A&S, Ready for Tomorrow’s World

Speech delivered by J. Scott Turpen, Dean, to faculty, staff, and students at the April 13, 2026, A&S All-College Meeting.

 

This is a moment to look carefully at where we are, and also to identify where we want to go and what we will accomplish.

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we prepare students for anything that may come their way in life, to be “Ready for Tomorrow’s World.” We prepare them to live a full life—one marked by curiosity, purpose, and the ability to learn and adapt. And we make them ready for today’s world and tomorrow’s: a world shaped by rapid technological change, complex social challenges, and the constant need for thoughtful, ethical leadership.  The world needs us more than ever before.

And now we are doing that work in the era of artificial intelligence. AI can generate text, images, forecasts, and recommendations in seconds—but it cannot, on its own, decide what is true, what is wise, what is just, or what is needed in a particular human community. The more information AI produces, the more we need people trained to analyze it, interpret it, question it, and use it responsibly. That is OUR mission to become “Ready for Tomorrow’s World.”

Our work in the social sciences, humanities, and arts is not optional enrichment. It is foundational capacity-building for the University of Wyoming and for our state. These disciplines help students understand people and institutions; interpret evidence and meaning; communicate across differences; and imagine solutions that are not yet obvious. They strengthen civic life, public service, education, communities, culture, and the economy—because every one of these areas depends on humans making decisions together.

When someone asks, “What do Arts & Sciences graduates actually do?” we must answer with confidence: they do what the world requires—think, create, analyze, lead, and learn. In an AI-enabled economy, some tasks will be automated and some roles will be reshaped and eliminated—but the demand for people who can make sense of information, ask better questions, and exercise sound judgment will only grow. Our students leave us with essential skills that employers, communities, and institutions rely on:

 

• Critical thinking:
• Clear communication:
• AI and media literacy:
• Cultural competence and empathy:
• Ethical reasoning:
• Creativity and innovation:
• Research and information literacy:
• Resilience and adaptability: 

Those skills are not abstract. They show up in classrooms, labs, studios, fieldwork, internships, community partnerships, student organizations, and scholarship. They show up when a graduate helps a community navigate conflict, when a team communicates a scientific idea to the public, when an entrepreneur tells a compelling story about a new product, when a teacher builds belonging for every learner, when a public servant earns trust through integrity.

At the same time, we have a responsibility to make the pathway from Arts & Sciences to meaningful employment more visible, more direct, and more equitable. That means we must create more paid internship opportunities—especially for students who cannot afford to take unpaid positions. Paid internships are not just “nice to have.” They are a proven bridge to professional networks, to confidence, to job offers, and to a clearer sense of direction.

So here is a core priority for us: strengthening the connections between our students and employers across Wyoming and beyond—state agencies, nonprofits, schools, cultural organizations, healthcare and human services, media, industry, and local businesses. We will need department-by-department effort, college-level coordination, and partners who believe in the talent we educate here. We will also need to tell our story in a way that invites investment—because internships don’t appear out of thin air; we build them through strong relationships and shared commitment.

And let me be direct about the stakes. Arts & Sciences is essential to the University of Wyoming and essential to the state of Wyoming. We are not tangential to the institution’s mission; we are central to it. If UW is to serve the state with excellence, then the college that develops the state’s thinkers, communicators, teachers, researchers, artists, and civic leaders must be recognized as a college that must be supported. Not because we are entitled to permanence—but because our value is permanent.

To get there, we need all of us. Not all doing the same thing—but all pulling in the same direction. I’m asking you to join me in three commitments:

 

1. Tell the story: In your classes, your mentoring, your outreach, and your conversations with alumni and community partners, name the skills our students are gaining—and connect those skills to real careers and real community needs.
2. Build the bridges: When you have a relationship with an organization, ask what meaningful paid student work could look like. Invite them in. Help us turn one-off opportunities into repeatable pathways.
3. Share outcomes: When you AND your students publish, perform, win awards, complete internships, get hired, or serve communities—send that information forward so we can amplify it together. This is story telling that is critical as we prepare for the next legislative session.

 

I believe deeply in what we do, because I have seen what it does for students and communities. We help them find their voice. We help them understand the world as it is—and imagine what it could be. We help them become the kind of people who can meet uncertainty with skill and courage.

 

Let’s make that value unmistakable and nonnegotiable—to our students, to UW, and to the people of Wyoming. Let’s do it by strengthening career pathways, expanding paid internships, and speaking with one clear voice about why Arts & Sciences matters. Thank you for your dedication, your creativity, and your leadership. I’m proud to do this work alongside you.