including those at at UW-Casper, would see their budgets reduced by 3%.

The plan calls for changing the College of Engineering and Applied Science to the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences into College of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts.

The departments of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering would be removed from the College of Engineering and continue to be offered under other programs.

Likewise, the Department of Chemical Engineering would be discontinued, but its degrees would be maintained under a reorganized unit that would include the current Department of Chemistry. 

From the current College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Geology and Geophysics would be reduced in size and would join the Department of Petroleum Engineering in a new unit to include geological sciences that would preserve geological, geophysics and geosciences degrees.

From the current College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics would be consolidated with the Department of Economics in the College of Business. The program in agricultural communications would move to the Department of Communication and Journalism and the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences would be reduced, with the nutrition program moving to the College of Health Sciences and the Early Care and Education Center moving to the College of Education. 

In the current College of Arts and Sciences, the Creative Writing Program would be consolidated into the Department of English; the Department of Visual and Literary Arts would be renamed the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, incorporating the existing departments of Music, and Theatre and Dance. The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies would be reduced. And the American Studies Program would move into the School of Gender, Culture and Social Justice, with a number of low-enrollment degree programs in that school combined into a single degree with various concentrations.

The School of Counseling, Leadership and Design would be discontinued in the College of Education, and the college would be reorganized.

Students currently enrolled in programs to be discontinued would be able to complete their degrees. A number of low-enrollment degree programs have been identified for discontinuation as well.

“It is never easy to restructure or eliminate academic programs and positions” said Kevin Carman, the university’s executive vice president. “The faculty positions being considered for elimination are filled by real people who work hard for this university, and the magnitude of what we are proposing is, as far as we can tell, unprecedented in the university’s modern history. But, the situation we face as a university, with a 25% drop in state funding in recent years and a need to respond to changing times, necessitates a reconsideration of the way we’re structured and what we offer. Our proposal will now go through the collaborative review process directed by university regulation, and we will consider all input in an effort to assure the best possible outcomes.”  

The new School of Computing and campuswide Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality Initiative are aimed squarely at training students in areas important for advancing key markets for the future economy of Wyoming.

The proposed School of Computing is envisioned to be a statewide asset led by the university with statewide and national impacts and global reach. It would provide the organizational infrastructure and emphasis to accelerate the growth and impact of computing, artificial intelligence and data science at UW across research, teaching, entrepreneurship and engagement.

The school would collaborate with all academic departments and UW Libraries, student success programs and discovery programs. 

Earlier this year, the university reduced its spending by $42.3 million through steps including the elimination of about 80 unfilled positions, centralizing budget, facility and operational activities, a utility cost savings initiative and the one-time use of reserve funds.  

“We are committed to making UW a best-in-class, 21st century land-grant university true to its Wyoming roots, and that means taking bold steps even during a time of financial distress,” Seidel said. “We look forward to our discussions with the Board of Trustees and our many constituents to refine our plans to serve the best interests of our students and the people of Wyoming.”

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

11212

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

A University of Wyoming professor and some fellow researchers have discovered that extensive and severe wildfires and the smoke they generated led to mass deaths of various types of birds last summer.

The wildfires during the 2020 fire season led to bird deaths in 12 Western, according to the university. At the same time, snowstorms in the late summer also may have affected bird migration by cutting off the birds’ food supply and prompting migration before the birds were physiologically ready to make the trip.

Di Yang, an assistant professor in the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center, headed a research group that investigated the environmental causes of massive bird die-offs by combining sociological data with observations of citizen scientists.

“Migratory die-off events in the western U.S. are significantly related to smoke and toxic gases released from wildfires, combining with the heavy snowstorms in some areas (as determined) by using a series of satellite images,” Yang said. “More importantly, citizens played an important role in observing this massive die-off event and provided invaluable data to iNaturalist, which is a citizen science platform.”

