Pickett Named Dean of UW

A longtime University of Wyoming faculty member based in Casper has been appointed as dean of UW’s branch campus in that community.

Brent Pickett takes the reins of UW-Casper from Jeff Edgens, who moves to an extended-term faculty position with UW’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

Pickett began his UW career in 2005 as an associate professor of political science at UW-Casper. He’s a professor in UW’s School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies. He previously served as associate dean and director of UW-Casper for nine years.

“Brent is a mainstay for the university overall and a tremendously positive force for UW in Casper,” Provost Kate Miller says. “His familiarity with that community, relationships with people at Casper College and understanding of the mission of UW-Casper give us great confidence that he will lead the development of robust programs and services to serve the people of Natrona County and beyond.”

Pickett received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wichita State University in 1989 and earned his master’s (1991) and doctoral (1995) degrees in political science from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He has received a number of awards for his work -- most recently UW’s Hollon Family Award for Teaching Excellence in Off-Campus Programs.

“I’ve been a longtime supporter of UW-Casper, and I understand and appreciate how important it is to the people in the heart of Wyoming. I’m excited to return to a leadership role,” Pickett says. “I look forward to working with UW’s leadership team, the faculty and staff of UW-Casper, and our partners at Casper College to advance our mission.”

Based at the Casper College Student Union/University of Wyoming Building, UW-Casper offers more than 40 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, as well as certificate and endorsement programs. Its professional development courses provide employee training credit to employees of school districts, foundations and nongovernmental agencies.