School of Energy Resources Celebrates Fall 2023 Graduates

The growing academic programs at the School of Energy Resources (SER) will recognize ten individuals at the Winter Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, December 16.

Talbot Carter of Hinsdale, Ill, Nathan Kessler, of Buffalo, Wyo., Jacob Schneider, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Trace English, of Torrington, Wyo. will all receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Energy Resource Management and Development (ERMD).

“Graduation is such an exciting time for us at SER,” says SER Academic Director Kami Danaei. “We are so proud of our students for everything that they have accomplished during their time here and we couldn’t be more excited for them to embark on a dynamic career in the energy industry.”

Created in 2012, the ERMD bachelor’s degree is an interdisciplinary program designed to meet the needs of the energy industry and prepares students for careers in all types of energy development while addressing environmental considerations and working collaboratively with energy law and policy makers. The program offers two concentrations for specialization: professional land management (PLM), and energy and environmental systems (EES).

Carter chose the ERMD major because she believes in the importance of providing all individuals with permanent access to environmentally friendly and innovative energy. While at UW, Carter was involved in the Student Chapter of Energy Resources club, and worked as an intern with Peabody Energy in their Environmental Department.

Kessler pursued his degree due to a love of the outdoors. An athlete, Kessler competed on the UW Club Nordic Ski team, serving as the men’s team captain, and worked as a wildland firefighter with the Bureau of Land Management. In addition to the ERMD degree, Kessler is also earning certificates in Geographic Information System (GIS) and in Remote Sensing. Following graduation, he will continue firefighting in the elite Wyoming Hotshot crew.

Meanwhile, Schneider and English will be earning degrees in the PLM concentration.

Schneider has been extremely active throughout his time at SER. Working as a research assistant in SER’s Center for Economic Geology Research, he created a modeling story map to help The Williams Companies, Inc. identify the best site for the possible location of a hydrogen electrolysis plant in Wyoming. He also gained valuable experience as a Land Technician Intern with Water & Environmental Technologies (WET), and represented SER at the 69th Annual meeting of the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL). Following graduation, he has accepted a position with Enyo Renewable Energy as a Project Development Assistant and will begin working for the company in January.

English became interested in the law as it relates to energy and found a great educational fit at SER. He switched majors into the ERMD program after hearing a presentation on the diverse career paths for the future, and the interdisciplinary curriculum. While earning his bachelor’s degree, English worked to put himself through school in retail and construction jobs. He is currently seeking a position as a landman. 

In addition to the B.S. in ERMD, SER offers a minor in Energy Resource Management (ERM), and recently launched two new certificate programs, one in Land Administration and one Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). This commencement ceremony will recognize graduates in both the minor and one of the newly launched certificate programs.

Supplementing their degrees with the ERM minor are Noah Forbes of Cheyenne, Wyo., Nathaniel Morneau of Lander Wyo., and Jacquelynn Van Vleet of Wright, Wyo.

Forbes is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and Morneau will graduate with a degree in Management, both from the College of Business. Van Vleet is graduating with a B.S. in Geology & Geophysics. Van Vleet also completed SER’s mentorship program, which fosters learning outside of the classroom through an emphasis on professional development and organizational leadership.

Newly available, the certificate programs provide students and working professionals alike with the skills to take on new challenges and advance their careers. Having completed all of the requisite coursework, Braidyn Bristow of Erie, Colo., Molly Murnane of Crofton, MD., and Christine Reed of Laramie, Wyo. will receive inaugural certificates in Land Administration.

A current student, Bristow will be graduating with a degree in Agricultural Business in addition to her certificate. The Land Administration certificate was a perfect fit for her as the certificate’s focus is training students to solve today’s complex land management issues affecting environments and the relationships between land, agriculture, energy and people. 

Murnane and Reed represent the versatility of this new certificate as non-traditional students already on a career path. A spring 2023 graduate in the B.S. ERMD program, Murnane is a Land Services Representative for NextEra Energy. Having completed the coursework during her academic career at UW, Murnane was able to add the credential retroactively.

Reed serves as the Director of Outreach at SER and completed the certificate one class at a time as her schedule allowed over three years, due to the fact that the certificate is comprised of long-standing course offerings at UW. Reed is a 2006 UW alumna with dual degrees in International Studies and Spanish, and holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Liverpool.

“This graduation is particularly exciting, because we also get to see the positive impact of our newly launched certificate program,” adds Danaei. “We have our first graduates with the Land Administration certificate represented by a current student, a recent graduate, and working professional. The fact that people from different stages of life are all able to take advantage of the credential to enhance their qualifications is exactly what the certificate is intended to do.” 

Details on the Commencement ceremony can be found at https://www.uwyo.edu/commencement/index.html.