UW’s 2024 Ranch Management and Ag Leadership Seminar Series Starts Feb. 12

The University of Wyoming’s third annual Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) seminar series begins Monday, Feb. 12, at Casper College.

The UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources will host three seminars across Wyoming this year, culminating in a leadership symposium in Laramie. All sessions are open to members of the public as well as students. Each event features a collection of knowledgeable panelists, professional development and networking opportunities, and a meal.

For community members and students who are not attending the seminars as part of a course, the cost is $25 per session or $75 for all four sessions. Each session will be livestreamed and recorded via Zoom for those who cannot attend in person.

Casper College will host the first seminar at Sharon Nichols Auditorium in the Doris and Neil McMurry Career Studies Center. The session is titled “Ranching Collaboratively: Mastering Public Land Partnerships.” The speakers at this session are Jack Berger, a rancher and president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association; Russell Burton, rangeland wildlife specialist at Y2 Consultants and Wyoming Society for Range Management president elect; Thad Berrett, a U.S. Forest Service rangeland management specialist; Dan Rice, a rancher and national forest permittee; and Mike Murray, rangeland management specialist for the Bureau of Land Management.

“The primary issue (with public land partnerships) is working with multiple-use agencies and sharing the stewardship responsibilities on public land,” says Randall Violett, RMAL associate director.

The upcoming seminar is an opportunity for students and community members to see how others manage these partnerships, he explains. It also is an opportunity for students to look at potential careers in land management.

The RMAL series complements UW’s ranch management and agricultural leadership bachelor’s degree program that launches this fall.

UW students attending the seminar series for course credit must attend every session. Community college students will be able to attend sessions for free as part of the coursework for several classes. To register for one or more sessions, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal.

Topics, dates and locations for the 2024 seminar series are as follows:

-- “Ranching Collaboratively: Mastering Public Land Partnerships,” Monday, Feb. 12, Casper College, 5-7:30 p.m.

-- “Energy Innovations: Exploring the Influence of Energy Innovations,” Monday, March 18, Gillette College, 5-7:30 p.m.

-- “Leading the Field: Family-Run Businesses, Industry and Community Leadership,” Monday, April 1, Northwest College in Powell, 5-7:30 p.m.

-- “Navigating Western Waters: Addressing Water Challenges in the Western Region,” Monday, April 22, Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center at UW, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

To learn more, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal. Email Violett at rviolett@uwyo.edu or call (307) 766-4239 with questions.