Yang is lead author of the research paper “Unprecedented Migratory Bird Die-Off: A Citizen-Based Analysis on the Spatiotemporal Patterns of Mass Mortality Events in the Western United States,” that was published in the April issue of GeoHealth. Other contributors to the paper were from Colorado State University, the University of Georgia, Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The study investigated bird migration and survival and how they were influenced by global climate change, natural disasters and ecological disturbance. The study covered Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The American robin, barn swallows, flycatchers, mountain bluebirds and Wilson’s warblers were the bird species hit the hardest by the die-offs, based on the death numbers reported.

In Wyoming, during August and September, more birds were found in urban and forested areas compared with other types of lands. The researchers also found that the more cropland cover there was in an area, the more dead birds were found.

Overall, the study’s findings suggested that air quality and distance to wildfires were two major factors that caused the high bird mortality rates. Fewer bird deaths occurred closer to the wildfires, except during mid-August to mid-September in California.

Birds have evolved to cope with fires and adjust migration pathways, Yang said. However, due to the lack of forest management practices, such as prescribed burning and removing some standing dead trees, the wildfires burned far hotter and grew much larger than usual, which made it difficult for the migratory birds to adjust.

“The toxic gases that were released from the smoke made an impact on the respiratory systems of migratory birds, and birds are very sensitive to the toxic gases during their exhausting long flights,” Yang explained.

During the August and September 2020 study period, numerous dead birds were found by citizen scientists and were reported on the citizen science platform.

The use of citizen scientists improved the accuracy of the study because their use significantly expanded the sample set Yang said. As a result, she and her research team were able to build a national-level model by adapting a quality-control framework to the citizen science data.

The findings highlighted the impact of extreme weather and natural disasters on bird biology, survival and migration, which can provide significant insights into bird biodiversity, conservation and ecosystem stability.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

11189

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

A short documentary film about a University of Wyoming biologist following the migration path of mule deer was released worldwide on Wednesday.

The film, “92 Miles: A Migration Study,” focuses on Wyoming migration scientist Patrick Rodgers as he completes a long distance run following the migration path of mule deer (92 miles along a route in southern Wyoming and northern Colorado) while also dealing with the grief of losing his father to cancer, according to the University of Wyoming.

The one-half hour film, sponsored by companies including Yeti and Sitka, was shot and co-produced by UW alumnus Benjamin Kraushaar. It can be viewed here.

The idea for the documentary originated as a plan to give audiences a new perspective of mule deer migration, through the lens of long-distance running.

Viewers will also learn about the science of migrations and the challenges migratory deer face. The film details the importance of wild, connected landscapes for humans and wildlife alike.

“Migration is a journey of risk and suffering: dodging semis on perilous highways, tearing ligaments in barbed-wire fences, or searching for food while trying to avoid becoming food for a hungry mountain lion,” Rodgers said. “Indeed, life is fleeting. Yet, through it all, mule deer seem to possess a transcendental ability to keep their heads up and keep moving, as if their lives depend on it, which they do.

“My dad finished his life’s race Dec. 15, 2017. His life inside of me was a huge reason I kept my head up and finished those long 92 miles,” Rodgers continued. “Loss is an inescapable part of life’s grand migration and, without a doubt, I will have to grapple with that reality for the rest of my life. Yet, as I navigate this beautiful life, at least I know I’m not alone.”

Rodgers, who is from Casper, graduated from UW with a zoology degree in 2014 and completed his master’s degree in zoology in May 2020.

He received a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship for his studies into the differences in migratory behavior of male and female mule deer, which involved capturing and outfitting 95 buck mule deer with satellite collars near Baggs to track their movements and compare them with the movements of does.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

10617

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

A group of University of Wyoming professors and students is researching an unusual belt of lava-formed rocks that stretches over 2,000 miles throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico.

The igneous rock belt runs through Idaho, Montana, Nevada, southeast California and Arizona. One clue to the origin of the belt of igneous rocks is that the rocks chiefly formed 80 million to 50 million years ago, during a mountain-building event called the Laramide orogeny.

