2022 News Releases

December 20, 2022 — The Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) in the School of Energy Resources (SER) completed mechanical testing at the Wyoming CarbonSAFE Project site located next to Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Dry Fork Station near Gillette, Wyo.

December 19, 2022 — Kara Brighton Fornstrom, a prominent natural resources attorney and regulatory policy expert, is the new University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) Center for Energy Regulation and Policy Analysis (CERPA) director.

December 14, 2022 — John Kaszuba, the University of Wyoming’s John and Jane Wold Centennial Chair in Energy and School of Energy Resources professor of geology and geophysics, recently published an article in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) that advances carbon dioxide storage research.

December 10, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources is excited to celebrate and acknowledge the monumental occasion of success for our fall 2022 graduate, Austin Moon.

December 5, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to welcome Dr. Lily Jackson to the research team in the Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR).

December 1, 2022 — Wyoming oil and gas operators may have a new tool to improve the performance of both injection and production wells, thanks to a project sponsored by the University of Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI).

November 22, 2022 — The University of Wyoming will offer two new certificate programs to equip current students and working professionals in the evolving energy landscape.

November 17, 2022 — The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER), the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) and the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) have released a request for expression of interest to solicit input from key stakeholders on direct air capture activities and initiatives in Wyoming.

November 14, 2022 — The University of Wyoming Energy Resources Council (ERC) will meet at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18, at Laramie’s Hilton Garden Inn.

November 4, 2022 — The University of Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) has published a study illustrating some of the methodology used to determine the best plan of action for improving production upon discovery of a new oil and gas field or reservoir.

October 28, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) is requesting proposals for a funding opportunity for University of Wyoming faculty and staff members on nuclear-related research projects as part of an initiative to grow nuclear research capacity among the campus community.

October 5, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER), along with project partner Western Wyoming Community College, will host the first annual forum for the Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Mineral (CORE-CM) project in the Greater Green River Basin and Wind River Basin (GGRB-WRB).

September 29, 2022 — The University of Wyoming’s annual Landscape Discussion on Energy Law and Policy in the Rockies is returning for an in-person forum Friday, Oct. 14.

September 28, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to welcome two new research scientists to the Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR). With backgrounds in petroleum engineering, researchers Tao Bai of Guang’an, China, and Lu Lee of Taipei, Taiwan, round out the geomodelling team in the center.

September 28, 2022 — The University of Wyoming recently hosted the Wyoming Articulation Summit -- an annual statewide gathering of higher education administrators, faculty, staff and other professionals to discuss transfer articulation efforts, impacts and plans.

September 21, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to welcome Madeleine Lewis to the research team. A licensed attorney in Wyoming, Lewis will serve as a policy research scientist to both the Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) and the Center for Energy Regulation and Policy Analysis (CERPA). In her new role, Lewis will conduct policy research and public outreach under the auspices of the Department of Energy (DOE) funded Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership.

September 16, 2022 — The UW School of Energy Resources (SER) and the Center for Business and Economic Analysis (CBEA) released a working paper measuring the economic impacts of future wind energy deployment scenarios in Wyoming, including potential income from federal revenue-sharing if such a provision were adapted for renewables. In addition, the working paper investigates the permitting process of wind projects and notes the significantly increased timeline when siting on federal land.

September 13, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources is pleased to announce the selected UW proposals that will be funded in phase I of the Mowry Shale Project.

September 12, 2022 — Arch Resources Inc. has committed a $500,000 gift to the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) to advance the school’s globally recognized carbon management initiatives as well as its ongoing efforts to drive innovative land reclamation practices.

September 9, 2022 — The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) and the Wold Foundation will host a joint symposium Thursday, Sept. 15, that focuses on the state’s energy future.

August 26, 2022 — UW Ph.D. student Zuhao Kou, recently presented his research in the student paper contest at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) for the Rocky Mountain Region, winning first place.

August 24, 2022 — Tara Righetti is the inaugural Occidental Chair in Energy and Environmental Policies, an endowed chair jointly administered by the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.

August 19, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) at University of Wyoming is pleased to announce the selected projects that will be funded under the “Hydrogen: Make, Move, Use or Store” initiative.

August 19, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) Center for Energy Regulation & Policy Analysis (CERPA) has published a second resource paper to its website analyzing the economic viability of a Rare Earth Element (REE) and Critical Mineral (CM) industry in Wyoming.

August 17, 2022 — Representatives of the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER), Wood PLC and Atlas Carbon LLC will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 2, to launch the site of a coal refinery field demonstration project near Gillette.

