UW in the News

State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage:

In a roundup of how some colleges are dealing with the latest COVID-19 outbreak nationwide, The New York Times included UW’s plans in an article titled “Some Colleges Loosen Rules for a Virus That Won’t Go Away.”

Wyoming Public Radio interviewed UW College of Health Sciences Dean David Jones to discuss the university’s decision not to require the campus community to be tested for COVID-19 before returning for the spring semester, reversing its previous plan. Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for communications and marketing, spoke with WyoFile about the university’s plans to manage the virus. And Buckrail published UW’s release noting that KN-95 masks will be distributed to students and staff at the start of the spring semester.

Science News published an article focusing on new research that challenges early hunters’ reputation as mammoth killers. Modern testing of stone points indicates that early Americans might have been better scavengers than hunters of the giant beasts. UW Professor Todd Surovell was interviewed for the article, in which he discussed his ongoing research on the subject from a mammoth kill site in eastern Wyoming.

The Wyoming Legislature is preparing to discuss the state’s budget proposals, including UW’s budget requests, according to a Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T) article republished by The Jackson Hole News & Guide.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle noted that the UW Board of Trustees last week approved the launch of a School of Computing. The new school initially will be housed in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and it will raise the university’s performance in computing and technology. Wyoming News Today published UW’s release on the announcement.

UW is part of a $19 million project looking at how grazing practices affect soil health and rancher well-being. Wyoming Public Radio interviewed Derek Scasta, a UW Extension range specialist, about the long-term project.

WyoFile quoted UW economist David Aadland for a story on how the Wyoming Legislature will handle the state receiving a $1 billion-plus windfall -- funds received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

UW scientists and other researchers recently published a study that focused on concerns for animals that are tied to the same habitats. To view UW’s release on the study, click here. ScienceDaily published the release, and both WyoFile and Earth.com posted similar articles noting UW’s research.

Sheridan Media posted UW’s release noting that its Ph.D. program in economics has received high marks in a new worldwide ranking based on the academic success of graduates. The UW Department of Economics has a long-standing reputation for excellence in faculty research, but this new ranking highlights the department’s success in graduating leading scholars in the field. IDEAS, a worldwide organization that disseminates economics research, ranked UW 31st among U.S. universities and 66th globally.

Even though Wyoming saw an uptick in coal production last year, most experts agree that the industry will decline again. UW economist Rob Godby spoke with Wyoming Public Radio about those consequences.

Oil City News published UW’s release announcing that the university is working to ensure compliance for affected employees after the federal vaccine mandate for most U.S. health care workers will remain intact following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week.

UW’s Anthropology Building now bears the name of George Frison, a Worland native and UW graduate who achieved international acclaim as an archaeologist during a lengthy career as a UW faculty member. The UW Board of Trustees approved the name change last week. Sheridan Media published UW’s release on the announcement.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published an op-ed piece from Scott Henkel, director of the Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research at UW. The article focused on some Wyoming residents’ efforts to ban books from public libraries.

In an article on how Wyoming has become a national leader to make roads safer for both wildlife and motorists, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle cited a UW-led project on some of those efforts. The article described the Wyoming Migration Initiative, a UW project that has created animated maps of migratory routes based on GPS and radio collar data.

The Sublette Examiner posted a UW release noting that a UW Extension bulletin publication titled “RD2H Migration Corridor Landowner Benefits” that outlines the benefits of wildlife migration corridors to landowners and Wyoming has been published.

Yellowstone National Park officially celebrates its 150th anniversary March 1. Montana Right Now noted a number of events to commemorate the anniversary have been scheduled, including a UW symposium in Cody in May. The CS-T and Sheridan Media published related articles.

County 10 reported that geologists with the UW School of Energy Resources (SER), the UW Department of Geology and Geophysics, Wyoming State Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey are working to research, locate, quantify and map geology in Wyoming that may contain critical minerals.

Carmela Rosaria (Lina) Guadagno, an associate research scientist in the UW Department of Botany, and a colleague recently received a federal grant to increase the understanding of plant water limitations across various species, according to Seed Today.

Sheridan Media published UW’s release announcing that the “Profiles in Wyoming Resilience” research project is gathering citizen input to help obtain a better picture -- documented through submitted photographs -- of the opportunities and barriers the Cowboy State’s residents face.

UW’s IMPACT 307 program is planning two new business incubators in Sweetwater and Uinta counties, according to SweetwaterNOW.

Mining Engineering and Coal Age published UW’s release noting that the SER-led Wyoming CarbonSAFE Project recently began drilling a second deep test well for site characterization. The project is at the Dry Fork Station near Gillette.