“Geoscientists usually associate long belts of igneous rocks with chains of volcanoes at subduction zones, like Mount Shasta, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainer,” said Jay Chapman, an assistant professor in UW’s Department of Geology and Geophysics. “What makes this finding so interesting and mysterious is that this belt of igneous rocks is located much farther inland, away from the edge of the continent, and doesn’t contain any evidence for producing volcanoes. In fact, all of the melting to generate the igneous rocks originally took place deep underground, five to 10 miles beneath the surface.”

Chapman is lead author of a paper, titled “The North American Cordilleran Anatectic Belt,” which was published online in February in the journal Earth-Science Reviews.

The paper is a result of a special course taught by Simone Runyon, an assistant professor in UW’s Department of Geology and Geophysics, and Chapman.

Runyon, six UW graduate students and one undergraduate student, who took part in the course, are co-authors of the paper.

“It was really fascinating to start with a scientific question in a classroom, then collect and analyze data, and eventually publish our results,” said Cody Pridmore, a UW graduate student from Orange, California and co-author of the paper. “It’s a process most college students don’t get to experience.”

The researchers have several working hypotheses about what caused the rocks to melt. One hypothesis is that water infiltrated the deep crust.

“The geochemistry of these rocks indicates that melting may have occurred at relatively low temperatures, below 800 degrees Celsius,” said Jessie Shields, a Ph.D. student at UW from Minneapolis, who is working to solve this mystery. “That is still very hot, but not hot enough to produce very large volumes of magma. Water lowers the melting point of rocks, similar to how salt lowers the melting point of ice, and could increase the amount of magma generated.”

This work has implications for what causes rocks to melt and where specific types of magmas can be found.

“Many of the igneous systems in the study area contain economically important ore deposits,” says Runyon, who specializes in ore deposits. “Understanding the large-scale igneous processes that form these provinces helps us to better understand how ore deposits form and to better explore for natural resources.”

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

8932

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

No evidence has been found to tie any of the callers who disrupted a University of Wyoming Black History Month video conference to the university’s students or community members, according to the university.

According to UW’s Chief Diversity Officer Emily Monago, four of the five attackers involved used “virtual private networks” or VPNs located in the U.S. and Germany to hide their true locations.

The attacker who did not use a VPN service appears to have connected from a residential broadband connection on the East Coast. The UW Police Department and the FBI are continuing to investigate.

“So far, there is no forensic evidence to tie any of the attackers to UW,” Monago said. “We’re glad that is the case, but it does not reduce our outrage at this vile occurrence, nor the imperative for us to take action to address problems with racism in our community. And we commit to holding members of our campus accountable if further investigation uncovers a UW connection.”

On Feb. 15, the five people sent racist and pornographic messages during a Zoom-hosted UW event.

Apparently, the UW was one of many schools across the country to have Black History Month events targeted by this type of attack. Institutions including the University of Southern California, Washington’s Gonzaga University and Rutgers University in New Jersey have been “Zoom bombed” with similar hateful, violent words and images in recent weeks and months, the release said.

UW’s network security analyst strongly suspects that all of the attacks are related and coordinated.

Many of UW’s community of color have expressed that they feel unsafe of the campus now, Monago said, despite the fact there is no evidence the attacks originated in Laramie.

“While the racist attack appears to have come from outside the university, it understandably caused our students, employees of color and other people in our campus community to feel unsafe,” she said in her statement to students. “It brought to the forefront the existence of hate speech and racist behavior here in our own community. And it has shone a brighter light on the need for the university to address ever-increasing efforts to increase our diversity as well the existence of racism, so that we can be a welcoming, safe place for everyone, regardless of ability, age, country of origin, culture, economic class, ethnicity, gender identity, immigration status, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation or world view.”

After the incident, University President Ed Seidel, along with university trustees, vice presidents, deans and department directors on Wednesday released a statement condemning the incident.

