Published March 07, 2025
Greetings Staff and Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences,
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Jacoby Competition, the UW Symphony Orchestra’s annual event that highlights UW’s talented student musicians. Additionally, I was honored to announce the winners. Violinist Michael Vitanza, a student from Pinedale, was named the winner of the competition, and runner-up honors went to baritone Jeffrey Cuevas of Douglas. Congratulations!
I’m thrilled to announce this year’s winners of a variety of college awards recognizing faculty achievements. Congratulations to all recipients on this well-deserved recognition.
College of Arts and Sciences Extraordinary Merit in Research Award
Kyle De Young (Psychology)
Ken Hanson (Criminal Justice and Sociology)
Ricki Klages (Visual Arts)
Tracey Owens Patton (English)
Brad Rettler (Philosophy and Religious Studies)
College of Arts and Sciences Extraordinary Merit in Teaching Award
Dan Fetsco (Criminal Justice and Sociology)
Erin Harrington (Psychology)
Allison Caine (Anthropology)
Barbara Logan (History)
Alyson Hagy (English)
College of Arts and Sciences Beatrice Gallatin Beuf Golden Apple Award
Yan Zhang
Wyoming Legislative Session
As many of you are aware, the legislative session ended yesterday afternoon. As indicated in the messages from the President and Interim Provost, in the coming weeks, we will carefully assess what the outcomes of this session mean for the institution, its policies, and our faculty, staff, and students. As always, I appreciate all the hard work that all of you do each and every day to support and provide an educational experience that allows for open inquiry and thoughtful dialogue for all of our students.
Upcoming Events
We also have several great upcoming events across A&S. This weekend, the Department of Modern and Classical Languages will host their annual World Languages Day event, Wyoming’s premier state championship for foreign language study. This year’s theme is folklore. Nearly 350 junior high and high school students from across the state will compete in art and language activities.
On March 13, the Department of English is hosting an event titled “A Literature of our Own: An Evening Celebrating U.S. Women's Literary History” from 5-7 p.m. in Coe Library, room 506. The conversation, which will feature Molly McCully Brown, Julia Obert, Arielle Zibrak, and Colorado State University professor and award-winning author Nina McConigley, will celebrate the March publication of Zibrak’s edited collection of 12 Stories by American Women. Staff, faculty, students, and members of the community are invited to learn about fiction from a new perspective, listen to readings and participate in the conversation.
Upcoming Opportunities
All A&S staff should have seen an email from Carlee Hughes regarding a staff professional development request for proposals. This is a great opportunity for staff seeking additional professional development opportunities. The deadline date is April 18. Proposals and letters of support can be sent to Carlee.
REDD is now inviting applications for the next Director of the Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research, who will start in the position in summer or fall of 2025 (more information about this position can be found here). All applications received before March 11, 2025, will receive full consideration. Interested applicants should include a CV and a statement of interest describing a vision for WIHR in less than two pages. Questions and applications should be sent to pchitnis@uwyo.edu.
Finally, the Office of the President jointly with the Provost’s Office invites applications to the Faculty Leadership Institute (FLI) for the 2025-26 academic year. This program is designed to prepare faculty for leadership roles in academic administration and research, and provides an opportunity to develop leadership skills, gain insight into university leadership, and network with peers and university leaders across disciplines. The deadline to apply is March 24. For more information or to apply, email Gabel Taggart at gtaggart@uwyo.edu or Dave Bagley at bagley@uwyo.edu.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Adrienne Freng
