Dubois Outlines Recent UW Accomplishments

March 5, 2005 President Philip L. Dubois today (Saturday) presented to UW trustees a report of recent major accomplishments at the University of Wyoming. Among them were:

UW is among seven universities nationwide selected to work with the International Space Station Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. NASA awarded a grant to UW scientists who have developed a hexapod system for defense missile applications. They will apply their findings to a space station system, designed to eliminate vibrations and unwanted movement in manufacturing processes conducted in space, according to principal investigator John McInroy, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to UW's renowned anthropologist George C. Frison. The group that nominated Frison wrote, "George has been an extraordinary productive researcher, teacher of anthropology, spokesperson for our discipline, and in the process has strengthened the state and national archaeological infrastructure." He has been active in the SAA throughout his career, serving as president elect for two years and president from 1983 85.

Retired UW Zoology and Physiology Professor George Baxter received a U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) Conservation Service Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a private citizen or group by the secretary of the interior. Baxter was cited for "outstanding commitment and contributions on recovery efforts for the endangered Wyoming toad." He was the first to report the Wyoming toad as a distinct species in the Laramie Basin and to discover the decline of the species.

UW Department of Theatre and Dance students and faculty received top honors at the recent Region VII Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival and Northwest Drama Conference in Ashland, Ore., and several will perform in national competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Senior Lindsay Cozzens of Laramie won the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition, while her scene partner, junior Thomas Stroppel of Wright, was chosen as Best Partner. Brandon Taylor of Rawlins won a full tuition scholarship to attend a summer professional acting program in Los Angeles.


Also at the festival Junior Dana Formby, Cheyenne, received special recognition for her one act play, "Monday After Work." Senior Jesse Sundell, Casper, won the region's 10 Minute Play competition. Senior Rocky Hopson, Cheyenne, won the Director Award from the Society for Stage Directors and Choreographers; Senda Dimock Perry, Laramie, won the 2005 Barbizon Meritorious Achievement in Costume Design; while senior Paul Ankenman, Berthoud, Colo., picked up the Student Director Award for the 2005 Design Storm. Leigh Selting, theatre professor, was awarded the prestigious Kennedy Center Medallion of Excellence for all of his years of mentoring student actors and his recognition as one of the nation's top acting coaches.

The UW chapter of the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, has won the national organization's top honor for the second time in four years. UW received the R.C. Matthews Outstanding Chapter Award, based on quality, variety and number of chapter projects, organization, and promptness and completeness of reports to headquarters. Of the 228 national chapters, only 19 were considered for the honor.

In 2004, 12 small businesses in eight Wyoming communities received 16 grants totaling more than $3.5 million from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which provides research and development grants to support the development of new, cutting edge technologies. In Wyoming, the program is funded by the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) and administered by the University of Wyoming vice president for research.

Wyoming led the nation in patent growth between 2002 and 2003, with an increase of 37.7 percent. "The state of Wyoming, led by research programs of the University of Wyoming, and with the assistance of state and federal programs administered by the university, is starting to experience a real difference in the number and growth of patents that can be a major economic benefit to this state," says UW Vice President for Research Bill Gern.

The Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) at UW is collaborating with the State Dental Office and other oral health experts to brighten the smiles of preschool children across the state. The "Healthy Teeth, Healthy Children" initiative is funded by a three year, $195,000 grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The program is intended to reduce instances of tooth decay in low income and underserved children and to form community partnerships to implement comprehensive oral health programs for young children and their families.

Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005