“The First Amendment may allow expression that is reprehensible, but we have a responsibility to answer it,” it said. “Make no mistake, the words and images to which the Zoom discussion participants were subjected are unacceptable and absolutely contrary to the values of our university. UW immediately began working with local law enforcement to address this matter.”

The statement also said the university would use the technology available to it to block such attacks in the future

However, during a listening session held by the UW’s Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee on Black Lives Matter and Systemic Racism, many of the 50 or so participants complained that the university’s initial statement about the incident was not strong enough and made it clear UW could do more.

“I took these concerns to heart and committed to do better, and so do others working at UW,” Monago said.

On Friday, Monago met with the UW marketing and communications team members, who are going to assist her office with developing a plan to better communicate diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion information and the university’s commitment to inclusive excellence.

“In closing, all I have left to say is that we see you, we hear you, and we commit to doing better,” Monago said.

Gov. Mark Gordon even commented on the Zoom attack last week in a statement.

“I am saddened and angered that anyone would invade a constructive educational moment with such vile sentiments of hate, and adamantly condemn these atrocious actions,” the governor said.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

8586

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

One of five youths falsely accused of raping a woman in Central Park in the late 1980s will be the keynote speaker for the University of Wyoming’s Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue event.

Yusef Salaam, a member of the group dubbed the “Central Park Five,” will discuss the case and his work at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 9 through a virtual presentation for the university.

The Martin Luther King Jr. “Days of Dialogue,” which begins Feb. 8, is in its 17th year at the university. The event is designed to celebrate the continuing impact of King’s life, according to event co-directors Erin Olsen Pueblitz and Melanie Vigil.

“The MLK DOD tradition is intended to expand institutional and community awareness about issues of diversity and social justice, to foster an inclusive community, and to empower individuals to act in solidarity with Black lives and marginalized communities,” they said in a statement.

Salaam was 15 at the time he and four other Black and Latino teenage boys were wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman jogging in Central Park in New York City in 1989.

He served six years and eight months in a juvenile facility before the five men’s cases were overturned in 2002.

After members of the group spent up to 13 years of their lives behind bars, unidentified DNA from the Central Park jogger case, unlinked to any of the five, was finally matched to a convicted murderer and serial rapist who confessed to the crime.

The convictions of the boys, now men, were overturned.

In 2014, the five received a multimillion-dollar settlement from New York City for the injustice.

Since his release, Salaam, now 47, has committed himself to advocating and educating people on the issues of false confession, police brutality and misconduct, press ethics and bias, race and law and the disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Salaam received a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 from then-President Barack Obama and was awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities from Anointed by God Ministries Alliance and Seminary in 2014.

Salaam was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal organization that is committed to exonerating individuals who it claims have been wrongly convicted, in 2018.

He currently resides in Atlanta and is a motivational speaker.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

8471

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

After nearly two months, the University of Wyoming is allowing fans back at its athletics events.

Beginning Thursday, a maximum of 2,000 fans will be allowed to attend events held at the Arena-Auditorium and a maximum of 170 fans will be allowed in the UniWyo Federal Credit Union Sports Complex.

The newest attendance guidelines for University of Wyoming Athletics events were approved by the Wyoming Department of Health as they follow the department’s public health orders governing COVID-19 and gathering sizes.

These guidelines apply to all UW Athletics events for all sports.  Attendance guidelines may change based on future coronavirus-related public health orders issued by the Wyoming Department of Health.

Single-game tickets for the remaining games will go on sale to season-ticket holders at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 25, and will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27. 
 
University of Wyoming students will not be allowed to attend any UW Athletics events prior to Feb. 1, per UW coronavirus guidelines that place students in a limited contact period as they return to campus for the spring semester. 

This will be the first time fans have attended a UW athletics event since early December, when Gov. Mark Gordon issued stricter health orders due to a rising number of coronavirus cases in the state.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***