August 16, 2022 — The University of Wyoming Energy Resources Council (ERC) will meet at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 26, at Laramie’s Hilton Garden Inn for the council’s regularly scheduled quarterly meeting.

August 10, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER), along with project partner Gillette College, will host the first annual forum for the Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Mineral (CORE-CM) project in the Powder River Basin.

August 1, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources is pleased to welcome Kristi Russow as the latest addition to the team. Russow will serve as the Executive Administrative Assistant to SER Executive Director, Holly Krutka.

July 25, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to welcome David Lucke as a new project specialist. Lucke comes to SER with over 17 years of experience in managing major projects and research grant opportunities for the Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS).

July 19, 2022 — Holly Krutka, the executive director of the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER), testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources this morning (Tuesday).

July 18, 2022 — The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) is seeking proposals from current UW faculty members to investigate the Mowry Shale in the Powder River Basin.

July 14, 2022 — Grant Copeland of Norfolk, Va. is the latest addition to the expanding research team at the School of Energy Resources (SER). With a geological background in analytical chemistry and method development, Copeland will be working with the Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) to advance projects dedicated to rare earth element (REE) and critical mineral (CM) extraction in Wyoming.

July 13, 2022 — Dario Grana, a professor and Wyoming Excellence Chair in the University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics, will receive the Outstanding Educator Award from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG).

July 12, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) recently welcomed Francis “Frankie” Vogt to the financial team.

July 11, 2022 — University of Wyoming researchers recently published a policy analysis article in a leading environmental research journal that examines the potential role of economic and policy incentives to facilitate carbon capture and storage (CCS) deployment in the state.

July 5, 2022 — The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) is seeking proposals from current UW faculty members on hydrogen energy. Topics of interest for the proposals include all levels of the supply chain, such as hydrogen production, use, transportation and storage.

July 1, 2022 — The University of Wyoming (UW) School of Energy Resources (SER) recently welcomed Tiffany Bishop to the research team in June 2022. Bishop joins SER as a project specialist.

June 30, 2022 — Researchers in the School of Energy Resources (SER) Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) completed a cross well tomography analysis as part of the detailed site characterizing for Phase III of the Wyoming CarbonSAFE project.

June 24, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to welcome Representative Don Burkhart of the Wyoming Legislature and Chad Teply, the Senior Vice President of Project Execution for Williams as the newest board members to the Energy Resources Council (ERC).

June 23, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources is pleased to welcome ChooiKim Lau as an assistant research scientist in the Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion (CCCC).

June 22, 2022 — The University of Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) sponsored an evaluation of a novel product that reportedly could help reduce the detrimental effects of paraffin precipitation and deposition in oil wells.

June 21, 2022 — A University of Wyoming proposal has been selected to receive an $800,000 research award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP).

June 17, 2022 — Members of the School of Energy Resources (SER) traveled to Gillette for the ribbon cutting ceremony on the recently completed Wyoming Innovation Center (WyIC).

June 7, 2022 — The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) has launched an accelerated degree program in collaboration with the College of Law.

June 6, 2022 — The University of Wyoming Energy Resources Council (ERC) will meet at 7:30 a.m. Friday, June 24, at Laramie’s Hilton Garden Inn for its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting.

May 27, 2022 — Members of the UW School of Energy Resources attended the 2022 Annual Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. SER research scientists Erin Phillips and Selena Gerace, who serve as the SER leads in the partnership, attended the meeting alongside Senior Director of Research, Scott Quillinan, Director of Outreach, Christine Reed, and SER’s Executive Director, Holly Krutka.

May 23, 2022 — Austin Moon, a University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) student, presented a paper co-written with Robert Field, UW atmospheric science associate research professor, at the recent Air Sensors International Conference (ASIC) in Pasadena, Calif.

May 19, 2022 — Representatives from Peabody visited the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) on Monday.

May 13, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to usher into the professional world a new crew of graduates in the Energy Resource Management and Development (ERMD) degree. Representing SER, six students in the ERMD degree will participate in the spring commencement ceremony early Saturday morning before embarking on exciting careers. All ERMD students in the class of 2022 have procured employment prior to graduation.

May 12, 2022 — University of Wyoming researchers recently won an award to use the Advanced Photon Source (APS) -- a high-energy X-ray light source facility -- at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Ill.

May 12, 2022 — The University of Wyoming has awarded the Carrell Family Energy and Petroleum Professorship in the College of Engineering and Applied Science to Maohong Fan, whose research has helped chemical, environmental and energy companies overcome technical challenges.

May 10, 2022 — Rami Alloush, of Damanhour, Egypt, took top honors in the recent $4,000 9H Research Foundation energy competition at the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources.

