UW in the News

State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage:

The Laramie Boomerang reported that the city of Laramie and local business organizations are applying for a $20 million grant to build a new research building for Plenty Unlimited, a company that uses vertical farming to grow produce in an indoor area. UW graduate Nate Storey co-founded the company, which has two similar operations in California.

Thomas Boothby, a UW assistant professor of molecular biology, recently received an $857,794 NASA grant to study the effects of water loss on tardigrades. Inferse.com, an online news source, published UW’s release on the announcement. Astrobiology published a similar article.

The Casper Star-Tribune reported that a pair of U.S. technology companies will build a first-of-its-kind facility to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it permanently underground. Scott Quillinan, senior director of research for UW’s School of Energy Resources, said that the state’s early investments in carbon capture, utilization and storage are paying off. Laramie Live published a related article.

UW Professor Ken Sims, who studies volcanoes around the globe, was among researchers who spoke with The Jackson Hole News & Guide about their goal to understand how the Yellowstone caldera is acting and predict any substantial changes. Sims represents UW on the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory that recently updated a Yellowstone volcano and earthquake monitoring plan.

Law360 interviewed UW College of Law Professor George Mocsary on the constitutionality of New York’s restrictive gun laws passed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s striking down that state’s previous laws on public carry.

Construction of new UW residence halls along 15th Street, scheduled to begin later this semester, will necessitate the closure of parking areas east of the Wyoming Union, McWhinnie Hall and Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center. Laramie Live published UW’s release announcing the closure.

FOX6 News, in Milwaukee, Wis., carried a report referring to a UW conversion chart on counting daily steps for exercise. The segment focused on a U.K. study that found older people who took about 9,800 steps per day had a 50 percent decrease in their dementia risk.

Ground was broken in Campbell County for a coal byproducts demonstration project -- a facility that will show how coal can be used to create a range of products. The Laramie Boomerang was among media outlets reporting that UW’s Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion is leading the effort, collaborating with Atlas Carbon and Wood.

Six finalists will compete in the Sweetwater County Innovation Launchpad’s (SCIL) Pitch Night later this month, reported SweetwaterNOW. SCIL is administered by IMPACT Sweetwater, a collaboration between UW’s IMPACT 307 and Western Wyoming Community College.

WyoToday Media published UW’s release announcing that the Sensory Biology Center recently received a five-year, $10.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance research activities, which include exploring curing diseases. WyoToday Media also published UW’s release on Wyoming WWAMI Medical Education Program students who participated in the Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program or a research project called Scholarship of Discovery this past summer.