‘UW in Your Community’ Event Nov. 30 in Douglas

Members of the public will learn about the University of Wyoming’s efforts in Converse County, and UW alumni will connect with their alma mater during a “UW in Your Community” gathering Thursday, Nov. 30, in Douglas.

The public is invited to the event from 5-7 p.m. in the Longhorn Room of the Hotel LaBonte, located at 206 E. Walnut St. Free appetizers will be served, and there will be a cash bar.

UW President Ed Seidel will be in attendance and speak during a brief program, highlighting collaborative efforts to prepare students for the modern economy and boost entrepreneurism and the state’s economy. Additionally, UW Cowgirls basketball players Allyson Fertig and Joslin Igo, Douglas High School graduates, will speak about their experience as student-athletes.

Other speakers will include:

-- UW Department of Anthropology Professor Todd Surovell will discuss his team’s work at the La Prele mammoth site in Converse County, which includes the remains of a killed or scavenged subadult Columbian mammoth and an associated camp occupied by early North Americans during the time the animal was butchered about 12,900 years ago.

-- Assistant Professor Alison Mercier, the Mary Garland Early Career Fellow in UW’s College of Education, will discuss the Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps, a collaborative effort with Teton Science Schools and others aimed at addressing the state’s teacher shortage.

And two other current UW students from Converse County -- Douglas High School graduate Leticia DeGracia and Glenrock High School graduate Terrin Fauber -- will share their experiences at UW.

During the day before the Nov. 30 evening event, Seidel, Surovell and the current UW students from Converse County are scheduled to speak to students during assemblies at both high schools.

The Converse County gathering is the 12th in a series of “UW in Your Community” gatherings planned around the state.

“This will be a great opportunity for community members to interact with President Seidel; reconnect with Allyson and Joslin, who are making the community and the state very proud as UW Cowgirls; learn about exciting initiatives for students and the state; and see some of the collaborative work UW is doing with local partners,” says Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for marketing and communications. “UW alumni and everyone across Converse County are invited for what will be a fun evening.”