May 6, 2022 — Winners of the Decarbonization Prize contest were selected from among diverse proposals submitted by University of Wyoming students.

May 6, 2022 — A 10-year employee of the University of Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) has been appointed as director of the institute, effective May 1.

April 25, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to welcome Trina Pfeiffer as the newest addition to the Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion (CCCC).

April 18, 2022 — Members of the School of Energy Resources (SER) research team traveled to Houston, Tex. for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) conference March 29-31.

April 11, 2022 — The Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion (CCCC) in the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources recently broke ground on a demonstration house made of coal-derived carbon building materials and char bricks.

April 7, 2022 — University of Wyoming soil science researchers are conducting preliminary tests of a coal-derived soil amendment that so far is producing results similar to another popular soil amendment, biochar.

March 22, 2022 — Eugene Holubnyak is the latest center of excellence director in the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER), taking the helm in the Hydrogen Energy Research Center (H2ERC).

March 21, 2022 — The UW School of Energy Resources will host a webinar panel discussion on social and environmental justice on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. MDT. The panel gathers community leaders, academic experts, and federal representatives to discuss the topics of social and environmental justice as they relate to the Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Mineral (CORE-CM) projects.

March 14, 2022 — The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) will host the Rocky Mountain Professional Landman (PLM) Conference Friday, April 29. The in-person forum seeks to bring together industry professionals and PLM alumni in the Rocky Mountain region to showcase the esteemed profession; discuss current topics and issues facing the industry; and explore career paths and opportunities for future graduates.

March 11, 2022 — Now a sophomore in the Professional Land Management (PLM) concentration of the Energy Resource Management and Development (ERMD) Bachelor of Science degree program, Brandt is more than pleased with his choice of degree program and is excelling in his studies.

March 10, 2022 — Students in the Energy Resource Management and Development (ERMD) degree program at the School of Energy Resources (SER) traveled to Casper on Tuesday to visit the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC).

March 3, 2022 — The Nuclear Energy Research Center (NERC) in the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) is seeking proposals from UW faculty members currently receiving or pursuing sponsored research for nuclear-related projects.

February 22, 2022 — The University of Wyoming (UW) School of Energy Resources (SER) was privileged to host Congresswoman Liz Cheney on a visit to campus last Wednesday. While on campus, Rep. Cheney met with SER executive director Holly Krutka, and SER senior director of research, Scott Quillinan to discuss the groundbreaking research being conducted at SER, in particular the work in SER’s Centers of Excellence.

February 22, 2022 — A new study from the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) Center for Energy Regulation and Policy Analysis (CERPA) explores Wyoming residents’ views on achieving a net-zero carbon energy economy.

February 7, 2022 — The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER), Baker Hughes and the Wyoming Energy Authority are collaborating to offer UW students an opportunity to introduce novel solutions in the decarbonization space through a $5,000 ideation innovation contest.

February 2, 2022 — Four members of the Kaszuba research group in the Geology and Geophysics Department presented at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in New Orleans in December.

January 31, 2022 — The School of Energy Resources (SER) has named J. Fred McLaughlin as the director of the Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR). McLaughlin has served as the interim director of the center since June 2021.

January 31, 2022 — The Center for Energy Regulation & Policy Analysis (CERPA) in the School of Energy Resources (SER) has released a resource paper that provides an economic analysis of Rare Earth Elements (REE).

January 31, 2022 — The University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) received a $500,000 commitment from energy infrastructure leader Williams to help fund the school’s Hydrogen Energy Research Center.

January 28, 2022 — The University of Wyoming Energy Resources Council (ERC) will meet at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 11, at Laramie’s Hilton Garden Inn.

January 27, 2022 — A longtime state legislator from Rawlins has been appointed to the state’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Commission, which oversees the University of Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute.

January 27, 2022 — Nadia Dworian, a University of Wyoming undergraduate student from Anchorage, Alaska, will work with U.S. Gold Corp. on the Copper King (CK) Gold Project, located near Curt Gowdy State Park in southeastern Wyoming.

January 26, 2022 — Researchers in the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) have published a collaborative study on the potential for domestic critical mineral (CM) and rare earth element (REE) production from unconventional sources in the United States.

January 13, 2022 — The School of Energy Resource’s (SER) Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) hired Robert “Bob” Gregory in January 2022 to expand the team of research scientists working on the carbon ore, rare earth and critical mineral (CORE-CM) projects.

January 5, 2022 — Led by the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) and in collaboration with Basin Electric Power Cooperative, a team of researchers and partners on the Wyoming CarbonSAFE Project recently began drilling a second deep test well for site characterization.