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:

UW economist Chuck Mason was among experts on both sides of the issue interviewed by The Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T) as to why oil prices soared this year, but Wyoming production did not.

The New York Times interviewed UW botany Professor David Williams for a piece titled “Even the Cactus May Not Be Safe From Climate Change.” He said cactuses, like most plants, exist in delicate balance with the ecosystems around them.

UW law Professor Michael Duff was among labor law experts weighing in on a Politico article that focused on Amazon’s pushback against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after the unionization victory at an Amazon warehouse facility on Staten Island. Duff is a former NLRB attorney.

EurekAlert! and Technology Networks published a University of Cincinnati release on a study by professors with UW connections that suggests that transgender and gender diverse people may benefit from better-designed smartphone apps that offer voice and communication training software. The software helps lessen voice-gender incongruence for transgender individuals. Co-authors of the study include Erin Bush and Breanna Krueger, both in the UW Division of Communication Disorders; Joshua Clapp, from the UW Department of Psychology; and former UW faculty member Vesna Novak. The Journal of Voice recently published the study.

UW will halt its required COVID-19 testing program at the end of the semester. The Laramie Boomerang noted that the university also is set to end contact tracing and updates to its COVID-19 dashboard.

HPCwire reported that UW President Ed Seidel is a keynote speaker for this summer’s 12th annual Rocky Mountain Advanced Computing Consortium’s High Performance Computing Symposium in Boulder, Colo. Seidel is an international leader in the high-performance computing field.

Laramie’s Ashleigh Chapman, president and CEO of the Alliance for Freedom, Restoration and Justice, was recently recognized by USA Today as one of the “Women of the Year.” Wyoming News Now reported that UW’s IMPACT 307, an incubator for new businesses and entrepreneurs, helped develop Altus Solutions, one of Chapman’s businesses.

Wyoming News Now spoke with UW’s Penelope Shihab, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Gabrielle Allen, director of the School of Computing, on how new university programs will prepare UW students for the future.

UW economist Anne Alexander told Cowboy State Daily that inflated prices on goods are caused by several factors, including the Russian/Ukrainian war, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and a hot housing market. UW economist David Aadland talked with KUNC for a similar interview.

Sheridan Media published UW’s release announcing that UW researchers have developed a COVID-19 antigen test that is more sensitive than those currently on the market. The test can use a hand-held device to be read, making the test appropriate for diagnosis at the point of care within 30 minutes. The CS-T and Cowboy State Daily published similar articles.

UW’s Matt Kauffman, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and unit leader of the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, was interviewed for a Mountain West News Bureau piece. Boise State Public Radio carried the story about a new USGS report that includes maps of 65 big-game migration routes across Western states and tribal lands. Kauffman is the lead author of the report.

Hardwood Paroxysm, a news website, noted that UW Associate Professor Dario Grana is a recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. Current and former students and colleagues from the Pizzighettone area in the Italian region of Lombardy nominated Grana for the award. Grana maintains a residence in Italy.

Laramie came in 21st in The College Post’s list of 25 communities nationwide with the best social life for college students. In noting that Laramie is home to UW, the digital media outlet posted that the town has a reputation for the best nightlife in the state. The article also highlighted the Laramie Mural Project and the Medicine Bow National Forest as attractions that UW students should visit.

Laramie Live published UW’s release noting that ground was broken on a demonstration house made of coal-derived building materials and char bricks. The project is part of the Carbon Engineering Initiative in the UW School of Energy Resources’ Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion. The news outlet also posted UW’s release on UW Extension and the Wyoming National Guard teaming up to celebrate military children this month.

An article republished by The Sublette Examiner noted that UW researchers are working with Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel to study the vulnerability of black bears under harvest management as opposed to initiating bait sites. The Western Bear Foundation, based in Cody, has contributed to black bear research projects.

Wyoming News Now reported that an Eastern Wyoming College team won the Wyoming Collegiate Business Ethics Case Competition. The competition, hosted by UW’s College of Business and the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program, attracted several Wyoming community college teams.

Eight student-led teams will vie for seed prize money to get their business plans off the ground in UW’s John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition later this month. WyoToday Media and County 10 published UW’s release.

Oil City News published UW’s release announcing that UW’s IMPACT 307 entrepreneurship program will host the Casper Start-Up Challenge Pitch Night competition this week.

Students in a UW Top-Tier Science Initiative program recently visited classrooms in Albany County School District 1 to share information about their research, reported Laramie Live. The UW initiative is committed to improving Wyoming’s future by developing a pioneering, diverse skillset in its students.

The Powell Tribune published UW’s release noting that a new bulletin from UW Extension provides information on how to combat the brome seed midge that damages smooth bromegrass, an important forage grass seed crop for Wyoming farmers and ranchers.

UW management and marketing Professor Robert Sprague was featured in WalletHub’s recent study about the best small cities to start a business. Sprague also commented on the pros and cons of starting a business in a small city during the ongoing pandemic.