UW College of Ag Recognizes Outstanding Alumni, Supporters

The University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources honored notable alumni and supporters during its annual Ag Appreciation weekend Sept. 29-Oct 1.

Craig Alford and Larry Prager each received the Outstanding Alumni Award. Ann Ramsay received the Legacy Award in honor of her late mother, Elizabeth McCabe. Farm Credit Services of America was named Corporate Partner of the Year.

Outstanding Alumni Awards

Starting as a warehouse worker in 1978, Prager, CEO of Center of the Nation Wool, has been a leader in the wool industry, keeping U.S. wool competitive in a global market.

In 1993, he became general manager at Center of the Nation Wool in Belle Fourche, S.D. He was named president of the U.S. Wool Marketing Association in 1997.

“Prager combined his technical wool skills with the work of progressive ranchers to increase the marketability and value of wool from Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota. The code of practice in use across the U.S. today is built on Prager’s contributions,” says a South Dakota producer.

In 2019, Prager’s company handled nearly 5 million pounds of wool, about 20 percent of all wool shorn in the U.S.

Like Prager, alumnus Craig Alford has applied his agricultural knowledge and interests to achieve success on an international scale.

Originally from Australia, the esteemed weed scientist came to Wyoming as a high school exchange student and moved on to earn his undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees at UW. Throughout his career, Alford has helped develop and launch critical herbicide solutions in Wyoming as well as nationally and internationally.

Currently a global biology leader for rice and specialty herbicides at Corteva Agriscience, he continues to work with Wyoming researchers to develop methods for combating noxious invasives.

Legacy Award

McCabe was a much-loved member of the Jackson Hole community. A passionate supporter of the 4-H program, she photographed every Teton County fair for more than four decades.

In December 2020, Ramsay donated a property in Teton County to support UW Extension in her mother’s honor. The $1.8 million generated by the sale of the property created an endowment to help supplement the salaries of extension employees and offset high living costs in the area.

“Ann sees the value of the extension service and the 4-H program to keeping this place a community,” says Mary Martin, a longtime extension educator based in Jackson. “4-H kids grow up with a skill set that’s enviable. She’s making sure that continues.”

Corporate Partner of the Year

Farm Credit Services of America supports a wide variety of agricultural education and outreach programs in Wyoming, ranging from annual scholarships to a $1.5 million gift that helped launch UW’s Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) program.

Launched in 2022, the new program connects university students, faculty and extension personnel with producers and ranch managers across the state, creating opportunities for learning, networking and discussion.

“We choose to help fund the RMAL program because it provides students with technical knowledge and real-world experiential learning that will benefit Wyoming’s agricultural industry for generations to come,” says Teresa Mardesen, community relations manager for Farm Credit Services of America.

About University of Wyoming Extension

Since 1914, UW Extension has provided lifelong learning opportunities to Wyoming citizens across the state. With roots in agricultural education, UW Extension supports rural communities facing contemporary challenges and changes. UW Extension brings the university’s resources to each of the state’s 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. To learn more about UW Extension, call (307) 766-5124 or visit www.uwyo.edu/uwe.