In early 2025 the University of Wyoming achieved Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university in the rarefied air of the top research universities in the United States. This prestigious designation recognizes our commitment to groundbreaking research, academic excellence, and impactful discoveries that benefit Wyoming and the world. The Research and Economic Development Division (REDD) at UW serves as a catalyst to advance the university's knowledge enterprise through research, service, and innovation. Providing rich experiential learning opportunities, REDD enriches the experience of UW students and supports innovation and economic growth across Wyoming. Our commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and innovation remains a foundation for progress and prosperity throughout the state.
UW Students were trained by LAMP-trained educators in active learning classes in FY24
Total FY24 research expenditures
On NAI's annual list of patent production by U.S. universities
University of Wyoming researchers have published a critical review of the relationship among pore architecture, geomechanics and fluid flow during production-induced pressure decline in shales. This examination is a necessary step in identifying the factors that need special attention in researching burgeoning oil and gas reservoirs in Wyoming, such as the Mowry Shale.
The study, led by doctoral student Ifeanyi Nwankwo, examined the complexities of fluid movement through shale and the rock deformation and offered a path forward for research. Nwankwo, originally from Ifitedunu, Nigeria, is in the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering in the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
The article, titled “A critical review of experimental and theoretical studies on shale geomechanical and deformation properties, fluid flow behavior, and coupled flow and geomechanics effects during production,” was published in the International Journal of Coal Geology.
Co-authors include Morteza Dejam, an associate professor in the Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, and Scott Quillinan, senior director of research in UW’s School of Energy Resources (SER).
A course on entrepreneurial finance at the University of Wyoming is enabling business students to have a hands-on role in the investment of funds from the UW Venture Capital Program.
Students enrolled in UW’s College of Business evaluate proposals from real-world startups in Wyoming in need of seed-level funding to take their companies to the next level. The program is a cooperative effort among the College of Business, the UW Foundation and UW’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI).
“There’s a funding gap between the startup phase of a company and when it becomes suitable for institutional capital from a large venture capital firm,” CEI Director Robert Macy says. “We aim to fill that gap.”
The program is generously funded by the Fisher Incentive Funds in Entrepreneurship, an endowment established in 2017 by Donne and Sue Fisher. The Fisher funds are aimed at creating a lasting legacy by empowering students through real-world entrepreneurial experiences.
For the full story, visit UW News.
The University of Wyoming’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) is undertaking a program geared to give art students real-world experience in fabrication and restoration to help secure careers in manufacturing and design. The program will be offered as an extra-curricular course in the 2026 academic year.
UW art sculpture professor Ashley Hope Carlisle oversees the Master Craftsman Program. Her approach to teaching creative problem-solving through art is the driving concept behind the initiative. The aim is to give learners direct exposure to business practices in industry, enabling them to pursue professions in production, development, and construction.
“This is a uniquely innovative approach that enables budding professionals in art disciplines to participate in a variety of industries as well as start their own artisan businesses,” said Robert Macy, Director of UW’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI). “Students gain hands-on experience they can apply across a wide range of industries and career opportunities.”
For the full story, visit UW News.
