Cooperative Extension Service Communications and Technology Department 3354 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071 (307) 766-6342 • fax (307) 766-3998 • www.uwyo.edu

 

For Immediate Release

 

Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor

Phone: (307) 766-6342

E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu

Archived News Site www.uwyo.edu/agadmin/news/news.htm

 

Date: March 22, 2007

            

UW renewable resources students grab honors at national competition

            Department of Renewable Resources students in the College of Agriculture at the University of Wyoming are making a habit of winning competitions.

            After dominating at the joint meeting of the Wyoming Section of the Society for Range Management and the Wyoming Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society last December in Sheridan, the students claimed firsts, seconds, third, fourth, and a sixth at the international meeting of the Society for Range Management (SRM) February 9-16 in Reno, Nevada.

            Students came from 22 institutions in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

            The Undergraduate Range Management Exam (URME) team and Mae Peterson of Pinedale in public speaking won their categories. The UW team was second in the Rangeland Cup

            Twenty-seven students from nine institutions were in the undergraduate public speaking competition, in which Rives White, Daniel, placed third. UW’s Rangeland Cup teams placed second and sixth out of nine teams from six institutions.

            “They all worked hard to get to the meeting and take full advantage of the opportunity,” said Jordge La Fantasie, master’s student in plant sciences, who coached the plant identification team with Rachel Mealor, also a master’s student in renewable resources. “They were true professionals, networked with other members of the society and maintained the strong Wyoming spirit.”

            There were more than 150 students competing in the URME. Merritt Carpenter of Hartville placed second, and Sarah Hanlon of Cheyenne was fourth overall.

            Four UW students placed in the top 10 percent of the URME. “This is an extremely difficult two-hour exam,” said La Fantasie.

            Because of the difficulty of the URME, those in the top 10 become a Certified Professional in Range Management from the Society for Range Management.

            The team began one-hour practice sessions in September, said Brian Mealor, temporary lecturer in renewable resources, who coached the URME team. “All of the students showed great dedication in preparing for this competition and represented the university and the state of Wyoming with class, professionalism and character,” he noted. “Working with this group of students has been a high point of my time at UW.”

            Members of the URME team are Adam Heinle, Rangely, Elizabeth Parrish, Denver, Colo.; Abigail Martin, Dixon, Ill.; Lance Nixon, Hemingford, Morgan Wolvington, Chadron, Neb.; Lucas Line, Decker, Mont.; Dusty Smith, Evanston, Rives White, Rollin Winter, Leiter, Sarah Hanlon and Concetta Brown, Cheyenne, Merritt Carpenter, Martin Curry and Josh Jeanneret, Laramie, Mae Peterson, and Michelle Auyer, Douglas, Wyo.

            This was the first year for Rangeland Cup competition, an event the Mealors developed. It is a problem-solving competition to promote critical thinking and cooperative, collaborative work on a current topic and/or topics of historical importance to rangeland ecology and management, said Rachel Mealor.

            “The unique aspect of this year’s competition is that it asked teams to understand and apply an ecological concept (state and transition theory) to a dynamic social organization (the SRM),” said Brian Mealor. “Both of the UW teams presented very impressive posters.”

            Team members are Ashley Whitman, Kinnear, Cole Lambert, Newcastle, Adam Heinle, and Alison Iroz, San Diego, California.

            Public speaking contestants drew a topic and had two and one-half hours to prepare. Speeches are between five and seven minutes.

            “As most people know, getting up in front of a crowd and giving a speech can be extremely intimidating,” said Rachel Mealor, who coached the public speaking team. “To participate in the undergraduate public speaking contest takes courage.”

            Peterson’s topic was short-duration grazing systems, and White’s topic was watershed management.

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