Three UW Employees Honored as Women of Influence by Wyoming Business Report

 

Three University of Wyoming employees were honored with 2023 Wyoming Women of Influence awards through the Wyoming Business Report at a luncheon Oct. 10.

Since 2013, the Wyoming Business Report has been recognizing influential women working within the state who exemplify leadership, creativity, ethical business practices, innovative thinking and unquestionable character.

This year, the Wyoming Business Report received a record number of nominees with 89 nominations in 18 categories representing different professional sectors in the state.

Holly Krutka, executive director of the UW School of Energy Resources (SER); Ana-Clara Bobadilla, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the UW School of Pharmacy who recently became an assistant professor of neuroscience at Colorado State University; and Mary Martin, a community development educator for UW Extension, were honored as winners in their respective categories.

Krutka was recognized in the category of Energy, Mining and Utilities, receiving multiple nominations from UW faculty and staff, community members and industry partners around the state.

Taking the helm of SER at the peak of the pandemic in 2020, Krutka has built an impressive team and national reputation for energy research at UW and has opened up new pathways for energy-driven economic development for Wyoming.

She has made a tremendous impact on the energy sector in Wyoming. Under her leadership, she has significantly grown direct external funding for energy-related research at UW; enhanced and expanded the research portfolio to include new technologies while continuing to serve legacy industries; and has increased outreach and enrollment in academic programs.

Krutka earned her bachelor’s degree, graduating magna cum laude, and her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma, both in chemical engineering. She came to UW after serving as vice president for coal generation and emissions technologies at Peabody Energy and has worked in various upper-level positions within the energy industry. She holds three patents, and she currently serves as a judge on the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition.

Bobadilla was recognized in the Manufacturing, Science and Technology category.

Bobadilla joined the UW School of Pharmacy in 2020. During her time at UW, Bobadilla investigated the neurobiological mechanisms of relapse to drugs. Specifically, she characterized the specific ensembles of neurons built through reward experience that drive reward-seeking behavior.

In addition to her research, she taught and mentored UW students, and she campaigned for balanced gender representation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) through multiple advocacy groups.

Bobadilla received her Ph.D. in neuroscience and her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences, all from Pierre and Marie Curie University (now Sorbonne University) in Paris, France. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she studied glutamatergic alterations driving drug seeking.

Martin was selected in the Lifetime Achievement category in recognition of her 48 years of service to the university and the state.

Based in Teton County, Martin was first known in UW Extension in 1975 as the county home economist, then as a county extension agent and now by her current title as community development educator.

Over the years, Martin has pioneered community development events to support tourism, programs for seniors, immigration assistance, efforts to increase affordable housing and to increase access to health care, and services for marginalized members of the community.

Martin earned her bachelor’s degree in home economics from the University of North Dakota and her master’s degree in education from UW. In recognition of her many contributions to improving the quality of life within her community and across the state, she was the recipient of the Friend of Community Development Award 2021 from the Wyoming Association of Community Development Education Professionals.

For a full list of this year’s Wyoming Women of Influence award winners, visit www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/events/women_of_influence/.