Public Event for New UW President July 5 in Riverton

Fremont County residents have an opportunity to meet new University of Wyoming President Laurie Nichols during a public event Tuesday, July 5, at Central Wyoming College in Riverton.

A public reception is scheduled 4-6 p.m. at CWC’s Intertribal Education and Community Center. Light refreshments will be served at the event, hosted by the UW Alumni Association and others.

The public event is part of a trip for the UW president to Fremont County that will include meetings with community leaders, legislators, Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribal officials, and media representatives.

During her first months in office, Nichols is spending a day or two of each week traveling around the state to meet with citizens, community college and public school leaders, legislators, alumni, media and others.

“I’m having a wonderful time getting around the state to meet with people and hear their thoughts and expectations for Wyoming’s university,” says Nichols, who began her duties as president May 16. “This is a crucial time for the state and UW, and input from the public is important to make sure the university fulfills its land-grant mission of education, research and service to the entire state.”

Nichols comes to UW from South Dakota State University, where she has served as provost and executive vice president since 2009. Before that, she was dean of the SDSU College of Education and Human Sciences from 1994 to 2008. She began her career in higher education as a member of the faculty of the University of Idaho from 1988 to 1994.

Nichols was born and raised in South Dakota. A first-generation college graduate, she received a bachelor’s degree in education from South Dakota State in 1978. She then earned a master’s degree in vocational and adult education from Colorado State University in 1984 and a Ph.D. in family and consumer sciences education from Ohio State University in 1988.